Subtle knocking sound coming from right side of MacBook

Since a few weeks my MacBook makes a very subtle but hearable knocking noise coming in irregular intervals from the right side (I put my ear on the MacBopk and waited). Coincidentally I did two things around the time the noise started: I bought a new hard drive (Western Digital Scorpio, 2.5", 8MB Cache, 250GB) and installed Leopard. Since the sound definitely comes from the right side it can't be hard drive related. According to Disk Utility the hard drive seems to be okay too.
Since the only component with moving parts is the optical drive I suspect that this might be the source of the noise. The problem is, that it's not reproducable and only occours irregularly. Plus every disk I insert plays fine (there was one incident with a DVD of "Lost" which went to pause every minute or so without pressing any button though).
Any suggestions? Thanks!

Thanks for your answer, impulse_telecom. Unfortunately I really can't tell these operations apart (especially since this noise comes and goes without any special action ...) so I don't really know what the drive is doing when it's making the noise. The (relatively) good news is that it's been making this noise for about a month now and I haven't noticed any data loss or read/write errors. But it could also be that since my hard drive is 250GB it might take a while for these errors to pop up. Since Leopard my boot caches had to be updated twice (never saw that under Tiger) when rebooting and I don't really know if that's a good thing and/or related to this.
I'll try and record the noise today and post it.
(I wanted to mark your comment as helpful too but there seems to be a limit per thread/day ... sorry).

Similar Messages

Sound coming from back side of Iphone 5.

Sound coming from back side of Iphone 5 when I tap on it or shake it. Mainly near the camera area.

I have exactly the same issue and I'm wondering is that normal or it is a defect in some devices

Soft wine coming from right side of My MBP

I started to notice a soft wine that sounds like a bomb being dropped, ie starts high pitch and ends in a lower pitch. Any one know what this could be. It sounds like it's coming from the right side when facing the monitor.
Ben

Could be the right side fan if you mean a "whine." But if you really mean "wine" then consider bottling it as it would truly be a rare vintage.

Strange noise from right sight of macbook (please listen to video to judge)

strange sounds coming from right side of macbook pro. To me it seems like something is spinning or vibrates, although it sometimes seems that it has something to do electronics: by touching the macbook the sound changes pitch...just look to the vid to see and hear what I mean:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3MKlilX1pI
The difficult part of it: it only occurs 1 or 2 times per month...
so when I send it back to apple service, they can't do anything as long as the problem doesn't appear 'right there right then'. 1 in a 100 that thats going to happen...if someone knows about this problem, please comment so I can ask apple to take a better look at a specific part of my macbook.
ps: Apple service has seen the vids, but they say that thay can't take action as long it's not clear what is causing it.
Anybody any idea what is going on?
- at the time there wasn't a cd/dvd inside
- one vid is while using "greater performance" videocard the other isn't.
- macbooks ibought in april 2009

Rod Hagen wrote:
Sounds to me like the sort of noise you get when an audio turntable or the like has an earth problem of some kind.
I'd say electronic, not mechanical, and probably , as Retired Engineer hints, playing through the speaker.
When you touch the aluminium body of the computer it appears to reduce the sound. When you touch the glass trackpad it does not.
Does the sound ever occur if you have the computer attached to the power adaptor with the earthed three pin power cord attached?
If it is happening and you then plug headphones into the audio output socket, can you still hear it? If not then, then can you hear it through the headphones themselves?
Another possibility might be an environment with a very high level of static electricity, I guess, with your body providing an "earth" when you touch the metal body of the computer.
Cheers
Rod
Hi Rod thanx for the response, some answers:
I never use the earthed three pin power cord, could that be the problem? End if so does it come standard on MBPro's or is something wrong with mine?
If it accures I will put my headphones in and as others mentioned I will mute my audio, just to find out more about the problem.
High Level of static, this could be the case since inside my house I'm walking on 'crocs' http://www.crocs.com. But then it also accurred on while I was at work (and defenitely not wearing corcs )
still I have doubt that it is the speakers:
when you move the macboek, the noise drops and after a few seconds it comes back again
when you push the MBP surface the frequentie (pitch) changes rather then 'on' or 'off' as you would aspect with statics..

Harsh rattling sound coming from fan.

Normally, when I use an application that requires a lot of CPU power or when I'm watching a YouTube video, the internal fan speeds up to 6000+ RPM but it started sounding weird the past week. Right when I "wake up" my MacBook from sleep, I here a faint rattling sound coming from where the fan should be but it disipates after a few minutes. When I view a video though, the rattling becomes a bit louder combined with the normal sound of the fan. Also, I noticed when I picked up my macbook when its fan was going fast and tilted it to its sides, the rattling sound corresponds with the movement of the computer (louder each time I tilted it left to right).
Could the fan be broken/loose? I sprayed some air into the keyboard to get rid of dust but nothing changed. I recently ran out of my Applecare warranty last September. Thanks in advance!

Hey
Sorry to say but you could be looking at a hardware problem. That being said there are still things you can try.
Try this artile: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964 for an SMC reset.
If that does not work make sure all of your software is up to date. If it is, you may have a hardware problem.
Run the Apple hardware test that came on the disc with the computer to see if it comes up with anything... Although sometimes it doesn't even if there is a problem.
Regards,
Britt.

Sound coming from headphone jack becomes heavily distorted at the slightest movement of the headphone cable.

I use headphones almost exclusively of my Macbook Pro (Early 2011, way out of warranty) so this has really been annoying me. For about 1-2 weeks now whenever the wire from the headphones I have plugged in to the jack moves, even slightly, the sound coming from the left side disappears almost entirely while the sound from the right side becomes quiet and filled with static. Strangely, it doesn't appear to happen with everything that I'm doing on my computer. For example when playing games the sound seems to work just fine for the most part, but playing music or watching Netflix causes issues whenever the cord moves, which is really annoying.
To get it to stop, I have to move wiggle the plug around in the jack and slowly move the cord into a place where it will not be affected by movement very easily. I read that some people have been able to get around this by buying an external sound card and using the headphone jack on there, but I'd rather not do that if possible as there isn't really anywhere that I can put it without most likely picking up some interference. Plus I only have two USB ports, so I have to use a powered USB hub thats about 2-3 feet away from my computer for most things. Anyone know if this is a viable solution or how much it would cost to fix at the Apple Store?

Also, I have tried restarting my computer, messing with the audio settings, and various other settings that I thought might help.

Sound coming from both speakers and headphones at the same time in probook 4440s

I have a Probook 4440s with windows 8 pro(64 bit) with IDT high definition codec installed. Yesterday when i was playing some songs i noticed that the sound was coming from both headphones and speakers even when my headphones are plugeed in and my lappy was having no such problems a few hours earliers while i was watching a movie. Please help..

It may be because you have both the internal speakers and headphones enabled at the sametime on your laptop. This might just happen automatically when you plug your headphones in. You need to manage your audio devices on your laptop.
Go to Control Panel> Hardware and Sounds> Manage Audio Devices> Playback Tab (which should already be selected)
In the playback tab there should be a list of all the audio devices you are using on your computer. Right click on the one you don't want to use and click disable. This should stop the sound coming from that audio device.
Remember: You will need to enable that audio device if you want to listen to sound through it again. Your internal speakers won't work once you enable them again. This might also be the case with your headphones. You may also have to do this every time your plug in a device or once you restart your computer.
Another note: Sometimes disabled devices will not show up on the audio device list so once you disable a device it will dissappear. This is an easy fix too. Just right click on an audio device and make sure show disabled devices and show disconnected devices is checked.
I hope this helps.
(I was using a computer with Windows XP to explain the instructions but it should be similar with your Windows Operating System. You may however have to play around a little on your computer because it may be slightly different)

Every time I scroll, there's a clicking sound coming from the top left corner of my macbook

Similar to the clicking sound of my hard drive, every time I scroll, or whenever there is any sort of animation on my screen, there's a similar clicking sound coming from the top left corner on my , around the area where the microphone is. I know the hard drive is at the bottom right corner, so is this a graphics card issue or am I overlooking the issue?

It is better to take the MBP to the Apple store for evaluation.
They have the diagnostic tools to make sure that there is no problem with the computer.

[iPad Mini no Retina, iOS 7.0.4] Sound in only one side of earphone (no mic), but sound come from both sides when using FaceTime

Recently, I found with iPad Mini w/o Retina, iOS 7.0.4, the sound comes only from left side of my earphone when listening music, watching YouTube videos, even playing system sound. But the sound come from both sides when using FaceTime.
Earphone is not broken. Plug completely into the audio jack. This problem only shows up recently, worked fine weeks ago.
Anyone has the same problem? Or has some solution on this issue?

Settings>General>Accessibility>HEARING>Adjust the Left and Right Speaker with slider

I HAVE A ECHO SOUND COMING FROM MICROPHONE CONSTANTLY

I have a constant echo sound coming from my computer

Earlier this week I right clicked the speaker icon located at the bottom right corner of my desktop's taskbar. I clicked on recording devices and double clicked the stereo mix chip-looking icon. Under the listen tab, I unchecked the box that said listen to this device. The sound and smell stopped, but my speaker volume is now irreparably low even though the volume is turned all the way up. Any suggestions other than buying external speakers/headphones?

My daughters Ipod touch 2nd generation has been freezing today. We have updated, restored etc and will not play any music as in no sound coming from it. It is almost fully charged and played ok 2 days ago. Any suggestions?

My Ipod touch 2nd generation has been freezing today. We have updated, restored etc and now it will not play any music - as in no sound coming from it. It looks as if it is playing, but no sound comes out. It played ok 2 days ago. Any suggestions?

So, here is an update to my original question, in case anyone else has this issue. I spoke with a senior adviser at apple, who had me use the "devmgmt.msc" command in the search line of Windows 7; after expanding the USB controllers menu, she had me uninstall/delete the "apple mobile device driver" and then open "control panel" and "uninstall programs." Once the menu of programs was open, she had me highlight the program "apple mobile device controller", then repair it, and restart the computer. This fixed the issue and the iPod synced.
However, just one day ago, when I plugged in both the iPod, then the iPad (not at the same time), I get the message that "this library has already been synced to another iPod/iPad or other IOS device." It then asked if I wanted to set up as a new device or from restore of previous. That is wher I am right now; I am trying to get the same apple adviser again to discuss the case number. More to follow.

Two noise from right side when open the mbp

Every time when I open the laptop, there are two sound like zi zi from right side of it, before the opening music, it sounds like reading the disc, is there something wrong with the computer?

No. The OS, when the MBP is started does a diagnostics check, testing the optical drive as a part of same. That is the sound and it is normal.
Ciao.

Has anyone experienced a popping sound coming from their speakers after the upgrade to 10.8.5?

Has anyone experienced a popping sound coming from their speakers after upgrading to 10.8.5? If you play something with sound (like iTunes or YouTube video) it goes away but then appears again after you wake up your computer from sleep.

Back up all data.
Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:
/Library/Preferences/Audio/com.apple.audio.SystemSettings.plist
Right-click or control-click the line and select
Services ▹ Reveal
from the contextual menu.* A folder should open with an item selected. Move the selected file to the Trash. You may be prompted for your administrator password.
Reboot and recreate your settings in the Sound preference pane.
*If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard (command-C). In the Finder, select
Go ▹ Go to Folder...
from the menu bar, paste into the box that opens (command-V). You won't see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.

My sound coming from the internet on my MacBook Air is not working!

I bought this MacBook Air a month ago is the new one, everything was working well but suddenly the sound coming from the internet stop working.
My computer sound is working perfectly is just when I want to watch a video or listed a song from youtube talk on skype isnt working at all.
When I press the volume button i can hear it.
Can someone tell me what can it be?

Hopefully one of these steps should solve the problem.
1. System Preference > Sound > Output > Internal Speakers
    Highlight Internal Speakers / Headphones
    Make sure Mute is not enabled.
2. Remove the headphone.
    If you see red light in the headphone port, plug the headphone
    in and out of the port 5 or 6 times to flip the microswitch inside.
    Sound output may be stuck in the digital mode.
3. Reset SMC.     http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
    Choose the method for:
    "Resetting SMC on portables with a battery you should not remove on your own".
4. Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup
    Audio Devices window
    Side Bar
    Click the Built-in Output.
    Under Mute any of the boxes checked? If so, uncheck it.

Suddenly no sound coming from HP Pavilion 500-339 Desktop

I've had this computer less than a month without any issues. From a couple days ago there is no sound coming from any source (various speakers, headphone jack directly into computer).
I have checked everything, i.e., checked all the external cables, used the Windows diagnostics and checked all sound devices, volume settings, checked for mute etc. No issues have been detected with the audio hardware and drivers.
I've also done a system restore, removed recent Windows updates (within the week), uninstalled and reinstalled the IDT high-def audio drivers and still nothing. Every time I do a diagnostic it says the audio is working properly yet no sound comes out for anything.
Any help would be appreciated.

Hello @Brian13,
Welcome to the HP Forums, I hope you enjoy your experience! To help you get the most out of the HP Forums I would like to direct your attention to the HP Forums Guide First Time Here? Learn How to Post and More.
I understand that your audio on your HP Pavilion 500-339 Desktop PC is not working. I am providing you with an HP Support document: Using Microsoft System Restore (Windows 8), which you can use to restore your computer back to a point in time where your sound worked correctly.
If the Microsoft System Restore does not resolve your sound issue I would like you to use the HP Support document: Using Recovery Manager to Restore Software and Drivers (Windows 8) to put the original audio driver back in your computer. As this is the driver that came with your computer it should work correctly.
If the above steps do not fix your sound issue I think we should try a backup and recovery of your computer. To backup your personal information and ensure that it is not lost I would like you to review and follow the steps set out in the HP Support document: Backing Up Your Files (Windows 8), which will ensure your personal files are up to date.
***WARNING!! If you want to keep any emails or bookmarks/favorites you will want to back those up as well as I do not believe they are backed up in the HP Backup process.
Next, I would like you to review and follow the steps set out in the HP Support document: Performing an HP System Recovery (Windows 8), which will you through recovering your computer back to factory settings.
*** IMPORTANT - Your personal files such as libraries, personalization settings, user accounts, and desktop themes are permanently removed. As well the computer settings are returned to the defaults (the way it was when it came from the factory). All apps and software that were installed on the computer when it came from the factory are reinstalled, and their settings are reset to the defaults. Additionally, software, apps, programs, and everything that you have installed or saved on the computer are permanently removed.
If the above steps did not resolve your issue please call our technical support at 800-474-6836. If you live outside the US/Canada Region, please click the link below to get the support number for your region. http://www8.hp.com/us/en/contact-hp/ww-phone-assist.html
I would like to thank you for posting on the HP Forums. Have a great day!
Please click the "Thumbs Up" on the bottom right of this post to say thank you if you appreciate the support I provide!
Also be sure to mark my post as “Accept as Solution" if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others who face the same challenge find the same solution.
Dunidar
I work on behalf of HP
Find out a bit more about me by checking out my profile!
"Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong." ~ Donald Porter

Subtle knocking sound coming from right side of MacBook

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for