The hard drive does not make any "spinning
noise."
The hard drive does not un-park the heads. This
can usually be heard as a small click once the platters reach full speed.
An increased "whining noise" or a "screeching noise"
can be heard from the hard drive while it is spinning.
Oil leaking from the
bottom of the hard drive.
Common Issues
With older hard drives, the roller bearings wear
out and the drive cannot make full RPM. The drive senses this, and therefore
will not allow itself to start reading or writing data.
With newer hard drives the fluid dynamic bearing
breaks down or gets contaminated and the hard drive seizes. The motor
cannot overcome the friction and the platters will not spin.
