Is this normal?

[Tech Reprise]

Is it normal for a HDD that is 8 years old to exhibit faint whirring, metal ping type noise while data on it accessed?

[whispous]

Just now, Tech Reprise said:

Is it normal for a HDD that is 8 years old to exhibit faint whirring, metal ping type noise while data on it accessed?

It's likely to be failing.

Ensure before anything else you have a backup of the data on a second device!

[SpookyCitrus]

1 minute ago, Tech Reprise said:

Is it normal for a HDD that is 8 years old to exhibit faint whirring, metal ping type noise while data on it accessed?

For an 8 year old mechanical HDD, yeah, that's pretty normal. It's also a pretty clear indication of the drive starting to fail and it needing to be replaced. I'd replace it as soon as possible or at minimum backup the data on it if it is important. 

[Ryker Robb]

4 hours ago, Tech Reprise said:

Is it normal for a HDD that is 8 years old to exhibit faint whirring, metal ping type noise while data on it accessed?

It's hard to tell for anyone if the noise you're describing is normal or not. I wouldn't just assume it's failing without hearing it for myself as well as doing some tests on it. 

Everyone please stop assuming the drive is failing without hearing it for yourself. We don't even know the model of drive he's talking about.

[Ryker Robb]

4 hours ago, Tech Reprise said:

Is it normal for a HDD that is 8 years old to exhibit faint whirring, metal ping type noise while data on it accessed?

If the "metal ping type noise" sounds similar to a Geiger counter, than yes it's normal.

[Tech Reprise]

16 hours ago, Ryker Robb said:

If the "metal ping type noise" sounds similar to a Geiger counter, than yes it's normal.

Yes, it sounds like a Geiger counter but a bit faster and bit more shrill. It lasts for a sec or two while I scroll through images on that drive and once the image thumbnails load up the sound stops.
The drive is a WD Blue WD10EZEX 1.0 TB

[Tech Reprise]

21 hours ago, whispous said:

It's likely to be failing.

Ensure before anything else you have a backup of the data on a second device!

 

21 hours ago, SpookyCitrus said:

For an 8 year old mechanical HDD, yeah, that's pretty normal. It's also a pretty clear indication of the drive starting to fail and it needing to be replaced. I'd replace it as soon as possible or at minimum backup the data on it if it is important. 

The important data is already backed up on the first of every month on three separate offline external HDD's. The unimportant data is expendable and installed applications can't be backed up sadly.