OT Laptop HD question

[William Layer]

On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 10:34:48 -0500 (EST)
John Lawson <jpl15 at panix.com> wrote:

>    All three of the HDs in my previous and current laptops, a Toshiba 
> 420CDT, an IBM Thinkpad A21m, and this Dell Latitude - have exhibited a 
> sporadic 'snapping' behavior that is quite energetic (and alarming!). 
> There is some combination of Windows launched programs that results in, 
> occasionally, a small amount of disk activity and then a very loud snap, 
> or bang, that can sometimes be felt in the desk the machine is sitting on.

What are the chances that this 'snap' is not mechanical, but electro-acoustic (electrical arc)?

What is the ambient humidity there?

Bill