Hi,

What is the make and model of HDD? If you look on the manufacturer's website and find the technical specifications, it should have a noise emission value in decibels. Some drives are noisier than others, and faster ones tend to be noisier than slower ones.

It probably is "normal" for those drives, as the volume has increased with the addition of a second drive?

I am not sure how it has been done, but given that most modern desktop motherboards support RAID1 arrays, that would be the way I would go. In that case the mirroring is simultaneous.

If, on the other hand, it is some other software (that I have never heard of), then it probably uses "journalling" and writes data amendments to the backup disk at pre-defined intervals. In other words, it stores "transactions" that have taken place since the last transfer, and writes them to the second drive.

PS. How can I tell it to only copy the data after I shut down the computer since my suspicion is that it is copying the data automatically...Not sure though
If it is a RAID array you cannot, as they all work simultaneously.

If it is other software then you might be able to set the interval, but probably not an absolute time value. What you seem to be thinking of is more like the functionality of traditional backup applications, where you schedule a time or times for the job to run. Typically lunchtime and after work.

If you tell me what the application you are using is, I will look into it for you, as it would be of interest to me. That is, if it is not just a RAID array or something doing traditional backups over a short timespan. I do not think that it is a traditional backup application, however, as they usually want a dedicated system so you wouldn't be able to continue working.

To reduce the noise you want a sheet of thin Sorbo rubber. Cut it and glue it to the insides of the case, taking care not to obstruct the ventilation holes.

Now, where I live, I would have difficulty in getting Sorbo rubber, so I would go to one of the home improvement stores and get a pack of those thin cork tiles. Both are very good at absorbing noise.