Hi and welcome to the WD community.
There are many variables that could amount to a drive emitting unusual sounds when powered on. To test our drives Mac users can use the Disk Utility and First Aid. For more information follow the links below.
How to tell if the noise or sound the drive is making is normal
http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/568
How to test a drive for defects or problems on a Mac
http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/866
If it’s not possible to test the hard drive, you may need to contact a data recovery company if you need to recover your data.
