My empeg has always had an odd rattle to it, but I was under the impression this was a normal sound from the laptop drives.

Note: This is not to be confused with the obvious and unmistakable sound of a loose screw rattling around inside the casing of the player. If you really do have a loose screw, it is critical that you fix the problem right away before applying power to the player again. If the screw contacts certain components on the motherboard when powered, it could cause permanent damage to the player. If you have a loose screw, and it turns out to have been one of the drive-mounting screws, make sure to tighten all the screws securely and use threadlock compound or some other means to ensure that they don't come loose again.