Instead of replacing my window regulator, I did this:
http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/25704-window-regulator-permanent-fix-stretched-cable.html
My original window regulator lasted less than 20,000 miles, and the one that failed was the passenger side, so it wasn't used quite as much as the driver's side. I thought it was absolutely rediculous that it failed at such a young age. It's been several years now with no issues since I did the fix above.
Someone reported that there is a plastic guide that breaks causing the excessive play in the cable. If you catch it before it damages the cable at the motor, this seems to be a permanent fix. Since your regulator is making noise already, it may be too late to salvage it in this case. If I was going to replace my regulator now, I'd add this mod when doing the job, so later when it starts to fail again, you could easily adjust the slack out of the system.
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