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soah
06-18-2005, 02:35 AM
Computer started making noise earlier like an electric drill (although not as loud). Started and stopped and then started again. I turned the thing off for about 90 minutes to see if it would go away, but the noise started up as soon as I turned the computer back on.

I seem to recall reading stuff previously about how noises like this are really bad news but the search feature was completely useless in locating them.

Help?

cgwahl
06-18-2005, 02:55 AM
Its probably a fan.

If you feel comfortable sticking your hand in the computer, take the case off and stop a fan with your finger and see if the noise stops.

soah
06-18-2005, 03:07 AM
It is not the fan.

cgwahl
06-18-2005, 03:09 AM
Then follow your ear and try to determine whereabouts it is coming from.

If the hard drive...I'd start finding a replacement soon. Could also be a disc in the CD tray.

Big Limpin'
06-18-2005, 03:22 AM
it must be from a moving part, and there arent many of them in there, there is likely a 2nd fan (on your video card)

cgwahl
06-18-2005, 03:30 AM
[ QUOTE ]
it must be from a moving part, and there arent many of them in there, there is likely a 2nd fan (on your video card)

[/ QUOTE ]


Yeah, be sure to check all fans (not just the big one in the back). Last time a fan made a lawnmower sounding noise it was coming from one of the ones on my CPU.

soah
06-18-2005, 03:43 AM
[ QUOTE ]
it must be from a moving part, and there arent many of them in there, there is likely a 2nd fan (on your video card)

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know a whole lot about the inside of computers, and I didn't know that video cards had fans... I think the thing making noise is the hard drive, but I don't really know what the various things look like so I hope I'm wrong?

Also, I have left the computer on nonstop for several days in a row... I'm wondering if this has caused some problems. I'll try leaving it turned off more over the next several days and see if the noise goes away...?

Worst case scenario is that my hard drive is dying I guess... what sort of a time frame am I looking at before it shuts down completely? I've had this computer for a bit less than four years... it seems like it's too young to be having these types of problems? But as I said, I don't know much at all about computer hardware...

cgwahl
06-18-2005, 03:49 AM
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
it must be from a moving part, and there arent many of them in there, there is likely a 2nd fan (on your video card)

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know a whole lot about the inside of computers, and I didn't know that video cards had fans... I think the thing making noise is the hard drive, but I don't really know what the various things look like so I hope I'm wrong?

Also, I have left the computer on nonstop for several days in a row... I'm wondering if this has caused some problems. I'll try leaving it turned off more over the next several days and see if the noise goes away...?

Worst case scenario is that my hard drive is dying I guess... what sort of a time frame am I looking at before it shuts down completely? I've had this computer for a bit less than four years... it seems like it's too young to be having these types of problems? But as I said, I don't know much at all about computer hardware...

[/ QUOTE ]


Hard drives being mechanical are real iffy on how long they will last. Personally if mine lasts 3 years I'm happy.

And I think people are still debating the plusses and minuses of whether or not to leave a computer on...I doubt thats what caused it to make noise.

What I would try is unplugging the hard drives power and turning the computer on. If no noise then yeah its the hard drive.

If the HD, replace it as soon as possible is my suggestion. You might be able to squeeze another day, week, month or more out of it but the longer you wait the less likely you will be able to salvage the data off of it. And be pleased that you are at least getting a warning of imminent hard drive failure... /images/graemlins/ooo.gif

AngryCola
06-18-2005, 04:21 AM
I agree, it's probably a fan.

But that doesn't mean it's an obvious fan. Check the CPU fan (obviously), chipset fan (if any), graphics card fan (if any), and the power supply fan.

My money is on the power supply.

soah
06-18-2005, 05:12 AM
Well... it has stopped making as much noise at it was earlier. Now I'm just hearing the normal amount of noise that computers always make when they are turned on... so for now I'll just assume that there was some fan in there somewhere that got too stressed out or something.

Slacker13
06-18-2005, 04:26 PM
I have had this happen twice and in both instances it was the Hard Drive.

BusterStacks
06-18-2005, 05:00 PM
One nice thing about computer hardware, it usually fixes itself, and when it does, it usually stays fixed. nice work.

Cumulonimbus
06-18-2005, 05:21 PM
My last computer did this. There was a spot on the side where you could strike the computer and it would stop.

MrTrik
06-18-2005, 07:36 PM
[ QUOTE ]
My last computer did this. There was a spot on the side where you could strike the computer and it would stop.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've had many devices that give in to my strikes. Unfortuately, the underlying problem never gets better over the long run. But it also helps with my frustration of stuff not working. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

gojacketz
06-18-2005, 09:17 PM
If I were you, I would back up any very important files as a precautionary measure...

Gojacketz