computer is making noise...
 

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?

Re: computer is making noise...
 

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.

Re: computer is making noise...
 

It is not the fan.

Re: computer is making noise...
 

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.

Re: computer is making noise...
 

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)

Re: computer is making noise...
 

[ 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)

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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.

Re: computer is making noise...
 

[ 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)

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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...

Re: computer is making noise...
 

[ 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...

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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... [img]/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img]

Re: computer is making noise...
 

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.

Re: computer is making noise...
 

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.