Do computer noises warn you that something ís about to fail?I know the normal clickig. The last time the hard drive went, it was quite noisy a month before. This is our oldest clunker that I use.
Computer noises can mean a great many things. Each computer can differ slightly but they do very similar things.
As the system is booting up you will usually hear a beep. This is know as POST (power on self test) it is an indication that the system is running ok. Any beeps differing from the norm (2 short beeps and 1 long beep) usually means something is wrong.
Internal components will also make certain noises as they are going out. Most newer hard drives and cd-roms will make a bit of noise normally.
If your hard disk drive starts making the sound :cluck ca chunk ca chuck, as it is starting up…it is often a crash on the disk itself. You will notice error messages like no os found…or the system will lock up in scandisk.
Cd roms can do the same thing where they access a cd, spool up and down and not read it. This can be a two fold problem. If it happens on just one cd it is most likely the cd itself. If the cd rom is sounding really funny and is not reading any cd…well it very well could be the cd-rom going out.
Other problems like crackling sounds, sparks, or the smell of burned electronics are usually pretty easy spot.
Hope I could help ya out.
Openfist
sunbear,
If you explain in more detail, I am sure one of us techies can help you…
BTW, you thought I had dark hair? hmmmmm, I often wonder what makes people think that someone either has blonde, black or red hair…curious!
count how many beeps you’re getting…it will tell us exactly what is wrong with your computer
My “good” computer (with the evil inside logo) makes a noise like a diesel vibrator when it starts up and for about 15 minutes after that… then it’s silent as a sleeping kitty. Since I leave it up for weeks at a time, it doesn’t bug me much, and I know it’s just a loose bearing on one of the fans, so no biggie.
Beeps are normal… rattles could be a lot of things, most worth checking out. Hard drives tend to fail spectacularly, but some have week long death throes.
This is how a monitor ends… this is how a monitor ends… not with a bang, but a ping.
When I supported Micron, I had a caller that called up with monitor problems. I was all set to send him a new one when he said “Well, I have it open… isn’t there anything in here I can fix?” I felt like a 911 operator for a second there. “Sir… back away from the monitor… slowly…” He had just calmly opened a component that most trained technicians refuse to even look at. Plugged in even! The second most deadly component in your computer is a really big round thing on the monitor’s tube. Fear it. (The first is the power supply on a laser printer, but they are usually clearly marked as “Warning, this will kill you if you look at it wrong.”)
Users… oi.
http://www.madpoet.com
“I never meant to hurt you,” you said,
And buried yourself in lies instead.
Next time I would rather be slain,
Than forced to bear your mercy again.
“…and I know it’s just a loose bearing on one of the fans, so no biggie.” Yeah, that sort of sounds, no beeps. They come and go, even when it’s been on for days.
What if the fan burns out?
If the fan burns out, you are screwed. My PS failed after about 3 months fried up the processor, RAM and a few other components.
My other machine’s processor fan works but whines on occasion like a baby in need of milk, I pop open the case and simmer it down…don’t ask, in the realm of computers one shouldn’t do this but I can’t find a fan that works as well as this one. I kind of reset it’s placement and all is well, so I told you my secret. It’s been like that for over a year and it still works like a dream.
You might try cleaning out your entire system with a can of air, it may not take away the noise but I notice my puter’s are happier when clean.
Yeah… fan going out is bad, but I have backup ventillation (joys of tower cases), and a nifty wire going to my mobo that will let me know if it stops spinning. (And in case I ever need to know what RPM I’m running my PS fan at, the data is readily available…(Hey! That would be a cool tech geek parody… fan overclocking! I could get a 6’ industrial fan from my dad and…))
I’d blow out the case with some air, but I’m trying to grow a dust puppy so I have someone to play quake with.
That and something in me won’t allow me to buy a can of air when I can get it free.
http://www.madpoet.com
“I never meant to hurt you,” you said,
And buried yourself in lies instead.
Next time I would rather be slain,
Than forced to bear your mercy again.
Better yet, look at the bank of LEDs on the terminal. Are the green ones or the red ones flashing?
Green = Good
Red = Baaaad!
