# comuter noises **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 3, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comuter-noises/172930 "2003-05-03T23:02:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rhino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a5b964/32.png) [@Rhino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhino)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comuter-noises/172930/1 "2003-05-03T23:02:07Z")
I have often wondered why my computer will make long series of somewhat soft clicking noises when I am not doing anything on the computer. Someone told me it is processing some information. and when these clicking sounds go on for say 10 to 20 seconds tht would make sense , but sometimes the clicks go on for what seems like over a minute or two.😕 ;j ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comuter-noises/172930/2 "2003-05-03T23:07:42Z")
Is your hard drive activity light on or flashing during these noises? Generally, older drives often make audible clicking noises when the R/W heads are being moved. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comuter-noises/172930/3 "2003-05-03T23:15:15Z")
Sounds like it would be the hard drive. Although you may not be doing anything, the computer might be; for example if you leave your email client open but minimized, then it is probably set to check your email periodically, then there are instant messenger programs which will be doing stuff in the background, and indexing things (like FindFast), which will periodically access the disk to index it (complete waste of time and resources IMO). ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comuter-noises/172930/4 "2003-05-03T23:22:18Z")
Try a defrag. (Start Menu-\>Programs-\>Accessories-\>System Tools-\>Disk Defragmenter) ---
**Author:** ![Phage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a4c791/32.png) [@Phage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phage)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comuter-noises/172930/5 "2003-05-04T03:12:12Z")
As another option is that you have some sort of backdoor/virus running on your system that either periodically tries to do something or is being activated from outside. This is probably unlikely, but whenever your computer does something that is unusual it is a good idea to scan. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2003, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comuter-noises/172930/6 "2003-05-04T18:27:47Z")
My guesses: 1. Windows periodically likes to “optimize” it’s swap file, theoretically to make your computer run faster and more efficiently. This optimization can take a while, especially if you have a large swap file or you are using alot of your virtual memory. 2. You have left windows file and print sharing enabled on your system and some hacker is snooping around on your drive. 3. You have some sort of spyware running on your system that is gathering data to send back to the mother ship. ---
**Author:** ![Rhino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a5b964/32.png) [@Rhino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhino)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comuter-noises/172930/7 "2003-05-04T19:51:53Z")
I may have mislead you a bit. These soft clicking noises aren’t heard ALL THE TIME , just now and then. And, yes ,the small green light does flicker a bit when this is happening. Most often this “noise” lasts maybe 5 to 10 seconds and then all is quiet. Do you guys mean to say that your CPU does not make any noise at any time.? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comuter-noises/172930/8 "2003-05-04T19:55:46Z")
I understood you, and yes, it’s hard drive activity, caused by any number of background processes. Everyone’s CPU makes noise, just some of them are quieter than others. I really have to strain to hear my hard drive heads moving, and the fans are pretty quiet too. The noisiest thing on it is the floppy drive, which I rarely use. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comuter-noises/172930/9 "2003-05-04T21:08:21Z")
Reading the title of this thread I thought you’d want to know why the guy who sits next to you on the bus farts so loudly. Or something like that. Watch those typos, bub. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comuter-noises/172930/10 "2003-05-05T01:39:10Z")
The only noise associated with the CPU is it’s cooling fan. The chip it’self is completely silent. The noise that the fan makes (unless it is faulty) is constant and uniform. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comuter-noises/172930/11 "2003-05-05T01:40:16Z")
Ha ha! good one stuyguy. ---
**Author:** ![hobbes730](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/97f17d/32.png) [@hobbes730](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobbes730)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comuter-noises/172930/12 "2003-05-05T01:52:53Z")
If your CPU is making noise, you’re in trouble 🙂 If you have a cooling fan, you might hear that, but that’s only very loosely associated with CPU usage. The sounds you’re hearing must be your hard drive. It’s likely just a program such as Office, Explorer, or Windows itself “optimizing” your files for faster access. Or, yes, it could be spyware, or a virus, but I wouldn’t worry too much about that. Anyway, it’s definitely your hard drive; the best thing you can do right now is run ScanDisk (make sure to check the box for “Surface Scan”), but if nothing turns up, then I wouldn’t worry about it. ---
**Author:** ![Rhino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a5b964/32.png) [@Rhino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhino)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comuter-noises/172930/13 "2003-05-05T17:08:36Z")
LOL Stewgy… And I had not even noticed the typo . You got sharp eyes…they are on the cutting edge !:smack: