Maybe I’m just being overly-sensitive about computer noises; I recently lost a graphics card due to a fan problem, and it’s just got me on-edge.
My hard drive just seems -louder- right now. It’s not making noises other than the ones it normally does… Just louder ones. Is it something that
Any help would be appreciated.
Back up your data now!
That noise could be the bearings about to go.
Hard drives are cheap. be prepared to buy a new one.
Ditto. If you are noticing the sound of your hard drive it is showing signs of failure. It could go for two more years…who knows…or it could go for two more weeks. Lots of people have never lost a hard drive; I’ve lost lots. Back that thang up =)
Oh, you can run chkdsk on windows and smartctl on unix. Modern hard drives all monitor their own health and these utils can report that data.
Possibly, good news. When I boot-up my PC, about 25% of the time, it squeaks badly like it needs oiling. The screen say’s, “Harddrive disc boot Failure” so I push the red reset button, jump thru a few hoops and bingo, it’s back up. My PC’s been doing this for a couple of years and it’s still running. I’m reserved to the fact that I will eventually need a new one however, this drama could go on for another couple of years.
Okay, treat me like a total comp illiterate here. For backing stuff up, can I, say, just buy a larger HD, copy the entire thing verbatim, and if the primary goes, replace it with the ‘backup’ and expect stuff to run as it did, as the data is the same? If not, what should I be doing? I have a CD burner, but I’m not sure exactly what it is I should be copying.
Backup all data you have created/saved/downloaded. Make sure you have the original discs for any programs you have loaded. If you download programs, backup the installation files.
Depending of the backup program you use, you should be able to create a set of discs that will turn your new drive into an exact copy of your old drive.
Although I haven’t used it, I’ve seen a lot of people recommend Norton Ghost.
Assuming you’re running some flavour of Windows.
Highly recommend you get an external USB hard drive and back up to that. Not just for now - forever. Tiger Direct has good prices, as do a number of other online and retail stores.
Back up anything you don’t want to lose. This may sound trite, but it’s surprising what people forget to back up:
Google “Karen’s replicator” for a free, useful backup utility. It may not be “industrial strength”, but it’s more than enough for an average home user.
For applications for which you don’t have the installation CDs, back up any related data files and backup the application folder. You might be lucky enough that if the worst happens, you can just copy the application folder across to your new hard drive and it will work. Most applications, though, use the Registry nowadays, which means they need to be installed; therefore, if you don’t have the installation disks you’re SOL.
Don’t bother backing up \Windows or any applications for which you have the install CDs.
Even if you don’t manage to get everything, backing up what I listed above will save you a lot of heart-ache if the worst happens. Take it from one who knows :smack: Feeling that you’ve got a back up for your important stuff is also very comforting, in an “I eat my greens” type of way.
If you’re comfortable installing Windows, that should be enough.
If the idea of installing Windows leaves you running screaming from the room, you’ll need something like Ghost as others have mentioned, to get you back to exactly where you are now. Bear in mind that as long as you’ve backed up your data etc. as described above, any geek armed with a Windows installation disk should be able to get you up and running within a couple of hours.
Oh, just to give a shout out to my homies in Redmond:
There is a “smart” backup utility built into Windows XP. It has some idea of what needs to be backed up, but is ignorant of many things I mentioned above.
To get to it,
I honestly have never used it, so I can’t vouch for how good it is; perhaps others can share experiences.
First it is more likely to be the fan motor on the CPU which runs HOT and tends to dry out the lubricant in the bearings.
…CPU fans are comparatively cheap and easy to replace.
Second it could be the case fan.
Lastly it could be the HD main bearings OR abrasion of the heads on the disc(s). If so total HD failure is imminent.
Indeed, you may find that apps don’t work right after a crash unless you re-install them.
Here’s some ideas that I’ve used:
[ul]
[li]Store all the apps that you download or otherwise don’t have CDs for in a separate folder, and back up that folder. I put mine in c:\program files\archive[/li][li]Always backup My Documents[/li][li]Back up the right parts of c:\Documents and Settings*username* where username is the name you log in with. You may have to back up subfolders. For example, if you use Google Desktop the subdirectory Application Data\Google stores humungous index files that you prolly don’t want to back up.[/li][li]Do differential backups, if your software supports them. These use a full “master” copy, and then simply store changes to it in each succeeding backup. I do this at work.[/li][li]If you are selective about the files you back up, you may be able to write the backup to a DVD drive. The only time the DVD needs to be in the drive is when the backup is running. Most drives allow you to add a session to an existing DVD, which is all you need.[/li][li]Take a look at EMC Dantz Retrospect. It’s about $85 for all the bells and whistles you will ever use.[/li][li]Remember to back up flash drives, too.[/li][/ul]
another two cents worth.
If your mobo has raid support you might be able to install a second drive and have it mirror your primary. If the primary blows you should keep going on the secondary.