[Ericuse165]

When my friend turns on her pc it makes a grinding noise and will make it intermittently. I think it is the HD is there anything elise it could be?

This post has been edited by Ericuse165: 19 October 2011 - 05:27 PM

[LiveBrianD]

Sounds like the HDD. However, could it be a wire in the fan or a dying fan? Download Speedfan, go to the SMART tab, and do an online analysis. What does it say? Any bad sectors? Also, download Seagate Seatools and run a short DST. If that fails, it's the HDD. If not, try a long DST.

[LincolnSpector]

Ericuse165, on 19 October 2011 - 05:25 PM, said:

When my friend turns on her pc it makes a grinding noise and will make it intermittently. I think it is the HD is there anything elise it could be?

The first thing you need to do is back up that hard drive. It could go at any minute.

Once that's done, you have the luxury of figuring out if it's the hard drive or a fan. If it's a desktop, open it up and try to determine exactly where the noise is coming from. A cardboard tube--say, from a paper towel roll--can help. the job is more difficult with a laptop, but it's possible.

Lincoln

[Ericuse165]

I did the DST long test it passed with no errors. So could it very well be the fan? I have not done the speedfan test yet I am today and going to be looking at the pc today. Look at the fan and run the speedfan but is there anything I should look at? It is a laptop

This post has been edited by Ericuse165: 23 October 2011 - 09:54 PM

[Evildave]

A dying hard drive can 'pass' until it's dead. BACK IT UP.

Don't run a bunch more tests. Don't pass 'Go'. Don't collect $200. No more diagnostics until THAT step is done.

Like LincolnSpector said, BACK IT UP. Then worry about the cause of the noise.

For a notebook, usually there's a little door over the hard drive. So you can dig it out and mount it separately from the rest of the computer and tell right away. Or use the cardboard tube trick, or press your ear against it when you turn it on.

But don't do anything else until you've done a backup. Period.

[LiveBrianD]

Come to think of it, I think SMART and Seatools look at the surface of the drive, which may not be the problem. Yeah, backups are good, do one NOW. Figure out where the HDD is next, and when you get the noises, listen for the location - is it where the HDD is?

[Ericuse165]

It seems to be the fan is dying I took the HD out of the pc and just turned on the pc and the noise did happen. Also the pc is running very hot 65 to 70C.

[LiveBrianD]

The CPU? And is this idle or under load? Apparently 50-60C isn't too unusual for a laptop that's idling. I'm used to desktop temps, often idling at 30-40C, that's for sure. (note: CPU core temps) Pull out the fan. What kind of connector does it use? It might just use a 3-pin or something (probably proprietary though), but it might use some sort of oddball connector that's specific to that model (saw that on a Dell before). Perhaps ebay or amazon might have a replacement? (say, I just noticed in your sig - a 400GB SSD? Really?)

[Ericuse165]

I would say gets to that temp when the pc is just running normal I will pull the fan out and see its a HP. I got a 240GB SSD my buddy get it for me. Says 400 because at the same time I added that I was looking for a 400GB SATA HD and was cuting a pasting. I pasted it thinking 240 GB SSD was coped and never checked it big typo lol I do not even think they make 400GB SSD.

This post has been edited by Ericuse165: 24 October 2011 - 08:22 PM

[coastie65]

Ericuse165, on 24 October 2011 - 08:21 PM, said:

I would say gets to that temp when the pc is just running normal I will pull the fan out and see its a HP. I got a 240GB SSD my buddy get it for me. Says 400 because at the same time I added that I was looking for a 400GB SATA HD and was cuting a pasting. I pasted it thinking 240 GB SSD was coped and never checked it big typo lol I do not even think they make 400GB SSD.

Actually I have seen a 750 Gb SSD advertised...............$3000+ Believe it or not, it was sold out at the time.

This post has been edited by coastie65: 25 October 2011 - 09:42 AM

[Evildave]

I remember paying $800 for a 1GB drive, and that was 'real money' at the time.

Then again, I remember paying $800 for a 20MB drive.

'Course, I remember when PONG was a sensation.

This post has been edited by Evildave: 25 October 2011 - 11:03 AM

[Ericuse165]

How 3000+ is crazy just for a HD if you don't look to much in to it it does the same thing as a SATA that you can get for 100. I do not know how much mine was but I would never pay lots of money for one.

[LiveBrianD]

Ericuse165, on 24 October 2011 - 08:21 PM, said:

I would say gets to that temp when the pc is just running normal I will pull the fan out and see its a HP. I got a 240GB SSD my buddy get it for me. Says 400 because at the same time I added that I was looking for a 400GB SATA HD and was cuting a pasting. I pasted it thinking 240 GB SSD was coped and never checked it big typo lol I do not even think they make 400GB SSD.

So you have noises that sound like they could be from the HDD, but you have an SSD? What?

[Ericuse165]

The noise is with my friends computer(as said in my first post). my computer has the SSD.

[LiveBrianD]

Ericuse165, on 25 October 2011 - 05:53 PM, said:

The noise is with my friends computer(as said in my first post). my computer has the SSD.

Oh whoops!

[Ericuse165]

Yeah no problem.

[ReviverSoft]

As suggested above, back up the data on the HDD and replace it with a newer, faster hard drive.

If the temps. are consistently high, you might want to consider a good laptop cooler or just use the laptop in an air conditioned room.

[Ericuse165]

Okay thanks but its the fan/heat sink I bought a new fan/heat sink waiting for it to come in then I will install it and tell you guys how it goes.

[Ericuse165]

Just a update: I took the pc apart cleaned it(a lot of dust)all the thermal compound past was all dried. So I applied new Artic 5 thermal compound past then re greased the CPU installed a new fan and heat-sink. After all of that the pc is running good as new(if better) 37-46C and fan runs good everything is great. A big success!!!!!!!!!!!

[LiveBrianD]

Fans do wear out over time, and the dried paste will certainly have it working harder than normal. I'm glad to hear you fixed it.