my computer is making noises

what does that mean? it's louder than usual, and it's kind of a hissing noise.

i'm really uneducated when it comes to the hardware of my computer, and i would like to know how to fix it if something is wrong.

something that comes to mind is the fan... the inside has never been cleaned and i guess i've heard that the fan can get clogged up.

my computer is on most of the time, so these parts are always working. what can i do to maintain them? if i need to clean the inside of the computer, how do i do that? do i just blow on it to get the dust off, or would that make it worse?

If it's never been cleaned you may want to open it up and dust it out.

ya mine is making some fucked up noises too

cleaning it??? the hell you say

IT'S ALIIIIIVE *MWAHAHA* IT'S ALIIIIIIIIIIVE!!!

Mine talks to me.

it is gonna get you

and, let me elaborate:

use a can of air duster. you can get it at staples or a place like that. don't dust it with furniture duster or a rag or anything like that.

i usually just kick mine - it whimpers a bit but usually stops

watch virus...

Haha that is soooo funny!

Don't blow on it; you can get spittle on your sensitive motherboard. Can of air is the way to go. Remember to keep it upright so it doesn't spray fluid.

Try to pinpoint the source of the hissing while the PC case's cover is off. If it's a fan, you want to have it replaced ASAP. A squeaky/hissy fan could be generating heat instead of dissipating it, putting your processor/chipset/whatever component in danger of overheating.

The PC Guide is a good reference for general hardware problems, upkeep, and understanding the way shit works. It's out of date but very detailed, and most of the information is still pertinent.

Make funny noises back.

[Edited on Nov 30, 2004 by daevric]

1 shut down computer
2 unplug computer from wall
3 open casing
4 spray canned air wher you see dust (always hold can upright)
5 let sit for a minute
6 spray again while moving canned air back and forth
7 dont forget to get under boards and behind thing
8 shut casing back up
9 plug back in
10 start computer
11 send hellix check for $100 (hey i totally just fixed your computer)

thanks guys. most of this is really helpful.

does anyone have any other ideas why the computer might suddenly be louder?

it's not clunking or anything alarming, just a kind of hiss/whirring. like the normal sound it makes, only louder.

there could be a number of reasons. Dust is the most obvious, specially if it's getting clogged up in the intakes of fans. That is the first and easiest thing to check.

Also worth doing is defragging your hard drive. If it has not been defragmented for a long time then it will make a lot of noise when you access large files because they will be split up across the physical disk meaning the drive has to be read lots more. this can lead to lots of clicking sounds as the drive spins up again and again.

Put your hand on the case, is it vibrating? can you tell where it is vibrating the most? is it near any particular components? how old is your computer?

also, is your computer called Hal?

Did your ears just pop?

If it is hotter for any reason, depending on what kind of fan you have, it could be going onto a higher speed.. Can you think of any reason it would be hotter? Dust would be one. the thermostat way up.. are you putting more demands on your computer than normal? any new peripherals? ..or a heater next to it.. any number of things.

By the time I post this, I'm sure someone will out-geek me and suggest something way more eloquently.. Oh well.

maybe it's hooting and hollering at your hot dye job.

have you tried ejecting your merzbow CD?

hm... i am imagining that would be funny if i had any clue who merzbow is.

well... probably not laugh out loud funny. a smirk and a yawn funny, maybe.

haha. stole my joke. i was gonna say lightning bolt.

When I had a desktop I use to hit it when it would make noise. Just smack it on its' side a few times, should help.

Oh give yourself some credit.

That was funny...

and to the egg of Koenig I say

aw, thanks devo.

Sometimes a wire or a cable will shift around so that it is being hit by a fan, makes sure you check for that too because it will rub the insulation off of the wire/cable.