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pc noise

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clajen31 | 03:37 Thu 25th Oct 2007 | Computers
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Recently my desk top is reluctant to start, (black screen) I often need to press the reset button after powering up to get Windows XP to boot. Once up and running it's usual for intermittent hissing noises (quite loud - sustained for 30 secs bursts approx.) coming from the hard drive. My guess it's the HD anyway. It's an ST340015A apparently quite old I've read. What can this noise be? Is this the beginning of the end?
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by any chance could a sssssssnake have nested in there?

there are a couple of reasons that come to mind
! the Hard disc is failing .... possible ... but I think it's more likely to be your CPU fan that you can hear (difficult to judge without actually hearing)

It's easy enough to check

...... open the box and look
If your CPU looks like a bird's nest ... you need to clean it.

don't reach for the vac ... they create too much static ....
also don't be too vigorous .... if you dislodge the fan mounting ... you'll need to dismantle and "re seal" the heatsink.

I use a small paintbrush (quite a stiff chisel ended one) and one of the wife's blusher brushes (the big soft balloon type)
It's important that they are real bristle (static again)

carefully use the chisel brush to loosen the worst of it .... then the soft brush to get into those important little places

finally ... if you are careful ... use the vac to clean the bottom of the box (on a tower ... if it's a true desktop ... lay it on it's sideso the dust just falls out)


If it is the disc .... you can get a new one for about �30
(or use it as an excuse to upgrade!)
The drive no. is a Seagate Barracuda 40Gb and is relatively old, but Seagate's last a long time. You can check the disk. Download Seagate tools from here and see what you get.
http://download.seagate.com/seatools/registrat ion.nsf/eula/desktop
If your convinced its the HDD then as ACtheTROLL suggests replacements are quite cheap :)
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Thanks both - esp. ACtheTROLL, no snakes lol, just a lot of dust. Cleaned the fan and all seems well for now.

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