Need Some Puter Help I Think

[Pinababy69]

My puter is just over a year old, and I've never had any kind of problem with it. And it's always been so quiet. So quiet in fact that most of the time I don't even know it's on.

About a month ago, I noticed it starting to make a bit of noise, similar to a "revving" sound, which I'd never heard before. Still worked fine, and my first thought was maybe a cooling fan. I feel it everyday, and it's cool, almost cold to the touch.

It just started doing it again right now, and this time when I felt it...it feels slightly warm. Not hot, but warm.

Do I have a fan not functioning properly perhaps? And how do I fix it? Should I turn it off? I am clueless with computers, I'm not even entirely sure I know how to get the cover off, lol. I never turn it off, but will if you think I should. If it goes on me, I'm screwed. Just got the dog, no money for computers. Help!!

 

[Tengil]

Its probably in need of cleaning. And yes, you will have to open it.
Easy advices:

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If you dont want to do it yourself, theres probably someone in the neighbourhood who could do it for some pocket money.

Edit: remember to buy a can of compressed air

 

[Pinababy69]

Thanks Spider. I sure hope that's all it is. If so, you're right I can probably get someone to help me with it....I hope anyway, lol. Will turn it off when I take my daughter to school and see if I can find someone later on. Thanks again.

 

[ksech]

Unhook all the cables, there are screws on the back plate. The cover should slide off. Use a can of compressed air to clean it out. If it is still making noise you may want to think about investing in a new fan (a lot less cheaper than buying a new puter). You can buy them relatively cheap online. I use newegg.com and zipzoomfly.com to buy my parts. Good luck!

 

[Rusty]

Yup all those things good advice.
If you are doing it yourself there is usually another separate power switch at the back of your pc where the power cord is. flick that and unplug the power cord.
Compressed air is your best bet but you can use an ordinary vac with a nozzle on the fan but be careful and don't put the vac too close or near any other system parts/ better to take the fan off but this might be a step further than you would want to go by yourself.

There is lots of free software you can download to check the temp of your system and the speed of your fan/s to make sure it is functioning correctly.
Hard to know which one to recommend as I don't your system but try.

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Depending on your cpu the temp should be around 45c top end but probably more like 35c
Anything over 50c is getting a bit hot and you would need to make your pc work and then recheck the temp as the cpu gets much hotter under load than at idle.
If you start to get temps up to 60c and above then you could damage your cpu though most systems these Days have an automatic shut down if it gets too hot.

If it is not the fan it is probably your HD about to die and if that happens you could lose a lot of data so it is important to not just ignore it.

This is all general info without knowing your MB and cpu etc.
Good luck.

 

[bb28]

It also might help to check the manufacturer's web site, they most likely will have some instructions on how to remove the cover so you can blow it out. Some puters are really easy to open, some aren't. Also when you get it open make sure you touch something metal before touching anything on the inside to get rid of the static electricity. It's very common for computers to have a lot of dust bunnies inside. It's a good idea for everyone to blow the dust out every so often.

Don't be intimidated about opening it up......., it's highly unlikely that you'll hurt anything, just be gentle and get rid of the static electricity before touching anything on the inside.

 

[winbig]

Its probably in need of cleaning. And yes, you will have to open it.
Easy advices:

You do not have permission to view link Log in or register now.

If you dont want to do it yourself, theres probably someone in the neighbourhood who could do it for some pocket money.

Edit: remember to buy a can of compressed air

agreed....a dirty fan is definitely not a happy fan Be sure to clean out the air ducts in your case too...

and yes, compressed air rules!

 

[littlebit]

I recently went through the same thing. Amazing what a can of compressed air can do to put your mind at ease and make your computer happy.

 

[Pinababy69]

Thanks for all the replies everyone....wow!! Sounds like I'll need to get my surgical tools, can of compressed air, my demagnetizer, Dyson vacuum with rotating ball and hose attachment, a stick of chewing gum in case I need to do a MacGyver and my Operation game out of storage before I attempt this.

It's actually cool again right now, and quiet, but am praying it is just dirt/dust and not my HD. If it's my HD, I'll be absent for awhile I'm afraid. Gonna get my ex to take the cover off one night when he comes to visit (knew I let him come around for a reason, lol), and take it from there. Will let you know.

Thanks again to all.

 

[lots0]

A lot of the new machines have a thermostat that turns on a fan when it gets to hot.

All I usually do to clean out my puters is turn off the puter and stick the vacuum hose over the vents in the puter...

As long as the vents and fans are clear you should not have any overheating problems.

And ya, I'm lazy.