help with weird clicking noise

Question

occasionally when my cpu action light lights up i hear this wierd clicking noise. it just started and was wondering if anyone had any ideas about what it could be. any help would be appreciated. thank you.

skinsfan87 · Answer

yeah, laptop is really hot and has been for a while. will start backing up data tomorrow. the heat is on the right side though, the battery to be exact. i always turn off the laptop at night but its used on my bed, could that be contributing to the problem?

also, can i call tech support even though my warranty has run out. it was a one year warranty that i didnt extend.

Message Edited by skinsfan87 on 08-22-200611:28 PM

charokee · Answer

Hard Drive   Its probably starting to die.....start backing data up   Im only jumping to that conclusion because my hard drive has died 4 times inside of my Sony Vaio notebook........check your computer to see if its running really hot....cuz that was usually the cause of my drive starting to fail.........(be happy that if yours heats up it wont melt a small plastic IDE connector to the motherboard and fry the ribbon along with the drive, loads of fun lol)   Run Diags on your system (with system off Hold the Fn key THEN push power, and watch for a DST (Drive Short Test) and any errors....if there is none, run the 32 bit diags and do a 'Custom' test..........from there test the Hard Drive, the Motherboard, RAM, and internal fans.......   record all error codes and call support   P.S.   Check your system right now......is it temperature hot?  Turn it off if it is really hot underneath on the left side

jahdde · Answer

You have to keep it on a flat surface, like a desk, or it will overheat. The heat on the right side actually comes from one of the fans, which can't work right because it's covered. Overheating might cause some components to go defective so you might want to keep it on a desk while using it.

And yes, you can still call tech support, but in case it needs repairs you'll have to pay for them.

BBraxton · Answer

Ditto about not putting notebook PC on a soft squishy surface like a bed There are 'cooling' trays / platforms to maintain air space http://www.laptopdesk.net/desks.html?source=google

jkibble · Answer

Does sound like a hdd, that's about the only thing that will make a clicking noise, other then the fan but you can usually tell the difference, there isn't a lot of moving parts in there. As for the heat over the battery I would check your battery for the recall on http://www.dellbatteryprogram.com. It probably won't qualify. 35 million batteries won't but if it does that will solve that problem. Otherwise it's probably personal opinion about how hot it gets. It's supposed to heat up when it's being charged

skinsfan87 · Answer

well, i installed a new drive and i still hear the clicking. have since the drive was installed. the drive is a western digital. is this drive dying as well or is my drive just noisy?

BBraxton · Answer

It depends on the meaning of 'clicking sound.' Some drives with a 'voice coil' mechanism may produce considerable sound but I would not call it 'clicking' The sound of a drive possibly going bad to me would be more like banging on a pot with a spoon (exaggeration of course).

skinsfan87 · Answer

its definitely not as loud as the clicking was when my hd actually died and im not experiencing any of the other symptoms i had. sluggish computer was a big one. so im hoping its just a noisy drive.

skinsfan87 · Answer

ive been doing some reading and apparently im not the only one to experience this clicking with my drive (western digital scorpio 60GB 8MB cache). im talking with wd about the problem but would like some insight into the issue from some users. thank you.

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help with weird clicking noise

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