What's up with my desktop?

[Eireann]

I've been hearing a clicking noise coming from it the past few nights. I have no idea what's causing it.

Also, it's been doing weird things every now and then. Sometimes everything just locks, and the only thing that works is the cursor. I can't type, I can't go from one window to another, nothing. It's also rather slow to start these days.

Does it need internal cleaning? Removal of old files? What?

[Der Cute]

WHERE is the clicking noise coming from?

It could be hard drive, noisey mis-set CD, or fan being weird.
With the other symptoms I'd be pointing my fingers at the hard drive. Clicks with hard drives = mechanical failure, immediate death.

Please, back your data up NOW. Contacts, bookmarks, My Documents, Pictures and possibly music/movies. Shove as much as you can NOW onto a USB stick (cheap and quick) and the bulkier stuff like music can be burnt as straight data onto a cd/dvd.

IF you start your computer up and you hear it clicking, put your ear towards the case. Can you take the case side off to hear it better? Where would you point your finger towards the clicky noise?

How old is this machine? Do you have the CD's to install the OS for it? Do you have CDs for all your applications? If you do - you can just take off OLD drive, put a new one in, and do a reinstall.

Let us know, so we can help you more.

Cutenoob

[Eireann]

The clicking noise appears to be coming from the CD drive, or the vicinity thereof. Top of the computer tower, anyway.

The computer is about two and a half years old. I have cats, and I hope the thing isn't clogged with fur. They don't sleep on the tower, or around it, but of course, fur does float.

Right now, I'm defragging the disk. I also deleted several files, and a few applications, which appears to have helped somewhat. The computer is making those busy computer noises right now. Oh - lately, when I watch a DVD, or a video on YouTube, I get a skippy effect sometimes.

[HYHYBT]

I may be completely wrong about this, but the *last* thing I'd want to do with a drive that might be failing would be a defrag. Lots of wear and tear and lost time, and at the end your data's still in there.

[Eireann]

I don't know what the hell happened, but I had a dramatic crash.

A blue screen came up with all kinds of warnings, and I freaked and turned off the computer. When I turned it on again, it told me that Windows couldn't load because one of the .dll files was missing (reload?).

I searched through my CDs and found the reinstallation disk. Inserted it. Watched as the screen did nothing for considerable periods of time. Tried pressing various F buttons (as if you couldn't tell, I don't know a great deal about computers).

Finally REMOVED the CD, turned the computer off, then turned it on again, using the setting of Last Working Settings, or whatever it is.

Computer is up and running now. I don't think I've lost anything, but then, I haven't checked.

Is there anyone out there who would be able and willing to run some kind of remote check on it for - well, I don't know what I'd be able to give you in exchange, but work something out?

[sms001]

Please, back your data up NOW. Contacts, bookmarks, My Documents, Pictures and possibly music/movies. Shove as much as you can NOW onto a USB stick (cheap and quick) and the bulkier stuff like music can be burnt as straight data onto a cd/dvd.

Don't do ANY thing else until you do this. Or you are likely to be very very sorry.

[Eireann]

It's night here, so I can't do much of that right now. I'm going to find out how much USB sticks cost here; I haven't needed to know until recently.

[sms001]

That said, if you have a clicking noise, it is very likely to be mechanical rather than software failure, and remoting in isn't likely to help much.

Your first priority is to safeguard anything irreplaceable that is on your hard drive - pictures, letters, anything you can't recreate.

Second is the files that would be the most work to recreate - data, spreadsheets, created work.

Third would be things that cost money to replace - mp3's, purchased downloaded games, etc.

Fourth is anything else that would be a hassle - contacts, address books and so forth.

THEN we can start talking research and rescue.

Fingers crossed.

(Just read your reply.)

If nothing else, start uploading the irreplaceables to your gmail or hotmail account. Create one or both if necessary.

[Eireann]

Fortunately, there isn't much that is irreplaceable. I will buy some USB sticks tomorrow and transfer my pictures to them, and I emailed to myself the one document that would be an enormous pain to redo.

There are no downloaded games that weren't free to download, so that's not a problem; no contacts; I never use Microsoft email (only Web-based); the list goes on.

I'd hate to have to redo everything; though. What could have caused the failure/disappearance of the .dll file?

[Rapscallion]

If the hard drive is malfunctioning physically, the section of disk where the data was being held could have sustained physical damage, rendering the file unreadable.

Rapscallion

[Eireann]

Hmmmm. I wonder if that's what's causing it to freeze up every few minutes.

[Broomjockey]

Probably. I could see it being that. If your hard drive is getting bad sectors from a bad drive head, it'd probably be grinding the OS first and hardest, since it needs to get that every time it boots.

[Eireann]

If that's the case, would it be easy and relatively inexpensive to fix?

[Broomjockey]

If that's the case, would it be easy and relatively inexpensive to fix?

If by "fix" you mean "replace hard drive and reinstall operating system," sure. $60 for a new hard drive, and an eventing dedicated to installing all your stuff.

[Eireann]

The NICE guys who do IT at the company where I get much of my work, have offered to take a look at it. Today, it gets the day off. Tomorrow, I truck it to the office and they'll have a look at it. One of them asked me to bring any and all CDs that I have, so he can work on the software aspect, just in case it's the OS.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed; I really can't afford any kind of replacement!