What's up with my desktop?

[Der Cute]

As I said in my original post, it's not too hard to fix it..if IT IS the hard drive.

Please, back your stuff up FIRST and then turn off the machine - do not use it. Take it in to the guys to fix it, and feed them all pizza or subs or something they like. Or even home made cookies. We work for munchies.
Let them deal with it if they're willing to - but the less time running that machine w/ the funky hard drive, the better.

Cutenoob

[Eireann]

I turned off the machine last night, and it won't be turned on again until the guys take a look at it. I'm hauling everything in here that I think I'll need, and handing it over to them. Cookies might be good - but I have a cold right now, and they don't need THAT kind of repayment for their hard work!

The computer is taking a well-deserved break, for the time being.

[Samaliel]

Sorry to chime in so late, but what you described is very similar to what happened to my HDD. I hope your IT guys manage to save it from the fate mine encountered.

[Seshat]

Mechanical sounding noises in a computer means a mechanical fault. Mechanical faults mean that the moving parts are wearing out.

Moving parts:

Fans.

Easiest/cheapest to fix or replace. Clean the fan, or just swap it out with a new one. Do it before the electrical component it's cooling overheats.)

Drives.

Have your data on them. Or are CD/DVD drives. If the hard drive, back up your data NOW and do nothing until you have replaced the drive. Preferably keep your data backed up all the time - drives WILL fail, and sometimes give no warning.

Switches (eg on/off, reset)

Also easy to replace, and typically harmless when they fail.

Parts of the power supply.

Pretty much like any other power supply for any other product. Most likely to be mysterious to computer geeks. (I just check the wattage & supplied connectors, and treat it as a single unit.)

[Eireann]

The IT guys took it away with them. I feel very sentimental about the whole thing.

One of them asked what CDs I had. I showed him. He didn't take any of them.

Another said, "Is your OS in English, or in Czech?"

"English," I told him.

"Uh-oh."

(What's THAT supposed to mean?)

So, they have my computer now, and I know that they often have spare parts lying around, so I don't know what's going to happen. They haven't even turned it on yet. I did warn them about the strange noise, but they know much more about such things than I do.

One of them asked what data I wanted to have backed up. I told him. I kind of hope they install some new goodies.

[Seshat]

One of them asked what CDs I had. I showed him. He didn't take any of them.

Another said, "Is your OS in English, or in Czech?"

"English," I told him.

"Uh-oh."

(What's THAT supposed to mean?)

Most likely that he doesn't have the English CDs for the OS lying around. He'll probably ask favours from friends.

Get them some pizza goodness, or when your flu clears up, home-made cookie goodness. Home-made nummies are always welcome!

There's going to be backing-up work and diagnostic work and hunting down appropriate CDs and .. well. Nummies will be well earned. But it looks like your baby is in good hands.

[Eireann]

We were messaging earlier, and one of them told me that he hadn't yet heard the funny noise. He was just talking about software and programs and that he didn't think I had crack a porn on the computer.

Whatever that means.

When I left today, they were still working on it. Here's hoping it's all done tomorrow!

(I trotted out the ol' laptop and found that it still works and that it connected to the Internet here quite quickly, which was a pleasant surprise. I've been deleting files right and left to increase the memory.)

[Eireann]

Well, the IT guy who took charge told me there's no mechanical damage. He used Scandisk on it, and he didn't hear that noise I heard - so, either the noise hasn't been making itself heard, or he did hear it, and it's not an unusual noise. He also made some changes to the computer protection, informing me that 3 antivirus and 4 antimalware apps aren't the best solution.

And he cleaned it inside.

I get it back today!

[Eireann]

I got it back!

He dropped it off and told me that he'd left it running all night, and everything is fine. I'll see what changes he made when I get everything plugged in and running.

Yay!

EDITED TO ADD: He didn't hear the noise I heard, and suggested it might have been dust in the machine.

[Broomjockey]

3 antivirus and 4 antimalware apps aren't the best solution.

Please tell me you didn't have them all running at the same time?

[Eireann]

Nah, don't worry.

[HYHYBT]

[Eireann]

They REALLY did a good job, too! The desktop icons are arranged neatly, and it looks like they've installed a few new goodies.

[lordlundar]

Nah, don't worry.

Well, even in passive, it's a bad thing. They do have a tendency to trip over each other.

So um, read this please.

[sms001]

Eireann, please tell us that you are going to treat this as a valuable (and CHEAP!) learning lesson and .................


BACK UP YOUR DATA!!!

Then the nice people who fixed you and the nice people here at CS won't worry if (fingers crossed) anything like this happens again.