noise on startup

[Daniel3103]

Hello,
My computer has fairly recently started to make a lot of noise on startup. The noise comes from inside the tower. The computer is noisy for a few minutes and, then, the noise stops. This happens at most startups.
Is this a cause for concern? Otherwise, the computer works fine. I tried to attach a recording of the noise, but this site wouldn’t let me..

 

[root]

Hello,
My computer has fairly recently started to make a lot of noise on startup. The noise comes from inside the tower. The computer is noisy for a few minutes and, then, the noise stops. This happens at most startups.
Is this a cause for concern? Otherwise, the computer works fine. I tried to attach a recording of the noise, but this site wouldn’t let me..

Hi @Daniel3103

Welcome to CF. What file format was the recording in - I can unblock it for you which might be helpful.

Is the noise only occurring on boot, if you do something intensive such as gaming does the noise return?

 

[Daniel3103]

Hello,

Thank you for replying.

The recording was in MP3 format and I have now posted it online. Here is the link: Vocaroo | Online voice recorder

The noise is only occurring on boot, and only if I have left the computer off beforehands for at least a few hours. It doesn’t come back at other times but I never do anything as intensive as gaming, so I can’t commemt on that point.

I have now booted up the computer with the case open and I think it is one of the fans that is making the noise, but I am not sure which one: there are two fans close together, the noise fills the whole case and I can’t put my ear too close. So, I am not sure what to do at the moment. Maybe I will have to take the computer to my local repair people - thankfully, I have a good provider in my locality.

 

[root]

Interesting - almost sounds like a vintage hard drive spinning up!

I think you might be on the money with the fans - some machines will do a fan spinup as part of booting, and it does sound like a bearing is on the way out which may go to explain why it only occurs when the PC is booted from cold.

Is this a prebuilt PC from a major manufacturer? More modern ones tend to warn you of fan failure, or you can run diagnostics to try and test.

If you're comfortable doing so, to work out which fan is causing the sound it might be worth disconnecting them one at a time. If you follow the cable from the fan to the motherboard there will be a fan header, gently disconnect this and try booting. If the idea of doing this doesn't appeal then a local, independent PC shop is always a good shout.

 

[Daniel3103]

I think I have identified which fan is doinq this now. By connecting an object - a plastic ruler in this instance - between my hand and each fan at a time, I have felt one of them vibrate and the other not, so I think that the vibrating one must be the noisy one.

My computer was built by CCL, a small independent company based in Yorkshire, England.

Thanks for your suggestion of trying to tinker with the hadrware but I think I may cause more problems than I solve if I go along this route, so I’m going to follow your other suggestion and contact my local PC repair people. Fortunately, there is an excellent contractor where I live.

 

[root]

Glad to hear you’ve found the source of the problem!
Indeed if you bought it from a ‘system integrator’ such as CCL they may not have the diagnostics built in as they tend to use ‘off the shelf’ parts (usually much better quality than the major computer brands though)

A fan swap on a desktop is a relatively simple job for a specialist, but if you are not 100% comfortable then it’s always better to get an expert to do it rather than make a cheap fix much more expensive!

 

[Daniel3103]

A fan swap on a desktop is a relatively simple job for a specialist, but if you are not 100% comfortable then it’s always better to get an expert to do it rather than make a cheap fix much more expensive!

Yes, I think that summarises the situation very well!