I'm hearing a whirring noise from the hard drive. I've run the maintenance but can't seem to make it go away. Any ideas?
Hard to tell without actually hearing it, but a distinct difference in the sound your hard drive is making could indicate possible problems. First thing to confirm is that it is actually the hard drive making the noise. The case fan(s) or processor fan is a more likely culprit for noise - especially if the PC has been repositioned recently. IE: It is not uncommon for fans to get noisy after laying the PC on it's side to open the case for cleaning, adding a part or working on a repair. The fans get used to running in a particular position and get noisey when they are moved out of that position. I've heard the same thing happen to hard drives. In either case, they normally "settle down" and get quiet again after a short period of time. If the whirring noise also includes some "ticking", that type of sound would be more indicitive of a pending hard drive failure. It's a good time to make sure any data you consider important is backed up!
As appcomm worte now would be a very good time to back up. If you have some canned air try cleaning out the inside of the PC tower with that. Sometimes dust or if you have pets hair, can build up inside the PC and cause the fans to spin slower or have to work harder causing a whiring sound. If the fans are clear of blockage it could mean that the power supply might start to be going. But it also could be your hard drive. Any abnormal sounds from a hard drive are never a good thing. If the sound is coming from the hard drive there would be no telling how much longer it will last. You might only get one more boot out of it or it might last you months. Doing the back up would be a great first step. If the PC is your main system and it is used often I would also have it checked out. If it is because of a blockage or a failing power supply you could end up causing more damage to your system by running that way.
dust bunnies I opened up the cover and there was like a herd of dust bunnies in there. I cleaned it out the best I could and restarted the PC. At first, no noise, but it has come back again. I'll keep trying things. Thanks.
update Just an update...I bought one of those canned air cleaners for my PC and cleaned it all out including the fan. It made some whirring noises when I started it up, but after a few days...it is now quiet and normal. Thanks for the help.
If it was your CPU fan that was making the noise, replace it!! It's only around $12. When those fans get covered with dirt and dust to the degree yours was, the fan spins off balance and ruins the magnetic field area that drives the fan blade. Those fans are RPM controled on some PC's. If the field is not correct the RPM reading is incorrect. This will cause overheating problems for the CPU. It may sound good now but it will fail in the very near future. Take the old fan with you when you go to buy the new one. Tiger Direct has AMD & Intel approved fans at very good prices.
