Laptop noise help please

superstar_2

Dear MSEers,

My laptop which is Compaq Presario has some sound/noise every few minutes or so. My laptop is 2 1/2 years old and this sound has probably been on since the purchase but am not very sure if that true. It is just like a sound that starts every few minutes and last for 30-40 second and then goes away. After a 1-3 mins, it starts over again. Does anyone what is the problem?

Lately, for the last 2 days or so, there is a new discovery. Whenever, the noise is on and i increase the volume control - The noise also increases, and when i decrease the vol control the noise decreases as well. I am not sure if this is a new discovery or it has been there for sometime such that i haven't realised them yet.

Can anyone explain to me what might be wrong, what to do or any kind of clarification?

Thanks in adv! :T

albertross_2

Describe the sound

m.colak

Yes i think the answer is pretty simple its the internal fan which keeps the laptop cool. The problem is as the components gets older they generate more heat and there the fan has to work harder. The increase in volume cause's more components to overheat and thus greater heat. Solution is either take your laptop to an expert and get them to give it a good clean out or if its the case that the components heat resistance has degraded significantly it may be worth trading it in. Another solution is to have less processes running on your toolbar thus reducing the amount of work the computer is doing.

CHR15

Im with m.colak. I have a Compaq Presario 908ea which is about 3 years old.

There are two fans, one is fairly quiet which expels air out the side of the case, and one little noisy swine which emits out the rear of the lappy (near the USB ports if it is the same model)
Put your hand at the rear to check, you will feel the warm airflow.

This little one rarely came on when new but nowadays, any kind of media clip (video,mp3 etc) will set it off for about 20-30 secs.

superstar_2

albertross wrote: »

Describe the sound

It is like a fan sound and similar to what others have described here.

It is like a hush sound which starts of suddenly.

superstar_2

m.colak wrote: »

Yes i think the answer is pretty simple its the internal fan which keeps the laptop cool. The problem is as the components gets older they generate more heat and there the fan has to work harder. The increase in volume cause's more components to overheat and thus greater heat. Solution is either take your laptop to an expert and get them to give it a good clean out or if its the case that the components heat resistance has degraded significantly it may be worth trading it in. Another solution is to have less processes running on your toolbar thus reducing the amount of work the computer is doing.

Thanks, seems like the fan is playing.

Mind telling me how do make less processes running on my toolbar? :T

superstar_2

CHR15 wrote: »

Im with m.colak. I have a Compaq Presario 908ea which is about 3 years old.

There are two fans, one is fairly quiet which expels air out the side of the case, and one little noisy swine which emits out the rear of the lappy (near the USB ports if it is the same model)
Put your hand at the rear to check, you will feel the warm airflow.

This little one rarely came on when new but nowadays, any kind of media clip (video,mp3 etc) will set it off for about 20-30 secs.

Mine is Compaq Presario V2000.

I cant really feel or know where the air is actually coming out? I dont use it outside, i mean it is always on the desk. I will check again to see where the sound is coming !?

Mine atm, the noise comes on even if i am not doing anything, i.e. the laptop is on but no programs is running - the sound still comes and goes.

superstar_2

It seems like it is getting old, it is just less than 3 years old!

Is there any risk that this will cause my laptop to crash soon?

albertross_2

Ctrl alt del, task manager, processes, click the column at the top, and it should sort it into % order, which should give you a clue which process is causing it. As someone has said, video in IE often causes the fan to come on.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/ProcessesAndThreads/ProcessExplorer.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/Utilities/AutoRuns.mspx


The volume control making it louder sounds very strange to me. If it is the fan, you will be able to feel the hot air.

Laptops can "crash" at any time, so always backup just in case. But fans are designed to come on, it's when they don't you have problems.

Do you have upto date antivirus, antispyware?

bookduck

i'd seriously think about opening it up to blow out the dust and clean it out - that camera lens cleaner dust spray (just compressed gas) should be ok.

While it is open check that all the fans are working and free spinning and not catching on a small piece of crud.

check that there is nothing loose on the fans or the housing. Age and heat are not always advantageous to plastics.

Turn it on before and find from where that noise emanates.

At the worst the fan(s) may be wearing out and need replacing.