My computer is about to explode!

User 478586 Photo


Registered User
269 posts

Hi all!

I'm posting this here at the CoffeeCup forum because I know there are lots of great people who are really really smart w/tech stuff & I'm hoping someone can help me out.

Right now, as I'm typing, my computer sounds like it's going to blow - it's got that high whine/fan sound thing going on. It's been doing that more frequently lately. I haven't installed anything new on my pc in a while.

The only program I'm running right now is FireFox. I've taken a screenshot of my TaskManager. I see there is a long list of processes running & I have no idea what most of them are!

If someone could take a look at the screenshot & let me know if I can close any of those processes w/o affecting anything major, I'd REALLLLLLLY appreciate it:)

BTW, when my computer makes that whiny/fan sound it shows that the CPU usage is like, at 100%. Seems to be kind of random. When it does happen, everything freezes up for a few secs & I just have to wait it out.

I've done the defrag thing recently & disk cleanup thing too.

If you need any other info plz let me know.

Also, I've taken some screenshots of the system properties of my computer & some other stuff I thought might be helpful.


Here are the links to all the screenshots:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn25 … ysProp.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn25 … anager.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn25 … ger2-1.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn25 … eral-1.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn25 … /Quota.jpg



THANK YOU SO MUCH!
User 629005 Photo


Ambassador
2,174 posts

Bearings commonly go out on those cheap fans that computer manufacturers install now-adays. I'd HIGHLY recommend opening the case and identifying the culprit and getting it changed out ASAP! Overheating a CPU is something that can be avoided, and can be costly if not caught and corrected in time.
If at all possible, try to replace the bad fan with a higher quality one (yes it will be more expensive initially) that should last quite a while.
Living the dream, stocking the cream :D
User 478586 Photo


Registered User
269 posts

Phil, thanks so much for the super fast response!

I guess I'm a total idiot because I never even considered that the prob could be the fan! LOL!

So a bad/cheap fan can actually cause the computer to freeze up for a few secs?

Any recommendations on a replacement fan?

Thanks again!
User 478586 Photo


Registered User
269 posts

Ok I just opened up my cpu and it's dusty as heck! OMG! Nasty! Also, I see two fans. One is right at the back and is mostly flat and the other is kind of in a barrel type thingie. Should I take a pic? Do I need to find some kind of part number to buy replacements?

Thanks again!
User 478586 Photo


Registered User
269 posts

Another noise my pc makes is a kind of, almost, crunching sound. I guess it does it mostly when loading a program or if I'm using more than one application. Not sure where the actual sound is coming from. I'm sitting right here next to the open unit and it's making that noise occasionally - is this normal? It's not loud. Is it just the computer doing it's thing? LOL! :) Thanks again:)
User 478586 Photo


Registered User
269 posts

Oh, also, both fans are actually on right now. And I do not hear that whiny/fan blowing noise that I was referring to earlier, the noise that is accompanied by my pc freezing for a couple of secs.
User 629005 Photo


Ambassador
2,174 posts

Uhm... First off: find a source of compressed air & a vacuum cleaner and kill the dust bunnies :)

Then if able, run your computer with the cover off until the sound comes back. You should be able to identify the one that is being bad and then you can take it out. Go to a computer supply store (not like OfficeMax, Staples, etc) a real computer parts store should have the fan you need. Or you can look online at any computer parts supplier. If you have trouble identifying the bad drive you could unplug each one after the noise starts (one at a time) until noise stops. Or you could manually slow down the fan (not really recommended cause you can damage finger/fan if you aren't careful).

From previous experience I'd say historically the CPU fan is most likely the culprit.

And yes, an overheating CPU can "freeze up".
Living the dream, stocking the cream :D
User 478586 Photo


Registered User
269 posts

Thanks again Phil!

Ok I just finished cleaning the inside as best as I could. I saw that there are actually 3 fans. I do have a big can of compressed air so I blew out all the dust bunnies:) I was able to remove parts of 2 of the fans to clean even more, but one fan is really kinda hard to get at. Anyhoo, I turned my pc back on w/the cover off and all the fans are working. I think some of the prob was all that dust! And this computer is OLD! Like...4 - 5 years at least. And that's ancient for a computer! I'm planning on buying a new pc w/in the next year for sure!

Thanks again for the help!
User 414501 Photo


Registered User
564 posts

Overheating not only causes the CPU to slow down/freeze, but also significantly decreases the life of the processor/hard drive etc.

There are some simple things you can do to speed up your computer until you can afford to buy a new one:

Even if your computer is old, if you backup your files and then uninstall/reinstall your OS, allowing it to re-format your hard drive, your computer will speed up quite a bit. Doing this requires only intermediate computer knowledge, so any computer fix-it shop, or even possibly a tech savvy friend, can do this for you in just a few hours.

Also if you don't already have it, get anti-spyware software and registry cleaner. This is different than defrag and system checker. This one is awesome and its FREE!

http://www.ccleaner.com/

One last thing. In the search box of your OS type %temp%, click on this folder and delete all temp files. This will also speed up your computer, even your internet will speed up, you'll find yourself able to download files faster.

Chad Spillars
http://www.DisneySubmarines.com
Chad Spillars
"Look I finally made myself a signature!"
User 478586 Photo


Registered User
269 posts

Chad,

Thanks for the info! I've been using ccleaner and window washer for a few months now.

I did the reformat thing about 1 1/2 yrs ago & I remember how much faster everything ran....for a while. But now it's all "bogged" down again I guess. I guess I should do it again, but it's such a pain to figure out all the files & stuff I need to save. Yeah...I'm lazy...and unorganized:)

I typed in %temp% in the search box & nothing was found. I use ccleaner & window washer very frequently, like even a couple of times a day! So maybe that helps!

Thanks again!!!

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