2010-07-29 13:22:26 (edited by elliott 2010-07-29 13:44:09)

Hi guys,
A couple of days ago, I purchased a Compaq PC coming with 2 GB of RAM, a 320 GB HD, a 2.6 GHZ processer, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.
I was able to manage installing and configuring all of the software that I need, and the PC was running fine until yesterday, when I started hearing a really strange, annoying high-pitched sound, that I eventually found was coming from the PC itself, sounding as if it's coming from right inside the case, near the fan.
Now ibviously as I've only had this for a couple of days, I'm not really impressed that anything could be goign wrong with the machine at all.
Apart from the really annoying noise though, the PC seems to be runnign fine.
I was wondering, has anyone ever had a similar issue, and if so can you give me any ideas of how I could stop this really annoying sound?
It sometimes can be heard constantly, but mostly it plays whenever I hit or hold down a key on the keyboard.
Cheers,

2010-07-29 13:27:28

Have you checked the sticky key settings? occasionally, when keys are on the pc generates bleeps to let people know a key is being held down.

also, have you tried turning the pc volume (ie windows volume), down to zero, then hitting keys to see if you still get that noise? that would let you know if it's a hardware issue or a config issue.

With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)

2010-07-29 13:33:21

It'd also be handy to know if it was desktop or laptop. Dark's scenario is a lot more likely for laptops where everything is closer together. If it was a desktop I suppose it could be the power supply unit's fan being wonky which is internal, for a laptop it could be that the fan is being throttled a bit too high. Laptops tend to adjust the fan speed based on the processor's heat to save battery power on running the fan. In a laptop it might also be noise from the hard drive which is sometimes audible.

cx2
-----
To live by honour and to honour life, these are our greatest strengths and our best hopes.

2010-07-29 13:43:18

It's a desktop PC.
Thanks for the suggestions, but sadly it's neither. I've tried unplugging all devices connected, and that still doesn't help.
It sounds as it's something that's actually inside the case (the fan perhaps), but I'm not keeen on removing the case, especially considering that it's only been in use since the start of this week.
The noise that can be heard is like that really high pitched sound that older people can't hear, I'm sure you know what I mean.
Cheers.

2010-07-30 11:38:25

Well, if unplugging the keyboard had no effect, odds are it's something to do with harddrive speed or the fan sinse I believe those are the actual only moving parts of a pc. Either, it's some friction on your hard disk bearings, or an issue with your fan.

Generally though, while mal functioning laptop fans can be a real issue, problems with pc fans don't seem quite as dire, and you do mention that your pc is running okay apart from this noise.

i'm afraid if it is a hardware issue, you'd need someone to remove the case and tinker to fix it, just because the machine is new doesn't necessarily mean it has no problems, sinse factory issues are common especially if it was put together by a coorperation of doom as opposed to someone you know, in fact I've seen a newly built laptop completely explode and shut down within the first few days.

Btw, my own pc in 2008 actually had the harddrive completely crash out, when you turned the pc on and it started spinning, the drive actually stalled, stuttered and then stopped like a badly scratched cd, so I shouldn't worry too much about a bit of a noise.

With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)

2010-07-30 12:20:46

Yeah Dark, I know what you mean. I guess on the upsdie it still works, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I'm not happy with the fact that I've only had it since the start of this week, and something's up with it already, lol.
Just to give you an example, here's a link to the sort of sound that I have to put up with when I'm using the PC. Remember, not everyone will be able to hear this noise, and you just may hear silence, for you guys who can hear it, imagine sitting in front of a PC for hours with this:
http://www.noiseaddicts.com/wp-content/ … enager.mp3

2010-07-30 13:43:59

Ow!
I was able to hear this. in fact too well. lol!
Kind of reminds you of some tv's some o fthem make this soft high-pitched noise when they're on. but that is usual for those.

<Insert passage from "The Book Of Chrome" here>

2010-07-30 13:44:36

Youch, I see the reason why, that is rather painful, though unfortunately I'm not sure it's a major hardware deal, ---- possibly just a problem in magnetics somewhere.

Btw, I'm actually quite pleased I can here that, considdering I'm 27, obviously my hearing hasn't gone bad in my old age yet ;d.

With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)

2010-08-21 23:35:54

Hi again,
For anyone interested, we took the PC back and received a replacement of the same model, but guess what? This one didn't come with a bloody hard drive, so off that one went, so that was an entire day wasted.
I've now chosen a different model, and as a bonus it comes with 3 gigs of RAM as aposed to the 2 gigs that came with he other Compaq machine, and a 640 GB HD as aposed to the 320 gigs that was equipt with the other PC.
Overall this machien seems to be running fine, touch wood anyway, lol.
Thanks for all your suggestions though.

2010-08-22 23:22:56

ouchchchchchchchchchchchchchchchchchchchch! That herts my ears! Geaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaease!

"On two occasions I have been asked [by members of Parliament!]: 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out ?' I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."    — Charles Babbage.
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