[hypnoticstate]

Hi all. Here's my latest problem. My computer frequently freezes to an extent, though it would probably be better described as a lag. It usually happens when i'm navigating around or opening files/folders. The odd thing is, if i have music playing or anything, the sound keeps going. Also, if i'm doing something like watching a DVD (or a video file) or playing a game etc, it never freezes, it runs smoothly.

The freezes only last a few seconds (5 at most), during which time i can still move my cursor around (though if i click on something, it wont work) and the reason i think it's a hardware problem is because of the sound i hear EVERY TIME this happens. The computer will "freeze" then I'll hear a sound coming from the PC that sounds like a fan starting (or speeding) up and then what sounds like a click, as if someone inside it has flipped a switch. Once i hear the click, everything runs fine again.

A few months ago i added a new SATA drive. This is the only SATA drive i have (i have 2 other hard drives) and the freezing (plus sounds) has only started happening since i got it.

This happens almost every time i'm navigating through folders for more than a few seconds.

I've added three sound clips that i recorded with my cell phone of the sound that i hear when it freezes. Listen for when it sounds like something starts or speeds up and then a few seconds later, there's a click can be heard. The click can be heard when the computer starts responding again. The sound clips have been heavily amplified so you can hear the noise better; please try to ignore (if possible) the sound of the computer fans in general that you can hear running through all three clips.

Any help is greatly appreciated

Hypnoticstate

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Windows Vista: Home Premium (x86)
2GB RAM
Intel Pentium 4 (3.2Ghz)
Nvidia 8800 GTX

Attached Files

•  1.wav   215.93KB   11 downloads
•  2.wav   149.09KB   12 downloads
•  4.wav   69.68KB   11 downloads

Edited by hypnoticstate, 02 March 2008 - 08:24 PM.

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Anyone? I thought this was a place where people can help with computer problems. This is the second problem i've had in a row where no one has even replied to it. I'm thinking that taking my computer problems to another website will be better. Not impressed with G2G at all.

[hypnoticstate]

Anyone? I thought this was a place where people can help with computer problems. This is the second problem i've had in a row where no one has even replied to it. I'm thinking that taking my computer problems to another website will be better. Not impressed with G2G at all.

[shard92]

Well first of all if you'd like to go elsewhere you are more than welcome, you have to remember that one you are paying nothing for this, and two we are being paid nothing for helping.... We are all volunteers and not everyone has an expertise in every area.... Also have you posted in the waiting room yet? If not maybe you should try that.... Just look at how many posts come in each day and in all the different categories and then remembering no one here is paid for their time you can imagine we don't all have time to look at everything...

Now as for your problem, the first thing I'd do is remove the sata drive for awhile and see if that fixes the issue... maybe it's bad... the other thing.. if you hear the sound of a fan kicking in you might be having heat issues... check for dust obstructing the fans or building up on the motherboard ( especially around the processor ). Since you added hardware recently it could possible be a power issue.... maybe you need a more powerful power supply....

Oh and remember only so much can be done without looking at a computer.... try calling a mechanic and get him to fix your car over the phone and you'll get some idea....

[BravoZulu]

Sounds to me like maybe a bad SATA port, or the clicking sound is in fact the new hard drive itself trying to initialize. Did you check to see that it properly shows up in the bios? And did you run a health check in the new HDD itself?