Computer Hard Drive Making Weird Noise

[midwest_46]

Hello. I have a Gateway computer with the following: 1) a 1400-MHz
Pentium 4 processor, 2) 256 MB of RAM, and 3) 40 GB of hard-drive
space.

The computer is running Windows Millennium Edition (ME), and I have
had the computer since 2001.

----------

Over the years, if 1) the computer froze and 2) ctrl + alt + del did
not work and 3) pressing the off switch on the hard drive did not
work, then I would press the off switch on the surge protector.

The hard drive and the monitor would then be turned off. Then, I would
turn the surge protector back on, and the hard drive would reboot, and
the monitor would come back on.

However, a few weeks ago, something weird happened. The computer
froze, I turned off the surge protector, I turned the surge protector
back on, the monitor got stuck on the first screen of the booting
process (the screen showing the Gateway logo), and the hard drive
started making a weird noise: ka-thunk ka-thunk ka-thunk ...

----------

I thought that the hard drive had crashed, that all my data was gone,
etc. I became really nervous. However, to make a long story short, I
discovered that, if I turned off the surge protector and waited an
hour or so, I could then turn the surge protector back on, and the
bootup process would occur normally, with my data intact.

Since then, if the computer has frozen, I turn the surge protector
off, wait an hour, then turn the surge protector on again. Also, even
if I am able to shut the computer down normally (start + shutdown), I
must still wait an hour before rebooting the computer; otherwise, the
ka-thunk starts again.

----------

So, what is going on with my computer? And please don't just say that
I have to buy a new computer. I know that my computer is old. I just
want to know what the problem is and what can be done about it.

Please send all responses to the newsgroup. The email address attached
to my post is full of spam.

Thank you very much in advance for any help.

 

[TaurArian]

1. If you don't want to lose your data - then *back up* and don't wait for
the time you can no longer get the old computer to boot up.

2. If you wish to keep the old computer and use it, then take your computer
to a dealer and let them check the power supply and the hard drive etc and
run a full diagnostics and replace any necessary parts. Personally I would
get a new computer but that's your choice.

3. No windows update is going to help this situation.

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

Hello. I have a Gateway computer with the following: 1) a 1400-MHz
Pentium 4 processor, 2) 256 MB of RAM, and 3) 40 GB of hard-drive
space.

The computer is running Windows Millennium Edition (ME), and I have
had the computer since 2001.

----------

Over the years, if 1) the computer froze and 2) ctrl + alt + del did
not work and 3) pressing the off switch on the hard drive did not
work, then I would press the off switch on the surge protector.

The hard drive and the monitor would then be turned off. Then, I would
turn the surge protector back on, and the hard drive would reboot, and
the monitor would come back on.

However, a few weeks ago, something weird happened. The computer
froze, I turned off the surge protector, I turned the surge protector
back on, the monitor got stuck on the first screen of the booting
process (the screen showing the Gateway logo), and the hard drive
started making a weird noise: ka-thunk ka-thunk ka-thunk ...

----------

I thought that the hard drive had crashed, that all my data was gone,
etc. I became really nervous. However, to make a long story short, I
discovered that, if I turned off the surge protector and waited an
hour or so, I could then turn the surge protector back on, and the
bootup process would occur normally, with my data intact.

Since then, if the computer has frozen, I turn the surge protector
off, wait an hour, then turn the surge protector on again. Also, even
if I am able to shut the computer down normally (start + shutdown), I
must still wait an hour before rebooting the computer; otherwise, the
ka-thunk starts again.

----------

So, what is going on with my computer? And please don't just say that
I have to buy a new computer. I know that my computer is old. I just
want to know what the problem is and what can be done about it.

Please send all responses to the newsgroup. The email address attached
to my post is full of spam.

Thank you very much in advance for any help.

If you have important files on your PC then you *must* back them up
regularly to an independent medium, e.g. a 2.5" disk in an external USB
case. Not doing so is shortsighted, even more so when the disk goes
ka-thunk. Do it now while you can!

Seeing that you run Windows ME, why do you cross-post your question to two
Windows XP newsgroups? There are several active Windows ME newsgroups - this
is where you will find most of the Windows ME experts.

 

[Bill in Co.]

???? This is the Windows XP newsgroup. The WinME or Win98 newsgroup
could address this better.

 

[Alister]

???? This is the Windows XP newsgroup. The WinME or Win98 newsgroup
could address this better.

Oh, come on, it's obviously a hardware issue, what does it matter which OS
newsgroup he's in?

Alister

 

[James Watkins]

Oh, come on, it's obviously a hardware issue, what does it matter which OS
newsgroup he's in?

Alister

If the OP was a little more systematic in his approach then he would have
posted his query in windowsMe.hardware.

 

[sandy58]

If the OP was a little more systematic in his approach then he would have
posted his query in windowsMe.hardware.

Ach, nit-picking. Look at the space & time you wasted with this shit.
Then ME doing the same to answer you?

 

[SC Tom]

Hello. I have a Gateway computer with the following: 1) a 1400-MHz
Pentium 4 processor, 2) 256 MB of RAM, and 3) 40 GB of hard-drive
space.

The computer is running Windows Millennium Edition (ME), and I have
had the computer since 2001.

----------

Over the years, if 1) the computer froze and 2) ctrl + alt + del did
not work and 3) pressing the off switch on the hard drive did not
work, then I would press the off switch on the surge protector.

The hard drive and the monitor would then be turned off. Then, I would
turn the surge protector back on, and the hard drive would reboot, and
the monitor would come back on.

However, a few weeks ago, something weird happened. The computer
froze, I turned off the surge protector, I turned the surge protector
back on, the monitor got stuck on the first screen of the booting
process (the screen showing the Gateway logo), and the hard drive
started making a weird noise: ka-thunk ka-thunk ka-thunk ...

----------

I thought that the hard drive had crashed, that all my data was gone,
etc. I became really nervous. However, to make a long story short, I
discovered that, if I turned off the surge protector and waited an
hour or so, I could then turn the surge protector back on, and the
bootup process would occur normally, with my data intact.

Since then, if the computer has frozen, I turn the surge protector
off, wait an hour, then turn the surge protector on again. Also, even
if I am able to shut the computer down normally (start + shutdown), I
must still wait an hour before rebooting the computer; otherwise, the
ka-thunk starts again.

----------

So, what is going on with my computer? And please don't just say that
I have to buy a new computer. I know that my computer is old. I just
want to know what the problem is and what can be done about it.

Please send all responses to the newsgroup. The email address attached
to my post is full of spam.

Thank you very much in advance for any help.

Try opening the case and cleaning out the dust, hair, etc. Make sure your
fan blades and housing are clean. Blow any dust, etc., out of the CPU
heatsink. Clean the power supply vents. If it has never been cleaned out
since '01 (or it has been a while), it's probably overheating and is taking
an hour or more to cool down enough to restart.

If you do not have a data backup policy in place, now would be a good time
to start one.

SC Tom

 

[Unknown]

Do you press and hold the power on switch for 4 seconds when shutting down?
Shutting off via
the surge protector is bad practice. Equivalent to yanking out the line
cord.
What do you mean 'off switch on the hard drive'??

 

[John]

pressing the off switch on the hard drive did not work

Do you mean the "off switch on the PC"? The big box isn't a hard drive. It's
a PC

Hard drive or hard disk much smaller than the big box (with an on/off
switch). It is inside the PC and has no on/off switch.

The hard drive and the monitor would then be turned off. Then, I would
turn the surge protector back on, and the hard drive would reboot, and
the monitor would come back on.

Again, that big box you refer to is a PC. It's not a hard drive.

the hard drive
started making a weird noise: ka-thunk ka-thunk ka-thunk ...

That's a sign of dying hard drive/disk. It's not completely dead yet.

I thought that the hard drive had crashed, that all my data was gone,

Not yet but it will crash beyond repair at any time. The longer you wait the
worse the problem becomes.

if I turned off the surge protector and waited an
hour or so, I could then turn the surge protector back on, and the
bootup process would occur normally, with my data intact.

Sounds like your computer has a heat problem as well. Waiting for 1 hour
cools down the PC components, including the hard drive.

Since then, if the computer has frozen, I turn the surge protector
off, wait an hour, then turn the surge protector on again. Also, even
if I am able to shut the computer down normally (start + shutdown), I
must still wait an hour before rebooting the computer; otherwise, the
ka-thunk starts again.

So it happens when the hard disk (inside the PC) is hot.

So, what is going on with my computer? And please don't just say that
I have to buy a new computer.

I'm positive that your hard drive/disk is going bad. You may not have to buy
a new PC but you definitely have to replace the hard disk as soon as
possible.

I know that my computer is old. I just
want to know what the problem is and what can be done about it.

Buy a replacement hard disk (HD). Clone the old HD onto the new.

 

[John]

and wait a few months for a reply??? Who still use Windows ME today?

 

[Anteaus]

A disk which is making that characteristic, loud 'ka-thunk' sound has a
serious hardware problem. It is caused by the head actuator losing its
positional reference, and striking the stop (or case) hard. I know of no
software problem which would cause the same sound.

If you can still access it, backup your data NOW and change it.

Bear in-mind that a computer (specifically a motherboard) of this age may
have issues with a disk of over 137GB in size. Although, many will accept
larger drives. The manufacturer's site may have info on this.

 

[Anteaus]

The email address attached
to my post is full of spam.

That is WHY it is full of spam.

http://spamwise.org

 

[midwest_46]

Do you press and hold the power on switch for 4 seconds when shutting down?

Until I saw your post, I did not realize that should be done. I would
press the power-on switch, and nothing would happen. I did not know
that I was supposed to hold the switch for 4 seconds.

Shutting off via
the surge protector is bad practice. Equivalent to yanking out the line
cord.

I know. And that is why I did that only as a last resort.

What do you mean 'off switch on the hard drive'?

"Off switch on the hard drive" means the switch that causes the
computer to start booting; in other words, the switch on the hard
drive is the "power-on switch" that you mention above.


By the way, after I read your post, I had the computer freeze on me
again. CTRL + ALT + DEL did not work; so, I held the power-on switch
for 4 seconds, and the computer did shut down properly. Unfortunately,
when I tried to reboot the computer without waiting for an hour, the
hard drive started going ka-thunk again.


So, do you have any ideas why the ka-thunk is happening and what can
be done about it?

 

[Nate Grossman]

So, do you have any ideas why the ka-thunk is happening and what can
be done about it?

Replace the drive.

 

[G. R. Woodring]

You are referring to the computer _case_ as the "hard drive". The hard drive is
is a component _inside_ of the case. The case contains several components that
can make noise: the power supply, CD/DVD drives, floppy drive and fans to cool
the Power supply, CPU, Graphics processor, chipsets and to force air through the
case itself. If you can't identify what is the actual source of the noise,
back-up all data (a full drive image is good) then take to a trusted repair shop.

 

[David B.]

The OP does obviously, and that is where he should be posting, there are
different groups for a reason.