[Smurf]

My coputer doesn't always start. I.E. I have a bouncing ball by my mouse cursor, but I can't click on anything. It's happened three times so far. My processor is also making a wierd noise. To be persice, the fan on top of the processor. It makes a loud noise for three seconds when it starts up and then I don't hear it again. Sometimes my coputer does start correctly, but that noise is always there. Could you please help me? Below is a list of other problems that may of caused or made the situation worst.

I just uninstalled Norton for the fourth time because my backround won't load (what I mentioned above is different and happened when Norton was uninstalled) and has e-mail scanning problems. (Sending me an e-mail that says I sent an e-mail to a location with a virus, except I've never sent an e-mail there and my computer isn't infected)

I just had my computer cleaned with compressed air, so it isn't dirt that is causing the noise or problem.

[Trahn_Lee_Liao]

"loud" noise.... what kind of "loud" noise? Sometimes when you boot up a machine, if the CPU gets under a heavy load.. it will trip your CPU fan to a higher RPM. You might be actually hearing the fan ramp up in RPM to help cool the CPU during times it is under a heavy load. This does not happen very often, mine actually only does it once in awhile when the CPU has been at 100% for a short period of time. That's normal, as long as it sounds like a "swoosh" or "fan". If it is making a rattleing or grinding noise.. bad motor on the cpu fan.. but then, you could see that with the case cover off and the motor would be struggling to spin the fan.

As for boot up problems.. driver issues would be my guess. It could be related to Norton.. hard telling. One thing that you could do, if you are brave and understand what you are doing. Is go into your registry and make sure any and all references to Norton are out of it. Manually delete any registry keys that refere to symantec. Since norton is no longer installed. See, even when you uninstall a program, registry keys can still reside in your registry. I'll bet you have dead keys that point or look for norton.. but its not there.

You would get to this by going to your start icon.. clicking on that. Then to run. In the run box, you would type: regedit and hit enter.. that lets you get into your registry. Just be careful if you go in there.. deleteing the wrong things can screw up your machine.

If you need help, I can walk you through it on teamspeak.

[Smurf]

Thanks for the reply Trahn. I've been lucky enough to use the registry. It's not a griding noise at all. It just happens everytime I start my computer up. (Everything appears to be normal when it spins) It isn't struggling either, so that would be good if it's normal. The processor is 3 years old anyways. Maybe it's just age.

[Smurf]

Ok, I feel the need to bring this back up. After leaving my computer for 3 days and turning it off last night it makes this strange noise. Don't think it's grinding, all I really need to know is it the hard drive or not? It only happens when I start my computer after being off for a while and only sometimes. Once it gets going in never does it again and it sounds normal. Do you suggest I open it up and take a look? The case is a pain to open and and pain to close. I'm stuck with it for at least another month or three and I don't want it to die on me or have one of my hard drives, most likely my smaller one which is more than twice as old as it's bigger brother. Just trying to get an idea of what is going on a starve off disaster in my little computer world.

[GroovyDude]

It could be a hard drive... does it make any clicking noises? Do you have more than one hard drive? If you do it may be the secondary giving you trouble since you seem to be at least loading windows okay.

[Zeus]

Sry smurf, wish I could help but I feel your pain!!!