Weard clicking then crash

[ferius]

I've been haing this problem with what I believe is my CPU. What happins is that when I start my computer and it gets to my desktop and starts loading programs, I hear a click comming from inside the tower then everything freezes and I can't do crap-all. While the computer is frozen the little light indacating if the processor is working is now a solid yellow, not changing or flickering.

If anyone can tall me what the hell the problem is and how I can fix it, it would be greatly apresheated!

Specs:

-Intel Core 2 Quad 6600
-GeForce 8800 GTS "Superclocked" 320mb (latest drivers)
-3gb DDR2 RAM
-Microsoft Vista 32bit
-I don't know if it's any consalation but it's an HP

Thanks

~Nathan

 

[nukemaster]

Sorry to say its your hard drive(its about to die)....that little LED is the HDD indicator....

Backup what you can....

Also check the cable. A bad cable can cause this....

Is it under warranty? Hp tends to be good with that....

 

[ferius]

It's funny though. When I do a system restore back to a previous point everything seams to work fine!

 

[someguy7]

Sounds like its your HDD that is the culprit. The light is for your hdds activity not the cpu. Boot up off a linux live cd distro and the machine should run fine. If its works fine like i suspect it will you have hdd problems.

 

[someguy7]

Does this clicking sound like your normal hdd activity sound. Or is it a much louder click. If its the 1st it can just be a sofware issue then can be fixed with a clean format/install. If its the much louder click you hear your drive is about to die.

 

[Zorg]

Yup, a dying HD.

 

[ahmshaegar]

Yup, as everyone has said, you've got the click of death. You should check the SMART data. As I don't use windows, I'm not exactly sure how to do that, but perhaps your BIOS will tell you something. You could also probably google for "Smart hd windows" or something along those lines to view the SMART data. Or, like someone else said earlier, boot into a Linux Live CD and (hopefully it has this) run sudo smartctl --all /dev/sda (or maybe /dev/hda depending on the distro.) Much easier to just get some app for Windows that will check your SMART data though!

Unfortunately, I'm 99% sure you will have to go out and buy a new HD. BACK UP ALL YOUR DATA NOW BEFORE THE DRIVE FAILS!

 

[Strobeflux]

I also had the click of death one a new harddrive i bought.
I could load up windows sometimes, fool around, and then just "tick"
or "tick tick" , and system froze.

However, the harddrive wasnt dead. My problem was that i used a 250gb drive in an unpatched Windows XP, without any Service Pack.

Turned out that the ATA drivers in XP is not handling that large disks correctly.

I have now run the disk for 7 months when i installed SP2 without
any errors or clicks!

Okay, this guy used Vista, so thats not the problem! ,
im just saying this because Click of death can
also be software related, not always hardware!

 

[Reynod]

I have an ext HDD here that has clicked for 2 years.

Every now and then I have to restart it ... thats all.

Regarding this problem ferious I think they are correct - backup then replace your HDD.

It will otherwise likely die when you need it.

Nice system specs

 

[jitpublisher]

The light on the front of your computer is monitoring your hard drive activity, not your processor. This light not behaving correctly, or normally, accompanied by a clicking sound as others have pointed out, is most usually an indication of a hard drive going bad. It can also mean a loose cable, so check to make sure all the cables are securely plugged in to the drive and motherboard.

 

[coret]

This can also be a dying power supply - a friend's PC had the exact same symptoms except i knew the hard drives were fine (I'd fully tested them before selling to him a couple days previous) ... put in a new PSU and everything started working.

 

[Zorg]

Most people don't realize that a cheap PSU can kill drives. They save $50 on the PSU and in six months spend $150 on a new hard drive.

 

[evongugg]

Run the hard drive's manufacturer's diagnostics.

 

[spoonboy]

I've been haing this problem with what I believe is my CPU. What happins is that when I start my computer and it gets to my desktop and starts loading programs, I hear a click comming from inside the tower then everything freezes and I can't do crap-all. While the computer is frozen the little light indacating if the processor is working is now a solid yellow, not changing or flickering.

If anyone can tall me what the hell the problem is and how I can fix it, it would be greatly apresheated!

Specs:

-Intel Core 2 Quad 6600
-GeForce 8800 GTS "Superclocked" 320mb (latest drivers)
-3gb DDR2 RAM
-Microsoft Vista 32bit
-I don't know if it's any consalation but it's an HP

Thanks

~Nathan

Its the mouse falling off his little wheel. Try to make sure the case isnt at a 45 degree angle or something. Or that the little guys started drinking again.

 

[ferius]

Most people don't realize that a cheap PSU can kill drives. They save $50 on the PSU and in six months spend $150 on a new hard drive.

I got the PC as a whole from HP. Everything came with it except for my 8800

 

[Zorg]

My niece had an HP. She would have a hard drive failure about once a year. I finally replaced the case and PSU and no hard drive failure since.

 

[UncleDave]

I got the PC as a whole from HP. Everything came with it except for my 8800

That could be a hint towards the Power Supply again???

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

I think def could be hard drive. Dad bought my mom an HP a few years ago and the drive died after about a year, we replaced that, then later built her another system which is still running fine today.