Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Help a newbie please

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Posts
    3
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts

    Help a newbie please

    Hi, can someone help a complete newbie?

    Firstly, I'm not a gamer, a modder, or a system builder, just an average pc user.

    I recently bought a Shuttle XPC on Ebay. The seller is a large trader who sells loads of pc's and pc equipment, and he gives a warranty on his items. My XPC has a label on the base indicating that it is an ex-school PC.

    It's a G2 model, I can't be more specific as I have no way of knowing if it was originally sold as a barebones or fully built system. It's the model with 2 blue indicator lights on the front facia.

    The blue indicator light on the right appears to simply be a Power-On light, as it is permanently on when power-up and running, the one on the left is the problem one. I don't know it's function, but it too is blue, but it doesn't emit a blue light, but rather, a yellow light. Sorry if that sounds daft, it's just that most of the time it has the appearance of being an unlit blue light, but which flashes every half scond or so in yellow, when the pc is powered-on. When pages are loading, this light burns yellow almost constantly, and when it does this it emits a faint buzzing or rattling noise. The noise becomes worse when the pc has been running for an hour or so, and it's really getting on my nerves. The cooling fan runs pretty quietly, making this buzing light noise even more noticeable.

    Any ideas on the problem? Or the solution?

  2. #2
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Posts
    3
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    Meant to add, I could return the pc under warranty, but the postage costs would have to be borne by me. I just felt it might be cheaper and easier to fix this myself if I had some advice.

  3. #3
    ***** Lurker
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    724
    Thanks
    2
    Thanked
    15 times in 15 posts
    • d3fiant's system
      • Motherboard:
      • GB X58A-UDR3 FB11
      • CPU:
      • Core i7 950
      • Memory:
      • Corsair 12GB DDR3 1600
      • Storage:
      • 2x 120GB OCZ Agility SSD + 500GB SP F3
      • Graphics card(s):
      • GB Windforce GTX670 2GB
      • PSU:
      • 850W Akasa
      • Case:
      • Fractal R3
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 7 x64 HP Retail
      • Monitor(s):
      • 24" 1920x1080 Iiyama LED
      • Internet:
      • 60MB VM
    sounds like the hard drive LED that is basically telling you that there is activity. If the noise is directly relational to the flashes I would suggest you center your attention on the hard drive, is it mounted correctly and tightly. If its a knocking noise then it may be that your hard drive is on its way out, there are a number of apps that can test for this.

  4. #4
    JagerBomber Mossy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    0.0
    Posts
    2,618
    Thanks
    191
    Thanked
    173 times in 144 posts
    Is it not the hard drive LED light this flashes when your hard drive is in use? hence the noise of your drive?
    __________________
    Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot.

    Error exists between Keyboard & Chair replace User and press Any Key!

    .... Where's the Any Key???


  5. #5
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Posts
    3
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    Thank you all.

    I opened the case up. The 2 lights had a bit of play in them, i.e. in the front mounting plate which holds them, so I powered it up and listened to check if the yellow one was still buzzing and rattling while I was holding my finger against them firmly. I now know the noise is due to something else, because I could still hear it. The noise appears to be coming from the HD itself, but it sounds to me like an abnormal type of noise, not the normal faint sound of whirring inside the HD. I couldn't find any any loose screws, so I'm forced to conclude it is the HD after all.

    The yellow light is indeed the HD indicator light. As for those applications to test the HD, I'll have to determine which brand the HD is, as those applications all seem to correspond to particular brands. I haven't sussed-out how to remove the HD. With my old Evesham tower PC, the retaining screws were visible, and it was obvious how to remove the HD, but it's not as obvious to me with the shuttle. I think I'll need to remove it just to be able to see the brand name, as it sits just now, I can't see it properly. I looks though like I may have to remove the optical drive and floppy drive just to access the HD.

    I think I'll try downloading the programme available on the Crucial site, the one that scans the components of ones PC and identifies them all, with any luck it should tell me the brand of HD, then I can try using an application to test it. If this fails, I'll try physically removing it, then identify it, and finally try one of those test applications as suggested.

    Thank you all for your support.
    Last edited by Peco; 16-04-2007 at 10:28 PM.

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    581
    Thanks
    51
    Thanked
    29 times in 28 posts
    Sounds perfectly normal to me. My dad had one of those for a while and the drive was pretty noisy in it despite the fact it was fairly quiet in his old case. I wouldnt worry about it.

  7. #7
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Posts
    45
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    Download 'Dtemp' and it'll tell you the exact make and model of the drive, as well as the temp and SMART info.

    The sound may be perfectly normal, but run one of the diag tools to be on the safe side. It it checks out ok but the noise still bothers you, do a search on 'silencing hard drives' and you'll find many suggestions.

  8. #8
    Banhammer in peace PeterB kalniel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    31,023
    Thanks
    1,870
    Thanked
    3,381 times in 2,718 posts
    • kalniel's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Ultra
      • CPU:
      • Intel i9 9900k
      • Memory:
      • 32GB DDR4 3200 CL16
      • Storage:
      • 1TB Samsung 970Evo+ NVMe
      • Graphics card(s):
      • nVidia GTX 1060 6GB
      • PSU:
      • Seasonic 600W
      • Case:
      • Cooler Master HAF 912
      • Operating System:
      • Win 10 Pro x64
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell S2721DGF
      • Internet:
      • rubbish
    Hard drives often produce a quite crunchy sounding noise, which although unnerving, is perfectly ok. I would suggest testing how well it's screwed in - you might just need to tighten the screws, or if it's a screwless system put some paper in to wedge it tighter.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 2
    Last Post: 26-11-2006, 03:38 PM
  2. newbie advice pls
    By maks in forum Consumer Electronics
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 27-02-2006, 01:58 PM
  3. P4 newbie overclocking
    By skattrd in forum PC Hardware and Components
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 06-04-2004, 08:58 PM
  4. Modding Newbie
    By Barakka in forum Chassis and Mods
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 17-02-2004, 01:03 AM
  5. Newbie alert! How to point my 123reg domain to my home server?
    By Theo in forum Networking and Broadband
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: 06-12-2003, 03:27 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •