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I have a Compaq Presario PC I bought nine years ago and it has been a fairly good computer. The exact model number is: SR 1913WM. I recently had to install a new hard drive and since then while the computer is in use, my processor fan will start running on high for a few minutes and then will go back to running at a lower speed. It just continually runs through this cycle of high and then back to low. The fan will continually run on high while the screensaver is going and also while playing games. Any ideas?

Typically, computers work harder when performing certain tasks such as gaming, downloading music, or downloading pictures. When this happens, the processor fan also works harder. Since you recently swapped out your old hard drive with a new one, it is possible that the computer must now work harder when booting up due to the size of the hard drive. Try the following suggestions to see if you can resolve the problem of the noisy CPU fan. Since the fan noise is associated with your computer’ start up and resource- hogging activity such as gaming, it is likely that nothing is actually wrong.

Troubleshooting Noisy CPU Fan: Overheating

An accumulation of dirt might exist leading to overheating or even have been dislodged while you installed the new hard drive. Disconnect the computer from the power source and check for dirt. You can use a can of compressed air to remove any dirt or dust that you find. Additionally, you need to make sure that sufficient space exists around the computer to avoid overheating due to blockage of the air vents.

Troubleshooting Noisy CPU Fan: Physical Set Up

It is possible that you dislodged either the fan or the cables inside the computer when you replaced the hard drive. If this is so, the cable could be hitting the fan or the fact that the fan is ajar could be causing the noise. Disconnect the computer from its power source, open the case, and check the fan out to see if you can see any physical problems.

Troubleshooting Noisy CPU Fan: Heatsinks

It is possible that your computer’s heatsink is in need of adjustment. The heatsink is responsible for attracting and dissipating the heat within the computer. It is attached to the processor and is responsible for getting the air properly distributed with the cpu fan. If your heatsink does not have a sufficient amount of thermal compound on it, it can function improperly. This compound acts as a seal between the heatsink and the area of the computer that it is responsible for cooling. If you do not have enough thermal compound on the heatsink it is possible that this is responsible for the added noise. Check it out and add a fine layer of the thermal compound if it is needed. This is a tricky process, so if you aren’t comfortable with it, you should get someone else to deal with it.

Troubleshooting Noisy CPU Fan: Faulty Fan

In some cases, especially when all of your troubleshooting has not resolved the problem, the only thing left to do is to replace the fan. Fans do stop working and a noisy fan could be the first sign of this.

My computer is not working on its own and requires the recovery disc. I don’t know how to transfer data from the bad HDD to the new one. I also need to know if upgrading to a 250GB SATA @ 7200 16MB will improve/make a difference or I should use same as what I have. 

Troubleshooting Hard Drive Errors

Before investing the time and energy into replacing your hard drive, first complete each of the following suggestions:

• Perform a soft restore using the recovery disc. If you do not have one, contact the manufacturer and see if you can get one.
• Run a thorough anti-virus/anti-spyware scan on the laptop’s HDD.
• Clean the registry using a reliable registry cleaner such as RegCure.

Slave the Hard Drive to Recover Laptop Data

In order to recover data from a damaged hard drive, you can replace it with a good hard drive first. The, you have two options left. You can either set the damaged HDD as slave on the laptop if you have room, or you can place it in an external hard drive case and access the laptop data that way. The second option might be the easier of the two as long as you have a compatible USB port.

Recovering Laptop Data from Hard Drive Using Data Recovery Software

Another option that you have when attempting to retrieve data from a damaged laptop hard drive is to use a data recovery program such as Data Recovery Pro.

Recovering Laptop Data from Hard Drive Using a Laptop Hard Drive Adaptor Kit

It is possible to plug your laptop hard drive into a standard desktop computer using a laptop hard drive adaptor kit. Once you do, you should be able to access the hard drive and recover any retrievable data.

Replacing a Damaged Hard Drive with 250GB SATA @ 7200 16MB

Whether or not you should upgrade to a 250GB SATA @ 7200 16MB hard drive is up to you. Take into consideration the age of your laptop and other mitigating factors. Are you happy with the performance of the hard drive that you had been using? If not, then you might want to upgrade.

This particular laptop hard drive is designed for top-of-the-line laptops so take that fact into consideration as well. It is noted for its speed and large capacity. Plus, it is noted for being quiet, reliable, compatible, and amazing ruggedness. It sounds like a winner to me especially since it is rumored to use little power.

I have an ‘07 Sony VAIO laptop VGNFE880e. It has a Fujitsu 160GB SATA 4200RPM HDD that has to be replaced. It ran a check disk earlier and I fear that many files have been deleted. First, I’d like to know if I can upgrade the HDD and/or use any brand. Second, is it worth trying to recover files from the bad HDD?

Replacing a Laptop’s Hard Drive

You should be able to replace your VAIO’s hard drive with another brand hard drive without much difficulty. Look for a SATA drive of the same dimensions as your current drive. You current drive is most likely a 2.5-inch drive which is pretty standard for today’s laptops. You’ll need to open the laptop’s case, remove the old hard drive and replace it with the new drive and then either install Windows or restore your system from a bootable backup disc or disc image that you will need to create before the swap.

Inside My Laptop has some good information about how to remove a hard drive from the Sony VAIO VGNFE series of laptops.

Recovering Files from a Bad Hard Drive

Recovering deleted files is worth doing if the files are important to you. Data recovery programs cost about $40 to $50 and are quite easy to use, so if you have lost files that you’re willing to spend some money on getting back, by all means, give data recovery a try. For example, if you’ve lost all of your Quicken or QuickBook files for your business, $40 or $50 to get that information back may be well worth doing. The same is true if you lost your only copies of family photos or videos. On the other hand, if the lost data is just some old joke e-mail messages or old homework assignments that you’ve already turned in and will never need again, then data recovery is probably not worth attempting.

We recommend ParetoLogic Data Recovery which offers a free scanner that will show you what is recoverable for free. This way, you don’t have to spend money only to find out that data recovery isn’t possible. If the software finds recoverable files, you can then decide whether or not the data is worth the price of the software. If so, purchase the full version of Data Recovery and quickly recover the deleted files.

I would like be able to make my PC quieter. Could you please tell me, what is the main culprit for noise? I know there are two fans inside the case. Is the noise caused by the power supply fan, the case fan or something else?

Noisy computers are fairly common, which makes them no less annoying. Most of the time the noise is harmless, but it is worth investigating to make sure there are no outstanding problems.  You’re on the right track with the fans - most of the time, computer noise is caused by the fans inside the case.

Possible Cooling Problems

It’s possible that your computer is overheating and that the fans are running constantly. Gaming, videos and graphics can put stress on the computer and cause it to run hot. First, take a look around the computer - is it sitting on a soft surface like a carpet or bedding? There needs to be some airflow on and around the unit.  It should be sitting on a hard surface or elevated just a little off the floor. Check the vents on the side and make sure they aren’t blocked by anything and that air can flow in and out of the unit.

Temperature Check

If you’re sure there is adequate airflow, you can monitor the PC’s internal temperature in BIOS or download a program that will let you easily see the information. There is a lot of controversy about what is a “safe” temperature, but you can find some temperature recommendations by CPU type and then looking at this chart on Technibble.

Keep it Cool

In addition to good airflow, there are other things you can do to cool down the computer. You will need to take the case off, so if you’re not comfortable rooting around in your computer, you might want to get some tech help. Take the case off and get a can of compressed air. Blow the dust off the fans, the heatsinks and the power supply. Make sure the vents are clear of dust and debris. You can also set up a desk fan outside the unit to pull hot air out, but then you have to deal with that fan noise as well.

Heatsinks

You may want to see if you have enough heatsinks.  There are two kinds of heatsinks. An active heatsink is a device that attaches to the processor for attracting and dissipating heat from the unit that it is attached to and into the air to be distributed with a fan. A passive heatsink works the same way, but does not have a fan attached to it. All heatsink devices need to have some sort of thermal compound on it. This compound creates a seal between the heatsink and the part of the unit that it is cooling. Most new heatsinks have a rubber thermal compound pad that is already attached while others will require that you use a thin layer of thermal paste. If you remove the heatsink from the unit, you need to put more thermal compound on it, even those that came with a pad. Make sure you apply only a thin layer - too much will stop the heatsink from working properly.

A noisy fan means that the computer is working as it should - make sure that the fans are clean and working properly and that you have all of the cooling measures in place that your computer can hold. Once your computer is cooled properly, the fans will probably not run as often and the noise should subside. 

The Geek Squad replaced both of my DVD players over a year ago. Since then I cannot use either of the DVD players/recorders. When I try to play a CD or DVD, the computer freezes up and then crashes. I’ve tried and tried to find the problem, but still no luck. What good is a computer without a DVD player? Not sure if it is a hardware or software program. A tech from my cable company said the DVD players were working correctly.

Troubleshooting DVD Drive

At this point, it’s probably too late to have the Geek Squad come back out and double-check their work. In fact, Best Buy’s Geek Squad’s warranty is 30 days. So unless you want to pay the Geek Squad again, you’re likely on your own. The problem could be as simple as a jumper setting needing to be set or you may need to update the DVD drives’ device drivers. Let’s explore the options.

The Device Manager

First, let’s see if your computer recognizes the DVD drive. The Device Manager is just the tool for our initial investigation. Go to the Control Panel and click on the Device Manager. Click the plus sign next to DVD / CD-ROM drives. Are your DVD drives showing up? Is there a yellow caution sign next to either drive?

Now, double-click on one of the drives to view more information. The first screen you will see is the status tab. Does the status message indicate a problem or is “the device working properly”? Write down the manufacturer and model number of the drive as later you may need to search for updated device drivers. Do the same for the other drive.

If the devices do not appear in Device Manager at all, you will need to open the computer case and make sure that the drives are properly connected. One should be set as a master and the other as a slave. These settings are typically set using jumpers on the drives. In addition, the drives should be physically connected to the motherboard. If you are comfortable opening your computer’s case, you can manually inspect the drives yourself. Make sure to take appropriate safety precautions including unplugging the computer and grounding yourself.

If the devices appear in Device Manager and error messages are present, follow the instructions provided by the Device Manager to troubleshoot the problem. If not, let’s try updating the device drivers.

Updating Device Drivers

One easy way to quickly “freshen” up a malfunctioning drive is to uninstall it in Device Manager and reboot the system. This forces Windows to detect “new” hardware and install the latest device drivers. Simply right-click the drive in Device Manager and choose Uninstall. Reboot the computer and let Windows reinstall the software.

Windows uses drivers in its plug and play database. If you’d rather check with your drives’ manufacturers, you can do so by visiting the manufacturers’ Web sites. Use the information you wrote down earlier to search for updated device drivers for your drive. You’ll need to download and install these drivers according to each manufacturer’s instructions. Use extreme care to select the correct drivers for your model as well as for your operating system.

My laptop won’t start. I turn it on and it starts to start up and you can hear the fan and then it goes down and the power lights flashes off and on and the fan goes out. Can you help? I tried loading the recover disk and it acts like it is going to start running than just stops. Nothing comes up on screen.

Common Laptop Startup Issues

Unfortunately, a number of issues could be preventing your laptop from starting up ranging from power supply problems, bad connections, or failed hardware such as the motherboard, video card, or hard drive. The trick is to figure out what is causing the problem and then addressing that issue.

Power / Battery Problems

Let’s take a look at the power supply itself. Are all of the cords secure? Does the power light on the “brick” turn on? Have you tried using a different electrical outlet? You can also try powering on the computer with the battery fully removed. If the laptop powers on with the battery removed, then the battery may be bad or interfering with startup somehow.

You may want to do a “laptop reset” at this point as well. With the laptop off, its battery removed, and the power cord plugged in, press and hold the power button for a full 60 seconds. This “resets” the laptop by clearing any retained power within the computer that could be interfering with startup.

Bad Connections

Bad connections can also cause startup failures. For example, if the internal power connector is loose, then the laptop will have power problems. It could be a faulty switch or a connector that needs to be soldered to the motherboard. Similarly, connections to video cards or even the hard drive could be to blame. Inspecting the internal components of a laptop is trickier than opening up a desktop’s computer case. Inspection ports are usually located on the bottom of a laptop though these do little to address components hidden under the keyboard. This is best left to an experienced computer technician.

Failed Hardware

Another common cause of laptop startup errors is failed hardware including the motherboard, hard drive, or video card.

In short, if resetting the laptop doesn’t revive it, a trip to the computer repair shop is your best bet. Technicians can try a different AC adapter, check for loose connections, and test your hardware.