Computer problems help needed

[Russell]

One of my computers has just locked on shut down. All its doing is just clicking, all the lights on the key board are flashing and the orange light on the front of the machine is flashing. It sounds as if its trying to access the hard drive. Power turned off. Couldn't even use the switch to isolate had to just turn off at the plug. When ever plugged in and plug switched on it just does the same. without pressing the power switch. Any ideas switch problem hard disc or power pack

 

[OLD]

The switches for power and reset on my computer can stick in the operated position, can not see how this relates to your situation but worth a check.

 

[paulm]

I fear a hard disk failure Russell, symptoms are much as you describe I believe, particularly the clicking noise

Think you need some help from the more able techie guys on the forum for this one !

Cheers, Paul.

 

[Russell]

I disconnected the hard drive and it still did the same thing with clicking noise reconnected hard drive click noise now stopped. I could decide if clicking was powerpack or one of the DVD/disc drives

 

[MrJay]

Doesn't sound healthy.

I'd try resetting your BIOS just in case. There's probably an easier way, but opening the case (disconnect from the mains and earth yourself on a nearby radiator) and removing the over size watch battery on the motherboard for ten minutes is a fool proof method.

I'm not sure that you have a hard drive failure (though the clicking is tell tale as others suggest). It sounds to me like your BIOS is throwing a paddy, I'm not sure it would waste its time over anything as insignificant as a drive failure. The upside of that is that you might be able to recover your files. The downside is that something else may be broken.

 

[caretaker]

We have the same problem at work or much like it with a computer.
All we do is take the power plug out of the base unit, count to ten, plug back in and it works.
This may be worth a go.
They say it drains the system.
Good luck.

 

[Russell]

Its more serious tried new powerpack its either motherboard or drive but we dont think its hard drive.

 

[TonyW]

Russell, from your description this could be a number of things (or even a combination!) - Bios settings, CMOS battery, faulty power switch, dodgy computer power supply, faulty graphics card.

Sounds very odd that you cannot turn the power off using the switch on PC - are you holding the power switch in for long enough?

What is the specification of your PC - Motherboard, memory, graphics cards, peripheral cards, HD etc.?

Have you undertaken any recent hardware upgrades etc.?

Can you see anything on the screen when you try to boot the system?

I agree with MrJay that the first port of call look at the BIOS (assuming you can see the start up screen). I would also remove the battery for 10 minutes or so. Think it also a good idea to get a replacement battery and clean the contacts.

Assuming that this fails you may want to consider disconnecting and removing all cards and peripherals from your system and see if you can get the system to at least boot into the startup screen to access the BIOS. You can then add components back one at a time starting with HD to see if you can isolate the problem.

Hope that this may be of some help

Cheers
Tony

 

[MrJay]

If you can I'd try to test the hard drive in another PC (as a slave or second drive). That way you can test the drive's integrity and maybe recover essential files. In my experience (which isn't great) motherboards tend to deteriorate over time rather than give up all of a sudden.