What's wrong with my PC?

I was wondering if someone knows what happened to my PC.
Last night I had a couple of pages open and I was trying out new game Aion. About an hour into play all the pages inc. game closed and a loud buzzing sound started. LOUD, like violent vibrations. it sounded like it was coming from my monitor but probably from tower that sits under my desk. Also there was a smallish grey window on the screen, similar to the send error thing you get from windows but different. I clicked the thing away too fast before reading cos I wanted the sound to stop and I turned the PC off. It went back on ok and I browsed net for few minutes before going to bed. Today I can't get windows to load up at all, it seems like my PC is buggered.
I'm kicking myself for not reading that error window thing. I'm sure it had a little slider window/load thing on it. A send/ don't send report on it and a more details option. But like I said, it wasn't the usual windows one, and I clicked away to get rid of the noise. This was new and strange. Like some hardware info box???? Any ideas. Thanks.

reply to post by wigit


What happens when you power it on? Does it get to the Windows loading screen or do you get an error before that?
If you are getting any errors on boot up, what are they?

Hi, it's asking if I want to boot in safe mode but when I try to do that it's going back to that option again and I can't get any further.

Originally posted by wigit
Hi, it's asking if I want to boot in safe mode but when I try to do that it's going back to that option again and I can't get any further.

Is it giving you other options such as:

Start Windows normally
Start Windows using last know configuration that worked
Start Windows in safe mode

which windows is it?

2nd

I have no idea which component died, however one evidently did. I suggest you take it to the shop, or a computer store, and ask them to look at it.

[edit on 1/10/2009 by C0bzz]

reply to post by C0bzz


not at all, thats bad advice without knowing more about the problem. It may need something simple like a chkdsk, if he can't get into safe mode then he will have to boot off his installation disc (assuming it isn't one of them silly recovery discs that acer and the likes of supply you with). The buzzing sound may just be the fan going wild due to high processor temperature as the computer might be struggling to read a file or because of the new game he was playing. Case buzz due to high fan RPM sounds like the OP describes. It sounds like a file has got corrupted due to his crash // error report. CHKDSK is very good at taking care of this, at the worst case scenario a complete re-install may be in order.


[edit on 1/10/09 by woogleuk]

It sounds like a fan was failing.

If it was the one on your cpu, you may have fried it.
(look around the cpu, with a flashlight, to see and bun marks or split capacitors.)

Try taking the side off the case and watch if all the fans turn on when you power up.

Let me know from there.

If it is stuck is a safe mode loop then it is a corrupt file or registry issue. The darker danger is that it could be caused by your hard drive failing. Since you heard a LOUD buzzing, my guess is a fan stopped and your mobo was warning you. Overheating CPU's can cause corrupt files. If it actually came from your hard drive and you want some sort of chance to recover them, stop trying to boot windows off of the suspect drive and get a pro opinion or go buy a replacement hard drive and reload windows on the new drive. Then you can add your old drive as a slave and recover your files possibly.

If your brave and have backups then there are many options to fix a corrupt system file or registry.

Sounds like one of your drivers froze up.
most likely the mouse driver.

When you moved the mouse during this freeze up, did it make a bizarre clicking noise ?

if you have a corded mouse you may have to replace it. or a battery soon
if it's a cordless mouse.

If your computer is older, it maybe one of the fans as monsoon stated.

I would look for an update patch for your game and install it.


[edit on 29-11-2009 by The Utopian Penguin]

I don't think your cpu is shot. If it was you wouldn't be able to get to the "safe mode" selection. Troubleshooting sounds over the internet is not an exact science. The "buzz" could have been a lot of things. My guess is your hard drive may be toast or is about to be toast. The buzz could have been the sound of your hard drive failing, since it spins at 5400 rpm or higher.

I don't suppose you smelt any burning did you? - Prob not because you would of mentioned it - and probably wouldn't of tried to power it on again!

But if you did and that buzzing was electrical in nature it could be your power supply has gone on the blink - I've only ever had one go, and they tend to just go kaput - but still that buzz could of been high voltage arcing...

Have you had the case open yet? - have a quick look over the mother board see if there is any burnt patch... Odds on it's one of the mechanical spinning parts like others have said - you could take the cover off cos it's often easier to locate a problem... But only do that if your confident.