PC wont boot, makes clicking noise.

[Edibletarget]

Ok, so I have a new PC build, it works most of the time, but I run into a problem every once in awhile. The computer crashes and wont boot up, and makes a clicking noise. There is also no display on the monitor while it is doing this.

I was able to get it to boot up again by turning off the PSU and unplugging the power cord.

What is causing this? and can anything be done to fix it?

Thanks for any help =)

 

[accu]

we cant help you if you dont tell us whats in your pc.

 

[paq7512]

The clicking noise is your hard drive, which has all your data. I would save your data A.S.A.P.

 

[Edibletarget]

CPU Intel Q6600
Display 8800 GTS 640MB
2GB ram
Corsair 640W PSU

I didnt think that my problem was the hard drive, as if this was the case, wouldnt the computer POST?

Also, I didnt mention that I had a similar problem with my old PC, that sometimes it wouldnt boot. It would sound like it was gonna boot, then restart itself in a constant cycle.

 

[accu]

by any chance, did u re-use any old parts to your new pc?

 

[Edibletarget]

I think it has something to do with the power provided to the PSU. In order to get it to boot up again i need to turn off the PSU and unplug the cord.

I have it plugged directly into the wall now (it was connected through 2 power strips, which might cut back on the current significantly), we shall see how much this helps.

 

[Edibletarget]

by any chance, did u re-use any old parts to your new pc?

Sound card and 1 hard drive I had used and am using now for media only.

And floppy drive.

 

[mdalli]

The clicking sound could be your power supply. Try putting a different power supply on temporarily.

Or, start disconnecting stuff; start with that floppy drive.

 

[accu]

I think it has something to do with the power provided to the PSU. In order to get it to boot up again i need to turn off the PSU and unplug the cord.

I have it plugged directly into the wall now (it was connected through 2 power strips, which might cut back on the current significantly), we shall see how much this helps.

might be

 

[royalcrown]

I vote hard drive if it's clicking....

 

[lordszone]

try to connect a different power rail on to the hdd. it mostly solves the problem.

 

[aziraphale]

I'd suggest you open up your case and try to pinpoint exactly where the noise is coming from. That way we could really be of help instead of being speculative. (And a neat trick to find out what's clicking: use some kind of tubing, like a toilet paper roll, put it too your ears and scan the innards of your puter like that).

 

[Edibletarget]

I'd suggest you open up your case and try to pinpoint exactly where the noise is coming from. That way we could really be of help instead of being speculative. (And a neat trick to find out what's clicking: use some kind of tubing, like a toilet paper roll, put it too your ears and scan the innards of your puter like that).

It sounds like its coming from the harddrives. Im thinking it's probably the power going into the PSU that probably didnt give it enough power to start back up. Since I plugged it straight into the wall, I havent had any problems yet.

 

[aziraphale]

If the sound is coming from the HD's, I really suppose the problem lies there.

What kind of power source did you use? The one "going into the PSU"? Before you plugged it into a wall plug?

HD's are normally not the "critical" power drainers.

Enlighten us...

 

[Edibletarget]

If the sound is coming from the HD's, I really suppose the problem lies there.

What kind of power source did you use? The one "going into the PSU"? Before you plugged it into a wall plug?

HD's are normally not the "critical" power drainers.

Enlighten us...

I have it plugged directly into the wall now (it was connected through 2 power strips, which might cut back on the current significantly), we shall see how much this helps.

regular strip and APC if it makes any difference. To clarify, one strip was plugged into the wall, and the APC was plugged into that. Not necessarily an ideal power source.

 

[accu]

so everything is fine now?

 

[Edibletarget]

So I thought Id give an update.

Turns out the Power didnt do anything, as it continued when I put the PC on its own circuit. I started reading forums and figured out that "cold start" problems arent uncommon on a Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3P motherboard. I have tried increasing the RAM voltage like other forums have suggested, but that didnt work either.

While looking for these settings though, I found another problem. Using CPU-Z, I noticed that there were only 2 out of my 4 cores detected by windows. Im not sure if this is due to the motherboard or some other reason.

Im thinking I may have to RMA the motherboard, Ill be calling Gigabyte tomorrow I think to see if they have any suggestions.

 

[cyberjock]

Reguardless of what might be wrong with your motherboard, I really don't see how a clicking noise can be blamed on the motherboard. clicking is from a physical motion in your computer. Either a fan, hard disk, floppy(when in use) or CD drive(when in use). You need to isolate the clicking noise ASAP. If it's the hard disk your data needs to be backed up now. Anything else is an easy replacement.

As a side note, and I find this VERY unlikely. If the PSU is giving sporatic power to the hard drive, it may make a clicking noise when it spins down and back up due to voltage fluctuations. But in scenarios like that, you have LOTS of other problems, and the clicking noise just confuses you more. I've seen this with cheap power supplies where you start a load in the house(refrigerator, microwave, vacuum) and the starting current causes a voltage spike that the power supply doesn't react to fast enough, and the computer may stay on and the hard drive will click off, then spin back up 10 seconds later. This problem is solved with a UPS. The voltage floating transformer in the UPS will pick up the slack.

 

[Zorg]

Did you do a fresh install of XP/Vista with the new build? If not, install fresh you should see the 4 cores.

 

[Edibletarget]

Reguardless of what might be wrong with your motherboard, I really don't see how a clicking noise can be blamed on the motherboard. clicking is from a physical motion in your computer. Either a fan, hard disk, floppy(when in use) or CD drive(when in use). You need to isolate the clicking noise ASAP. If it's the hard disk your data needs to be backed up now. Anything else is an easy replacement.

As a side note, and I find this VERY unlikely. If the PSU is giving sporatic power to the hard drive, it may make a clicking noise when it spins down and back up due to voltage fluctuations. But in scenarios like that, you have LOTS of other problems, and the clicking noise just confuses you more. I've seen this with cheap power supplies where you start a load in the house(refrigerator, microwave, vacuum) and the starting current causes a voltage spike that the power supply doesn't react to fast enough, and the computer may stay on and the hard drive will click off, then spin back up 10 seconds later. This problem is solved with a UPS. The voltage floating transformer in the UPS will pick up the slack.

I opened the case and agree that the sound looks like it is coming from the HDD, I could remove them and see if it continues. My concern is that, when it clicks, the computer doesnt even have a chance to get to the HDD for it to be a problem. Would a hard drive keep the computer from POSTing?

Did you do a fresh install of XP/Vista with the new build? If not, install fresh you should see the 4 cores.

Yeah its a fresh install, I guess I could try installing again to see if that fixes it.

 

[aevm]

I'm voting for an HDD problem too. My PoS IOMagic external disk recently died in the middle of a big copying operation. I copied about 300 MB to it last month, right after I took it out of the box, then last week I wanted to move the stuff to the new computer so I turned the IOMagic on and dragged the stuff. It copied about 30 GB, then it started clicking and no more files were copied. I turned it off and back on, even retried the next day, nothing. It just clicks but won't show in Windows Explorer any more. The PC is fine, the USB port I was using is fine, the power adapter is fine (works with another external drive). It's pretty clear that the problem is wit the disk itself. And in my case there's absolutely no doubt about who is doing the clicking...

 

[rwpritchett]

...Would a hard drive keep the computer from POSTing?

I just had a WD HDD go bad on me yesterday. It wouldn't allow my computer to POST when it was connected. It seemed to hang on HDD detection which is very early in the POST cycle. It was doing the "click of death".

 

[aziraphale]

ahhhh....the infamous click of death...

 

[Edibletarget]

I just had a WD HDD go bad on me yesterday. It wouldn't allow my computer to POST when it was connected. It seemed to hang on HDD detection which is very early in the POST cycle. It was doing the "click of death".

My computer doesnt get to this point, it doesnt POST at all.

My hard drive also is not dead, It works fine when i get the computer to boot up normal, no clicks no nothing.

 

[rwpritchett]

My computer doesnt get to this point, it doesnt POST at all.

My hard drive also is not dead, It works fine when i get the computer to boot up normal, no clicks no nothing.

That's what I was trying to say, my system wouldn't POST at all. Nothing on the screen (stays in standby mode), just power to the case LED's and the HDD would constantly spin up, click, spin up, click...
I was able to boot successfully a few times after it started doing this. I ran the Seatools utility on the suspect drive. Quick test passed, but long test failed. I suggest you run HDD diagnostics when you are able to boot.