Eventually, we could start to hear unfamiliar noises when we use our computer and this could be an indication that it will fail completely. This should be a sign that something is amiss and we couldn’t just reboot the computer to shut the noises. When this happens, the first things we should do is to immediately backup all essential data. Backup process could be quite time consuming, but this should be a way to maintain our productivity, although our computer fails. The first thing we need to check is whether the hard drive and power supply are working properly. Our computer also has multiple fans, like on processor, graphics cards, power supply and case for intake and exhaust. If the noise comes from our power supply, it could be necessary to replace it. This shouldn’t be an overly laborious task, as long as we put labels on all the cables that we remove.
Everyone should be quite handy with screwdriver, so it is quite easy to replace our power supply. Alternatively, we could bring our computer to the nearest computer store and ask someone there to install the power supply that we have just bought from them. Power supply isn’t the only component with moving parts and hard drives can be noisy too. In this case, hard drives that are unusually noisy should be repaired soon, but most of the time, they should be replaced immediately. Motherboards usually have power sockets that can be re-attached in one direction, so we don’t need to worry too much about positive and negative connections, which can fry our computer when we it improperly. Just suffice to say that once our power supply and hard drive starts to get noisy, then it is the time to replace them. Considering that computers are used almost every day, some of the components could start to fail after three years or more.
The easiest way to replace our hard drive is by buying an identical model in the market. However, often we find that our older hard drive is no longer in production, so it is quite possible that later models from the same hard drive family are still compatible with our computer. Just to make sure, we should ask the seller whether the hard drive we purchase is compatible with the older one. Because price point goes down constantly, we could purchase hard drive models with larger capacity, such as 1.5TB instead of 1TB. In any case, we should open the computer case and start dismantling the computer, partially or entirely. When removing a cable connection, we should immediately put a label to identify its position. This will make reconnecting the hard drive data and power cables mush easier to do.
Our DVD drive is also an electro- mechanical device and it has a few moving parts. When our drive starts to have knocking noise when we insert a DVD, it could already approach the end of its useful lifespan. In this case, we should start be ready to look for a replacement. We may consider upgrading the drive, by purchasing Blu-Ray drive that can support discs with higher data capacity. Blu-Ray drives are also compatible with standard DVD discs, so upgrading it shouldn’t be a big problem.