Clicky noises

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

Okay, lately (past three days) has been running slow. I've defraged, disk cleaned, virus & spyware scanned, computer check-upped and everything. The one thing I notice is no matter what I'm doing (and even when the computer is idle) I hear clicky noises coming from the tower (noises like it makes when it's doing something -- download, or saving, or searching, a noise like that).

Does that mean someone (other than me) is accessing my computer, do you think? What could be causing all the processing sounds? I bought this computer in 2002, I wouldn't think it would be going bad or anything.

Any suggestions?

[DoctorDoom]

First, watch the hard-drive activity light and see if it's flashing when it's clicking.

Second, if you have the little modem icon in your tray by the clock, see it if's indicating web activity. If it's not there, look in the Start menu for Settings. In there should be Network Connections. Select that and find Local Area Connection. Click it and select Properties in the window that opens. There should be a checkbox for Show icon ... Check it and you should get the little two-monitors icon that shows you when your Net connnection is active.

It it's flashing when the clicking is going on, something may be accessing your drive to or from the outside.

One common cause of drive activity during idle periods is the Windows Indexing Service that allegedly speeds up file access. It is unloved by geeks because it serves no useful function, sucks up RAM and runs the drive unnecessarily. It defaults to automatic run.

There are two ways to kill it. The first is to open My Computer, right-click the C: drive and select Properties. At the bottom there's a checkbox for Allow Indexing Service ... Unchecking it will stop the indexing of that drive. If the machine has other partitions or drives, do them the same way.

The geek way is to select Run from the Start menu. This opens the Run box. Type in services.msc and Enter. Scroll down that list until you see Indexing Services. Double-click it and in the middle of the window, look for Startup type. Select either Manual or Disabled from the dropdown menu. Nothing starts it manually, so either one has the same effect. You can also stop it immediately from the same window, but that's unnecessary. It won't start on the next bootup. Click apply and then exit the Services screen.

If, when you next start the box, the random clicking is gone, it was most likely the indexer.


Fair warning: you can turn off things from the Services screen that can do naughty things to the puter. It's like registry-diving in that respect. Caution is the watchword.

[Gonzo67]

As Doc stated, Drive Indexing is the most likely culprit. Follow his instructions to deactivate it, then once you've made the changes, close all apps and reboot. See if that stops the disk accessing. If it does, you're ok. If it doesn't, you could have any number of things happening. A TSR could be running something in the background, or as you suspect, some outside source is checking things out.

But the most likely reason is the indexing. Check it first.

[BabyBeastie]

Mine makes that sound, too, but only because it's hamster powered. LOL

http://www.visualgenomics.ca/stromej/images/Misc/hamster.jpg

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

he he he, funny Beastie


Thanks for all the advice y'all ... I seem to be doing much better now, http://www.freeconservatives.com/vb/images/icons/icon7.gif . Sure am glad I don't have to pay y'all what the Geek Squad charges, :smirky:

[DoctorDoom]

Did we mention that the bill is in the mail? :evilgrin:

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

Did we mention that the bill is in the mail? :evilgrin:


"I don't care what you do with me, Brer Doc, says he, "Just so you don't fling me in that briar patch. Roast me, Brer Doc, says he, "But don't fling me in that briar patch." "Hang me just as high as you please, Brer Doc, says Brer Rabbit, says he, "but for the Lord's sake, don't fling me in that briar patch," says he. "Drown me just as deep as you please, Brer Doc," says Brer Rabbit, says he, "But please do not fling me in that briar patch, " says he. "Skin me Brer Doc," says he. "Snatch out my eyeballs, tear out my ears by the roots," says he, "But please, Brer Doc, don't fling me in that briar patch, " says he. :biggrin:

:smirky:

(my apologies to Bre'r Rabbit for borrowing his words, :smirky:)

[DoctorDoom]

The briar patch is in the mail. So there!