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simplyputsi

Tech peeps, laptop problem

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Ok, so my laptop has done this before and it up and stopped after awhile, but I'm wondering WTF!!

Here is the deal. When it's sitting on a flat table nice and level there is a clicking noise, sounds like it's coming from the hard drive. Well this clicking noise also makes it so that the processor pretty much locks up. It's not a constant click, maybe every 4 or 5 seconds.

Well I found that if I raise the keyboard/laptop up to about a 30 degree angle, like tilt it backwards, that the noise stops and everything runs great. It's as if something is out of whack.

My laptop almost never leaves the table it is on, so I'm not sure what caused it to start this.

Anyone ever heard of this? Oh and if I let the clicking noise go on unchecked/don't tilt the computer back when asking it to run something, eventually it will crash. Nothing big, I turn it off, reboot and it comes back up. WTF!!!!!!!??????

Help!
Skymama's #2 stalker -

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You should have got two laptops at once so they could play with each other! :ph34r:

Sorry I couldn't help myself :ph34r::ph34r:

You may be correct on it being the hard drive clicking. What I find strange though is the tipping part, almost makes me think the head is stuck and needs some gravitational help.

Odds are you are going to need a new harddrive. Unless there is something loose rattling around in there?

How old is the laptop and what Manufacture?

She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway."
eeneR
TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto

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Sounds like a physical problem with the hard drive. I'd BACKUP ALL YOUR DATA IMMEDIATELY and look at getting a new hard drive. Quickest thing to do would be to get an external hard drive at Fry's, BestBuy, Wal-Mart and copy everything to it.

Edit to add: If it's a work laptop, backup everything and have your IT department look at it. If it's a personal one I could fix it for ya.
Muff Brother #4026
Loco Zapatos Rodriguez
SCR #14793

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The head being stuck is something I think is possible, but why the tipping helps I dunno??

I don't hear anything rattling around. There is a little vibration going on at times. Almost like something is rubbing, like a hard drive. I just don't get how as the thing hasn't moved in a while.

Kyle,
It's done this before and I didn't loose any data, but at that time I backed it up, well what I didn't want to lose.
I've been meaning to get an external HD for awhile now. Maybe this is the kick I need.

Laptop is fairly old, like 6 years at least, and it's a Toshita. Mother board was replaced like mmm just around 2 years ago.
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Yea I would highly recommend getting that stuff backed up as others have mentioned. That laptop is also at the end of its life cycle so you may want to start saving for a new one if you cannot find a replacement harddrive.
She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway."
eeneR
TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto

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Sounds like an hd issue. I'd recommend the following (if it's your laptop and not a work computer):

1. Take out your HD and get a small external enclosure for it. Check this newegg link for 2.5in external enclosures (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=2.5++external+enclosure&x=0&y=0)

2. Buy a new HD for your laptop. Don't know how much your motherboard can handle (in terms of HD capacity) but get something that's the same capacity as before.

3. Install a new OS on the new hard drive, and then use your external enclosure to copy the data to your new HD, or another external hd.

Why do i suggest this instead of just buying a large external HD and backing up your data now? Well, if simply tilting your computer makes it stop working, or, consequently, makes it work, that means the hard drive is really on the brink, and the more you use it, the more likely it will fail. Stop using it as soon as you can, swap it out, get your computer up and running w/ a new OS, and then go from there.

I've recovered data on my own from about five or six hard drives, almost with no loss. Feel free to PM me or email me, and i can make some suggestions, or simply write a thorough step by step guide so you can do it yourself.

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Ok, so I'll look into the external. I just hope my toshita cooperates with such a device. If not I'll email ya :P

The dang thing is going to have to blow up before I stop using it!! It may be at the end of it's life cycle but I'll be damned if I'll let it go nice and easy. Not after what it's put me through. Plus, right now, a new laptop is not in the budget, even though I can get one for like $500 that would serve my purpose.

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Ok, so I'll look into the external. I just hope my toshita cooperates with such a device. If not I'll email ya :P

The dang thing is going to have to blow up before I stop using it!! It may be at the end of it's life cycle but I'll be damned if I'll let it go nice and easy. Not after what it's put me through. Plus, right now, a new laptop is not in the budget, even though I can get one for like $500 that would serve my purpose.



Can you post the model number of the laptop?

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When you do decide to finally put it down...they're great fun at the gun range...;)



Ahhh yes. It's possible I'll see what a .40 cal does to such a device. It's also possible I pound the thing into oblivion, scoop up the pieces and ship it back to toshita with a nice note telling them how I'll never buy anything they make ever again.
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Sounds like an hd issue. I'd recommend the following (if it's your laptop and not a work computer):

1. Take out your HD and get a small external enclosure for it. Check this newegg link for 2.5in external enclosures (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=2.5++external+enclosure&x=0&y=0)

2. Buy a new HD for your laptop. Don't know how much your motherboard can handle (in terms of HD capacity) but get something that's the same capacity as before.

3. Install a new OS on the new hard drive, and then use your external enclosure to copy the data to your new HD, or another external hd.

Why do i suggest this instead of just buying a large external HD and backing up your data now? Well, if simply tilting your computer makes it stop working, or, consequently, makes it work, that means the hard drive is really on the brink, and the more you use it, the more likely it will fail. Stop using it as soon as you can, swap it out, get your computer up and running w/ a new OS, and then go from there.

I've recovered data on my own from about five or six hard drives, almost with no loss. Feel free to PM me or email me, and i can make some suggestions, or simply write a thorough step by step guide so you can do it yourself.



I disagree with this method.

If the hard drive is still working in the laptop, don't mess with it till the data can be backed up. If it's a physical problem with the drive, no matter how minor, taking the drive out and putting it into an external enclosure could potentially cause more damage. Keeping the hard drive working long enough to backup the data should be the first priority. Only after the data is backed up should moving the faulty drive happen.

1. Backup data to external HD that has preferably double the capacity of the current hard drive.
2. If possible, clone the whole laptop HD to an image on the external HD.
3. Install new laptop HD and restore HD clone to new drive. (If clone not possible, then install a new OS and restore the data)
Muff Brother #4026
Loco Zapatos Rodriguez
SCR #14793

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Sounds like an hd issue. I'd recommend the following (if it's your laptop and not a work computer):

1. Take out your HD and get a small external enclosure for it. Check this newegg link for 2.5in external enclosures (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=2.5++external+enclosure&x=0&y=0)

2. Buy a new HD for your laptop. Don't know how much your motherboard can handle (in terms of HD capacity) but get something that's the same capacity as before.

3. Install a new OS on the new hard drive, and then use your external enclosure to copy the data to your new HD, or another external hd.

Why do i suggest this instead of just buying a large external HD and backing up your data now? Well, if simply tilting your computer makes it stop working, or, consequently, makes it work, that means the hard drive is really on the brink, and the more you use it, the more likely it will fail. Stop using it as soon as you can, swap it out, get your computer up and running w/ a new OS, and then go from there.

I've recovered data on my own from about five or six hard drives, almost with no loss. Feel free to PM me or email me, and i can make some suggestions, or simply write a thorough step by step guide so you can do it yourself.



I disagree with this method.

If the hard drive is still working in the laptop, don't mess with it till the data can be backed up. If it's a physical problem with the drive, no matter how minor, taking the drive out and putting it into an external enclosure could potentially cause more damage. Keeping the hard drive working long enough to backup the data should be the first priority. Only after the data is backed up should moving the faulty drive happen.

1. Backup data to external HD that has preferably double the capacity of the current hard drive.
2. If possible, clone the whole laptop HD to an image on the external HD.
3. Install new laptop HD and restore HD clone to new drive. (If clone not possible, then install a new OS and restore the data)


Good point as well :)
Also if the laptop is that old, the motherboard might not be able to handle an HD that's twice the capacity of the old one. Were you implying that he/she first backs it up on the external HD, then take that external HD out of the enclosure and install it inside the laptop? Or are you recommending that he/she purchases two HDs?

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I had a gateway laptop that did that and what the problem was was the internal fan. It was not working properly and the cpu unit was getting to hot and the computer would freeze or shut off. I had to send it to gateway to be fixed.
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Sounds like an hd issue. I'd recommend the following (if it's your laptop and not a work computer):

1. Take out your HD and get a small external enclosure for it. Check this newegg link for 2.5in external enclosures (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=2.5++external+enclosure&x=0&y=0)

2. Buy a new HD for your laptop. Don't know how much your motherboard can handle (in terms of HD capacity) but get something that's the same capacity as before.

3. Install a new OS on the new hard drive, and then use your external enclosure to copy the data to your new HD, or another external hd.

Why do i suggest this instead of just buying a large external HD and backing up your data now? Well, if simply tilting your computer makes it stop working, or, consequently, makes it work, that means the hard drive is really on the brink, and the more you use it, the more likely it will fail. Stop using it as soon as you can, swap it out, get your computer up and running w/ a new OS, and then go from there.

I've recovered data on my own from about five or six hard drives, almost with no loss. Feel free to PM me or email me, and i can make some suggestions, or simply write a thorough step by step guide so you can do it yourself.



I disagree with this method.

If the hard drive is still working in the laptop, don't mess with it till the data can be backed up. If it's a physical problem with the drive, no matter how minor, taking the drive out and putting it into an external enclosure could potentially cause more damage. Keeping the hard drive working long enough to backup the data should be the first priority. Only after the data is backed up should moving the faulty drive happen.

1. Backup data to external HD that has preferably double the capacity of the current hard drive.
2. If possible, clone the whole laptop HD to an image on the external HD.
3. Install new laptop HD and restore HD clone to new drive. (If clone not possible, then install a new OS and restore the data)


Good point as well :)
Also if the laptop is that old, the motherboard might not be able to handle an HD that's twice the capacity of the old one. Were you implying that he/she first backs it up on the external HD, then take that external HD out of the enclosure and install it inside the laptop? Or are you recommending that he/she purchases two HDs?


I'm recommending he purchase two hard drives. One external usb hard drive and a new interal laptop hard drive. The external usb hard drive should be twice the current, faulty drive. That way data can be backed up and then a drive image can be done. External usb hard drives shouldn't have an issue with the size if the OS being run is Win2000, XP, or Vista.
Muff Brother #4026
Loco Zapatos Rodriguez
SCR #14793

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Another thought to add to this is it is very possible that this laptop being 6 years old may not have USB 2.0 support, it may have USB 1.1. This is something you need to make sure that the external hard drive will support 1.1 if that is in fact what the laptop has.

I had a Toshiba from about the same time and it only had 1.1. I had to buy an adapter card to use anything 2.0 with the thing. I retired mine last year.
She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway."
eeneR
TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto

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I had a gateway laptop that did that and what the problem was was the internal fan. It was not working properly and the cpu unit was getting to hot and the computer would freeze or shut off. I had to send it to gateway to be fixed.



ahhh how quickly I forgot. The reason my motherboard had to be replaced was because it had over heated due to the fans not being able to do enough cooling.
The only reason I don't think that is suspect here is because the clicking starts as soon as I power it up. And I left it on all day the other day, but it was propped up at the angle, and it did just fine. Of course it's getting more air then. Ughhhhhhh
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I'm recommending he purchase two hard drives. One external usb hard drive and a new interal laptop hard drive. The external usb hard drive should be twice the current, faulty drive. That way data can be backed up and then a drive image can be done. External usb hard drives shouldn't have an issue with the size if the OS being run is Win2000, XP, or Vista.



That makes sense. I still don't know if I'd trust someone named Aardvarkeater...:P

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I had a gateway laptop that did that and what the problem was was the internal fan. It was not working properly and the cpu unit was getting to hot and the computer would freeze or shut off. I had to send it to gateway to be fixed.



I agree that could be a problem as well. It could be that there's not enough airflow getting to the CPU. You could try leaving the laptop flat and raising it up off the table with some books or something to see if the increased airflow you get will work. If the laptop's as old as he says it is than a dying fan is a definite possibility. Intermittent clicking every 4-5 seconds still sounds like a potential HD issue and a backup should be the first priority.
Muff Brother #4026
Loco Zapatos Rodriguez
SCR #14793

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Kyle, can I not use the external HD as my HD to run the computer from?



Typically if you buy an external HD it will be in a manufacturer's own case that isn't easy to take apart. I'm recommending 2 HDs because it's very handy to always have a dedicated exteranal HD for a variety of things.

If you want to go cheap and only use 1 HD the only way to backup and repair everything would be to buy an external enclosure, and a new laptop HD. Image the faulty HD to the new HD in the enclosure and then take HD out of the enclosure and install it into the laptop.

If you meant running your laptop off of an external HD permanently, that's not a good idea and not really feasible. It's technically possible but not likely.


Edit to add: With one HD you could also use npgraphicdesign's method as described, but again I don't really like it because you're moving a HD from somewhere that works, and could potentially cause more issues with the move.
Muff Brother #4026
Loco Zapatos Rodriguez
SCR #14793

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I meant running my computer off the external permanently. I guess it would be slow as it would have to USB the data over.

So the consensus is that it's a HD issue. Anyone heard of the angle of the computer affecting such a thing before though? I mean it's like night and day with the thing. It's flat and not working, I tilt it up bam instant working, I put it back down, not working.

Also, it did all this before, crashed who knows how many times and then one day bam all better for like months till now. I hate TOSHIBA!!
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