My friend recently got a new laptop, Gateway laptop with AMD 64 turion
processor, not sure which hard drive.

There is this annoying clicking sound coming from the laptop.

Here are some attributes of the sound:

1) It seems to be the same sound as the "Windows Explorer navigation"
sound that you can set in sounds from the control panel. I did try
setting this to "None", but this did not resolve the issue.

2) The sound occurs intermittently even if there is no user on the
laptop, if it is just sitting on the counter, you will be able to hear
the clicking as if someone was clicking on web links in Internet
Explorer.

I have read multiple posts in an attempt to find someone who has
experienced this. The only thing I found is that some people believe
it could be related to "spyware".

Does anyone know what could cause this? A virus? spyware? hard drive
problem?

Thanks in advance,
Kevin

Could be the HD turning over, got the same thing with my ACER system, bloody
annoying when your in a quiet room.

Haven't worked out if it just the norm or the HD's on its way out, but its
been doing it since I bought it about 5 months ago.

--
Gerry (The MOTH)
"smythe" <emailsmythe******.com> wrote in message
news:1166450953.021661.119980@t46g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
> My friend recently got a new laptop, Gateway laptop with AMD 64 turion
> processor, not sure which hard drive.
>
> There is this annoying clicking sound coming from the laptop.
>
> Here are some attributes of the sound:
>
> 1) It seems to be the same sound as the "Windows Explorer navigation"
> sound that you can set in sounds from the control panel. I did try
> setting this to "None", but this did not resolve the issue.
>
> 2) The sound occurs intermittently even if there is no user on the
> laptop, if it is just sitting on the counter, you will be able to hear
> the clicking as if someone was clicking on web links in Internet
> Explorer.
>
> I have read multiple posts in an attempt to find someone who has
> experienced this. The only thing I found is that some people believe
> it could be related to "spyware".
>
> Does anyone know what could cause this? A virus? spyware? hard drive
> problem?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Kevin
>

Gerry, is yours an AMD as well? I bought 3 AMD HP desktops, and they had
this problem among other problems. Like losing the audio sync and the
movies, etc. I know some people love AMD processors and some swear at
them. If I see a good deal and it has a AMD, I skip over it and just
look for Intel processors. As AMD has problems with many chipsets.
Rumors say it is getting better, but I don't believe it yet.

And Kevin, I too have a Gateway Celeron M laptop and I love it. I love
it so much as leave my desktop off and have my Gateway hooked up as my
desktop. Removing a few cables and I am portable. I even use it with my
USB TV Tuner card and I record a lot too. While I do have a DVD recorder
for the TV too, but I like the recording on the laptop better. If it
isn't too late for your friend Kevin, if it were me, I would take it
back and get an Intel based laptop.

--
Bill

"Gerry (The MOTH)" <Gerry (TheMOTH)> wrote in message
news:4586aaa3$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net
> Could be the HD turning over, got the same thing with my ACER system,
> bloody annoying when your in a quiet room.
>
> Haven't worked out if it just the norm or the HD's on its way out,
> but its been doing it since I bought it about 5 months ago.
>
>> My friend recently got a new laptop, Gateway laptop with AMD 64
>> turion processor, not sure which hard drive.
>>
>> There is this annoying clicking sound coming from the laptop.
>>
>> Here are some attributes of the sound:
>>
>> 1) It seems to be the same sound as the "Windows Explorer
>> navigation" sound that you can set in sounds from the control
>> panel. I did try setting this to "None", but this did not resolve
>> the issue. 2) The sound occurs intermittently even if there is no
>> user on the
>> laptop, if it is just sitting on the counter, you will be able to
>> hear the clicking as if someone was clicking on web links in Internet
>> Explorer.
>>
>> I have read multiple posts in an attempt to find someone who has
>> experienced this. The only thing I found is that some people believe
>> it could be related to "spyware".
>>
>> Does anyone know what could cause this? A virus? spyware? hard
>> drive problem?
>>
>> Thanks in advance,
>> Kevin

Best trying to determine if it come's from the speakers, electronic
or if a mechanical noise, hard drives can cause this problem and so
can CD ROMs.

I have known switch-mode power supplies cause this..... and there's
one right inside - the inverter for the backlights, this little
device steps the 12V dc up to around 1,800V, just wondering if it's
something arching over on the HV side, whether this would affect the
light from the CCFL's would depend on the nature and severity of the
fault.

Once the lamps have ignited the running voltage drops to around
1,400V.


In tv's and videos I have used a length of plastic tubing as a
stethoscope to locate the area and usually locates the component or
mechanical gear wheel.

Davy

BY FAR it's most likely either the hard drive or a fan. There is almost
zero chance that it's the LCD inverter or either of the other TWO
switching power supplies inside the laptop (the main power supply, or
the CPU Vcore power supply).

Also, FWIW, the voltage on the lamps is probably quite a bit lower then
your figures .... probably more like 600 to 800 volts (higher
momentarily to start).


Davy wrote:
> Best trying to determine if it come's from the speakers, electronic
> or if a mechanical noise, hard drives can cause this problem and so
> can CD ROMs.
>
> I have known switch-mode power supplies cause this..... and there's
> one right inside - the inverter for the backlights, this little
> device steps the 12V dc up to around 1,800V, just wondering if it's
> something arching over on the HV side, whether this would affect the
> light from the CCFL's would depend on the nature and severity of the
> fault.
>
> Once the lamps have ignited the running voltage drops to around
> 1,400V.
>
>
> In tv's and videos I have used a length of plastic tubing as a
> stethoscope to locate the area and usually locates the component or
> mechanical gear wheel.
>
> Davy
>