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Computer help, please (weird noise from laptop)

Discussion in 'Entertainment and Technology' started by ErickWolf, Dec 12, 2019.

  1. ErickWolf

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    I have an HP Spectre laptop, only got it last winter. It's been in great condition and I'm pretty careful with it and don't do anything that would really take a toll on it. Only thing is, I may have accidentally clunked it (for about the last half of this semester, I'd traded my usual notebooks for my laptop because my dry hands couldn't handle any more paper). This has only started a few days ago but I've noticed what I think is some fan noise. A bit of a rattly sound.

    I'm no tech expert and don't want to try anything risky or expensive but I'll at least consider whatever solutions people reply with.

    The only other thing I think could be causing this, besides taking it to class and not putting enough padding around it in my bag, is that over the weekend I started using it in tablet mode (haven't done that since summer) to draw and listen to music.

    Also while I'm at it, it's supposedly brand new from Best Buy and came with Windows 10, but for a while now it hasn't been letting me install updates and it claims that "this computer can't run Windows 10/isn't compatible with it." Um.

    I have a ton of stuff on my computer so I'd really hate to have to factory reset it or something but I guess if I absolutely have to, I can try that after backing up all my stuff.
     
  2. ErickWolf

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    Since I apparently can't edit my own post (I really don't understand why), I'm adding something I forgot. The rubber feet on the bottom have been coming off for a while now and recently I put tape over them to make them stay until I can properly fix it. I was careful to not cover any vents with tape but could this still be a problem?
     
  3. Regaen

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    Rattle like sounds are usually the fan. Fans are an easy repair, if it needs repaired, bit it could be something like a bit of paper or leaf, etc, inside the vent itself. I'd take it to a repair place if your nervous, but it usually takes less than ten minutes to clean a fan.

    Now for your updates. Get a good antivirus. I personally hate avg which has come standard on all the laptops I've had. Try Malwarebytes premium or Avast. When you get infected, besides slowdown one of the first things that tends to go on some os's is the ability to update or recognize certain built in programs.