My Compaq Presario is having a meltdown! It began with loud clacking noises, and moved to shutting down randomly and refusing to restart. It is also getting very hot (the fan may not be functioning, but I honestly don't know!). I would greatly appreciate any help I can get! Please keep in mind when responding that I do not have a background in computers, but I am a fast learner!


Thank you!!

Chadrenne,

Let me get this straight. Your computer does not turn on anymore?

IF not...
How far into startup does it go? i.e. how much do you see on the screen?
e.g. BIOS information (black screen & white letters/numbers) or the Windows splash screen telling you that it's loading, or can you boot sometimes but then sometimes it won't boot?

After we iron that all out, we can move on.

J_

errmmmmmm.........

Do not turn that computer on!

Open the system case and clean it free of dust inside. Then turn the power on briefly to see which fan(s) aren't working. Turn off immediately. Replace the non-functiong fans and then try to see if the thing will work.

If that sounds too difficult, take it to a repair shop instead!

THe computer will turn on, however it will run, on average, 15-20 minutes before it shuts down. Sometimes it will stay on longer, but in general it begins to make a clacking sound and turns off. Once this has happened, you generally have to wait several hours before it will boot up again at all.

Generally when you are able to reboot, it comes up with the black screen with that gives you the options on whether to do a safe mode boot or regular boot.

We did open the case, however we were unable to get it off completely- even though we removed all of the screws, it appeared to still be attached somewhere in the middle. We blew the inside out with sterile air, but were unable to see the fan.

Do you know what we would need to do in order to open the case completely in order to test the fans?

No, I don't sorry. Some more recent Presarios have a thumb operated lever or wheel which needs to be rotated to allow the side panel to come loose. Others I've not seen may have different mechanisms. 'Name brand' manufacturers often seem to do their best to STOP you from getting in, which is rather silly as every PC needs to be regularly opened and cleaned!

If you can't work it out, take it to a repair shop. The important thing is NOT to use it in that state. Loud noises, shutdowns and overheating will cause damage if you continue to use it. Damage may already have occurred.

Thank you!!

hi chadrenne.

how old is your machine?

if its making a clacking sound it could be that the hard drive is wearing out or that a fan is ceasing to function or is catching on something inside the case. if its the processor/heatsink fan catching then this would also explain the excessive heat as the fan wont be able to dissipiate the heat generated by the processor properly hence the heat. By the sounds of things also the heat is causing the thermal cutout to kick in and this is shutting your machine down to prevent unnecessary damage.

i'd get it to an engineer pronto however.

Thank you. I contacted Compaq and they sent me the maintenance and service guide for my laptop, so I am going to try and replace the fan. If anyone has any recommendations or warnings before I begin I would appreciate it!

just be very careful and make sure that you properly ground yourself by using antistatic wrist strap etc. we dont want you having a look at your fans and what not and then frazzling out your motherboard because you havent grounded yourself properly. also dont use anything with a strong magnetic field near it.