Member Avatar for jaudi33

Does anyone have any ideas when my screen dies and my laptop makes a grinding noise at start up. screen goes black after 2 minutes.

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Useful follow-up and a safe, focused troubleshooting path that narrows the fault without guessing.

Responses from , and raise the obvious hardware and data-safety concerns. The next steps are diagnostic and noninvasive: run the machine’s pre‑boot tests (press F12 on boot and run Diagnostics) and boot into the BIOS (F2) or POST screen. Note exactly when the grinding starts and whether the screen dies before the OS loads — a pre‑OS failure points to hardware; a post‑login failure may implicate drivers or the OS.

Use an external display and a simple flashlight test to separate display-panel/backlight faults from core-board problems. With the laptop on and the lid open, shine a bright flashlight close to the LCD at an angle: if you can still make out the desktop faintly, the backlight/inverter/display cable is the likely culprit. If an external monitor stays on while the laptop panel goes dark, that further isolates the panel or its cable.

Localize the noise without prying inside. Power on with the case closed but lid open, and use a cardboard tube or similar to direct sound to your ear so you can tell whether the noise comes from the drive bay/optical area, the fan/heatsink zone, or the motherboard area. Record any beep patterns or diagnostic error codes and write down the Dell service tag — those are what tech support will ask for.

Protect data first. If the machine is unreliable, remove the drive (or use a USB drive adapter) and copy critical files from another system, or boot a live USB to extract data. If the laptop is under warranty, provide the diagnostics codes and service tag to Dell support before attempting internal repairs.

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Member Avatar for jbennet

grinding noise makes me think hard disk drive?

Member Avatar for Nick Evan

It could also be the fan. If the fan is grinding against something, it won't cool the CPU enough. If the CPU get's to hot, the computer will shutdown automaticly to prevend damage.

download SensorView Pro and monitor the CPU-temp before it shuts down. If it's >60,0C I'm right


Regards Niek

Member Avatar for dcc

Neik e has a good point, I would open the case and see it there is any obstruction to the fan.

You might also try starting in safe mode and run chkdsk. If you need instructions go

If you have access to another computer try installing the hdd as a slave and see if you can access your files. If you can and the noise persist start copying you files because this is the sign of eminent failure.

Member Avatar for jbennet

Do not open the case if its still in warranty - just send it back
Also, never ever poek about inside the PSU fan or you may die

Member Avatar for dcc

Do not open the case if its still in warranty - just send it back
Also, never ever poek about inside the PSU fan or you may die

The fan that was mentioned was the HSF, not the PSU fan.

As for the dangers of shock from the PSU, the danger is with the capacitors which can hold a decent amount of voltage for a very long time and can give you a nasty jolt. You have to remember that it's not the voltage that is dangerous to the heart, it's the amperage. The capacitors that I've seen in PSUs have all been pc mounted with the leads being accessible only if you remove the board, basically you would have to work at getting shocked.

Electric livestock fences have an output of 10000V, the voltage by itself isn't usually fatal, but under the proper circumstances it can be.

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