Weird sound

Technology and Gaming Help and Support
#1

Once every few hours, I hear a weird sound coming from under my desk where my computer is. The sound is a high-pitched squeaking thing… Mix the krr-krr-krr sound of a hard drive and the spinning sound of a DVD, and that’s about that it sounds like. It lasts about 2-3 seconds then stops.

I started hearing that sound since I installed a SSD, so I thought it was that… But the last couple of nights, I keep hearing it once or twice a night… well, mostly in the morning since I’m awake (or it awakens me).

The thing is… my computer is fucking shut down at night!
The LED from the motherboard’s ethernet port keeps flashing even when it’s turned off, so I thought maybe some parts were powered up, so I even unplugged the power cord from it last night (turns out the led was powered by the ethernet signal?), but guess what, the sound still happened.

And since it happens so rarely and doesn’t last long, I don’t have time to get closer to hear where exactly it’s coming from…

The last thing it could be would be a (relatively cheap, 20$) power bar with surge protection that is right behind my computer. You know, the kind with phone line and coax inputs/outputs to protect these as well. But I can’t figure out why the hell would that thing make noise? Have you ever heard a power bar make such noises?

Edit: Apparently lots of people have that problem, but they have a constant noise…
Edit2: When my computer is off, the only things plugged in the power bar are a modem and a router.

#2

it’s demons

#3

Are you a wizard Ramirez?

#4

Well if the computer were on when it did that I would suggest that it might be the power supply’s fan that is the culprit, but with the computer being shut down… I doubt that a modem would have a cooling fan but if the router has one I would check that out.

#5

maybe you have mice in your house

#6

^ I was about to say that. Have you tried opening your computer case to see if there’s any critters that have found their way in there? Or, perhaps, you could try removing the power strip altogether to see if perhaps the power strip is malfunctioning, causing noise?

#7

It definitely doesn’t sound like a critter, and I open up my case pretty often for various reasons…

I could take out the power strip, but since the sound occurs every couple of hours, it would be hard to deduce if it really is the problem or not…
I think I’ll install it right on my desk, so next time there’s a sound, I’ll be right beside it, and I’ll know if it’s from there.
Also, if it explodes, it will blow up my face :retard:

#8

routers have cooling fans as far as i know

#9

No they don’t, mine does because I cut a fan shaped hole in the case and put a fan inside, you must be thinking of the big ethernet hubs that have 10 or more ports, those do have a fan.

#10

yeah, i probably am

#11

It’s your mouse that’s squeaking. Derp. :3

#12

there a robot trying to suck your dick from under the computer, but it feels like going for it would be too forward, and it really really likes you so it doesn’t want to ruin its chances, and it knows that it can’t just climb out from under the desk because then you’d know something was up.

so it’s just sitting there making whirring noises.

#13

It’s this.

#14

Even with it shut down (or is it just suspended?), I would still suspect a fan. I had a machine years back that had an always-on fan in the power supply. By design? By gremlin? Couldn’t say. Anyway, mine sounded like a woman screaming bloody murder from a few blocks away, plus the krr-krr-krr sound you described.

Suggestion - with the PC off but plugged in, just like you keep it at night, peek insude your power supply and/or pop open the case and look for anything still moving. Case fans, IC coolers, or whatever.

#15
#16

usb floppy drive? the power box could store just enough energy for it to do a floppy seek for no reason

#17

There ARE gadgets you can hide, that make annoying sounds every now and then… Considered that someone might be playing you a prank? :slight_smile:

#18

LMFAO That’s brutal XD

Founded in 2004, Leakfree.org became one of the first online communities dedicated to Valve’s Source engine development. It is more famously known for the formation of Black Mesa: Source under the 'Leakfree Modification Team' handle in September 2004.