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Dear PC Doctor,
Lately, my desktop computer has been making much more noise than it has in the past. I can hear a whooshing sound almost all the time even when I might not be using the computer. Is there something wrong with my computer and is it okay for me to be hearing this sound so much?
Ian
Dear Ian,
It sounds like your computer is overheating lately. With this cool weather, your cooling fans should not have to run that much. Even if it was hot weather, it is not a good sign for your fans to be running all the time. Usually it is just an accumulation of dust, however. Most likely, the heat sink in your computer has become clogged with dust causing it to heat up faster and making the fans turn on in order to cool off your CPU. Your fans may have also collected a fair amount of dust causing them not to be able to cool off your computer easily.
If you are feeling adventurous, you can try cleaning the dust out yourself. Be sure to take precautions and turn off and unplug your computer before opening up the casing. If there's any dust problems it should be apparent when looking around. Use a soft brush or canned air to avoid hurting any delicate parts. However, if that does not solve your problem, you should probably let your local computer shop look at it. They may also be able to do a much better job at cleaning your computer off.
PC Doctor
Until next time… happy computing!
Posted: to Athol Library News on Thu, Sep 20, 2012
Updated: Thu, Sep 20, 2012