Growling Startup

[SNO]

My cpu fan made a terrible noise as you describe and I fixed it by first unplugging power cord then peeled the sticker back on the cpu fan exposing the bearing and put 1 drop of 3 in 1 oil on the bearing. Pushed the sticker back down, plugged power back in and started comp up with no growling noises anymore.

[Halo]

Computer shop quickly pinpointed the noise source as the motherboard fan, but unfortunately the SK478 motherboard needs replacing too.  It's the usual aging equipment/technology problem.

Decided to have them make my internal hard drive an external with the usual usb connection so at least I can keep existing programs and data.  Yes, I also run an external Maxtor backup drive, so this hiccup in my computing odyssey shouldn't be more painful than the usual diagnostic/alteration costs plus the cost of a new computer (!)

Running this second computer downstairs on a wireless link sure helped make the upstairs computer problem much less traumatic.  Two computers, two cars, but so far only one house and one wife.

[Halo]

After further discussions with the tech expert, decided repairs could easily cost a couple hundred for aging technology amidst other aging components, and that's after I located a comparable motherboard since this store no longer carries SK478s.  

So dashed over to CompUSA and got one of the last HP a1620n computers with XP on it since I don't like what I hear so far about Vista, and wouldn't want Vista before a couple years on it anyway

Now to mess with old programs on externalized hard drive and see how many will work with new computer.  

As Gilda said, "It's always something!"

[Helrazr1]

had this happen on my secondary drive about a month ago, and it was a bearing inside the HD, not a fan.  The noise, however, is just about the same.  Thankfully, it was the drive that my primary "mirrors" to, so no harm done.