The only moving parts in most laptops are the hard drive and the fan(s).
But a hard drive problem like this would be catastrophic, which
doesn't seem to be the case here.

On most laptops, it's not necessary to disassemble the laptop to change
the hard drive, usually there is an access panel and access is quite
easy and quick, but sometimes removal of that panel is not obvious.
However, there are some exceptions to this rule.


Markus Dehmann wrote:

On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 22:00:45 -0800, Markus Dehmann <markus.dehmann@gmail.com>
wrote:

Interesting similarity to my situation. I have an AcerNote Lite 370 which
"chirps" and nothing else on the first start after a lengthy (weeks) period of
no use. It will chirp for a slong as I leave it trying to boot. After enough
ON/OFF cycles it will burst into life and operate normally - no glitches at all.
I've suspected the HDD but clearly the chirp is a diagnostic of some kind -
HDD's themselves don't chirp IMOE.

Today, my backpack with the laptop inside fell on the floor. Since then, the
laptop makes chirping sounds sometimes, like a bird. Is that the hard
drive? Is it going to die? It's quiet for minutes, but then it chirps,
sometimes only once, then silence again.

I also noticed the MP3 music didn't play correctly anymore, freezing the
sound sometimes for half a second or so. But the funny thing is: The MP3s
are on my *external* HD, which was not involved in the little accident
today. So, maybe it's the CPU or something else that's damaged?

Any advice? In case I have to exchange the HD: Does anyone know instructions
on how to exchange the HD in an Acer TravelMate laptop? I tried it once,
but I couldn't open the laptop completely and didn't reach the HD.

Thanks!
Markus

Markus Dehmann wrote:

Addition: Just like the music hangs for a fraction of a second, it's also
the mouse pointer. When I move it over the screen, it hangs a little bit,
and then jumps forward, instead of moving constantly.

Weird...

Markus

Barry Watzman wrote:

Fortunately, the computer was turned off when it fell. Otherwise the reader
could have scratched over the HD surface and destroy it, I guess.

I've used at least one IBM HDD (in an OEM application) that used the
head actuator to make diagnostic beeps.

Markus Dehmann <markus.dehmann@gmail.com> wrote:
I'd run the drive manufacturer's diagnostic and see what it finds.
Sounds like a bad sector or two that can't read (causing the delays)
followed by a re-seek to try to resynchronize the actuator.

Getting it out is laptop-dependent, but many of them have carriers
that slide out with the removal of a single screw.

On 14 Mar 2005 03:16:26 -0800, larwe@larwe.com wrote:

interesting! I must pull the case off and DF the sound. If it IS the HDD then
at least I'm on the path of the cause of the non-booting.

In "Re: Laptop makes chirping noise", William P.N. Smith wrote:

I second this advice. You can get an awful lot of information about the
condition of an HDD very easily this way, and probably fix corrupted sectors
too, if there are any. You need to have access to another computer to create the
floppy/ies, but you can then run it on your laptop without having to have a
working system.

budgie wrote:

Really interesting! My laptop actually stopped making the sounds, too, and
works normally now! It's strange, but I'm relieved, nothing happened.

Markus