An expensive mistake - check this out

[robmc]

I could never do collaborations properly because my laptop would always max out and start crackling and popping and eventually freeze. I thought it was purely lack of grunt. About 5 weeks ago it suddenly got worse such that even doing my own songs was a problem. I couldn't record anything without it crackling and carrying on like a spoilt child, eventually freezing and forcing me to do a hard power off.

I tried everything to fix this problem. First I upgraded the memory from 1g to 2g. No effect!! I researched every known forum conceived by man, including every Sonoma support forum post and every other forum on the internet. I found some interesting stuff which I implemented. Turned power saver to 'always on', turned off certain wireless options, swore profusely at the damn thing (this one made me feel the best, but alas, no effect), tried earlier versions of the Riffworks and Gearbox software (which I thought had fixed it for a short time), restored my computer to any number of earlier restore points. And finally gave up in disgust. I was around 3 weeks without recording and was getting really bad withdrawal symptoms - tremors, hallucinations, the works!! There was only one solution - ditch this piece of hardware junk and buy a new PC. So off I went to the PC shop one Saturday morning and did just that. I even purchased a quad core system with 4g ram, thinking I needed massive grunt to avoid future problems like this. Got the system home and found I needed a DVI plug to get my VGA monitor to work. Foiled again. So I would have go back to the PC shop.

In the meantime, I decided to check my emails so I turned my soon to be retired laptop back on. Then I noticed something I hadn't noticed before. The fan was running loudly, as it always did, always running full bore, especially when I loaded up a whole bunch of software. Why was that? Maybe that's not normal? Maybe the fan is clogged with dust...oh oh...may that means it can't cool the cpu....oh oh...maybe that it why it is running like a dog. It's just plain too hot. I took off the back and with my vacuum cleaner, sucked every bit of dust out of that fan. Put it back together and turned it on.

You guessed it. No loud fan - it barely made a sound. Fired up the software and hey presto, no trouble recording. It worked beautifully. Turned on every application I had and still had no trouble recording.

Lesson - sometimes its a simple solution that solves the problem. If your system crackles and pops when recording or collaborating, try cleaning the fan.

[Wedgebill]

You should have listened to your Mum

[samiller]

A computer should be regularly cleaned inside AT LEAST once a month if not more. You would be surprised the amount of dust that gets in your fan(s) and heat sinks and anywhere else it can, which is everywhere. Even the smallest of places is not immune to dust collecting. The best way is to open the machine, remove the fan from the CPU heat sink, carry it outside and with a can of compressed air, blow it out. You may have to manually remove dust and build up from the fan blades individually. A computers worst enemy is heat.

And a child crammin a BP&J samich into your DVD/CD drive...

btw.. did you return the new computer or did ya hang on to it?

[CharlesObscure]

I take my computers (3 desktops, 1 laptop) outside to the picnic table every few months and blow them out with an air compressor. Someone told me, and I'm not sure if it's true or not, that using a vacuum cleaner generates a lot of static electricity. Makes sense to me.
BTW, beware of flying CPU's, memory chips, etc. if your PSI is cranked up too high!

[samiller]

BTW, beware of flying CPU's, memory chips, etc. if your PSI is cranked up too high!

you'll put your eye out!

[fooks]

doh! stupid fan!

yes! that might be alot of the problem people have.
i read alot of that symptom here and i've experienced it too.

when i had alot of time to play, i would shut the pc after about 6hrs and give it a rest.
the pc too.
i sit behind my pc when i play and it can blow some heat after awhile.

i didn't know about the vac vs comp air. i use a vac.

glad you got that fixed rob! now you have 2 buffed out computers!

[Wedgebill]

This can be a problem too :rolleyes:


http://www.hoax-slayer.com/snake-in-computer.shtml

[samiller]

This can be a problem too :rolleyes:


http://www.hoax-slayer.com/snake-in-computer.shtml

ACK! that could happen, we had a snake in our house a few days ago, so I could see a snake getting into one for warmth.

[randy]

Thanks for posting this! Your system was probably overheating from the screwy fan. Glad you got it resolved. The extra ram won't hurt either.

[Muddhole]

I take my computers (3 desktops, 1 laptop) outside to the picnic table every few months and blow them out with an air compressor. Someone told me, and I'm not sure if it's true or not, that using a vacuum cleaner generates a lot of static electricity. Makes sense to me.
BTW, beware of flying CPU's, memory chips, etc. if your PSI is cranked up too high!

Make sure you clear the line of any moisture that can build up in an air compressor as well. Electronics and water do not mix you know?

[robmc]

btw.. did you return the new computer or did ya hang on to it?

I have decided to keep it. A little more speed never goes amiss!

Cheers,
Rob

[cleanclang]

Cleanliness is next to Godliness.