click and screeching sounds coming from computer..

[Tanya B.]

There is something seriously wrong with my computer! Almost as soon as I turn it on, while it is booting up and after it already has, it starts making these strange sounds. One strange sound is this awful clicking noise...rhythmic clicking. click. click. click. click. click. The other sound is a...screech. The best way to describe it is like a bad channel on television sounding scratchy, or like the screech of an old dial-up Internet (but I have DSL!). It's awful.
And while I'm using the computer, it freezes a lot.
So, what should I do? Does anyone know what the problem is?
There is no CD or floppy disk in my computer. The last time my computer made the click sound, it was because I got the silver part of a floppy disk stuck in the floppy drive. But I replaced the floppy drive, and haven't heard the clicking sound since then...until now. I don't think anything is wrong with the floppy drive or CD thingy...so why would the clicking sound come back? And the screech noise - I've never heard it before.
Can someone PLEASE help me? I'm desperate here!

[Computer_Commando]

...
There is no CD or floppy disk in my computer...

Same thing happened to one of my computers, that screeching noise could be heard all over the house.  
My guess is the hard drive is on the verge of failure.  Stop what you're doing...immediately...save all important files to floppy disks or CD's.  Once completed, find out the manufacturer of the hard disk drive, download test diagnostics from them and test the drive.

[merlin_2]

IT maybe a damaged wav sound file....mute the sound does it disappear...it also could be the fan thats sits on the cpu...loose or the bearing running dry...get some one to take the case off who is competant to do so..

[Tanya B.]

Thank you for your help.

You were correct about the hard drive. Recently, when I attempted to boot up my computer, it gave me an "unable to access hard drive" message. Luckily, I saved my most important things on my computer to a zip disk. The problem with this is that the only computer nearby me with a zip disk is MINE!

And no, it's not a wav. file. My volume isn't even working (and the speakers aren't unplugged, either! There just is no sound when they're on - of course, I found this out BEFORE my computer went psycho on me). I'm going to have someone look at the computer tomorrow. Hopefully they can figure out what's going on.

Thanks for the replies!

[Tanya B.]

Oh, and another thing...

Sometimes, rather than giving me the "Unable to Acess Hard Drive" message after the WindowsME bit, it actually boots up to the part where I enter name and password and click ok. Except, along with that, it opens a scan-folders-for-damage thing, because I keep shutting my computer down improperly, and as soon as I move to click "cancel" on that, my mouse freezes, and it's about then that the clicking and screeching noises start, if not earlier.

Some of the messages it's given me (on blue screens when I press Ctrl+Alt+Delete once or twice, or on black screens similar to the "Unable to Access Hard Drive" that pops up after the Compaq bit) are as follows:  

"Unable to Acess Hard Drive" (this one is recent)

Something about an "Error 06 0000"

Another something about an "Error 000000C3"

A message that, I remember, had the word "virus" in it and included something about a "KRNL386.exe"

And another Error message about an "Error 0E 0028 C00AEF82."

Any clues there about what's going on and how it can be fixed? And suggestions? I'm welcoming all the help I can get, at this point.

[Tanya B.]

Also, yesterday when I tried booting up, it said something about C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLM.SYS being...corrupt, or nonexistent, or something bad like that, I unfortunately do not remember (and only had paper space available to write down the thing's title).

Any clues there? It sounds bad.  

[Tanya B.]

I just found a thread in this forum that might help.

A "Matty Swanson" left this message as their topic message on a thread (and this has happened to me):

When my computer is loading, this screen comes up and I don't know what to do.

The following file is missing or corrupted: C:/WINDOWS/SYSTEM/VMM32.XVD
Type the name of the Windows loader (e.g., C:/WINDOWS/SYSTEM/VMM32.XVD)
C>

To go to that thread, go to http://www.computerhope.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=1;action=display;num=1093099110

OR topic "windows won't start."

I know this has nothing to do with my scanner, like merlin_2 suggested on their last post in that thread. So why AM I getting that message, then? is the question.

[Raptor]

I suggest you run a diagnostic tool on your Hard Disk Drive to see if it is failing.

Refer to your HDD's manufacturer for diagnostic software.

[merlin_2]

run scandisk first then run defrag...then play hard ball if the first two options fail...locate the c:\windows\option\folder next to the scanreg icon is one called set up click this icon it will re-install your system without losing any files...and scan for trojans/worms...do you have norton on your system..type msinfo in the run box it will tell you the maker of your hard drive...

[Tanya B.]

Erm...aren't the diagnostic tools kinda complicated? I mean, you have to know how to use 'em, right? No one at my house right now does...including me.

As for going to the run box and whatnot about the defrag...I can't even get to my desktop! It won't even let me get to the point where I can enter my password and click "Ok."

Someone will look at probably during Thanksgiving...but I'm not sure I can wait that long. I'll look into what you guys said. Thanks for the help!  

[Computer_Commando]

Erm...aren't the diagnostic tools kinda complicated? ...

Nope.  Download...double-click...program runs...it creates floppy boot disk...reboot computer to floppy disk...program runs...done!  No Windows required.

[Raptor]

Erm...aren't the diagnostic tools kinda complicated? I mean, you have to know how to use 'em, right? No one at my house right now does...including me.

Only if you donot bother reading the instructions.

[merlin_2]

ok then can you handle this task...re-boot pc and hit the f8 key on boot <safe mode appears in the corners of the screen>and chose start pc with msdos prompt    A:\ after this appears on your screen type scanreg/restore.....or scandisk  /all   easier enough aint it...if not come back we will help you more... you maybe one day teaching us due to memory loss