Desktop running really slowly and making noises

PGE1970

Hi all,

I'm a computer idiot so would appreciate some help. I bought a second hand desktop (from adverts) a while back, a HP. It's really just to play poker, internet etc.

A while back, it has started to perform really slowly and making a "rasping" sound.

I've noticed that the little orange indicator beside the hard drive graphic (and on/off switch) is flashing when it goes slow.

See photo attached. Can anyone suggest if it can be fixed or is it only fit for the bin? Is there a cheap desktop on the market for internet use only?

Thanks!!!

PC desktop.jpg

Spear

My first thought is that the hard drive is dying, hence the noise and slow response as it struggles to read from it. Save any data from it now. You could easily just replace the drive, and with an SSD to speed it up too.

PGE1970

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119242220#Comment_119242220

Thanks for the reply Spear, much appreciated.

There's no data on it (as far as I know) as it's only used once in a blue moon for online poker (an occasional game, for very small money, with a glass of wine is my guilty pleasure!!).

I wouldn't know how to replace a drive or even what a SSD is. I'd be better just getting a cheap replacement!

Spear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119242268#Comment_119242268

Data would still include anything such as saved logins/passwords for sites.

You have an old fashioned hard drive. Spinning disks being read from by magnetic heads. An SSD is a solid state drive with no moving parts., and are much faster. Replacing it is usually a matter of maybe 4 screws and two cables being swapped between them.

Do you have the full specs or model number of the PC?

switch out the drive for a small ssd absolutely the first thing to try alright- youd pick one up for next nothing and its a doddle to do

makes most old PC's run like new (or better) to boot (pun intended)

PGE1970

Thanks folks, it's a HP Pro 3400 Series MT Desktop Windows 10 Pro 64 (as per original ad).

It only cost €75 and I'd usually buy second hand as my use is limited. I don't do any banking etc on it so the only password would be my Pokerstars account with about €10 in it!!

if you didnt need anything huge capacity wise you can pick up a standard 120gb one for about twenty quid that would do you

almost as handy to run a fresh install than copy your current drive but if you have anyone you can get who knows anything about PC's its a quick and easy job

Spear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119242375#Comment_119242375

A cheap 120GB SSD can be gotten for about €20 on Amazon. The alternative is buying another PC, but if you're happy to go for second hand older machines like that, then it may not cost that much more.

PGE1970

Thanks again, I'll look on youtube to do a fresh install (that's wiping the PC?) and if that doesn't work, I'll get another second hand one.

I wouldn't be confident opening the PC and changing drives or even ordering the correct one!!

Spear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119242457#Comment_119242457

Swapping them is literally a 5 minute task. The drive you'd want is a 2.5 inch, SATA SSD. And a clean install won't change anything, the hard drive is physically failing.

PGE1970

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119242472#Comment_119242472

Thanks spear,

Would this do the job and would a luddite like me be able to install it? If it's just a case of opening the unit and switching the hard drives, even I should manage that?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kingston-SA400S37-240G-Solid-State/dp/B01N5IB20Q

If not, would really appreciate, if allowed, that you could post a link to one?

Thanks again so much for indulging my lack of knowledge in the matter. It's very much appreciated!

Spear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119243077#Comment_119243077

That Kingston will work fine. It just needs two cables, a power cable and the SATA data cable, which would be the same ones already in used by the pre-existing hard drive. They're also keyed so they can only go in one way. After that can do a fresh install. You could also look at mirroring the old drive contents onto the new one, but there is a risk of the old install already being damaged, or the hard drive completely dying during the copy.

PGE1970

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119243117#Comment_119243117

Brilliant, I'll give that a go.

Thanks again for all your help, it's very much appreciated!

Spocker

Actually, before you go too fast, have you got whats needed for a fresh install? Any new disc that you buy will be blank, and you'll have to install the operating system (I assume Windows) on it

PGE1970

You've lost me there Spocker!!

Windows 10 is on the pc at present. Does buying a SSD lose that?

you can follow the instructions within windows to create a copy for a fresh install if i recall correctly - youll need a usb key with enough space

and remember youll need to reinstall any programs you have already, but from what youre saying you dont have docs or photos or anything to lose so you should be ok there

PGE1970

Thanks Snoop.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/installing-windows-10-on-a-new-replacement-hard/c6cd3ffa-e802-4d55-89fd-bc944b3d577c

shout if any questions about that- genuinely now have no fear of doing it, its a piece of cake and you'll feel like a right techy after

PGE1970

Thanks again Snoop.

I'll give it a go. I'm not sure if I'm ever cut out to be a techy though. Bit late as I'm in my 50s now!!