Upgraded to 8.10, now my comp makes a whining noise.

[Adamantus]

I was running 8.04 fine except that the volume was having problems. Since I had been wanting to upgrade to 8.10 anyway, I decided to go ahead and do it to see if it would fix my volume problem. It did, but now my computer is making a very light, whining noise (like two pieces of metal are slightly rubbing together). The fans aren't running any louder (actually softer) and the computer is generally quieter. What could be causing this noise?

[Tatty]

Have you opened up to the computer to see if you can find what is making the noise?

It sounds more likely to be a hardware issue and a co-incidence that it started when you updated to intrepid.

Does it make the noise before Intrepid starts booting?

[Adamantus]

I don't think I would feel comfortable opening up my laptop to see the problem.

And I don't think it is a coincidence. I had installed 8.04 about a month ago and quickly upgraded to 8.10. It gave me the same problem, which I thought was simply Ubuntu because I didn't really listen to it under 8.04 since I upgraded within minutes of installing. I went back to Vista until now because of that problem. It started as Ubuntu began loading right after installing 8.10.

[Adamantus]

bump

[rev0lv3r]

If it's a laptop

- Check to see if your dvd / cd drive thing is loose

- Get a can of compressed air and blow it through the vents -- also good to get all the dirt out

- Hold it upside down over a trash can, and smack it on the side a bunch of times. Get the crap out from between the keys, maybe you got something stuck over a fan vent?

Is it like a whine from a voltage regulator? Does it only happen while charging? During low cpu usage (when the cpu underclocks)?

Does it happen during full load?

[Adamantus]

I don't have any compressed air, but I'll try to get some tomorrow and try to clean it. Also, it makes the noise at all time: charging/discharging, low/high CPU usage, etc. Nothing really seems to affect it, and I can hear it even when the fan is nearly completely silent.

I don't know what a voltage regulator sounds like. I think my first description was a little off. It sounds more like a spinning metal disk. I feel like it is something spinning in there.

[zxscooby]

From your description I would guess its a fan making the noise.
Perhaps it is off balance or its shroud is off kilter a little
and rubbing. Sometimes mine does that, a sharp but carefully
executed tap usually takes care of it for a while.
If its not that then maybe the fan is just running way too fast.

[philetus]

I don't think I would feel comfortable opening up my laptop to see the problem.

And I don't think it is a coincidence.......... I went back to Vista until now because of that problem. It started as Ubuntu began loading right after installing 8.10.

Are you saying that it makes the noise in Ubuntu 8.10,but when you go back to Vista it doesn't make the noise?

[Adamantus]

Well, I don't have Vista anymore, but no, it didn't make this noise while using Vista. Also, it wasn't making this noise while using Ubuntu 8.04. It started the second I updated to 8.10.

And I've listened at startup and the noise doesn't start until Ubuntu loads (no noise as the HP screen loads up or before Ubuntu has gotten to about the login screen).

[philetus]

That's a strange problem.
Have you checked the load on the processor when it starts?
If it doesn't do it in Vista or 8.04,something in 8.10 must be making the computer work hard.Just guessing,but I can't think of any other way software could cause a mechanical noise.