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I have one of those compact mini computers that is just a small box, about 6 inches wide. Lately, it has been making a whirring sound. How can I find out if it is the fan that is going bad, or the hard drive?

Tyler Durden
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    Open the case and listen to where the sound is coming from. You can also use a "stethoscope" to localize the sound. It can be something like a length of dowel that you touch to a spot and hold against your head next to your ear (for bone conduction). If you can post a recording, people might be able to recognize the sound. – fixer1234 Mar 05 '18 at 03:31
  • While it is making the noise, jam your finger in the fan to stop the blades. If the noise stops then the noise is coming from your fan, if not then it is something else. BTW, it is a little better to insert your finger from the side blowing air to avoid hurting your finger. – krowe Mar 05 '18 at 03:46
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    @krowe, I read that somebody tried that, but couldn't hear whether there was still a noise over their own screams. :-) – fixer1234 Mar 05 '18 at 04:14
  • @krowe - a refinement would be to touch the center of the fan - that way no interfering with the blades. – davidgo Mar 05 '18 at 04:20
  • Another solution would be to unplug the power from the hard drive and see if the problem goes away. – davidgo Mar 05 '18 at 04:21
  • Make a recording of the sound and upload it - I recon there is a good chance some of us will recognise if its a hard drive failure. – davidgo Mar 05 '18 at 04:21

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