Electronic click

I often hear a noise coming from my computer that I would describe as an electronic click. This click is the same as the click I hear when I shut down the computer. It is a single click, although sometimes I will hear it every thirty seconds or so. Is this something I should be concerned about? Thanks in advance for any comments.

 

Mechanical clicks aren't normal and will generally mean trouble is on the way. Try to localize it. If it's coming from a HD, get it backed up and replaced soon. I know of no other mechanical device that is in a computer that could generate a clicking sound. Even then it's generally more of a dull chunk sound than a sharp click. Of course if the click is coming from the speakers, that's less serious.

There is a relay in the monitor that clicks upon shutdown and startup but I don't suppose you're referring to that since you'd be well aware of it by now.

 

Hard disk drives will make some clicking sounds during general activity as the read head moves around the data platters, and if a HD is set to spindown, it will make a different clicking sound (sometimes slightly metalic sounding) as it spins up out of powersave. A clicking sound from a drive every 30secs or so may indicate worn bearings or other impending physical failure.

Does the HDD L.E.D. indicator flash on when you hear this clicking sound?

Run the disk defragmenter, in case of heavy fragmentation causing higher than nornal disk activity.

Take the side of the case off and check further for what could be causing the click. Apart from the HDD, it could be a PSU, CPU or graphics card fan making the noise? In some cases CD drives can make a bit of noise.

I have to ask though. You're not hearing the "start navigation" annoying soundscape click when you click on an internet explorer page?
This is the annoying default scheme setup when you install windows.
If it is, go into control panel, sound and audio devices. Under the sounds tab scroll down to start navigation, highlight it and from the dropdown box of WAV files select none and OK out.

 

No, it's not the click sound you get when clicking on a link to a page. This is louder than that.

The best way I can describe it is as follows. The click sounds the same as the click I have always heard with my computers when I shut them down. For example, when I shut down my computer, I click Start, Turn Off Computer, then Turn Off. Windows does all of its shutting down stuff. The last noise the computer makes before it turns off is a single click. I have always heard that, and I assumed that was normal. What is concerning me now is I hear that click at random moments while the computer is up and running.

The click isn't coming from the speakers nor the monitor. There are no lights flashing on the front of the computer when it clicks.

 

OK, it sounds like the sound a HDD makes as the read/write head automatically parks as the power is cut off. Mine does it, and it's quite normal. But the same sound occuring all the time may be an indication of impending disk failure. As previously suggested, take off the side of the case and start listening so you can narrow the click down to the offending component, such as the HDD. Did you run the defragmenter on the HDD and notice any change in frequency (occurrence) of the noise?