What did I do to my computer to make it squeal?

April 17, 2008 3:51 PM

What did I do to my computer to make it squeal? I unplugged and unhooked up my computer to clean the carpets in my office. Now all my soundcard does is squeal at me in a high-pitched tone although it looks like it's connected correctly. Can anyone give me any trouble-shooting suggestions for figuring out how to fix this?
posted by katyjack to computers & internet (8 comments total)

Could have knocked the sound card loose slightly.

Step one, try unplugging uncessary cables. It could be a grounding / signal interference thing that wasn't there before, but not the cables cross differently, or are arranged differently, etc. See if moving them has any effect.

If that doesn't work turn the computer off, unplug it, remove the soundcard, replace it firmly, then turn it back on and see if it still works.

Are your sure its the sound card (if you turn off your speakers it stops)? It could be dust in one of the fans making an obnoxious noise.

Warning: Operate on your computer at your own risk! I'm just some guy; not an expert.
posted by jeffamaphone at 4:02 PM on April 17

That's just the warranty expiring. Happens all the time.

But really, your sound cable may not be completely plugged in, only partially. Pull it out and replug it firmly.
posted by netbros at 4:17 PM on April 17

Speaker cable is in tightly plugged in? Squeal stops if you disconnect the speakers, right?
posted by meta_eli at 5:43 PM on April 17

Sounds like something's touching something it shouldn't. A squeal like that usually only happens, in my experience, if something's touching metal that shouldn't be. See if a cable's stripped in any spot, or the sound card's slightly unseated/tilted, or a wire from something else is bent/hanging onto the sound card or sound card's wires.
posted by limeonaire at 6:03 PM on April 17

Many years ago there was a similar problem every time we cleaned the computer location. It always cleared up after rebooting. We speculated that the powerful electric field from the vacuum motor had disrupted something.
posted by JimN2TAW at 7:28 PM on April 17

Are you sure it's the soundcard? A switching power supply whose inductor or big capacitor is failing will create a high pitched squeal.
posted by Class Goat at 8:11 PM on April 17

Yes, make sure that the squeal is from the speakers and not the card (or another part of the computer). If you can get a can of compressed air, blow out your computer just in case some conductive bit of chaff got blown in there and shorting something.

Capacitors squeal right before they die - violently.

Are you confident enough to yank the soundcard, blow dust/garbage/conductive chaff, and re-seat the soundcard? Try that.
posted by porpoise at 8:32 PM on April 17

i bet you plugged the output into the input (eg plugged in the speakers to the line in jack).
posted by 31d1 at 3:37 PM on April 19