"Motor-Boating" sound coming out of a Gateway Legacy Free PC???

**TangleWeb** · July 7th, 2002, 11:26 AM

Greetings Gurus,

I have a Gateway small form factor, legacy free PC on the bench. Model "FLEXATXSTCBRO Essential 700C. It is a Celeron 700 with USB ports only, no PS\2, Parallel, Serial, etc.

It seems to be working fine but is making a "motor-boating" sound. I have isolated the source. I thought it was the fan or the hard drive, it was not. It's coming from a small speaker like device on the motherboard. It's like a fast "ticking" sound like if you put cards in the spokes of a bicycle wheel (if you're old enough to remember doing that!), or like a PSU fan hitting a wire inside the PSU.

Have any of you come across this? By the way, I re-set the BIOS, no luck.

**MacGyver** · July 7th, 2002, 11:36 AM

Personally, I'd cut the speaker off the motherboard and call it a day.

**TangleWeb** · July 7th, 2002, 11:38 AM

I actually thought of that, but I'm unsure of the effect. It wouldn't be reversible, since its surface mounted.

**NooNoo** · July 7th, 2002, 11:39 AM

Heheh I remember that....

Anyway on some boards you can jumper off the onboard speaker and use the chassis speaker instead... this at least isolate whether it is picking up interference from the sound or whether the speaker itself is somehow producing this sound.

**Draggar** · July 7th, 2002, 11:39 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by MacGyver:
Personally, I'd cut the speaker off the motherboard and call it a day.<hr /></blockquote>You don't have to be that drastic. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

If youknow how to work inside the computer, I'd say buy a new PC speaker (if you use it) and replace it.

If you don't, just unplug it, most PCs don't use the PC speaker anymore...

Good luck!

**yep** · July 7th, 2002, 11:50 AM

Just think its got some character!!

**TangleWeb** · July 7th, 2002, 12:13 PM

I appreciate all comments! Let me go through them 1 by one;

>> "NooNoo", I'll look for the jumper to disable the on-board speaker, but it's not obvious. This thing is a very small plastic speaker the size of a small button, not the conventional case speaker you may be thinking of. This is a VERY small form factor PC. There is no other case speaker in this PC. The user would not care if there was NO PC speaker.

>> "Kaneda", unfortunately, being surface mounted it can't be unplugged. I wish I could! I think a jumper to disable it may be the only solution.

>> Another tech said it sounds like the sound the PC would make if there was a stuck key on the keyboard. That's exactly what it sounds like! have tried several keyboards though. The sound varies when I move the mouse also, though not with hard drive activity. This indicates to me that it's an input issue, but what? I'm using different KB & Mouse than the owner of this PC, in fact the KB is a PS\2 connected through a USB KB\Mouse adapter.

I'm going to try a straight usb keyboard, I just have to get it out.

**freddy** · July 7th, 2002, 12:17 PM

i don,t know that board , but have u checked in the bios , for onboard speaker enable/disable ...also try removing cards (what u can) to see if there is a faulty one ,,,and to put it bluntly "it,s screeming for help"

u have my sympathy , with a gateway

FtF

**TangleWeb** · July 7th, 2002, 12:34 PM

>> "Freddy" This PC doesn't have ANY cards! It has integrated modem, sound, video & 5 USB ports. I'll check the BIOS setup for a speaker setting.

I have discovered that the 3 rear-mounted USB ports are NOT working. One of them is physically damaged. I remember this PC, I worked on it a few months ago & noted the damaged USB port at that time. It was not making the sound then & the other 2 USB ports in the rear worked. There are 2 more in the front. The 2 front-mounted connect to the mobo via an internal cable. The user plugs his USB KB & mouse in the front. I needed a third USB to connect my USB NIC so I could put it on my Network. Of course I don't have a USB hub handy! (Murphy's Law). If I really need to put it on my Network, I'll put a PCI NIC in it temporarily.

**Draggar** · July 7th, 2002, 12:35 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by TangleWeb:
>> "Kaneda", unfortunately, being surface mounted it can't be unplugged. I wish I could! I think a jumper to disable it may be the only solution.
<hr /></blockquote>Then pull out those wire cutters..

<blockquote>quote:<hr />
>> Another tech said it sounds like the sound the PC would make if there was a stuck key on the keyboard. That's exactly what it sounds like! have tried several keyboards though. The sound varies when I move the mouse also, though not with hard drive activity. This indicates to me that it's an input issue, but what? I'm using different KB & Mouse than the owner of this PC, in fact the KB is a PS\2 connected through a USB KB\Mouse adapter.
I'm going to try a straight usb keyboard, I just have to get it out.<hr /></blockquote>**Edited By Kaneda - I can't read & Check the next post**

Do the keyboard and mouse work fine? Try loading up notepad and see if you can type (all characters) and all keys are functioning.

Good luck!

**Draggar** · July 7th, 2002, 12:37 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by TangleWeb:
I'm using different KB & Mouse than the owner of this PC, in fact the KB is a PS\2 connected through a USB KB\Mouse adapter.
<hr /></blockquote>Are you using the same PS/2 to USB adapter or one of yours that you know works?

**TangleWeb** · July 7th, 2002, 12:45 PM

I eliminated the USB adapter from the mix. I'm using a seperate USB keyboard & mouse now. This is really frustrating! I can't enter the BIOS, because the USB keyboard doesn't seem to work until Windows loads. Since this is "Legacy Free", I have no other options. As a last resort, I'm going to use the "Chat With A Technician" at Gateway.com!

**Draggar** · July 7th, 2002, 12:52 PM

Interesting that it does not have a ps/2 port... Have you tried a different USB port with the USB KB and mouse?

Does the noise continue after Windows is booted, and how about safe mode?

Hmmm....

**TangleWeb** · July 7th, 2002, 12:58 PM

A few companies, Gateway & Compaq coming to mind, have manufactured Legacy Free pc's. All USB.

The problem is that the 3 USB ports on the rear are not functioning. That only leaves me with the 2 front mounted ones. These are the 2 I have the KB & mouse plugged into. I will try switching them. I can't enter safe mode since the *&%@#*& keyboard doesn't work till the windows driver loads! Grrrrr!!

There are only 27 questions ahead of me on the Gateway "Chat with a Tech" thing!

Now 26.....

22................

**MacGyver** · July 7th, 2002, 01:05 PM

Sounds like you have bigger problems than just a faulty on-board speaker......

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