It went zip when it moved and pop when it stopped and whirrr when it stood still

[cosmolinguist]

Yesterday I was sitting on this couch, alone and quiet and peaceful, and I heard a strange sound. I don't know quite what to call it; it was something like a whirr!, or a thud!, but not really either of those.

The strangest thing about it, though, was that it seemed to be very close indeed. I jumped a little. What's going on here? Is there a troll living under our computer table?

Then the noise happened again. I still couldn't figure out what it might be, but since it appeared a few times in a row, I was able to discern that it was coming from the computer.

It ended up being the CD-ROM drive. The noise was the beginning of the regular noise it makes when it's opening, except it wasn't opening, so that noise was combined with the bump! sound, as if it was hitting something that was blocking it or if it was just settling back inside the computer.

Having figured that out didn't really help much, though. I was still mystified. I certainly had not instructed the CD drive to open. I also didn't know what was keeping it from opening (though it did actually open some of the times when it tried to). I've never heard of such a thing.

It stopped after a minute or two more. I left for the evening and didn't think of this again until it started up again this morning. It's still going on now.

So I think it may be time to have another try at putting the DVD-ROM drive in the computer. I tried before but didn't manage it because the physical connections inside the computer seemed to be stuck in such a way that I was afraid of breaking something just by trying to get the CD drive out.

But now it's different: it's not an upgrade, it's an exorcism!

Comments

[mal1.livejournal.com]

What is that song? I dimly remember it from my childhood, it goes 'Something something what it is, and I guess I never will'. It's been bugging me all morning!

(No help at all with your exorcism, sorry.)

[stealthmunchkin.livejournal.com]

The Marvelous Toy - Peter, Paul & Mary, among others, did famous versions of it.

[mal1.livejournal.com]

Of course!

*runs off to look for Peter, Paul and Mary mp3s*

[cosmolinguist]

Yep, it's the Peter Paul and Mary version I know. It was a favorite of one of my college friends, who introduced me to it, along with their song about being in love with a big blue phrog, or something like that.

[srk1.livejournal.com]

If it works you're still welcome to borrow my Seinfeld DVDs, if you want.

[sporksoma.livejournal.com]

You should stand over it with maraccas chanting "The power of fish compells you! The power of FISH COMPELLS YOU!" until the demon is chased out.

Just make sure that you have something to catch the bugger with, otherwise it will infect something else electronic, like the TV or the stereo.

[klyf23.livejournal.com]

All CD/DVD drives I've had go bad was because the tray started misbehaving in one way or another.