BleepingComputer.com: Cleaned cpu today...now disc thing won't open

Hi. I have a Dell Dimension 4550 desktop, and I cleaned the fan today.

I tried to clean the fan from the outside, but I had the cpu open as I did this, so I cleaned the fan and everything else too. I did this this morning, and everything seemed to be fine, until just now.....

Hours later, as I'm sitting here watching tv, I started to hear a noise over near my cpu. It honestly sounded like there was a squirrel in my wall (our neighbor feeds them....bad idea). There was lots of erratic scratching noises etc, and then suddenly, the door on the top disc tray thing of my computer, opened by itself. Needless to say, I was stunned.

So I closed the tray thing door, and then attempted to open it again, but now it won't open. It makes this little noise that sounds like it's straining to open, but can't. I don't get it.

Could I have maybe smashed some wires when I closed the cpu case back up? I cleaned the cpu with a soft paint brush, and I was really really careful, but closing that thing up again can be a bit tricky, so I don't know.

I don't want to open the cpu again, because.....well......see what happens when I open my computer? I'd try it though if someone here thinks that I should. I'm wondering too if maybe some dust is stuck in the door thing, but seconds before I tried to open it, it opened on it's own.

Please help.



Well, I think I fixed it. I rebooted, and then it started working. Hopefully everything is okay now. I still don't know what all of the scratchy noises were though.......maybe it really was a squirrel?

Thank you to those who read this and were maybe thinking about this problem.

This post has been edited by dingdingding: 31 January 2009 - 12:09 AM

Just a thought for you, next time you clean it out use a can of compressed air. They are cheap, you can find them at Walmart and most anyplace that sells electronics. Less chance of knocking something loose..

Just a clarification, the CPU is the Central Processing Unit, this is one of the main components on the motherboard. I believe what you mean is PC, Personal Computer.

Hello and thank you for the suggestions.

The thing that I was talking about that was making noise, was the tower thing....or the thing that holds all of the components. Not the keyboard, not the monitor, not the mouse, but the other thing (the PC?).

And I've tried using compressed air before, but even when I held the can upright after having shook it violently to mix up it's contents, it still spit some sort of liquid, so I quit using it.

Now I just use my soft paint brush, act like a surgeon who's trying not to dislodge my computer's vital organs, and I get the heck out of my computer as quickly as possible lol.

I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to shake the can of air, I never have and have had no problems. Yup, the big box with all the parts is the case, inside is the motherboard, hard drive, cpu, (plugged into the motherboard) and all the rest of the fun stuff..

Shaking the can will cause it to dispense liquid, holding at an angle will also cause it to dispense liquid.

We have a good tutorial for cleaning the inside of your computer, you can see it here.

This post has been edited by dc3: 01 February 2009 - 01:21 AM

Now see......had I come here before cleaning my computer and read that tutorial (and asked a few questions), then I'd have been able to do it with alot less nervousness.

I should have known......whenever I need the best computer advice on the web, that I should have come here first.

You all are awesomeness