Netbook harddisk noise - what level is acceptable?

[dsvd]

Have recently purchased a used dell mini inspiron 10" netbook running
Windows XP but in a quiet area you can hear from your chair the chirping
of the harddisk/processor.

What level of electrical noise is acceptable?

Thank you.

[wildwood]

There should be no noise from a new one, and the present noise is due to wear/condition. What is an acceptable level to one may not be to you.

If you feel confident you could open it up and de-dust it but it sounds a lot like the HDD. Cheap enough to replace if it really irks you, but do you have a backup of the Operating system? The 10" netbooks don't have a CD player so how would you re-install the OS.