Barely Computer Literate

:p:oHi,

Since Windows 7's introduction, I have lost much of the computer literacy I thought I once had. These days, I can still function on a computer and with software, but barely so.

A question that is troubling me. I spend much time at Second Life and I receive email from USA Today with links to their videos. These two functions (and one other, when I try to look up my online TV listings through my cable provider) seem to cause the computer to make loud whirring noises upon the application's start-up.

(There was for my part of the country, a bit of a heat wave two weeks ago which caused my entire computer to not only crash, but freeze as well. This forced me to take off the case for the first time in 3 years and blow out the dust.)

I am not aware of this sort of whirring noise happening in the preceding two years I first used the computer. Anyone have any clues as to what, if anything, might be going on? (It's not easy for me to get around to take a computer into the shop, so I'll appreciate any tips.)

If you need more information, I'll be glad to supply what I can figure out -- may need to be told how to find it, though.

Thanks in advance.
:):)