So my computer started making funny noises.

Not 'ha ha' funny, but a 'worrisome', 'cardboard in the spokes' kind of noise.

Fearing the imminent death of the computer or its hard drive, I quickly powered it down and let it cool off for a few minutes while I prepared for surgery.

After disconnecting the power cable, I popped opened the computer case, and immediately found the problem.

A hairball the size of a grapefruit was plastered on the intake side of the main cooling fan.

Several smaller hairballs had found homes on all the vent openings on the computer case.

I can only blame this on Bob the cat.

He loves to snuggle up against the computer while I'm in the office, and this time of the year (and in fact most of the year), Bob sheds like a goat.

And the computer's cooling fans suck in his hair which eventually builds a hightech furball.

To solve the hairball in the computer problem, I used a shop vac to vacuum out the collection of Bob droppings from around the vents and fans.

I then buttoned up the computer, and turned it back on.

Problem solved, no more funny noises.

And Bob? He's scheduled for a full body shave next week.

I'll post photos on my site.

Oh, and if you haven't checked lately, you might want to make sure there are no hairballs gumming up the works of your own computer.

Better safe than sorry.