Started a couple of days ago. Think its the hard drive thats grinding whenever I fetch a program from backing store.

Can I fix this, or does it just have to be binned?

Its a beginning of permanent HDD failure. Eventually it is heading towards the bin... :) Backup everything ASAP.

Try running Thorough Scandisk followed by Defrag.

Yep, it's dying. Might last a week or so under light use, but first back-up everything, and get another HD. If you don't back up your data soon, that grinding sound will haunt you forever, as you try to find/download/install everything that was on that drive. Voice of experiance talking here:mad: