PowerBook G4 has loud buzzing, then freezes, now won't start

I have a PowerBook G4 which started to make low "grinding" noises when it worked hard. It had done this for maybe a couple of months: sometimes the position (on lap or on table, etc) seemed to affect it. I always figured it was the fan(s). But a little while ago it suddenly started making a loud buzzing noise, like a fuzz-tone electric guitar or maybe an electric razor. If I put it to sleep the noise would start, and it would not start immediately upon re-awakening. I'm not really sure where the noise was coming from. Otherwise the computer was still functioning normally, so I figured a fan was going bad. Then it just froze, and I had to turn it off. Upon powering on, it got to the point with a gray screen, an Apple logo, and a bar that spins in a circle. Never more than that. I've booted the install disk and run Disk Utility: it found some big discrepancy, in a file allocation I think, but fixed it. Since then I've repaired and verified: disk appears OK. I've run the hardware tests and everything tests OK. I can also get the terminal by booting from CD 1, and can do directory listings of the disk contents. So the disk seems to be OK. I removed the suspect fan: the left one, and looked at it. Aside from some dust in the filter it looked and spun fine, as far as I could tell.
Upon booting in "verbose" mode, I get the following:
member [46]: dsFindDirNodes returned - 14071, count = 2147483646
member [46]: Couldn't find root user. Sleeping and trying again.
These two lines just repeat...
I've got two questions here:
1) What should I do to get the computer operational again? Is there a netinfo restore I can do, or should I reinstall the OS (10.4) from the install disks?
2) How can I find out what caused the original problem?
Thanks,
Frank Huddleston

An update: I have reinstalled the OS, and all my user files were still there in Previous Systems, so I lost no data. The noise has recurred a few times, and I listened for its location: it really did sound as though it was coming from the upper left. No system freeze, though: the noise stopped on its own after the period of intense cpu activity finished. I have checked the disk with the Disk Utility, and it verifies (I did not do this in single-user mode, however). So far, so good: it looks as though my left rear fan is going bad.
Could that somehow cause the system lockup? If maybe the system temperature reached a high point?
I have installed the iStat widget and have looked at that when I hear the low "grinding" sound, and it shows the left rear fan running at about 1740 rpm. But the right fan is at 0. Is this normal?
The Apple Hardware reported no errors: I guess that means both fans are at least operational enough for the test. But what will make the system use the right fan as opposed to the left? Is maybe the right fan not coming on, then the left fan has to work too hard, and so now is failing? I have no idea what a "normal" rpm is for those fans.
Also, at this point maybe this topic is more suitable for another forum. If so, please advise.
Thanks for any help you(all) can give me.
Frank H.

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PowerBook G4 has loud buzzing, then freezes, now won't start

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