Faulty Notebook Fan?

[Punisher Rising]

My Notebook computer's fan lately has been going on a lot longer than usual and to the point where it sometimes goes on for about 20 minutes or close to that. It normally doesn't do this and it's starting to concern me because when the fan goes on longer than it should it tends to overheat my computer which in turn can fry the hardware inside. Is it just due to the hot weather (my computer desk is right in front of a window anyway, where much heat is generated) or is the fan genuinely faulty? I'm hoping it's the former.

 

[Kane52630]

yea i would of suggest you never put your laptop in front of the sun, i would see if you still have a warranty on it

 

[Punisher Rising]

My warranty unfortunately expired last Summer :| I'll try to re-arrange my room a bit so it's not so close to the sun, thanks for the tip.

 

[Kane52630]

welcome, but go to a place where you can diagnosed your laptop (like where ever you bought it) to find out exactly why its doing that
it could be something else

 

[Punisher Rising]

I got my Notebook from online back around August 2007, but I could get it looked at by a Best Buy tech if this continues.

 

[Darthphere]

My warranty unfortunately expired last Summer :| I'll try to re-arrange my room a bit so it's not so close to the sun, thanks for the tip.

It's a notebook, you can move it anywhere you want.

 

[Kane52630]

ive heard that some notebooks have a heating problem, usually they recall them

 

[Punisher Rising]

It's a notebook, you can move it anywhere you want.

Yes but I mainly use it at my computer desk, which is why I want to re-arrange it away from the window to prevent excess heat from the sun.

 

[Cobblepot]

Let it cool off for a while, and use it somewhere colder. If it still goes on considerely longer than it has nothing (or less) to do with the outside temp.
There might also be a lot of dus collected inside. Since you don't have any garantuee anymore, I sugest open it and clean it with either canned air or a vacuum cleaner. And while your at it, find the fan and put a little drup of oil in it.

 

[Punisher Rising]

Thanks for the tip. Is there a site with instructions on how to properly open a Notebook to do inside cleaning?

 

[Kane52630]

what is your notebook?

 

[Punisher Rising]

A Gateway AMD with Windows Vista.

 

[Kane52630]

i think this should help
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000780.htm

 

[Punisher Rising]

Thanks for the link, I'll use it in case I have to open my Notebook.

 

[Punisher Rising]

Okay, yesterday I sprayed some compressed air around my Notebook's fan area and that seems to have worked, so far the fan is back to normal and not droning on so much for now. Thanks for the information.

 

[Alistair]

Punisher,

I would also suggest "undervolting" I dropped mine by a good 10C, and here is a good guide, and good wealth of "Notebook" info. That's where I find a lot of my stuff, and help out folks when they need help.

"UnderVolting Guide"

Also, if that doesn't help much, can always get a "Notebook Cooler", and there is the link to that which might help you out as well.

Any other issues, go ahead and ask.

Kane,

Not all notebook's are recalled, and some do have heating issues, but that's going to be expected for how tight components are put together, as I'm sure you are aware. =D Alot of these machines are rated very high. Like, I have a AMD Inspirion 1526, which is known to have "Fan issues" and running hot, but the die is 95c is rated at. Also, I normally ide at 45, and top off on a hot summer day on load, 60 with undervolting, and notebook cooler. Far away from having it get "burnt to death."



G'Luck,
Ali

 

[Kane52630]

Of Course i know, i was thinking Punisher Rising's laptop was one of the recalled laptop

 

[Punisher Rising]

Thanks for the information Alistair, I will be sure to keep that all handy and in mind in the event my Notebook acts up again. So far it's doing fine, but I'm wary of anything.

 

[Malice]

1) where are the vents on the laptop? Are they on the back and bottom...with some on the sides?
If the intake fan, is on the bottom (like my HP, prop up the back of the laptop just a tad with a small box...basically giving the intake fan, more room to grab fresh air) This personally resolved my issue.

2) Dust....just like a cieling fan, computer fans get dust to, see if you can suck out the dust and clean the machine a little.

 

[Punisher Rising]

The vent is on the left side of my Notebook.

I think I may know what caused the fan to go on more than usual: ants. I noticed in the past few days some ants crawling over my desk (lots of bugs coming inside thanks to the warm weather) and I suspect an ant or two could've crawled inside the vent. Needless to say, right now I'm on the lookout for a cover for my Notebook.

 

[Alistair]

Punisher,

Hehe....yeah. It's that time of year for ants, and that sucks. Just keep a good idea on it, but I would still undervolt, IMO. Espically since it will prolong the usage your notebook overall. Fan, Proc, all of it. It's perfectly harmless.

And as Malice has said, just make sure you buy one where your vents are, or it won't help if you end up buying a cooler. I have one just for fact that I live in a trailer, so that helps keep it a little bit cooler.


G'Luck,
Ali

 

[Punisher Rising]

Thanks, I'll look into all of that. I need to both get a cooling fan and a decent cover. Sucks that now one has to worry about bugs getting into the computer's parts. I'll need to get some bug traps.