[silver_queen]

I've been having some problems with my laptop recently. It's 4 years old and earlier this summer I noticed that it sometimes, apparently without reason, turned itself off. I decided to research this when I noticed once that its case felt hot, and found that laptops can turn themselves off as a safety measure when they got too hot. So I found out the maximum operating temperature of my laptop (55C/ 131F) and downloaded a couple of programs which measure the temperature of the hard disk drive. On one occasion, when it got to 50C, I got a desktop fan and directed it at the computer fans at the back of the laptop, and this worked and also seemed to increase the efficiency of the fans too.

Now I am abroad with my laptop and it is overheating daily. It is on a table with a big window which I can open and it cools it down, but I can't keep opening the window as the weather will soon be turning much colder. The hard disk drive temperature of the laptop regularly increases to 48-50C if I don't open the window first. Now, for instance, I decided to open the window because the hard disk drive temp was 45C (113F) and I keep the window open until its temperature is 36C (96.8F) ... but today it is refusing to go lower than 37C

Is there anything I can do to stop the computer overheating in the first place? I really can't keep opening the window; it's both impractical and makes me cold too.

[cantstopcrying]

One thing is to make sure it isn't sitting flat. It should be elevated at angle with the bottom and sides open to allow air to flow freely. This really helps and they make laptop stands for use on a desktop or your lap for this purpose and they are not expensive.

[darkrunner]

Hi silver queen,
I had that problem too. My laptop would get to hot it would hurt to have it on my lap!

They sell laptop stands that have a fan right inside them. So as your laptop sits on the stand, there is fan underneath blowing and keeping it cool. It plugs right in to one of the USB ports on the laptop.
It really works well.

good luck,
ktgirl

[silver_queen]

Thanks for both your replies

I have the laptop propped up on a couple of books at the moment and will look up how much those laptop stands with fans cost. Not that I need any added noise - this laptop is so noisy that when used in a downstairs room, if the door to the room is kept open, it can be heard from upstairs lol.

[darkrunner]

The fan is actually pretty quiet - I barely notice it! Just a slight whirring.

[Perna]

I would take it in and have someone look at the fan that is in the laptop; could be it's bad/gone. It shouldn't suddenly overheat like that? My laptop is only a couple weeks old :-) and was overheating the first few days I had it and dying but I had it sitting directly on my lap (silly me, I thought a laptop could sit on a lap) and, unlike my older laptop, that didn't work.

I think one of the ways they're getting laptop prices down (this one was less than half as expensive as my 5+ year old one) is with "cheaper" parts that "don't matter" as much. I think they're also trying to get more stuff into smaller spaces so are scrimping on needed fan sizes, etc. But now that I'm on my little laptop feet on a flat surface, I don't overhead.

I wouldn't run it very continuously? I tend to be on the computer for hours and hours at a time but now try to turn it off and go do something else very hour or two.

[314159pi]

you might have a trustworthy soul open and clean the innards of your laptop after 4 or 5 years because there might be dust and dirt blocking the vents and fans which affect internal cooling.
50 degrees C isn't that hot and well below the max temp of 55 degrees C.
if cleaning the machine doesn't help, then your mainboard might be breaking down and the laptop is on its way out. I hope it is only the harddrive dying because that can be cheaply replaced. don't trust software to accurately report internal temps unless you know that the sw is reading actual temperature probes built into your machine. one possibility is a fan on the cpu heat sink is clogged with dirt. the speed of such a fan can be read by software if you have such a cooling fan.
have you ever run a SMART test on your hard drive to see if it is dying?
i think it is time to back up all your data and expect the worst.
opening the window should have no effect on the internal cooling of the machine unless it's the dead of winter.
good luck
-pi

[silver_queen]

Well Pi ... no doubt it is pretty dusty inside the laptop, thought i would have thought that earlier this summer running a desktop fan facing the computer fans would have helped blow away the internal dust.

I have two pieces of software which say they measure the hard disk drive temperature. One says it examines the hard disk to see if it is healthy enough. I downloaded it a while ago and can't remember how it works. I have the free version of HDDlife. It measures the temp of the hard disk and measures its health and performance. It says its health is 54% and its performance 100%.

And opening the window does for certain lower the temperature. I know this because I have observed the temperature increase inbetween the times I have the window open. So the cool air does cool down the laptop and I've watched the numbers go down as I've sat here frozen, lol.

At the moment, on somebody's suggestion, I have the laptop propped up with a book and its temperature is now a steady 40C ...

[314159pi]

hi silver q,
i suppose that if you are satisfied with things such as they are then you are welcome to argue with me, sure. my thinking is that i was offering you advice and support. best of luck with your laptop.
if you really want it clean in there, some one has got to open it up and blow compressed air from a can on the little dust bunnies in there. rationalizing what you did last summer as being pro-active won't help you now.
is 54% healthy good or bad in your opinion?
have fun,
-pi

[(JD)]

Yes, opening the window if the air is cooler is a good idea. Computers do better in cooler temperatures... early computers were kept in very cold conditions, and most still at 72 F or lower.

Buying a notebook is better. Laptops are notorious for overheating, ruining the electronics. A notebook with Centrino inside helps it run cooler, too.

Raise the feet. I guess you can add small stick on footies to make the ones on the computer taller, giving more space for the fan etc. Be careful about putting it on an angle though, too much of one and it might shut off also (such as lying in bed with it propped up a the back to read the screen easier.) Never use one on a cloth tabletop or bedspread etc, (or a lap!) but I'm sure you know that.

You might need to look at the list of "processes" actually occurring at any one time. You may have many things running in the background that you no longer use or want. Deleting them will help your computer work easier.

[AAAAA]

There is actually an appliance you can buy for about $20 that your laptop will sit on and it'll keep it cool. Called a cooling mat I believe. Hooks up to your usb port for power and has two fans to cool it.