Laptop getting on my nerves.

SnowyOwl_2

Hi All, hope someone can advise.

My laptop continually overheats and cuts out. I've got it permanently propped up on a frame thing to let more air circulate around the fans underneath. However I suspect the real problem is that there is an accumulation of dust inside.

My question is, is it feasible to take the back off and give it a clean up? Should I attempt this myself (don't really want to...), or should I go to a computer shop and get an expert to do it? Or am I looking at putting up with this irritating problem until the laptop hits the bin???

Thanks.

albertross_2

You could try a can of air blaster..probably cheaper than going to a shop.

If you can undo a screw, it's feasible, but some cases are harder to get off than others.

Many have access to the motherboard from the top, under the keyboard, with screws holding the keyboard in place from underneath.

Unless the laptop has been in a very dirty environment, I wouldn't have thought dust would be the cause of your problem.

Do the fans kick in when it gets hot?

SnowyOwl_2

Hello Albertross, thanks for your reply.

The fans come on as soon as I turn the laptop on and pretty quickly churn out hot air from the back. My house is new and v.v.dusty thanks to no carpets, and no paint on the walls or ceilings. When the laptop is turned off I can see a layer of dust on the fans, and this has led to my conclusion about the dust.

I'll purchase a tin of compressed air tomorrow - I guess Jessops or similar would do it. All the computer places, or rather the one computer place in this town, is closed on a Sunday.

Thanks again.

intel

yep can of air into the vents while lappy is off..

I bought one of these and now mine never overheats.. http://www.misco.co.uk/productinformation/~75372~/AKASA%20NOTEBOOK%20COOLER.htm

albertross_2

The fans usually have a bit of dust on them which is not normally a problem. When you say "cut's out", do you mean completely switches off, and when you switch on again, it is at the boot screen?

Laptops tend to have a resume/suspend feature which can be set in the bios or in control panel. If it cuts out after a period of inactivity, it may be related to that.

If it cuts out when you are working on it, try taking the battery out, and see if it does the same thing. If it still does it without the battery, try reseating the RAM (usually under a flap on the bottom).

What model is it?