How do you stop a laptop from overheating?

Question

I have a laptop computer (It's an HP) and it always overheats and shuts down, especially when I'm playing a computr game, why is this and how do I fix it?

Answer 1

The most common cause of overheating is placing the laptop on your lap or on a bed. Don't place laptops for too long on non-flat and hard surfaces. The air vents get covered by the cloth and ventilation does not take place very well. Try playing the games on a flat table and see what happens. cheers...

Answer 2

I second what Calvin is saying. Check the fan on the back for dust or some other stuff that can prevent the laptop from cooling itself well.
The best thing, though, is to disassemble the laptop to the point of easy access to the cooling system. It should be fairly easy to do, just make sure you note how the parts were put together. Then it will be easy to clean.

A bit easier problem to check: see what is running on your laptop when it is idle (nothing really happens, no games playing). These days every little program wants to install all sorts of stuff and all these guys slow everything down. (I'm talking about Yahoo toolbars or updates, those on-desktop fancy widgets that show weather or stock reports or news and take tons of CPU cycles to draw the nice graphics they have; Google desktop search takes CPU cycles also. Moreover, there was a feature in Google toolbar that asked users to share their processing power to help their search. Sometimes people don't real carefully and allow this feature on their computer. The list of this stuff is very long). Just check with the task manager your CPU usage when computer is idle. If it is not ~0% start uninstalling the non-essential programs.

Good luck.
Let us know what happen.

Answer 3

First, I would get a can of compressed air and blow the heck out of your laptop. Get all the dust and hair and cheeto crumbs out of there. Also they make these little pads you can set your laptop on top of. This pad has 3 cooling fans and you just plug it into your USB port. They run around 30 bucks. They work well. I found some here:
http://www.become.com/shop?q=laptop+cooling+pads&utm_campaign=become&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_term=laptop+cooling+pads

Good luck.


P.s. if you do all this and it's still overheating, you may have to take it in to have it looked at by a pro.

Answer 4

Sadly...laptops were really not made for video games and hardcore video editing. The best thing you can do is return it, and get a desktop computer that would end up being BETTER.

But...if it comes down to you being forced to keep it...you can get laptop coolers. Make sure it is made of a metal, and not plastic like the CompUSA brands. They make some that have fans that will also help cool the bottom of it. But that is the best you can do for now.

Answer 5

There are a couple of ways that might work. One is if you are at a place where you can use it, buy a small fan and let it blow onto the computer. The other is don't set it flat on a table or anything, but allow air to pass under it.

Ron

Answer 6

If it's overheating then the hard disk will be boiling. HP laptop hard disks have a bit of a reputation when it comes to overheating (they just give up without warning).

I suggest you back-up everything you want to keep to some external device ASAP before the hard disk gives up.

Answer 7

The fans are quite small and easily clogged. Sometimes you can use a Q-tip to reach in and remove the lent.
Here is a cheap device that may help.

Answer 8

you will ought to open it up and have its followers and heatsink wiped sparkling. through the years, dirt builds up interior the cooling aspects best to inefficient cooling which motives overheating whilst extensive initiatives like video games are run.

Answer 9

If your computer is not working properly while you are working on it, it could be a problem with device drivers, hardware or software.
Detailed instructions at http://tinyurl.com/yk5zpr

Answer 10

how old is the computer? take the battery off if u have pluged it.