Laptop Overheating Has a Simple Solution

Get Compressed Gas for an Easy Fix for Laptop Overheating

Joel Hirschhorn, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Aug 15, 2006 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

A few years after using my Toshiba laptop without any troubles, my unit started to shutdown frequently, much to my consternation. I spent a lot of time trying to find problems with my software. Eventually, I noticed that the bottom of the unit, in the corner where the cooling system is located was very hot even though the system was operating. After awhile it became clear that it was the laptop overheating that was causing the shutdowns, despite the cooling system being set at the maximum.

My next step was to ask computer-literate people about my overheating problem. The usual response was laughter, because laptop overheating was very widespread. As to solutions, every person, including workers at Best Buy and their Geek Squad agents, talked about buying devices marketed as adjuncts to the laptop's cooling system. These are essentially platforms on which you place the laptop. There are many such devices for sale. They range in price from about $40 to $200.

My homemade solution, at first, was to place ice packs underneath the hot corner of my laptop. But that only worked to a limited degree and was messy.

The more I reflected on my problem the more I thought that it was pertinent that my overheating problem had started after several years of trouble-free operation. Plus it seemed quite important that the intake openings for the cooling system were on the bottom of the laptop, which seemed to me to be terrible design. Oddly enough, laptop makers generally advise consumers in the fine print not to use their laptops on soft surfaces, but that seems ridiculous. Keep the "lap" out of laptop use? Yet it certainly seemed likely that over time dust and dirt could enter, clog and reduce the efficiency of the cooling system.

My next solution, therefore, was to use a can of compressed gas made for cleaning computers. I shot the gas into both the outlets and intake openings, making sure to hold the can upright to prevent liquid entering the system, and of course the computer was off. Sure enough this simple solution worked, and a can of compressed gas costs just a few dollars. For preventive maintenance I plan on using the gas every few months.

Afterwards, I researched the laptop overheating problem on the web. One thing I found was heartbreak stories from others suffering with the laptop overheating problem. One guy had wasted over 500 hours on the phone trying to get help from Dell; they never suggested the gas solution. But I also found a number of articles that very clearly described exactly what I had discovered as the simplest solution.

Still, I can't help but be angry that people in stores like Best Buy and even computer manufacturers do not provide this easy solution. They want to sell expensive devices. Now you know what to do if you hit the laptop overheating problem, which might not pop up right away, but is likely to surface eventually.

Published by Joel Hirschhorn

Author: Delusional Democracy, Prosperity Without Pollution & Sprawl Kills. Senior official Congressional Office of Technology Assessment & National Governors Assn; full prof Univ. of Wisc. Publishing regul... View profile