Laptop Overheating Issues

If you have a laptop (or any computer for the same matter) that is constantly restarting or rebooting for no apparent reason, the reason may well be overheating. If your computer is constantly rebooting and there are other tell-tale signs such as the fan coming on more often than you remember and sounding louder, very hot air coming out of the side vent, you almost certainly can determine that you have an overheating problem.

The good news is that it can be fixed by you, that too in under 5 minutes. No incorrectly diagnosed (and very expensive) motherboard upgrades are needed. All you need is a screwdriver and a vacuum cleaner. You might even get away without the vacuum cleaner.

Much like vacuum cleaners a laptop switches itself off if it gets too hot. This is to protect the valuable brain of the computer, its main processor or CPU, as well as our precious legs. Also similar to other things that overheat, the problem is often caused by excessive fluff build up in an important area.

On a laptop this crucial area is the fan that sucks air across the CPU to keep it cool. After about a year or two of use, many laptops build up layers of fluff in the fan area that are thick enough to stop the flow of air. This means the CPU is not being cooled properly, it overheats, and the safety mechanism kicks in and shuts the computer down. You experience it as a reboot. (Geeky fact: - There is a mini temperature sensor built onto the main chip itself that constantly monitors its temperature)

To be absolutely sure you have the problem I describe, ask yourself this question... After your computer has switched itself off for the first time in a day, and is switched back on again, does it switch itself off more quickly the second time?

If you leave the laptop to cool down, can you run it much longer before it switches off?

If the answers to these questions are yes, you absolutely positively have an overheating laptop causing your reboot problem; don't let anyone else tell you differently.

Turn your laptop over and look at its base. Somewhere there will be a panel that you can remove with a few screws, that gives you access to the main processor and fan. Most likely there will be several panels you can remove with a few screws - but don't worry - I'll help you find the right one.

Incidentally, not every laptop allows access to its main processor and fan (Apple laptops typically don't). Some use other mechanisms besides screws e.g. catch latches etc.