You pick up your laptop . . . and it’s hot to the touch. Rest assured, this isn’t supposed to be happening. In fact, an overheating laptop is a massive cause for concern and requires immediate action.
If you don’t take action against your laptop’s overheating, your laptop’s hard drive and other internal components could suffer irreparable damage.
But what should you do if your laptop is overheating? We’re going to get into that below. Here’s how to deal with an overheating laptop.
What Causes an Overheating Laptop?
In order to know how to fix an overheating laptop, you must first understand what causes a laptop to overheat in the first place. The most common causes of a laptop overheating include:
It’s Sitting in a Hot Location
A common cause of laptop overheating is that the laptop is sitting in a hot location. This could be in a vehicle, in a home that’s not air-conditioned, or next to a sunny window.
This stands to reason, of course, as the heat in the room can easily transfer to the internal components of the laptop. This is why, if the laptop is going to be sitting in a hot location, you should shut it off while it’s doing so. Then, when it’s time to use it again, make sure that it’s cooled off a bit before turning it back on.
Its Exhaust Vents Are Blocked
The internal components of a laptop must work hard in order to perform their respective functions. This causes them to build up heat over time.
Fortunately, laptops are built with exhaust vents, allowing them to rid themselves of this heat with general ease. But if these vents are blocked (by dust, for example), they can’t release said heat, resulting in the overheating of the laptop.
It’s Being Charged With an Incompatible Adapter
Another cause of laptop overheating is that the laptop’s being charged with an incompatible adapter. If the adapter is too strong for the laptop, it can pump too much electricity into it. This can cause the laptop to overheat.
As such, it’s imperative that you use a compatible adapter when charging your laptop.
How to Fix an Overheating Laptop
The fix for an overheating laptop is dependent on what’s causing the overheating. Let’s discuss some of the most common fixes below, shall we?
Removed Dust from the Vents
One of the first things you should do is remove dust from the vents of your laptop. You might be able to achieve this with a brush or piece of cloth. However, in some cases, it requires a canister of compressed air.
Regardless, be careful not to make an impact on any of the laptop’s internal components.
Shut Off Unnecessary Apps/Operating Processes
Our next tip is to shut off unnecessary apps/operating processes. Oftentimes, when a laptop turns on, these apps and processes will engage automatically. But when all of these are running at the same time, they put undue strain on the laptop’s internal components, causing them to heat up.
Fortunately, you typically have the option to disable the autostart of these apps and processes.
Assess Wear and Tear
Any number of broken components can cause a laptop to overheat. Therefore, if you’re dealing with an overheating laptop, you should set out to determine whether any of its components have incurred notable wear and tear.
For instance, you might notice that your laptop’s charging cable is torn. Or, you might notice that one of the ports of your laptop has loosened up. You might even hear a loose component within your laptop.
Each of these problems is alarming and demands further inspection by a seasoned computer repair technician.
Utilize a Cooling Pad
Another option for combatting an overheating laptop is to utilize a cooling pad. This is an electricity-powered board that sits underneath a laptop. It provides cold to the laptop’s exterior, thereby cooling down its internal components in the process.
Cooling pads aren’t permanent solutions. In fact, they’re designed more for gaming laptops, as gaming frequently causes a laptop to overheat. If the overheating is coming from another source, you’re strongly advised to repair that source as opposed to employing a cooling pad.
Make Sure You’re Using the Standard Issue Charger
As was noted above, using too strong a charging adapter can cause a computer to overheat. In some cases, even using a charging adapter different from the one included with the computer can cause it to overheat. Therefore, if you’re using a different charging adapter to the standard issue one, you should switch back to the standard issue and see if it solves the problem.
Take Your Laptop to a Computer Repair Shop
Our last piece of advice is to take your laptop to a computer repair shop. This is the solution in cases where other fixes aren’t working. If the other repairs aren’t getting the job done, there’s likely a deep issue at hand, the likes of which can only be handled by a seasoned repair tech.
They’ll troubleshoot your broken laptop and determine exactly what the problem is. Once they’ve identified the problem, they’ll take all necessary action in order to fix it.
Laptop Is Overheating?
Do you find your laptop is overheating, even after taking measures against the problem? If so, you would be wise to have your computer checked out by a professional computer repair technician.
They’ll determine the source of the problem, and then take all necessary action in order to fix it. Are you looking for a computer repair tech in Charlottesville? Look no further than Fruit Fixed.
Contact us today to discuss your computer issues!
