Jump to content

Welcome to Geeks to Go - Register now for FREE

Need help with your computer or device? Want to learn new tech skills? You're in the right place!
Geeks to Go is a friendly community of tech experts who can solve any problem you have. Just create a free account and post your question. Our volunteers will reply quickly and guide you through the steps. Don't let tech troubles stop you. Join Geeks to Go now and get the support you need!

How it Works Create Account
Photo

my refurbished laptop's running hot


  • Please log in to reply

#1
meddlecascade

meddlecascade

    Member

  • Member
  • PipPip
  • 23 posts
hiya --

i bought a refurbished laptop on eBay, and i was having trouble getting it to start up (it would open to the main windows xp page but then freeze -- it'd take 2 - 7 restarts to get it past that point), so i came to the windows XP forums. we did a couple diagnostic things and the start-up trouble went away, which was good. but then the computer twice in one day made a loud "pop" sound and the screen went black. it didn't turn off, it just went black and stopped acknowledging the keyboard input.

i then ran a program called "speedfan," and the person that was helping me suggested i come here, 'cause my computer's running hot.

here's a link to the old forum, if this sounds confusing:
www.geekstogo.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=109131&hl=meddle


my main thing is figuring out why my computer would have done that twice in one day, and not at all since. also, how do i clean out the hard-drive? the last geek i worked with suggested i do that.

the computer's a compaq evo N610c with a pentium, if that's relevant.


thanks!
-- meddle
  • 0

Advertisements


#2
dsenette

dsenette

    Je suis Napoléon!

  • Community Leader
  • 26,047 posts
  • MVP
saw the word speedfan and knew it had to be computerwiz hehe...

when you posted your screenshots from speedfan you said that those temps were after 6 hours of being on?...the temps in the screenshots looked fine....but you said the first time you ran it it was 54? run speed fan again and leave the computer on with that temp screen up...and see if the temp fluctuates alot...if it only m oves one or two degrees back and forth over a long period of time (a few hours) let me know...heck just get me a good 4 hour trend....check the temp's every half hour for 4 hours and post those...

any time that there is a POP on ANY kind of computer it's not good...pops are usually powersupplies in desktops...or capacitors in both desktops and laptops...which is NOT a good thing....laptops are notoriously hard to open...you basically have to find every possible screw and undo it to open them up...i don't suggest it but if you're brave oopen the thing up and dust it out and look for any bulging or popped capacitors
  • 0

#3
Dockboy

Dockboy

    Member

  • Member
  • PipPip
  • 79 posts
As soon as I saw heat and loss of performance and proper working order, I immediately thought of dust.

Try getting a can of air and blasting it into the fans and pretty much anywhere dust can get into the computer. Alot of times on Ebay, when you buy a refurbished laptop, refurbished means 'refurbished'. Not all of them though.

Because laptops are so tricky, alot of people will not open them, in an effort to have more to sell. So they will replace the HDD, add RAM, format the drive and throw on a clean OS. Other than that, not much is done.

You may have gotten one that was in exceptionally bad shape. Try the can of air, see if something comes out, just keep your face away from the fan when you hit it with the air. You don't want to have to explain to the nurse why your eye was attacked by vicious dust bunnies.

Cheers:)


**Forgot to mention, have the laptop on when you blast the air into it, that way the fan will blow OUT the dust that is dislodged by the can of air.

Edited by Dockboy, 28 April 2006 - 12:09 PM.

  • 0

#4
meddlecascade

meddlecascade

    Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • PipPip
  • 23 posts
right on, thanks for the thoughts.

i ran speedfan and the high temp reading two hours ago was 66C, it then climbed down to 54C about 15 minutes later and its pretty much been there.

the low temp reading seems like it stayed at 45C the whole time.

...and i'll buy some compressed air and give this thing a good dusting....i think i'll avoid cracking open the case to check for capacitors at this point. if we think something like that's important i'll do it, but not until it's absolutely the only thought anyone has left.


okay. those temps are high, yes? what's that mean?


happy weekend, hope y'all take monday off in support of the day-without-an-immigrant activities (indymedia.us/en/index.shtml)!


peace -- meddle
  • 0

#5
meddlecascade

meddlecascade

    Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • PipPip
  • 23 posts
hi all --

i sprayed air into all the orifices of my computer, but noted no change. it's still freezing up on start-up, but if i open up in safe mode, run "msconfig" and click on 'diagnostic' it'll start up fine. from there if i run msconfig and and click on "normal" it'll start up fine.

thoughts?

also, my computer has an ATI graphics card in it, is there any way that could be part of the issue?


thanks -- meddle
  • 0

#6
meddlecascade

meddlecascade

    Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • PipPip
  • 23 posts
not that anyone's paying much attention at this point, but you can formally close this thread. i got rid of that computer....meddle
  • 0






Similar Topics

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users

As Featured On:

Microsoft Yahoo BBC MSN PC Magazine Washington Post HP