[Schuyler]

Hey, well, I'm pretty sure this isn't a very new problem, and the title pretty much sums it up.

Here are my statistics:

Avaratec C3500 Series Tablet PC
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005
Mobile AMD Athlon ™ XP-M 2200+
1.12 GHz, 480 MB of RAM

I've pretty much grown accustomed to this problem. Sometimes it comes at a bad time and I've resorted to extreme measures to cool down my computer.

Basically, my Tablet PC will start making this loud noise (the fan), which under usual circumstances goes away after a bit. But it doesn't stop. It's so loud that it's actually annoying. If I feel the underside of my laptop, it's super-hot. So hot that you wouldn't be able to put it on bare skin. Anyway, that's always a problem, but every once in a while it will actually shut down automatically. Sometimes I think it's because I'm running a lot of resources, but other times there doesn't even seem to be a reason for it.

I recently had a virus that I removed. I noticed when I had it, that it was taking up a lot of my system resources, and would cause this to happen every time I turned my computer on after about 10 minutes. So that clued me into why it was happening, but my laptop shouldn't be freaking out and dying like this everytime I want to run 3 or 4 programs. Not to mention the fact that the fan is super annoying.

I like the computer, otherwise, but I don't know what I can really do. I tried taking the computer apart to analyze the setup inside, but it's a very small computer and I didn't have the right tools to take everything apart. So I ended up just putting it back together. Since it's a tablet PC there's not much use to an alternative cooling system that I know of.

The battery life isn't that great, but I don't think that's a cause of the problem. The battery life was always pretty short.

Anyway, are there any cost-effective solutions to this problem that I don't know about? Would it be good to have it repaired, or would I be better off getting a new computer.... Keep in mind that I can't really afford a new computer.

-Elliott

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Is your system still under warranty? If so, the fan should be replaced free-of-charge. It'll just take your efforts in getting in touch with the warranty department and going through all the troubleshooting steps.

If it is the fan, it's not a good idea to run the laptop with it failing.

You can purchase laptop cooling pads (or docks - I forget what they're called). They basically attach to the bottom of your laptop and have additional fans to help keep it and you cool.

[piper]

Is your system still under warranty? If so, the fan should be replaced free-of-charge. It'll just take your efforts in getting in touch with the warranty department and going through all the troubleshooting steps.

If it is the fan, it's not a good idea to run the laptop with it failing.

You can purchase laptop cooling pads (or docks - I forget what they're called). They basically attach to the bottom of your laptop and have additional fans to help keep it and you cool.

[Schuyler]

It has a one-year limited warranty which has unfortunately passed. I have heard of and seen those cooling docks before, but they really wouldn't fit my needs. I'd like to use the Tablet PC as it was intended, and not as a desktop computer.

As another inquiry, if I really wanted to get a new computer, would there be a way to salvage the parts of this one? I don't think it'd be worth trying to sell the unit, but maybe I could use some of it's parts to sell or whatever...

[piper]

Regarding the cooling pads, they are intended for use while you've got the laptop in your lap. It helps keep you lap cool.

As to selling your laptop, your could post it on ebay as-is. You might be surprised you might want it. Also check in your area for laptop salvagers. We have one near us who buys laptops for parts.

[warriorscot]

You should do a little research if the cooling fan is a problem its likely someone else will have came up with a solution, you should try giving it a clean if you can.