Overheating laptop

roundthebend

On the old forum I asked for help with my laptop which was blue screening regularly. Someone advised it could be due to overheating, and I have pretty much settled on that as the explanation - it even went to a red screen recently which said that it had overheated!

So, I think part of the problem is that I've clogged it up with loads of software that I don't need and much of it is running in the background. It's running like a dog anyway, so I plan to blat it and reinstall. It's currently got Windows XP Pro and I'm thinking I should stick with that - I'd go for Linux but I need to do Microsoft .Net development so Windows makes sense.

Now, currently it is XP Pro 1-2 CPU (it's an Intel T2500 processor which is 32-bit but dual core). Do I need to get software which is specifically for 2 CPU or will something like this work anyway? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=171044995515

Cheers

boogieman

Before you go down that route, have you tried CCleaner to clear out some of the excess software crap and clean up the registry? That, plus cleaning out the fan housing, sorted out my laptop.

digitalscream

If it's overheating, then you're never going to really solve the problem with software. Yes, loads of crap will hammer the hard drive and push the CPU, but the central problem is that the laptop can't get rid of the heat its generating. Have you hoovered out the heatsink?

If you've done that and it's still getting hot, you might want to take it apart and see if the fan's clear; dust on the fan itself will slow it down. Also, you could try getting some decent heatsink compound - remove the heatsink (carefully), clean the CPU and heatsink with white spirit, and then apply the new compound sparingly (plenty of guides on how to do this best on YouTube) and then put everything back together.

bertie

if its been overheating regularly,  - you might have cooked the disk controller (one of my old work laptops did this)

and I was constnatly getting BSODs pointing to the h/disk controller drivers.

all of of what digiscream says,  plus GET IT UP OFF THE DESK - even i fits just a 1/2" block at the back to get the air flowing

roundthebend

I did once open the beast up and try to fiddle with it, but I recall being a little scared that it wouldn't work when I put it all back together. I'll try and pluck up the courage again because it is most certainly going to be clogged up with dust and stuff.

It's already off the desk sitting on a stand with 3 fans running under it. But, those fans are quite probably blowing more filth into anyway.

Will CCleaner tell me which software I don't need running because I never use it? I suspect not.

Danny1969

Just to echo Digital, software won't help a hardware problem. It's the buildup of crap between fan and heat exchanger. Only safe way is to separate the 2 and remove it. If you don't the excessive heat will destroy the BGA  joints under the GPU 

You can run msconfig to stop shit running in the background, find msconfig and then use the startup tab

chillidoggy

Does this CCleaner need to use any kind of special stuff? Jif, or Flash Liquid, for example?

ddlooping

roundthebend said:

Will CCleaner tell me which software I don't need running because I never use it? I suspect not.

It will show you the programs that starts with your computer and will give you the option to stop them doing so.