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Does your computer sound like you’re standing next to an airplane about to take off? In other words the fan on your computer running all of the time? There are a couple of reasons this type of computer problem can happen. But luckily you don’t need the best IT Support in Denver to fix it. In most cases, you can fix it yourself. However, if you’re uncertain about performing any of the tasks to fix your fan, please call a computer service professional instead.

What’s going on?

Essentially your computer is overheating. Overheating comes from one of two reasons, either it can dissipate heat fast enough or it’s being pushed too hard to perform the tasks you want it to. In either case, when your computer overheats, it can cause all sorts of other issues from slowness, to odd computer behavior, to permanent damage to your machine. But not to worry. Here’s how to fix it.

Dust it

The most common and easiest fix to try is to blow out your computer with a can of compressed air. Some people wonder if they can use a vacuum cleaner to clean out a machine or a duster to get off the dust. And the answer is, not really. Dust can get into the small cracks between the heat sink sitting on a processor and really need to be dusted with a can of compressed air (OUTSIDE). Dust will cause all sorts of inefficiencies about how your computer cools itself and until the dust is removed with an air compressor, can of air, or by blowing really hard, your computer won’t be able to cool properly. For laptops, simply blow out the dust from the point where the fan sits.

Too Many Programs Running

The second most common reason for computers to overheat is that there are too many programs running in the background of your computer. When your computer boots, there really only needs to be a handful of programs or processes running. You can check it yourself by holding the control+alt+delete keys and going to your task manager. There you will find a tab that says processes (you might have to check the box that says show processes from all users). If you have more than 60 processes running at any given time, that’s way too many. You’ll to disable the startup programs with your computer. See the next blog for details on this operation.

Thermal Paste

If all else fails, especially in older machines, you may need to replace the thermal paste between the heat sink and the processor. This should only be done by a professional. Over time the paste that conducts heat away from the processor degrades, cracks off or altogether stops working. That’s when it’s time to take the computer apart, clean it off completely, and reapply a new layer of thermal paste.

If your computer is overheating all of the time to the point where it shuts itself down, it’s not good. Its possible some serious damage has been done and it might be time to move your data over to a new machine before you lose it all. It’s best to consult with an IT Professional in Denver, like the IT Guy.

A $49 diagnostic will help you make an educated decision about what to do with your computer