I've written about this subject in years past, but it's so important I feel obligated to repeat myself for those who might have missed it. Your laptop may be choking to death. You see, like desktops, laptops can suck up lots of dust. And because everything in a laptop is packed together so tightly, dust is even more dangerous. When the cooling fans have to run constantly, it's just a matter of time before the machine start to overheat. When that happens, it may lock up. It may damage system components. And it might even kick the bucket. Fortunately, as I've mentioned before, this is easy to fix. All you need is a small screwdriver and a can of compressed air (or an air compressor—though tread lightly with that, as noted below). Turn off the laptop, flip it over, and remove the battery. I recommend unplugging the AC adapter, too. Look for an air vent on an outer edge of the laptop; there should be a nearby access panel on the bottom. Unscrew that panel and remove it.

You should see the fan right underneath. Your mileage may vary, but the three laptops I have here all have panel-accessible fans.Hit the fan in short bursts from lots of different angles, making sure to blow most frequently in the direction of the air vent. If you're using an air compressor, as I did, keep the pressure relatively low, and don't get too close with the nozzle. Too strong a burst and you could damage the fan or something else. After you've blown out all the dust, replace the access panel and battery, then power up the system. I'll wager that it runs much quieter (and cooler) than it did before. If your laptop is more than a year or two old, it's long overdue for such a cleaning. (Same goes for your desktop.) Don't wait until it's too late. And add a reminder to your calendar so you remember to do this again every couple months. Contributing Editor Rick Broida writes about business and consumer technology. , or try the treasure trove of helpful folks in the PC World Community Forums. 

Sign up to have the Hassle-Free PC newsletter e-mailed to you each week. To comment on this article and other PCWorld content, visit our Facebook page or our Twitter feed.Clean the fan on your laptop by spraying the cooling vents with a can of compressed air. You can also take the bottom vent panel off of your laptop and access the fan directly. Either method will help prevent overheating, which can cause a slow laptop or a quick death of it entirely.Place your laptop on a clean surface that you don't mind getting dirty.Locate all air vents on the bottom of the laptop. There are side vents, back vents, and vents on the bottom of the laptop. Cooling vents are identified by the copper or black fins inside the vents.Angle the can of compressed air into all of the vents and spray the vents with short bursts of air.Turn your computer off and disconnect the power cord. Turn your laptop over and remove the battery.Locate the removable panel on the under side of the laptop. Remove all of the screws that hold the panel in place.

The panel is now easily removed.After the vent panel is removed, you can access the cooling fan. best rated bagless vacuum cleanersUsing the can of compressed air, blow the dust off the fan with short bursts of air.pro clean duct and carpet serviceReplace the panel back on to the laptop and tighten the screws. best car vacuum cleaner malaysiaAfter the panel is reassembled, attach the battery and power up your laptop.HP Probook 6450b Fan Cleaning & Thermal Paste Replacement HP Probook 6450b Fan Cleaning & Thermal Paste Replacement Arctic Silver Thermal Paste Is your laptop constantly overheating and shutting off? This could be due to a clogged vent fan and/or burnt out thermal paste on your heat sink.

Thermal paste is a conductive paste that allows heat to transfer from the electrical components in your laptop to the heat sink, and ultimately out of the computer. Save yourself some money, and learn how to keep your laptop nice and cool with this guide. Shut down your laptop completely. Do not simply power off your computer using the power button. This will put the laptop into sleep mode. Instead, shut down the laptop from the start menu. Unplug the charger cord and all devices connected to the computer. Flip the laptop over and locate the battery compartment release latch. Slide the release latch to the left to release the battery. Electrostatic shocks can damage the internal components of the computer. Press and hold the power button for a minimum of 10 seconds to allow electric charge to dissipate from the motherboard and internal components. Optional: You may also wear an anti-static bracelet during the repair as a safety precaution. This grounds you to the computer chassis and prevents accidental static discharge from your fingers.

Locate and loosen the 3 Phillips PM 2.5 x 11.0 screws on the bottom side of the computer. Flip the laptop right side up and open the screen. Locate the 4 keyboard tabs. Slide the tabs towards you. Lift the keyboard by the upper edge, then flip it over so the ribbon cable is exposed. Do not attempt to remove the keyboard until the ribbon cable has been disconnected. Lift both ends of the plastic tab securing the ribbon cable to the system board with the help of a spudger. If you don't have a spudger, any plastic item with a thin edge, like the plastic opening tool pictured here, will work just as well. Guitar picks are also a good alternative. Remove the keyboard ribbon cable and set the keyboard aside. Close the laptop and turn it upside down. Remove the 3 PM 2.0 x 3.0 screws securing the switch cover. Flip the laptop right side up, and open the display. Locate the LED board ribbon cable. Lift both ends of the plastic tab securing the ribbon cable to the system board.

Slide out the LED board ribbon cable. Remove the switch cover. You may need to use the spudger or opening tool to pry open the switch cover. It is easiest to start from the top edge, closest to the screen. Locate and loosen the 2 slotted Torx T8M 2.5 x 7.0 screws securing the fan to the motherboard. Disconnect the fan cable from the board. Lift out vent fan. Clean the dust from the fan with a small brush and/or compressed air. When using compressed air, avoid tilting the bottle greater than 40 degrees from vertical. Doing so will cause the part and your hand to rapidly cool. Locate and loosen the 4 Phillips PM 2.5 x 9.0 screws securing the heat sink. You may wish to disconnect the cable adjacent to the heat sink, to make removal easier. The thermal paste may have stuck the heat sink to the motherboard. Gently jimmy the heat sink back and forth until it is loose. Extract the heat sink. Remove dust trapped in the heat sink vent with compressed air and/or a small brush.