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. Now it's time to blow out the dust, something you might want to do outside. 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.I saw this on PC Advisor and thought you should see it too. Like PCs, laptops use fans to blow air on components that would otherwise overheat. air duct cleaning mountain viewTypically a laptop will have one or two fans cooling the main processor and graphics chip or chipset. air duct cleaning mobile homeMany designs use a so-called heatpipe system to draw heat away from these components, with a single fan cooling a heatsink which is attached to the heat-pipes. laptop cooling fan with external power

The heatsink will have lots of 'fins' to dissipate the heat, and dust can also build up between these fins, reducing cooling power enormously. What you need to know is that the fans in a laptop are even more critical than in a PC. With everything packed in to make the laptop as slim as possible, there's very little room for airflow. And that means that even small amounts of dirt and dust can hamper a fan's effectiveness.what is the best brand vacuum cleaner nz The first signs of a clogged up fan are random Windows crashes as the system overheats. Or, if the vents are blocked with dust rather than the fan blades, you'll notice the fan running constantly or at a high speed than usual. You can try various techniques, with the easier methods having a lower success rate. If you're not confident using a screwdriver to dismantle your laptop, grab a can of compressed air or try a camera lens air duster if you have one.

Vacuum cleaners are not recommended: they're quite ineffective at removing dust and they can also cause a build-up of static electricity which you don't want around a laptop. Obviously make sure the latop is powered off before you start. Insert the nozzle of the air duster into the vents (or as close as you can get it) and start blowing the dust out. Try and stop the fan blades turning using a long plastic object - you'll have a hard time removing dirt from a spinning fan. For those that are happy to wield a screwdriver, turn off the laptop, flip it over, and remove the battery. If there is one, remove the plastic or metal panel in the base and hopefully it will reveal the fan. Your success here will depend entirely on your laptop model. If you don't see the fan at all, you'll have to go one step further and remove other parts. There are many YouTube videos that show how to take laptops apart: just search for your make and model.The best way to do this is with a can of compressed air.

If using compressed air, press the button in short bursts from lots of different angles. Don't get too close with the nozzle and stop the blades moving as per method 1. You'd do well to unscrew or otherwise remove the fan at this point and check for any other dirt clogging up the heatsink or air vents. After you've blown out all the dust, replace the panel and battery and you should find that the fan runs much quieter when you power the laptop on again. The plastic bearings in laptop fans don't last forever and if your fan is emitting a loud whine (which it didn't when you first got the laptop) it's probably time to replace it. Here, ebay is your friend. It helps if you have a popular make of laptop: we found a lot of Dell, HP, Acer and Asus fans but you'll be able to search for your exact laptop model. It helps if you have your laptop's fan for reference, and check with the seller if the photos are of the actual item if you're not sure.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.