Laptop Dying

[China Doll]

Hi,

I've been having problems with my laptop for sometime. Recently it's been shutting down while I'm watching something on Iplayer or ITV Player. Before this, it did occasionally freeze which meant I had to shut it down as well. The laptop was brought in 2008 and is a novatech one. Other problems it has had in the past is not liking when you plug anything with a USB port in (ipod, camera etc) which also shuts it down.

My step-dad is coming over on 18th June and he's a computer person by trade so I will get him to have a look at it then. However, I suspect that the laptop is on its way out. I could take it to one of the computer shops on tottenam court road (there's lots) but I don't want to end up with a hefty bill as well. What do you think? Would you take it in to a shop? Does it sound like it's on its last legs?

Thank you... sorry if my post sounds utterly clueless, it's technology so utterly clueless would sum me up! :-/

[ChuckFickens]

It's almost certainly overheating due to build up of fluff (no not Mcfluff) in the fan vents and heatsinks.

I know you've probably told me before, but whats they make and model?

[China Doll]

Erm... Novatech made it... Not sure about the model. I'll have to check when I'm at home.

It does make a noise sometimes like its working very hard and I thought that might be the fans. Does that mean it can be fixed?

Thanks Chucky :c) (I even didn't call him Zappy in case someone else answered who doesn't speak China Doll!)

[ChuckFickens]

If it's just clogged up it can certainly be fixed. (the noise is the fan struggling to keep it cool) ideally I'd strip it down and clear the heatsink out that way. but as a quick fix you can normally clear them out by sucking (vacuum cleaner) or blowing (air line, or can of compressed air) through the vents in the opposite direction to the normal airflow (doing it the same direction will just push the fluff in further)

Zappy will live again :)

[China Doll]

Zappy rises!! Thank you Chuck :-D

I'll get the vaccumm cleaner on to it and if that fails, get snags to do the blowy thing with the compressed air, I'll probably blow the screen off or something if I try!

[snags]

I don't think it is dust. I think the mother board is knackered.

[ChuckFickens]

A knackered motherboard would tend to stop it working at all though, the fact it's failing when playing videos (which are fairly intensive on the CPU and/or the GPU) would indicate it's overheating.

Of course, there may well be more than one problem with it, but there is nothing to lose by trying to give it a blow out.

[ChuckFickens]

Oh and if you do blow it through with compressed air, stick something into the vent on the bottom to lock the fan in one place otherwise the air will spin it up and it will act like a little generator and start putting power back the wrong way through the motherboard.

[snags]

Dust ( there's plenty of it at CD's place ;-p ) may well be the cause of the overheating and shutting down but there are other more serious problems with the laptop.

It shuts down every time 'anything' (iPod, external hard drive, digital camera) is plugged in to 'any' of the USB ports (or not even actually plugged in, but as soon as the device plug just touches any part of the port)... and it freezes and emits a horrible grinding noise (audio not mechanical I think) when playing online tv and DVDs occasionally. The DVD drive doesn't always accept/read discs and it randomly loses/can't find the wireless connection (which is ok as my Mac has no problem finding/holding connection).

[China Doll]

^^^ That's true, it does do all of those things as well. :-/

When I vacuum it, is it ok to just hold it above the fan bits? Thank you :c)