Computer causing me to overheat

[smudgiebottom]

Hi LA,

How I wish for my technologically-challenged mother to want help from her IT certified son, but I'll leave that to a therapist some other time...

Laptop quality is usually something that is only seen on the pricing sticker. But in my experience, any cheaper laptop with a sticker on the underside stating "Caution, do not place directly on skin as laptop may become hot", should really just be saying "This laptop is not well designed and may burn you". Paying an extra $400 or so to get a well made/designed laptop can have its advantages!

In saying that, from what you describe, you've had this laptop for a year at least with everything going fine, and only recently (since the harddrive replacement) has it started to shutdown and get warm(er than it used to). Two possible causes,

• the battery is faulty and the laptop is trying VERY hard to charge it when it cannot be charged (hence the overheat/shutdown), or
• the new harddrive is faulty.

Harddrives themselves can build up heat (they do spin at 5,400 rpm at least!), and if not designed well, that heat may not dissipate well, causing components to short/fuse/overheat. Most electrical components failsafe action is to switch off/shut down. The trick is working out whether the two are related for you, but it is one of those things that will need a technician to look at as it is really hard to say remotely what the problem definitively is...

To troubleshoot, here are the two steps I would do:

1. Shutdown and remove the battery from the laptop. Plug the power into the laptop and then start it up without the battery at all (just running off the mains). Does it shutdown or get unusually warm? If yes, then harddrive is more likely the culprit. If it doesn't, then warranty replacement time for that battery.
2. Shutdown and remove the battery from the laptop. Put the old (Vista) harddrive back in (you'll probably need a small screwdriver or some help) and power it up and test if it still shuts down, or makes the whistling noise.

I hope that makes sense, or helps...


All the best!

Matt