Could My Laptop Have Overheated?

  • Thread starter Thread starter kyphysics
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Laptop
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the potential overheating issues of a laptop, exploring symptoms such as unresponsive touchpad and mouse functionality. Participants consider various causes, including hardware issues, dust accumulation, and software problems, while sharing personal experiences and troubleshooting suggestions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes intermittent issues with the touchpad and mouse, suggesting overheating could be a cause due to prolonged usage without shutdown.
  • Another participant agrees that overheating seems reasonable but questions whether the laptop is covered when not in use.
  • A later reply mentions that the problem persists even after multiple restarts and suggests using a wired mouse as a temporary solution.
  • Concerns about potential viruses are raised, despite the use of security software that did not detect any issues.
  • One participant suggests that dust accumulation and possible residue from air pollution could be causing overheating, recommending cleaning the laptop's interior if the user is comfortable doing so.
  • Another participant speculates that the issue might be related to internet connectivity, noting that some applications can lock up systems with slow connections.
  • Another participant shares a personal experience with a similar laptop overheating during updates, linking it to high fan activity.
  • One participant warns about the risks of overheating, sharing a past experience where a laptop melted a connection, and suggests using monitoring software to check temperatures.
  • Another participant advises on proper laptop placement to avoid blocking air vents, which could contribute to overheating.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express multiple competing views regarding the causes of the laptop issues, including overheating, dust accumulation, potential software problems, and internet connectivity. The discussion remains unresolved with no consensus on the primary cause.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention various assumptions, such as the condition of the laptop's internal components and the user's habits regarding maintenance and usage. There are also references to specific software and hardware issues that may not apply universally.

kyphysics
Messages
685
Reaction score
445
It was running slow and I could not left click with the mouse pointer (finger pad button and finger pad tapping area).

I mean...it COULD the first minute or so of starting it up. Then after I opened like a browser or what not and 1 minute or so passed, the mouse pointer could still move, but NOT left click anything.

I tried various combinations of starting and shutting down my laptop. No help. Same issue. I got pissed and turned it off and left it like that for a few hours. Then, I went back to it and turned it on and restarted it once too. Now, it works.

Ehhh, could overheating have caused that? I'll admit, I don't think I've turned off my laptop for 2 years running. It seems on my table. Outside of power outages, it stays on.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Computer science news on Phys.org
With no other information than given, overheating seems a reasonable explanation. Is the laptop covered when not inuse?
 
mathman said:
With no other information than given, overheating seems a reasonable explanation. Is the laptop covered when not inuse?

UPDATE:

Same problem happening with touch pad. After a few minutes, I can no longer click. Sometimes, I can't click at all. I've restarted and shut down my computer in varying ways about 15x now over 24 hours. Same issue!

I bought a physical wired mouse from Target. It works now ...SO FAR...
 
This this have been a virus? I mean...I use Avast Premium Security and it didnt' pick it up I guess.
 
kyphysics said:
I don't think I've turned off my laptop for 2 years running.
Likely thoroughly clogged up with dust, and perhaps some oily conductive residue on the interior surfaces (circuit boards) from air pollution and cooking fumes.

If you are comfortable opening the case, do so and blow out all the dust. If you have a vacuum cleaner that can BLOW air, that would be a good option for the dust. Just be careful that you don't blow very much on any fans in the computer, it is easy to get them spinning fast enough to self-destruct!

Do not use a brush. Too much risk of static electricity destroying things.

You can also get 'Canned Air' which is a spray can of pressured gas, not really air. Due to their higher pressure and flow rate you have to be extra careful with any fans.

Concentrate on the area around the Touch Pad, Memory, and CPU. The CPU is fan cooled so be cautious there.

Another less likely problem is the Power Supply on the edge of failing. If it is an external supply, see if you can borrow one to try.

Beyond that, partial disassembly and a thorough cleaning are the next step, not for the inexperienced though, take it to a repair shop!

Let us know what you find.

Cheers,
Tom
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: nrqed and sysprog
Could just be as easy as the i built mouse developng a fault.
 
Because it's happened on multiple devices I'm wondering if it may be related to internet connectivity. I have seen some applications that "lock up" systems if they I have an extremely slow connection to the internet. If it happens again or if it's still happening try disabling your network connections. Many of these problematic applications give up if they I have no connection to the internet.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Tom.G
HankDorsett said:
Because it's happened on multiple devices I'm wondering if it may be related to internet connectivity.

Windows 10 used to lock up when content delivery manager could not retrieve lock-screen images from the online repository, but I understood that has been fixed. A single app that halts waiting for internet should not stop other applications, though.

I have an Acer Aspire S7 laptop that is also exhibiting the same symptoms and I think it is heat related because it always happens when the fan is on high rotation as the latest Windows update is being applied. As the laptop then halts, the update never completes, and so it never gets past that point!

Very frustrating, it's time to open the case and blow the dust away, and if that does not work, I'll probably bin it.
 
Laptops can easily overheat. The last one I had overheated enough to melt a connection and that was a common problem with that model. You can download the free software, CPUID Monitor. It will tell you what the temperatures are. For evaluating the temperature and possible actions to reduce them, see this.
 
  • #10
You need to pay attention to where you rest the laptop when you use it, it should be on a hard surface. If you rest it on your lap / bed / sofa you are likely blocking the air vents at the bottom.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: FactChecker

Similar threads

Laptop Battery Dying (78%) - Any Steps to Take?
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
3K
Laptop suggestions for a Physics Student
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
5K
Urgent: Physically repair - or bypass - power button on Asus laptop
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
1K
Laptop screen flickering/moving up and down with pink tint
  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
14K
Spilled 1/3 bottle water onto table and laptop keyboard area....
  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
2K
Program Ubuntu to ignore mouse clicks that are very close in time
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
5K
My laptop is infected, what should I do?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Bluetooth malfunctioning in Ubuntu 20.04 laptop
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
6K
SSD crash after Windows 10 update on Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon 5th Gen
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
Laptop hard drive turning on and off
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
7K