What to Do With an Overheating HP Computer

An overheating HP requires care to keep it from overheating.

HP computers may overheat for the same reasons any other brand of computer overheats, including internal fan problems, an overtaxed processor and blocked vents. Correcting an overheating problem involves identifying the cause of the heat build up, which generally requires a few steps and some diligent attention. Keeping your computer cool is vital to the health of your system. Prolonged and frequent overheating can cause internal damage as circuit boards short circuit and burn out, causing your computer to malfunction.

Deep Clean

One of the easiest ways to help prevent overheating is to take your computer case apart and do some deep cleaning to ensure an open airflow through the tower's air vents. Power down your system and unplug it from the wall before working inside the case, and use compressed air and soft cloths to remove any built-up dust, hair or lint from the components, fan and air vents.

Fan Inspection

Your computer has internal fans to help dissipate the heat before it builds up to risky levels, and heat can build up inside due to a malfunctioning or broken fan. Inspect your computer's internal fans for signs of wear, breakage or clogs. Hair can wrap around the fan blades and base, preventing smooth operation and easy air movement. Broken blades prevent effective operation, and software conflicts can prevent the fan from working properly.

Move the Tower

Sometimes a computer overheats simply because of its location. Placing your computer tower near a heat source, such as a sunny window, fireplace or radiator introduces additional heat to the warmth your computer already generates. Check around your computer for register vents, warm spots or other heat generating devices, and move it as necessary.

Close Down

Your computer's processor generates a great deal of heat as it runs programs and other processes. Having too many processor intensive programs open at once can tax the motherboard and cause it to become very warm. Close down any programs you aren't using, and power off your computer when you aren't using it or are away from home. Allow it to cool completely before turning it back on to avoid the possibility of damage from frequent overheating.

References

• Lifehacker; How to Prevent Your Computer from Overheating (And Why It's Important); Erica Ho; June, 2010
• Computer Too Slow: Detect and Fix an Overheating Computer
• Compu-Kiss; Keep Your Computer Cool; Sandy Berger