Silence Your Laptop's Noisy Fan with These Simple Fixes

Are you in a meeting or at a calm café when your laptop fan starts causing a ruckus, making you feel irritated and embarrassed? Fear not, as Asurion has got your tech back.

Asurion assists millions of people in troubleshooting their tech issues, from resolving why you can't connect your laptop to Wi-Fi to determining the memory capacity you require for your laptop. We ensure that your devices, which are of utmost importance to you, keep working efficiently throughout the day. Here are our recommendations for rectifying loud laptop fans.

What causes a loud laptop fan?

If your laptop fan is producing loud noises, screeching, or making a grinding noise, it is generally due to one of two reasons: it is overheating, or something such as the fan is broken.

The first issue can even lead to the second. If a laptop is functioning harder than it should, it generates additional heat and compels the fan to work overtime to cool it down. Overheating can prompt your device to shut down or cause irreparable damage.

The silver lining is that a few straightforward measures can help fix this problem:

• Place your laptop on a firm, level surface.
• Clean the air vent.
• Cease all programs operating in the background.
• Eradicate all viruses and malware.
• Reset your system management controller (SMC) and parameter random access memory (PRAM).

Update your drivers.

1. Place your laptop on a firm, level surface

Laptops provide you with the flexibility to work from any location, even surfaces such as the stack of clothes you have just folded. However, certain surfaces might block the vents that help your device cool down. Placing your laptop on a firm, level surface will keep the fan vents open, allowing the internal fans to cool your laptop down and restore it to normal operations.

2. Clean the air vent

If your laptop continues to produce a loud fan noise, or if the fan continues to operate frequently, you should also examine the air vents for dust accumulation, which can hinder your device's performance. To remove dust accumulation, aim a can of compressed air at your laptop's fan vents, taking care not to spray a direct inflow of air into your device. It is also a good idea to scrub your laptop's vents every six months as a preventive maintenance measure to ensure that dust buildup will not cause your laptop to overheat.

3. Cease all programs running in the background

Laptops often run programs in the background while you are working in another window. These programs, as well as any open windows, can burden your device. Follow these steps to check if this is the cause of the issue:

• To eliminate all background programs on Mac:
• Launch Spotlight by pressing Cmd + Space, then search for "activity monitor."
• Open the other folder.
• Click on the Activity Monitor icon.

Double-click on the process you wish to end. In the window that appears, click on "Quit."

To eliminate all background programs on Windows:

• Launch the task manager by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete.
• Right-click on the program you want to end.

Click on "End Task."

4. Eliminate all viruses

A loud laptop fan can imply that your device is infected with a virus or other malicious software. Both can cause your device to work harder and overheat its internal components. For assistance on how to locate and eliminate all computer viruses, please refer to our comprehensive guide.

5. Restarting PRAM and SMC on Mac

If you encounter a problem with your MacBook®, such as the internal fan not functioning properly, resetting your system management controller (SMC) and parameter random access memory (PRAM) may assist in restoring it to normal functionality. Here's how you can do it:

• To restart PRAM:
• Go to the Apple® menu and choose Shut Down to turn off your laptop.
• Once your laptop is turned off, turn it back on and immediately press Option, Command, P and R keys together.
• You may release these keys after about 20 seconds, once the laptop restarts.
• To restart SMC:
• Connect your laptop to the charger and switch off the device.
• Hold down Shift, Option, Control, and the Power button simultaneously for 30 seconds.
• Press the Power button to turn your laptop back on.

• 6. Update Your Drivers

Laptops are connected to external devices such as printers and headphones through drivers, which are files in your software that enable the devices to work appropriately. However, for the drivers to function effectively, your software must be up to date.

To check for updates on Mac®:

• Click the Apple® menu in the corner of your screen and choose System Preferences.

Click the Software Update option. If new software is available, click Update Now to install it.

To check for updates on Windows:

• Press the Start button on the Windows taskbar.
• Click the Settings icon.
• Select Updates & Security and then click Windows Update > Check for updates.

• 7. Get a Replacement Part

If the above-mentioned steps do not assist in resolving the problem with your laptop's fan, you may require a new fan or hard drive. However, replacing these components necessitates disassembling and reassembling your laptop, which can damage it if not done correctly. Therefore, we suggest that you contact a specialist in laptop repair before attempting to replace the malfunctioning part. Before proceeding with the repair, it is recommended that you back up your essential files.