Overheating problems can be the death of your laptop. Like all moving parts, wear and tear on your fans can cause them to break down.
It is important that you don’t ignore fan-related issues as, left unchecked, your laptop might overheat. This can cause permanent damage to your computer, resulting in a costly repair or even replacement.
Read on to learn how to solve some of the more common fan-related faults we’ve come across on Dell laptops.
A Dell laptop fan not stopping is an indication that the internal temperature is high. Blocked air vents or resource-intensive programs may cause the temperature to rise. Dust or debris may clog the air vents or you may have positioned your laptop so that airflow is restricted.
It is important that you do not ignore the increased heat coming from your laptop. Carefully run your hand over the bottom of the laptop case and feel for hot spots.
Also, feel how hot the air is that is leaving the air vents.
If the case feels hot or the air coming out of the laptop is very warm, you should close the programs you are working on and then switch the laptop off.
This allows the components time to cool off without the risk of the heat rising and damaging your motherboard or hard drive.
Dell Laptop Fan Keeps Running
Fans keep running because the operating system receives sensor input indicating that internal temperatures are moving above the accepted safe limits.
There is software that you can load to keep a check on what your internal temperatures are. Dell recommends that you download their Power Management App.
There is an option within the Thermal Management tab to set the cooling parameters.
When your laptop fan keeps running, the most common cause is high CPU usage associated with Windows and other application updates. Although your CPU is designed to withstand periods of high usage, applications that require a lot of computing power can cause the CPU to run hot.
Your CPU temperature is expected to be in a range of 40-50°C (100-120°F) if you are only using a word processor or watching movies.
Running gaming software, video editing programs, or design applications puts greater demands on your laptop’s computing resources. This inevitably results in a rise in core temperatures.
Combine this with a dusty fan or partially blocked vents and your laptop will increase the fan revolutions per minute (RPM). As the temperatures reach more critical levels, the fan noise becomes noticeable.
It is at this point that you should switch your laptop off and investigate the cause of your overheating issues.
In hotter climates, it may require additional cooling in your laptop stand. Alternatively, restrict usage to those areas of your home that are cooler.
If you have the tools and experience, then you can remove the back of your laptop case to inspect the fan, heatsink, and air vents.
Use compressed air or a small paintbrush to loosen and remove dust that is layered on the fan blades and cooling vents.
Dell Laptop Fan Keeps Running in Sleep Mode
Despite Dell’s stellar reputation for well-spec’d laptops, the fan running while in sleep mode is a common issue experienced by many users.
This is an issue experienced over many years and with many different laptop models.
Dell laptop fans that continue to run in sleep mode can be traced to an issue with Windows. Microsoft offers a “Modern Standby” or S0 Low Power Idle option. This allows some applications and programs to run in Sleep mode. As the heat builds up, the fan activates, draining the battery.
So, your next question is, naturally, how to turn it off?
Windows has a “Standby S3” mode, which you can select as an alternative option. To do this, check that your system is in Standby S3 mode.
You can check by typing “powercfg /a” in the command prompt window.
If the system supports the S3 sleep state, then great. If not, you should check your BIOS to see if the S3 Sleep state is enabled. Enable it if it is an option.
Bear in mind, that if you do not know what you are doing, then you can prevent your laptop from working by making a mistake.
Only attempt this if you have a decent level of knowledge and skill.
If you are not comfortable with your ability to perform advanced changes to your BIOS and/or registry, then rather take your laptop to a technician who can do this for you.
Dell Laptop Fan Keeps Running When Closed
We have come to expect that our laptops will run flawlessly. One issue revolves around the fan running after closing the laptop.
One would expect the laptop to enter hibernation mode, but often, the fan continues to run. This drains the battery and is an inconvenience that is easily fixed.
Software updates and application installations will sometimes make changes to our software that can often be hard to solve.
If your Dell laptop fan keeps running when closed, it is likely a power option that you must change. Access the “Control Panel” and choose the “System and Security” option. Select “Power” and then “Change Plan”. This allows you to access the Advanced Power Settings tab to fix the problem.
How to Fix Advanced Power Settings Problems
- In the “Advanced Settings” tab, expand the “Sleep” option. Then expand the “Allow Hybrid Sleep” option and choose “Off”.
- Go back to the “Advanced Settings” tab and expand the “Sleep” option.
- Choose the “Allow Wake Timers” option, expand it and select “Disable for both”.
- Don’t forget to select both the option for “computer is running on its battery only” and the “power cable is plugged in” option.
- The final setting in the “Advanced” settings tab you must change is the USB setting. Under the USB settings, select the “USB Selective Suspend” setting and choose “Disable”.
- Finally, select “Apply” and “OK” to save your changes.
Your laptop should now enter “Sleep” mode when you close the lid. This will ensure that the fan doesn’t turn on while it is in your backpack or at night when you are no longer using it.
Dell Laptop Fan Keeps Running After Shutdown
Issues with the Windows 10 updates are known to cause laptop fans to keep running after shutdown.
This is annoying as it drains your laptop battery.
Luckily, the fix is fairly straightforward and you can resolve the problem quickly.
When your Dell laptop fan keeps running after shutdown, the fault may lie with the fast start-up settings in Windows. Switching your laptop off using the Windows start menu or the power button should shut off the screen, fans, and lights. If not, adjust your start-up settings.
How to Change Startup Settings
To change your start-up settings:
- Press the Windows key + q. This brings up the windows search box. Type in “power and sleep”.
- Select the “Power and Sleep” settings option and click “Additional power settings”.
- Select “Choose what the power buttons do” and click “Change settings that are currently unavailable”.
- De-select the checkbox next to “Turn on fast startup (recommended)”.
- Save your changes.
You can now switch your computer off and the fast startup option will be disabled and your laptop will close properly.
Dell Laptop Fan Runs When Plugged In
If you have a laptop where the fan runs when you plug it in to charge, then we may have a solution for you.
A Dell laptop fan that runs when plugged into the charger is possibly a Windows power management issue. The additional heat generated when charging the battery causes the fan to turn on in response to higher internal temperatures. To resolve the problem, change the power plan settings.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on May 4, 2022.
How to Edit Power Plan Settings
To edit your power plan and manage the heat problem, follow these steps:
- Type “edit power plan” in the windows search box.
- Select “Change advanced power settings”.
- In the Power options popup, expand the “Processor Power Management” menu item.
- Expand the “System Cooling Policy” and set the “Plugged in” option to “Active”.
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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on May 4, 2022.