Computer Fan

glennhoffmania

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Starting today the fan on my laptop won't stop running. I haven't done anything differently and I haven't downloaded anything. Out of the blue from the second it boots up the fan stays on now. I checked task manager and the only thing running was Chrome. I shut down and rebooted and there was no change. The computer doesn't seem any hotter than usual. Any advice?
 

soxhop411

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Starting today the fan on my laptop won't stop running. I haven't done anything differently and I haven't downloaded anything. Out of the blue from the second it boots up the fan stays on now. I checked task manager and the only thing running was Chrome. I shut down and rebooted and there was no change. The computer doesn't seem any hotter than usual. Any advice?
Few things:
See if there are any pending windows updates going in the background.

If this is a name brand name computer (like a dell) check if there are any driver updates. Please go to the manufactures website to download the drivers or driver software (like dell command update for dell computers)
 

glennhoffmania

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What does task manager show in terms of CPU percentage? If you stop chrome, does the fan stop spinning?
The first thing I tried is closing Chrome and it did nothing. Just now booted it back up, opened Chrome, and went to task manager. It says CPU is 59 percent. So far the fan hasn't started but I'm sure it will soon. Another odd thing is that it says I have 7 Chrome processes going but I only have 1 tab open.
 

glennhoffmania

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Few things:
See if there are any pending windows updates going in the background.

If this is a name brand name computer (like a dell) check if there are any driver updates. Please go to the manufactures website to download the drivers or driver software (like dell command update for dell computers)
It's a Dell and the only updates I see are from Intel. There's a wifi driver update, a wireless Bluetooth update, and a rapid storage technology user interface and driver update. Should I install those?

Wait I just checked again and I see this. Should I download this crap?

Network | Intel 3165 and 7265 Wi-Fi Driver (59 MB)
View details
Serial ATA | Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver and Management Console (52 MB)
View details
Chipset | Intel Management Engine Interface Driver (143 MB)
View details
Network | Intel 3165 and 7265 Bluetooth Driver (52 MB)
View details
BIOS | Dell Inspiron 5567 and 5767 System BIOS (6 MB)
View details
Video | AMD Radeon Graphics Driver (594 MB)
View details
Chipset | Intel Serial IO Driver (9 MB)
View details
 

soxhop411

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It's a Dell and the only updates I see are from Intel. There's a wifi driver update, a wireless Bluetooth update, and a rapid storage technology user interface and driver update. Should I install those?
Yes. Those are legitimate. you should update all of those. How old is the laptop btw?

Edit @glennhoffmania yes update everything.. it has security fixes and helps with improvements
Kind of like software updates on your phone or tv. It just updates for the individual components of the laptop.
 
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glennhoffmania

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OK thanks. Could these updates solve the fan issue?

It's about 3 years old. Maybe closer to 4 now.
 

gtmtnbiker

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Another odd thing is that it says I have 7 Chrome processes going but I only have 1 tab open.
This is normal. Chrome has some helper processes like GPU Process, Network, Storage, Audio, etc.

I agree with soxhop to update your drivers/BIOS and see if the problem still occurs.
 

soxhop411

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The fan is still blowing nonstop after the updates. Any other suggestions?
What is the CPU? An i3 or i5 +?

how much RAM?

what are you typically doing when the fan kicks into overdrive? If you are using chrome, how many windows and tabs do you have open?

if the first question is i3 or the second question is 8GB or less of ram, that may be part of the problem.

Chrome is absolutely shit in terms of memory usage on low spec computers.

if you can. Spend a day doing the normal shit you do but use Firefox instead. If you don’t hear the fan as much or is doesn’t run as loud and as long (because for a lot of low spec computers the fan IS going to run more then a higher spec pc) you have your answer (chrome)
 
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Max Power

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When you go to Task Manager and sort things by CPU, what comes up with the highest CPU load? Your computer overall should be under 5% almost all the time and then burst to higher amounts when you do stuff, so sticking at over 50% is not right and completely explains the constant fan noise.
 

glennhoffmania

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What is the CPU? An i3 or i5 +?

how much RAM?

what are you typically doing when the fan kicks into overdrive? If you are using chrome, how many windows and tabs do you have open?

if the first question is i3 or the second question is 8GB or less of ram, that may be part of the problem.

Chrome is absolutely shit in terms of memory usage on low spec computers.

if you can. Spend a day doing the normal shit you do but use Firefox instead. If you don’t hear the fan as much or is doesn’t run as loud and as long (because for a lot of low spec computers the fan IS going to run more then a higher spec pc) you have your answer (chrome)
Where would I find the info about the CPU and RAM? I don't remember the specs from when I bought it.

But in general I pretty much just use it for Chrome. And even when I close Chrome and have no apps running the fan stays on. This happened all of the sudden out of the blue starting two days ago. Until then the fan would come up once in a while and eventually shut off. Now it's constant, even if nothing is running.
 

glennhoffmania

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When you go to Task Manager and sort things by CPU, what comes up with the highest CPU load? Your computer overall should be under 5% almost all the time and then burst to higher amounts when you do stuff, so sticking at over 50% is not right and completely explains the constant fan noise.
It's almost always Chrome. There's a bunch of other stuff small that shows up as well but generally it seems like Chrome is the biggest usage. And I'm always around 50% or higher. Is it possible that this computer is just shot? I was thinking about upgrading anyway. It was a mid level Dell that I bought 4 years ago and use pretty much every day, with even heavier usage over the past year while being stuck at home. So maybe it's just breaking down?
 

Max Power

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It's much more likely Chrome is messed up in some way. Have you checked your extensions in there to see what you have? You should remove anything you don't recognize and disable anything you don't think you need. You could also try using new Edge for a bit to see if that makes a difference. It's the same engine in the background, but has a slightly different interface.
 

glennhoffmania

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Yeah I checked the extensions and there isn't much. McAfee, Google sheets, Docs- nothing new added recently. Something seems to be up with Chrome though. The CPU usage fluctuates between 10% and 20% even when I'm doing nothing except leaving two tabs open. But at the same time, the fan continues to run and the CPU usage doesn't change even when I close Chrome and have nothing running. CPU usage never seems to go below 50%.
 

soxhop411

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search System info in the search bar. That will tell you your pc config info.
Where would I find the info about the CPU and RAM? I don't remember the specs from when I bought it.

But in general I pretty much just use it for Chrome. And even when I close Chrome and have no apps running the fan stays on. This happened all of the sudden out of the blue starting two days ago. Until then the fan would come up once in a while and eventually shut off. Now it's constant, even if nothing is running.
 

glennhoffmania

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search System info in the search bar. That will tell you your pc config info.
Thanks. This is what I see:

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-7500U CPU @ 2.70GHz, 2901 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)

Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 8.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 7.90 GB
Available Physical Memory 2.78 GB
Total Virtual Memory 12.2 GB
Available Virtual Memory 4.23 GB
Page File Space 4.27 GB
 

Max Power

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Yeah I checked the extensions and there isn't much. McAfee, Google sheets, Docs- nothing new added recently. Something seems to be up with Chrome though. The CPU usage fluctuates between 10% and 20% even when I'm doing nothing except leaving two tabs open. But at the same time, the fan continues to run and the CPU usage doesn't change even when I close Chrome and have nothing running. CPU usage never seems to go below 50%.
When Chrome is closed and you go to Task Manager, what's at the top when you sort by CPU? There's some task that's stuck.

The specs on your computer are quite good. An i7 from a few generations ago shouldn't be taxed like that all the time.
 

glennhoffmania

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So I ran a McAfee scan and a Malware Bytes scan, nothing. I rebooted and only opened the task manager. A couple of minutes later the fan started blowing full speed. The CPU was bouncing around from 50% and up, sometimes hitting 100%. I waited about ten minutes and opened Chrome. CPU is staying around 50-60 now and the fan is still blowing.
 

glennhoffmania

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When Chrome is closed and you go to Task Manager, what's at the top when you sort by CPU? There's some task that's stuck.

The specs on your computer are quite good. An i7 from a few generations ago shouldn't be taxed like that all the time.
It varies but I see system, service host, task manager, windows explorer, desktop window manager and some others that keep popping up. But mostly it seems to be system.

Now service host seems to be dominating the top spot.
 

soxhop411

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So I ran a McAfee scan and a Malware Bytes scan, nothing. I rebooted and only opened the task manager. A couple of minutes later the fan started blowing full speed. The CPU was bouncing around from 50% and up, sometimes hitting 100%. I waited about ten minutes and opened Chrome. CPU is staying around 50-60 now and the fan is still blowing.
how much IMPORTANT data is on your computer? if worse comes to worse you can move any important files you need to either google drive/ external HDD and wipe the computer likes its OOB (if this is windows 10, MS makes it really easy to do this)... if the fan still runs in overdrive with noting but the default stock apps installed it may be a hardware issue
 

glennhoffmania

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how much IMPORTANT data is on your computer? if worse comes to worse you can move any important files you need to either google drive/ external HDD and wipe the computer likes its OOB (if this is windows 10, MS makes it really easy to do this)... if the fan still runs in overdrive with noting but the default stock apps installed it may be a hardware issue
Yeah maybe. If it gets to that point I think I'd just buy a new one. This wasn't expensive and I wouldn't mind upgrading.
 

Max Power

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It varies but I see system, service host, task manager, windows explorer, desktop window manager and some others that keep popping up. But mostly it seems to be system.

Now service host seems to be dominating the top spot.
Which "Service Host?" It should say Service Host: XXXXX. My guess is the Installer Service and you have a Windows Update that's stuck. If that's the case, go to Computer Management > Services and stop Windows Update. Then delete the entire C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\ directory. Reboot and it will redownload and install anything it needs.
 

MuzzyField

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To add to Soxhop's most recent thoughts on hardware.

You might want to download software that gives you internal temp readings. It could be a fan issue or maybe an actual thermal issue with the CPU/GPU. How much moving/bouncing around has this laptop experienced. Is the air coming out via the fan hot, warm or cool?
 

glennhoffmania

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Which "Service Host?" It should say Service Host: XXXXX. My guess is the Installer Service and you have a Windows Update that's stuck. If that's the case, go to Computer Management > Services and stop Windows Update. Then delete the entire C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\ directory. Reboot and it will redownload and install anything it needs.
It's mostly service host sysmain.

Sorry if I'm being dense but I searched for "computer management" in the start menu and nothing came up. I do see the software distribution directory and something was downloaded three days ago. Should I delete that stuff? Or still delete everything?

Thanks for your attempts to help with this.
 

glennhoffmania

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To add to Soxhop's most recent thoughts on hardware.

You might want to download software that gives you internal temp readings. It could be a fan issue or maybe an actual thermal issue with the CPU/GPU. How much moving/bouncing around has this laptop experienced. Is the air coming out via the fan hot, warm or cool?
Thanks, I'll try that. The air coming out feels warm, but I wouldn't say hot. The computer doesn't feel any warmer than usual. And it rarely is moved. I don't take it anywhere. It's been sitting on a desk for months.
 

Max Power

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It's mostly service host sysmain.

Sorry if I'm being dense but I searched for "computer management" in the start menu and nothing came up. I do see the software distribution directory and something was downloaded three days ago. Should I delete that stuff? Or still delete everything?

Thanks for your attempts to help with this.
Right click on the Start button and choose Computer Management. Services under "Services and Applications" on the left side. If it's SysMain that's causing the CPU usage, you can try stopping/disabling that rather than messing with Windows Updates if that's working correctly. Here's a site describing the same issue...

Service Host SysMain causing High CPU and Memory usage (thewindowsclub.com)
 

glennhoffmania

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Quick follow up question for you guys. I updated all of the stuff that was suggested and I went through the link LT posted. When I go to available driver downloads now it still shows the BIOS update, among others I already downloaded. So I updated the BIOS again, rebooted, and it's still showing as an available update. Should I ignore it or is it possible that the update isn't installing?
 

Harry Hooper

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Quick follow up question for you guys. I updated all of the stuff that was suggested and I went through the link LT posted. When I go to available driver downloads now it still shows the BIOS update, among others I already downloaded. So I updated the BIOS again, rebooted, and it's still showing as an available update. Should I ignore it or is it possible that the update isn't installing?
If you type "msinfo" into the search box to launch System Information, what version of the BIOS is listed in the middle of the main page? Does it match the one listed as an available upgrade?

The BYTE ME forum might be a better place for this thread.
 

glennhoffmania

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If you type "msinfo" into the search box to launch System Information, what version of the BIOS is listed in the middle of the main page? Does it match the one listed as an available upgrade?

The BYTE ME forum might be a better place for this thread.
Yeah it matches. So it seems odd that it keeps telling me there's an update available.

I agree about Byte Me but I realized it after we were a few posts in. I screwed up.
 

cardiacs

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My XPS-15 fan is always running. I went through most of the fixes discussed here and it didn't change anything.
I just gave up, bought a gaming desktop and use the XPS-15 less now.
 

Pleasantlybitter

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I’ve seen situations where a clot of dust and pet hair on the inboard side of the cooling fins (between the fan and the fins) can cause the fan to run constantly. In a pinch I’ve blown compressed air into the cooling fins (from the outside) to break it up (computer off and just for a second, it really revs up the fan). It blows all that crap back into your laptop but that can be remedied later if it turns out it helps. I’ll usually pop the back off and look between the fan and the fins if I have the time but not everybody Is comfortable doing that.
 

glennhoffmania

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I’ve seen situations where a clot of dust and pet hair on the inboard side of the cooling fins (between the fan and the fins) can cause the fan to run constantly. In a pinch I’ve blown compressed air into the cooling fins (from the outside) to break it up (computer off and just for a second, it really revs up the fan). It blows all that crap back into your laptop but that can be remedied later if it turns out it helps. I’ll usually pop the back off and look between the fan and the fins if I have the time but not everybody Is comfortable doing that.
Do you use those keyboard cleaning sprayer things?
 

Ferm Sheller

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I check stocks on Yahoo and for the past three weeks I haven't been able to visit that site for more than a minute without my MacBook's fan coming on full force. This doesn't happen if I go to any other site. Really not sure what's going on. Just need to stay away from Yahoo, I guess, which really isn't a problem.