How to prevent laptop overheating: 3 steps to protect your laptop

When you feel the bottom of your laptop getting quite warm for long periods of time, it might be a sign that your laptop is overheating. Laptops do warm up from the heat generated by the processors, but that heat is usually dispersed quickly by its internal cooling system. This system is made up of the heat sink and fans.

When the cooling system starts to get overwhelmed and can’t work properly, it could create a range of problems for your laptop’s hardware. In this guide, we’ll show you how to keep your laptop from overheating and cause damage to its hardware.

Why should I prevent my laptop from overheating?

Laptop overheating is definitely something to avoid, as it can leave you with a lot of troubles. Your laptop is made up of many delicate parts that are designed to work smoothly under normal circumstances. These normal circumstances usually mean a cool and controlled environment where everything can work together properly and efficiently. That way you can get the best out of your laptop.

So when your laptop does overheat, you’ll feel that it’s running a little too warm at first, and notice that the fan is running more frequently and louder than usual. The heat produced by the processors puts more stress on the fans when it can’t be dispersed quickly. It will have to “work overtime” just to keep the temperature cool.

This can happen to anyone, but there are still a few things you can try to . The main thing is not to let your laptop overheat continuously, to the point where it may affect performance or even damage your hardware.

How overheating happens

Like we’ve mentioned, laptop overheating can happen to many computer users, especially those with older laptops. After using your laptop for maybe a few years, it can start acting up and cause a range of problems. Overheating is a very common one. A combination of three things can lead to this. They include poor ventilation, dust accumulation, and processor overexertion.

Poor ventilation

To let the heat out efficiently, there has to be some place to disperse that out of the device. The vents of your laptop is where that happens. Heat produced by the processors is passed through the heat sink, and then is driven out by the fans through the vents. These vents are usually found on the sides of your laptop, or on the bottom, or where the screen hinges are. It is very important to keep these vents clear of any obstructions, so you can get rid of excess heat easily.

When these vents are blocked, this traps the heat. No matter how hard the fans work, the heat remains in the device. Most of the time this comes from using the laptop on fabric surfaces like blankets, sofas, or beds. Fabric surfaces are definitely not the right place to use your laptop on.

Dusty laptop

Along with fabrics, dust is also a huge heat trapper. Dust can certainly get inside laptops and shouldn’t be an issue if you’ve only got a little bit of it. Your laptop’s fan won’t fall that easily to just a small amount of dust.

But when it accumulates into clumps of dust that are big enough to trap internal heat and block vents, then you’ve got a problem. A large amount of dust can lead to more poor ventilation issues and potentially block your fan from running smoothly.

Overexertion

Like most things, you should know your limits. That goes for laptop processing power as well. Modern laptops can handle a lot these days, but over time, performance could slow down. This can cause the processor chips like the CPU and GPU to generate a lot of heat that the fans need to get rid of.

Other than the processors, fans can also lose performance over time. This makes it harder for the laptop to maintain an optimal internal temperature. Fans are moving parts, and having to overwork them can shorten their lifespans.

What could go wrong when your laptop overheats

So we know overheating is bad for your laptop, but what exactly could happen to the laptop? When your laptop overheats for a prolonged period of time, it could seriously damage its hardware. There are three parts that commonly fall due to overheating. They include: the fan, motherboard, and the processors (CPU and GPU).

As a moving part, an overworked fan can break down from the stress. When the internal temperature can’t be controlled, the fan will have to work harder and faster. This puts a lot of stress on the machinery and can kill it slowly. If you notice an abnormal rattling or clunking noise from the fan, it might be time to replace it.

Another thing that could go wrong when your laptop overheats is motherboard burn damage. The motherboard is a circuit board that acts as the main communication channel between all parts of the laptop. It is made up of delicate and complicated circuitry and connecting points that are prone to heat damage. It can undoubtedly take damage from high temperatures. Sometimes with motherboard failures, we can see small burn marks on the board. This comes from the abnormally high temperatures inside the laptop. On laptops, the CPU and GPU are usually embedded on the motherboard, so these chips can also create and take damage from the heat.

How to protect your laptop from overheating

When trying to maintain the right temperature for your laptop, the main thing to pay attention to is how efficiently the cooling system is working. To do so, you can try doing some things that can help it work easier. This includes cleaning any accumulated dust, applying thermal paste, providing proper ventilation and breathing space for the processors.

1. Do some dustbusting

Cleaning your laptop isn’t a complicated job to do, and you only need to do it once or twice a year. Dust doesn’t accumulate that quickly, so you don’t need to clean the laptop that often. We also don’t recommend opening up the laptop too many times over the year. This sometimes can create other problems just from some tiny mistake.

To clean your laptop, you’ll need a soft brush, compressed air, some kind of alcohol-based cleaning solution, and a lint-free cloth. Using a lint-free cloth over a regular cloth can help you avoid the fabric from building up an electrical charge. Because of this, you should also always turn off your laptop and disconnect it from its power cable.

Compressed air usually comes in canisters with a small nozzle that can reach the tiny gaps that you can’t reach with a cloth. Bust the dust with the bursts of air, and then wipe that all down with the cleaning solution, you’re all done!

2. Reapply thermal paste

Now that you’ve got your laptop opened up anyway, this could be a great opportunity to reapply the thermal paste on the gaps between the processors and the heat sink. Anytime you open up your laptop for repair or cleaning purposes is a good time to reapply thermal paste.

You can get thermal paste from most hardware stores, and is a pretty straightforward DIY project. Simply partially disassemble the heat sink from its contact points, and wipe off the old thermal paste with some rubbing alcohol. Then apply new thermal paste in five small points on the processor chips: the four corners, and in the middle. This is so the paste will cover the whole chip and efficiently pass the heat to the heat sink.

3. Use on clear surfaces

Providing proper ventilation is also a key step in preventing laptop overheating. It helps your laptop “breathe in and out” without ease. Blocking the vents by using the laptop on fabric surfaces is a big “no-no”.

Use the laptop on clean and solid surfaces like desks and stands. Cooling stands with fans on them can be an excellent investment as well. If you do a lot of graphic-heavy work or play video games, you could also say cooling stands are a must-have.

The final word

Laptop overheating is a very common issue for a lot of computer users, on both Windows or Apple Macbook laptops. With a little care and time put into protecting your laptop from burning up, you can avoid a lot of even more complicated computer issues that can leave you with a huge repair bill.

Need an experienced computer technician to do this for you? Check out our computer services.

Dell computer not booting up: How to fix and repair a Dell computer

When your Dell computer won’t boot up properly, it can be pretty frustrating to deal with. Here’s how to fix a Dell laptop or desktop computer that won’t boot up.

Types of computer boot up issues

“Computer not booting up” can mean one thing: the computer does turn on, but never seems to boot to Windows. Now that can look like a few things, and be caused by different kinds of hardware failure. Identifying some obvious signs of hardware issues can be helpful in diagnosing your computer. Here are a few things that can happen when a laptop or desktop computer isn’t booting up:

• Stuck on Dell splash screen — The computer turns on and passes POST, but gets stuck on the Dell splash screen. It can only be solved by a hard shutdown.
• Shuts down while booting up — Similar to getting stuck on the splash screen, but the computer shuts down by itself during the process. It may turn off completely, or restart itself automatically.
• Turns on to a blank screen — The computer turns on and lights up, but only shows a blank black screen. It doesn’t appear to boot and is stuck on the blank screen until the computer is shut down.
• Error messages appear — Sometimes the computer may show error messages when it can’t boot up. These errors may show messages like “no bootable device” or “SMART failure detected on hard disk”.

Your computer may have trouble booting up when there’s a hardware issue. A computer requires its different components to work, and they need to interact properly to boot up. When one part of the boot up process is down, it will jam up or disrupt the whole process. Issues with startup can usually point to a hardware failure.

What to do with a Dell computer that won’t boot up

Hard shutdown and restart your computer

When your Dell laptop or desktop computer is stuck while starting up, you can try a hard shutdown and restart it. This could possibly turn on your computer again for you to run diagnostics. Press and hold the power button until it shuts down, then turn it on again after a few moments.

While this method may come in handy in this situation, it’s important to note that you should only do this when your computer is actually stuck or frozen. This is not the proper way to shut a computer down, as it can cause software issues. Under normal circumstances, you should always shut a computer down by using the “Shut Down” button from “Start”.

Dell boot diagnostics

As long as your computer turns on, you can perform boot diagnostics across its hardware. Boot diagnostics is a built-in tool to test hardware like the hard drive, RAM, and battery. It is a base-level diagnostic tool to help find hardware faults that may be causing issues with your Dell computer.

To perform diagnostics, restart your computer and press F12 (or F8 on some models) at start up. Choose diagnostics from the menu that appears, and it will go from there. Your system will then report any issues it can detect with a reference code and possible support solutions.

Thoroughly test your hardware

Sometimes you might need some more in-depth tests to find out what’s going on. We can then look at the hardware that works to boot up your computer, then thoroughly test them out. This includes testing the hard drive, motherboard, RAM, and video card. These parts are essential to boot up your computer properly, so any failure with any one part could disrupt the process.

Diagnosing your hard drive

Hard drive failure is a very common cause of computer boot up issues. Your operating system and boot files are permanently stored on the hard drive. A hard drive failure could cause data corruption or data loss. The drive may become so corrupt or damaged, errors like “inaccessible boot device” blue screen of death (BSOD) may show up when you turn on your computer. Without the information needed for boot up, your computer will certainly have trouble booting up.

For most computer users, hard drive failure is pretty inescapable, to say the least. It’s true that hard drives can last quite long, but it’s performance can go down fairly quickly. This is because of the accumulation of bad sectors.

All hard drives can get bad sectors, and they all do come with an acceptable amount of them. With further use over the years, the hard drive will take damage from physical force or software errors. These types of damage then creates bad sectors. The drive will still work fine, until the bad sectors get spread out across the drive. This becomes intolerable for normal functioning, and the drive will start to fail. As the damage gets worse, it will become more and more apparent to the user. You’ll start noticing slower performance and longer boot up times, and ultimately be unable to boot your computer.

How to repair a faulty hard drive

Considering that your Dell computer is not booting up, you’ll need to take out the hard drive to test it for issues with hard drive analysis software. This involves putting the hard drive into a SATA to USB enclosure box and testing it on a different desktop computer. To test the hard drive, we recommend using dedicated software like Seatools or WD Data Lifeguard.

If you do find that your hard drive has failed, all you need to do is replace it. Replacing a hard drive is a simple repair job that does not require high technical skills. Learn more about testing and repairing Dell hard drives in our guide here.

Motherboard, RAM, and video card failures

While it’s more likely that a hard drive failure is causing your boot issues, the motherboard, RAM, and video card could also be the culprit. These are all components essential to start up your laptop or desktop computer, so none of them should be ruled out from the start. On some Dell laptops and newer models especially, the RAM and video card are embedded on the motherboard. So to repair those issues, you’ll have to replace the whole motherboard.

A motherboard failure can be behind a few start up issues, especially when the computer does not turn on at all. It is the main communication channel between components, and is essential for the entire normal functioning of the computer. Signals are sent from the processor through the motherboard, and they work accordingly through this channel. If the motherboard fails, the system loses its communication channel and cannot work properly.

During start up, your computer’s RAM is responsible for storing system settings and information required for the process. Then the video card is used to generate a constant stream of images once the computer is turned on. When the computer turns on to a blank screen, there is a possibility that the video card is failing to create an accurate video feed.

All these components failures can be caused by overheating, dust, or physical wear and tear. So it’s important to keep your computer cooled efficiently, and clear of dust.

How to test for motherboard failure

A motherboard failure is a difficult issue to both diagnose and repair. There is no direct way to test the motherboard, unlike a hard drive. To get near accurate diagnosis, the only way to test a motherboard is by testing and eliminating RAM and video card issues.

Testing RAM

If you have a detachable RAM chip on your laptop or desktop computer, you can swap it out with a spare RAM part to test your current RAM. You can eliminate a RAM failure if the problem still remains with the spare RAM.

Now with RAM that’s embedded on the motherboard, you have less flexible options. If you can get your computer to boot successfully, you can use RAM analysis software to test it. Otherwise, you’re left with boot diagnostics to test the RAM.

Testing GPU

To test the video card on a computer that won’t boot, try taking it out and testing it out on a desktop computer with GPU analysis software. A good app for that is FurMark.

To learn more about motherboard repairs, we explain how difficult and risky they are to repair in our guides. Read “Why motherboard failures are so hard to test and repair” now.

After testing all the necessary hardware, you might be able to get a better idea of what’s wrong with your Dell computer. Now you can set out to fix these problems and start up your computer successfully.

Professional repairs

Our Dell computer repair services can sort it out for you.

At Safemode Computer Service, we can help you repair your computer, and upgrade it for you as well. Our services cover a comprehensive list of computer problems.

We are conveniently located in Inner West Sydney, where we are a close by drive or train ride for you. Bring your computer to our Enmore store and we can do a quick test and give you a free quote as well. Call us or come by the Inner West today.

Learn more about our same-day computer repair services.

10 bad computer habits that could be killing your laptop

Modern laptops are lightweight, convenient, multitasking masters. These days they are made to last quite some time — that is until you break it. If you treat your laptop well and protect it from things that can harm it, you should be fine in the long run.

Still, you might find that your devices are breaking down quicker than it should. “What’s wrong with my laptop?”, you might ask. Sometimes, maybe it’s you. Bad computing habits can lead to computer failures that could harm your computing experience. This includes your productivity, data security, or even your wallet.

Guilty of bad computer habits? Here are 10 of the worst computer habits that can cause all sorts of computer issues and hardware damages. You might not realise that these things can do harm to your computer, or you might not even be aware that you’re doing it. Let’s begin.

1. Not restarting your computer enough

These days most people just shut the lid on their laptop when they’re done with it. This simply puts the device to sleep and is still ready for use at any moment when you open it up again. When we don’t fully turn off the laptop, stored cache in its memory still remains there.

Your laptop’s RAM works to get you a smooth multitasking experience. Cached data is stored readily available there, so when you open the app again it fires up faster. With this sort of non-volatile memory, the cached data only goes away when you shut down or restart the computer. So shutting down or restarting your laptop can be a pretty handy thing to do.

Restarting your computer from time to time can refresh the system and solve bugs if possible. So you might not want to roll your eyes when a technician asks you “have you tried turning it on and off again?”

2. Opening too many apps and background processes and never closing them

As we’ve learnt from above, apps take up CPU and RAM usage. When your laptop can only handle so much work, overloading it with too many jobs can slow down its performance. If you are not using the app, you might want to close it to free up the RAM for other apps that you are actually using.

Leaving the apps opened in the background not only slows down performance, but can also potentially cause software glitches. Take care of your system, and try not to push it to its limits. You can check what’s taking up CPU and RAM usage from the Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Apple Macs) and free up usage from there. Sometimes just clicking the “X” on a window doesn’t close it completely and it keeps running in the background. You might want to make sure you quit the app completely.

3. No regular backups

You might not think that backing up your data is essential for you, but anything could happen to your storage drive and you could lose everything. All hard drives do have a limited life span, so hard drives including traditional hard disk drives, solid-state drives, or fusion drives will eventually fail. They all have varied life spans, but will start to show some signs of failure once you’ve used them for a while. They will fail sooner or later, and you might lose files or they might get corrupted. As it gets more serious over time, a total hard drive crash may also happen.

Now we can’t always detect hard drive failures that easily, so it might be a good idea to be prepared before it happens. That’s where having regular backups can come in handy. You can choose from either online cloud storage, or backing up to an external hard drive. It’s also important to note that it’s better to have more than one backup, in the event that you have no internet or the external hard drive is inaccessible.

Be prepared and equip yourself with hard drive repair knowledge! A reliable and easy fix for hard drive failures is replacing the faulty hard drive entirely. There’s not really a way to just repair the drive itself, as it has already accumulated too many bad sectors. The drive is permanently damaged, even though we can’t see it on the drive. To learn more about hard drive replacements, read our guide here.

4. Leaving things on the keyboard

This is a common mistake that users make that could lead to laptop screen damage. Forgetting about things like pens or other stationery left on the keyboard and then shutting the lid like usual can damage the screen or the touch panel of the laptop.

While the gaps on the keyboard can be a pretty good fit for a pen or stylus, slipping your mind and shutting the lid can leave you with a pretty pricey bill. LED laptop screens are quite difficult to repair. They usually involve taking apart the whole screen and its back cover for a replacement. These days laptop screens are made thinner and thinner, to adapt to sleek modern designs. So glass-paneled screens are then easier to break even while repairing it.

5. Grabbing the screen to pick up the laptop

This is again another common cause of screen damage. Laptops are travel-friendly and quite light to carry these days, so some might just grab and pick up their laptop from the screen. This can hurt the glass screen and pixels inside from the pressure exerted on it.

Always pick up your laptop from the base. The laptop chassis protects the components inside, as an outer shell. It can withstand pressure much better than the glass-paneled screen.

Learn more about how to fix damaged laptop screens here. We cover the different kinds of screen damage, including how it differs from a video card failure.

6. Using the laptop on unventilated surfaces

Every computer has a cooling system that keeps it at an optimal temperature for normal functioning. This comes in the form of a fan and a heat sink. It disperses the heat generated by the CPU so everything works smoothly. Dispersed heat then goes out the vents of your laptop. These vents are usually on the sides, bottom, or where the screen connects to the bottom frame for Macbook laptops.

To prevent overheating, these vents should be kept clear. Using the laptop on cloth surfaces like on a bed or on top of blankets blocks the vents and the heat could build up inside the laptop. It can get very hot within 30 minutes of use. Overheating can damage internal components like the motherboard and the hard drive. Improper ventilation can also overwork the fan, as it has to keep going to disperse the heat trapped inside. The fan may also break in this case. So remember to keep your laptop cool on a flat and clear surface like a desk or a laptop stand.

7. Exposing to dust and extreme temperatures

Dust and rust is also a known cause of motherboard and keyboard damages. Manufacturers keep computers sealed in air-tight packs to ship out to retailers or customers, protecting the computer during shipping. Regular computer users don’t have the resources to pack their laptops in the same way, so it’s up to them to keep the laptop safe.

With that said, we don’t recommend keeping the laptop near an open window under direct sunlight or in a car on a hot day. A laptop exposed to heat or dust can create problems with dust buildup or overheating. Dust can get in the keyboard and jam or rust up keys. It can also get inside the laptop and rust up the motherboard or clog up the fan. To combat this, you can open up your laptop and clean it from time to time. Just use a lint-free cloth and an alcohol-based solution if you need to.

We’ve received a case of heat exposure where the laptop was left in a car on a hot day: The fan started to make rattling noises and the laptop could not successfully boot to Windows. Turns out the fan and hard drive was damaged by the heat. So make sure your laptop is always kept safe from heat and dust damage.

8. Exposing to liquids

Other than heat and dust, liquid spills can also do a lot of damage to a laptop. This kind of avoidable accident is one of the most common causes of keyboard and motherboard damage. Different kinds of liquid can also cause rust or corrosion of internal components. So you might want to keep your laptop clear of anything that could harm your laptop.

An open window during a storm can flood the laptop, as well as spilt drinks and soups. Leaving the laptop inside a bathroom or in humid areas would also generally be something to avoid. Even steam can cause liquid damages, as steam is a form of water after all.

Don’t know what to do with a soaked laptop? First of all, don’t panic. We can show you what to do to minimise the damage as much as you can. We also cover how liquid spill damage is repaired. Read our guide to laptop liquid spill damages here.

9. Eating over keyboard

Admit it, we’ve all done this before. These days our devices have become an essential part of our lives, for both work and entertainment uses. Eating over your laptop keyboard while you work or watch TV shows can be very convenient, but could also harm your keyboard.

Crumbs or liquid could get into your keyboard, which could either jam keys and corrode the connecting points between keys. Jammed keys could stop working or cause wrong outputs.

We’ve often found crumbs or liquid residue when repairing a reported keyboard failure, even when the user “had no idea how it happened”. That being so, you might want to think twice before putting down your meal before your laptop. Again, cleaning your keyboard with a lint-free cloth can be helpful in preventing keyboard damages.

10. Overclocking

This item comes with a little bit of a debate online, among computer enthusiasts. But for regular laptop users who use their device for personal use, we don’t recommend overclocking.

Overclocking is more suitable for advanced computer users or gamers. The process pushes the CPU to work harder than it is intended to, by modifying the laptop’s BIOS. It involves some pretty advanced technical knowledge to do so.

Moreover, pushing the CPU to its limit could also overexert it. This reduces the lifespan of the CPU. The CPU of a laptop is embedded on the motherboard, so when it does fail, the whole board will have to be replaced. This replacement is usually quite expensive, and might not be covered by the warranty. If you are a regular laptop user who is looking for a performance boost, you might want to look at the possibility of SSD upgrades or adding more RAM to your laptop.

Got a question for us?

From our experience in computer damages and repairs, we have learnt the different ways that end-users can damage their own devices. These are definitely things to avoid, if you’re looking to maintain your laptop’s lifespan.

Think your laptop’s acting up but don’t know what’s causing it? Look through our blog to see if any of our guides can help you. Or give us a call! Our experienced technicians at Safemode Computer Service can help you with any computer-related issue. Take your faulty laptop or desktop computer and come by our Inner West Sydney store for our highly-rated services. As one of the top computer repair services in Sydney, we offer computer diagnostic and repair services that are trusted and reliable. We are also a proud supporter of the Inner West community and do our best to do so.

3 Computer issues that your device is prone to having

Ever wondered what kind of computer issues that you could run into during your computer’s lifespan? Every computer user is bound to experience some sort of computer hardware issue. Each part of the computer works together to function, so once one part starts to fail, it is quite noticeable in your computing experience.

From our technical experience, we’ve found that some common computer issues come from the hard drive, motherboard, or the keyboard. All these hardware faults could cause various disruptions in performance and functioning. In this guide we will cover the different error messages and issues that come with hardware failure.

Hard drive failure

Whether you have a hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD, flash storage), or a combination of the two, you will likely experience a hard drive failure. Hard drive issues are very common in the world of technology. This is mostly because they generally don’t last very long. While SSDs are less prone to damage compared to HDDs, they are still vulnerable to bad sectors. If you’re familiar with what bad sectors are, then you’ll know that they are unavoidable.

Why do hard drives fail?

Hard drives are made quite sturdy, but can still get damaged from physical damage. Or they can also be damaged from software issues. These two types of damage can cause hard and soft bad sectors. Physical damage like blunt force, or air and dust contamination increases your chances of getting hard bad sectors. They will have to be marked off the drive so it doesn’t try to read and write on there. Software issues like viruses or improper shutdown while the drive is writing information would then cause soft bad sectors.

All this does sound quite daunting, but not to worry, a small amount of bad sectors is totally fine. In fact, every hard drive ships with a tiny amount of bad sectors. As long as it is only in a small part of the drive, you’re good. But when bad sectors accumulate and spread out on the drive, it is intolerable and the drive will start to fail. And this type of failure can definitely show in various ways, depending on how far gone the drive is.

What hard drive failure can look like

Unlike straightforward computer errors like screen or keyboard damage, hard drive failure can come in varied ways. Luckily with our computer repair experience, we can recognise a few of these signs and know where to look. Some of them are pretty apparent, so you can also figure them out yourself.

Your hard drive is usually used as the boot drive. This means that it is essential for starting up your laptop or desktop computer. Not only does it contain all your files, it also contains the operating system (OS) and necessary boot files. Without them, your device won’t run at all. So a faulty hard drive could get you computer startup issues.

These sort of startup issues come with system error messages like “no bootable device”, or “operating system not found”. All this just means that the boot files are either corrupted or lost from hard drive damage. With this, the system will have trouble starting up, or won’t start up at all. Sometimes startup repair can fix startup errors. But when the drive is too far gone, it may not work.

While data corruption can occur to boot files, other files on the hard drive can also get corrupted. An accumulation of bad sectors could also slow down your computer, as writing and reading processes get interrupted with these damaged parts of the drive. Keeping regular backups of the files that you need could be a smart way to combat sudden data loss.

How to fix a faulty hard drive

When you do find that your hard drive is faulty, the solution is pretty straightforward: replace it! A hard drive replacement is a fairly easy repair job to do. It can also be a simple way to refresh your computer. You could also consider getting an upgrade to a better performing drive, or an upgrade from an HDD to and SSD. This can get you the performance boost you’ve been looking for in your computing experience.

But first, we do need to test the hard drive before repairing it. You can start with built-in utilities like chdsk or pre-boot diagnostics, then move on to extensive tests on dedicated software. That way you can thoroughly detect and confirm hard drive issues. Because sometimes, even though you think you’re sure about something, it could be some other issue on your computer. Learn more about common hard drive error messages and how to fix them in our guide here.

Motherboard failure

While motherboard failure can happen a lot, it can be very hard to detect and repair, even for computer technicians themselves. The motherboard, or logic board, connects all the parts of the computer together. It is like the nervous system of the entire computer. Signals are sent from the processor through the motherboard for the rest of the system to work properly together.

So you can probably imagine what would happen if the motherboard stopped working. Without the motherboard as the nervous system, none of the components can communicate with each other. Most of the time, this would lead to the computer’s inability to turn on. When it does turn on, it might not even start booting up at all.

Why do motherboards fail?

Motherboards usually get damaged by physical accidents or natural wear and tear. This kind of physical damage could corrode or rust the connective points of the motherboard.

When a computer is not properly cooled down and has blocked fans due to dust accumulation or faulty fans, overheating may occur. Not only does an overheated computer work less efficiently, the undispersed heat can also warp the motherboard. So you might want to make sure that your computer is clean and can cool itself properly and efficiently.

Another common thing that quickly kills a motherboard is liquid spill damage. We’d like to say that spilling a drink is something that can be avoided, but sometimes it just happens. Or you might have left it out in the rain by accident. Liquid spill usually gets to the keyboard first, then seeps into the motherboard. It can cause rust or even corrosion on the circuits, depending on what kind of liquid was spilled. Read more about liquid spill damage and what not to do when you’ve spilled on your laptop here. Definitely don’t reach for that rice now.

What a motherboard failure can look like

Motherboard failures are sometimes not as clear as hard drive failures can be. There are still some signs that could point you in the right direction. So you’ll have an idea to test which component first.

When your computer does not turn on at all and seems to be dead, this could be a sign that the motherboard is dead as well. Sometimes it does turn on, but does not pass the Power-On Self Test. Not passing POST means there is something seriously wrong that the computer will not start to boot at all. A more apparent sign would also be the computer not turning on after getting liquid spilled on it.

Some specific laptop models also have some signs that point to a motherboard issue. Incredibly dim screens on Apple Macbook Air and Macbook Pro laptops is an example of this. The LED screen brightness on these laptops is controlled by the logic board. So when it is not lit properly, the logic board is probably malfunctioning.

Certain Dell laptop charger lights could also be an indicator of motherboard failures. From our repair experience, we’ve found that when the charger is plugged in and both the charger light and the laptop doesn’t turn on, the problem is usually a faulty motherboard. There’s not really a reason for this, it’s just something we’ve noticed over time.

How to fix a faulty motherboard

As motherboard errors are so hard to detect, thorough testing should definitely be done to confirm a motherboard fault. As there is no specific test for motherboard diagnostics, we’ll have to test it out by eliminating other components. This would be either the RAM or GPU, which may require some disassembly. Especially when your laptop or desktop computer does not turn on at all. When you do find that your motherboard is faulty, you can replace the entire board to fix it. Some repairs may also allow you to only replace small parts of the motherboard. To find out how to test and repair a faulty motherboard, read our guide here.

Keyboard damages

Laptop keyboards are also quite easy to break, as they are moving parts that have gaps in between. Sometimes the keys might come loose or not work at all. These days laptops are designed to be more advanced and travel-friendly, so parts are usually made thinner. This is also the case for keyboards on modern laptops like Ultrabooks. They are generally harder to repair and easier to break.

Keyboards are also prone to rust and dust damage, due to the gaps between keys. Air and dust can get in the keyboard and wear out keys. This includes liquid spill damage as well. If not kept in a cool and dry environment, an unused keyboard may also fail as well.

To fix a damaged keyboard, you’ll need to get it replaced. The thing is, even if you want to fix a keyboard with only one worn out key, you have to replace the whole keyboard. With this, we have to take out everything else to get to the keyboard. And because of certain thin designs, taking out a keyboard for a replacement can sometimes be quite tricky. Something like the butterfly keyboard on Apple Macbooks are especially difficult to repair due to their intricate and thin design.

Healthy computing habits

So now you know what can happen to your computer, now’s the time to think about precautions. Keeping regular habits could help you be prepared for any eventual computer failure.

Back up data

For the safe storage of your data in case of any data loss, we recommend regularly backing up data. The more the better, actually. You may also store it both online and on an external hard drive. That way your precious files are protected against data loss or corrupt when your hard drive starts to fail.

Ensure proper ventilation and cooling

Overheating is not only bad for the motherboard, it can also harm other parts of the computer. So make sure your laptop vents are clear of obstruction and no dust has accumulated in the fan. That way your system can efficiently disperse heat for normal computer functioning.

Getting a professional repair

Suspecting that you have computer hardware issues? You may be thinking of taking it to a repair shop to avoid all the hassle. That way you can get a professional opinion about fixing your laptop or desktop computer. A brand authorised service centre or a third-party repair service might be where you’re headed.

An authorised service centre can usually get you specialised free service. That is as long as your warranty or care plan is still valid, of course. Still sometimes you might not be able to get a repair. You might not be able to get repairs that involve obsolete devices, liquid spill damage, or complete motherboard replacements. That would probably get you to try out a third-party repair service.

We’re here to help! At Safemode Computer Service, we can offer you a free checkup and quote when you bring your computer to us. Is your brand authorised service centre too far away? If you are in Inner West Sydney, consider us! We are in the heart of the Inner West, in Enmore. With our expert technicians and highly-rated service, we can definitely help with your computer repair needs. Give us a call at 1800 85 83 82.

Why motherboard failures are so hard to test and repair

If we think of a computer as a living being, the motherboard would be the nerve centre that connects everything else together. These components include the processor, storage, video card, and so on. The brain of the computer, the Central Processing Unit (CPU) then decides what to do with all the information and signals passed along through the motherboard.

So a motherboard failure would mean problems with other components connected, thus harming the entire performance of the computer. With the nerve centre down, the brain cannot work properly to send signals to the rest of the system.

Such failure will usually cause the computer to stop working suddenly and can be very frustrating to test and repair as well. Motherboard repairs or replacements are known as the hardest repairs to perform. For most laptops, the entire board including the CPU will need to be replaced if any faults are found on the motherboard. These faults may range from overheating damage or blown capacitors.

With that said, any suspicions about motherboard failure should be tested thoroughly to make a diagnosis. By testing, you may conclude that the motherboard is indeed faulty. Or, you may find that it is completely fine and that you have other hardware issues that is the actual cause of your problems.

Before we start with how you can test for motherboard issues, let’s find out what usually causes these failures and what you can do to protect it. Understanding why these things happen can be helpful to find the right solution to the issue.

What is a motherboard?

A motherboard (known as logic board for Apple devices) is a crucial part of a computer. It is the circuit board where all components of the system is plugged into. As an input / output system, the motherboard is where interactions within the computer happens. Each motherboard model may differ from each other, from its form factor to where each component is fitted.

The three main components that makes your computer work is the processor (CPU), storage (hard drive and RAM), and the motherboard. All three parts must work together to create a smooth computing experience for the user.

The processor and storage, along with other components such as the keyboard and video card are connected via the motherboard. Then the CPU works out how things interact, and the motherboard passes along this information to each component. So without the motherboard, things can’t work together, and nothing will end up operating.

What happens when a motherboard stops working

With a motherboard failure, components can’t interact with each other. This generally leads to unexpected system crashes, or complete computer failure. There usually aren’t many early warnings to prevent such faults, as your system will just stop working without a functioning motherboard. The main thing you can do is to find out what’s really causing your issues, and then get a repair.

Causes of motherboard failure

Overheating

All components, including the motherboard, need to be cooled consistently to work properly. Components like the CPU and video card generate a lot of heat. If this heat is not dispersed, it will create significant damage to the motherboard. The cooling system of your computer keeps the temperature at the right limit. This prevents further damage from overheating.

So if the cooling system is unable to work properly, the motherboard will be at risk of overheating. Overheating can occur from faulty cooling fans, or from dust buildup that traps heat. This can cause connecting points or parts of the board to warp.

Liquid spill

Knocking over a drink on a laptop is surely one of the greatest human fears of the modern age. While other components can suffer damage from a liquid spill, the motherboard will be the first thing to go. Liquids can cause significant damage to the intricate connection points of the motherboard and cause eventual failure.

If you find yourself in this situation, the first thing you should do is to remove the laptop from its power source. Unprofessional treatment and cleaning like using a hair dryer to dry the laptop can cause further unwanted damage.

Natural wear and tear

Laptops can generally last pretty long, until any one component starts to fail. Long term use can affect the condition of the motherboard, but the actual failure of it is quite impossible to predict. Still, considering the lifespan of other components, long-term use can cause a motherboard to fail.

How to protect motherboard from damage

Keep ventilation outlets clear

Fans can only work properly with clear ventilation outlet for proper air flow. Using your laptop on top of cloth surfaces or with any blocked ventilation can escalate the heat buildup. Keeping the outlets clear and clean of any dust that can block airflow can promise proper laptop cooling.

Bust the dust

It’s safe to say that dust in any situation is not ideal. Dust that is collected inside your computer can trap heat. This trapped heat means extra work for the computer fan that it may not be able to handle.

Not to worry that much though, you don’t need to clean your computer too often. Cleaning your laptop or desktop computer once a year should be sufficient to prevent excessive dust buildup.

Make sure your cooling system is in shape

Having an efficient cooling system means that your computer can work properly at the right temperature. Having a laptop or desktop computer that is always running too hot might mean that your fan can’t keep up with the heat.

You can run diagnostics to check on the status of your cooling system. You can do this with built-in system diagnostics or pre-boot diagnostics. This can help you keep everything in tiptop shape.

How to test for motherboard failure

Unfortunately, the motherboard is one of the hardest components to test and repair. There’s no specific test to directly find motherboard failures. The only way is by eliminating other possible hardware issues. By doing a little sleuthing, you’ll be able to find out whether the motherboard is the culprit behind your hardware issues.

Before we begin

Depending on the status of your computer, there are a few steps you may be able to skip, or will still need to do. This includes whether or not your computer passes POST, and whether certain components are built into the motherboard or not.

Computer POST

POST (power-on self test) is a test that a computer performs to make sure everything is working fine before booting up. If the computer passes POST, then boot up will continue, where the logo splash screen will appear. The computer will not start up at all if it doesn’t pass POST.

After your computer passes POST, you’ll need to test your hard drive, RAM, and GPU. If not, you’ll only need to test your RAM and GPU.

Built-in components

Most laptops these days have built-in GPU, some also have built-in RAM chips. These are built-in onto the motherboard. If you are able to diagnose issues on the built-in components, it’s almost certain that the motherboard is also faulty.

Now we can begin testing for motherboard failure by eliminating other hardware issues.

Testing for hard drive issues

Considering that your computer passes POST, you’ll need to run tests on the hard drive. When you reach the splash screen during boot you can run diagnostics by pressing a specific key to your computer’s brand. That’s “Esc” for HP, “F12” for Dell, “Enter” for Lenovo, and “D” for Apple. Be sure to use the right key to your system.

Boot diagnostics will run tests on hardware components to find any problems. You’ll be able to find potential problems with your hard drive, along with other components too.

If your computer boots successfully to Windows, you may use chkdsk or dedicated hard drive analysis software. Apple Mac users may use Disk Utility First Aid or specific hard drive analysis software for Mac.

Chkdsk / First Aid

Both chkdsk and First Aid can attempt repairs or mark bad sectors to be skipped. Even if your hard drive isn’t the root of your current problem, these disk checking tools can be useful in preventing premature disk failures. So it may be a good idea to keep regular disk checking practices.

Dedicated hard drive analysis software

Software like SeaTools for Windows and WD Drive Utilities for Mac is used to perform quick or extended tests on hard drives. These free tools can diagnose and attempt repairs on issues found on the hard drive.

To use this test method, you’ll need to connect your hard drive to another desktop computer via a SATA to USB enclosure box. Then, the enclosure powers the hard drive from a separate power source to keep the drive isolated for thorough testing.

If you find that your hard drive is working fine, you may check it off the suspect list and move on to the next component. However, if you do find issues on your hard drive, we can also help you find the right repair solution. Read our guides on how to test and repair a hard drive for Dell, HP, or Apple laptops or desktops.

Testing for RAM issues

RAM comes in two forms on a computer. It can come in stick form that is connected to the motherboard, or as built-in chips on the motherboard. Depending on the model of your laptop or desktop computer, the RAM test method can vary.

For desktop computers both Windows and Apple (iMac and Mac Mini), RAM can be removed and tested for issues. Most Windows laptops have removable RAM as well. Most Apple laptops from 2012 and onward have their RAM chips built-in onto the motherboard. You can check whether your RAM is separate or built-in on the motherboard by looking up the specs of your device, or simply open your computer to take a look.

Testing RAM when your computer passes POST

Both separate and built-in RAM can be tested with boot diagnostics if your computer does pass POST. You may also run RAM test software like MemTest86 if your computer boots up successfully. Both methods can find possible issues with your computer memory.

You may move on to the next component test if you do not find any issues with your RAM. If you do find issues with your built-in RAM, then you can conclude that you have a motherboard failure. This is because the built-in RAM is part of the motherboard.

Testing RAM when your computer does not pass POST

If your computer does not POST at all, you’ll need to test for RAM issues with a spare stick of RAM. This involves checking to see whether the problem remains even with a different RAM stick put in. If your computer passes POST with this other RAM, then you’ve got a RAM failure. Otherwise, you might have a motherboard issue if the computer still doesn’t pass POST. Note that you can’t use this method for built-in RAM.

Testing for GPU issues

Most laptops and Apple desktop Macs have their video cards built into the motherboard these days. Windows desktop computers do have separate video cards.

If your video card is built-into the motherboard and your computer does not POST, there’s no way to test it. If it does POST and you do find issues with the built-in GPU, then there is a problem with the motherboard.

How to test for GPU issues

To test your video card, you can use boot diagnostics and analysis software like FurMark (Geeks 3D). This is for situations where your laptop or desktop does successfully boot.

The only way to test the video card if your computer does not post is when it is separate from the motherboard. You can do this by testing removing the GPU and testing it on a different desktop computer.

Two outcomes will conclude that you have a motherboard failure: All other components other than the motherboard have passed their diagnostic tests; or you diagnose issues with a component built into the motherboard. Now you can start thinking about a repair solution.

Replacing a faulty motherboard

Now that you’ve confirmed that your motherboard is faulty, you’ll need a replacement.

Buying a motherboard replacement

Motherboards are complex pieces of hardware, and different models of motherboards only fit specific computer models. Because of its form factor and configurations, you can’t necessarily “upgrade to a better motherboard”. Each motherboard essentially works the same as a circuit board for your system. So you may want to buy the exact same motherboard model as a replacement for the faulty one.

You can find the motherboard model number in the specs of your device, and look for that exact same model in-store or online. Branded ones like Apple, HP, Dell, and Lenovo have universal model part numbers that you can look for online. For brands that do not have specific part numbers like Acer and Asus, you’ll need to do a little close searching to find the right motherboard replacement.

Replacing your motherboard by yourself?

For the technologically-adept, replacing a motherboard by yourself can be the repair solution for you. However, a motherboard replacement is one of the most complicated computer repair jobs to do, and a DIY solution can be very tricky. This is true even for us, as experienced technicians.

Due to the intricate parts and connecting points of a motherboard, everything on the computer will have to be taken out and put back in for this repair. Such a challenging repair usually has a 70-80% success rate. So even if you are keen on DIY projects, you might still want to put this in the safe hands of professionals.

Still, for the ones confident in a DIY repair, you can find motherboard replacement guides online. Popular tech site ifixit offers repair guides for specific computer models, you’ll surely find the right guide for you there 👍

Professional repairs

Don’t want to do all this work? Leave it to the professionals. You might not have all the tools needed, or even the time to go through all the steps. That’s where a professional repair technician can help you. It’s still a good idea to have an understanding of the entire test and repair process though.

You can get specialised professional support and repair at an an authorised service centre for possibly no fee, if you are still under warranty or accident care cover. For this reason, you may want to check your warranty before you take your computer there. You might still be able to get support with an expired warranty for a fee. If not, a third-party repair service is your only option. Apple users with computers from 2012 and before will also need to seek advice third-party repair services, as Apple may not provide support solutions for them.

As an established computer repair service in Inner West Sydney, we at Safemode Computer Service can help you with your motherboard problems :) With 20,000 repairs under our belts, our experienced technicians understand how difficult motherboard repairs can be, and treat them with precision and care. Situated in the vibrant Inner West suburb of Enmore, surrounded by Marrickville and Newtown, we could be a closer option for you if live in Inner West Sydney. We can help you thoroughly test your laptop or desktop computer and offer the right repair advice and solution.

Got any questions for us? Call us to make an appointment or come by our Enmore store today.