Overheating laptops are a common problem. Too much heat is bad for your laptop and will lead to failure of the hard drive or other internal components. In frustration, laptop owners often seek laptop repair services for this problem. However, you may be able to take care of this yourself and avoid an expensive and tedious trip to the laptop repair shop.

What's happening when the hard drive overheats? Hard drives perform at high speeds, causing the temperature to easily rise above 70 degrees Fahreinheit, making them fairly warm. This can wreak havoc on the components of the hard drive over time. The controller chip, the read and write heads, and the actuator are just a few parts of the hard drive that can be affected by high temperatures. Heat damage to these components will affect the life span of your hard drive.

Laptop computers come with fans to keep the hard drive and other internal components cool as the machine works, sometimes complete with temperature sensors. But sometimes that is not enough. The danger is that if these components become too hot, it will inevitably lead to component failures and an overall shorter laptop life span.

So what can you do to prevent this? You want to make sure that your laptop stays cool. There are a number of steps you can take in order to make sure that your laptop does not overheat and that it is able to work for you as long as you need. You can do a little laptop repair yourself, and take action right now. Here are a few tips:

1-Make Sure the Laptop Is Ventilated

Many people keep their laptops on their laps, covering the ventilation holes and impeding proper air flow. It's important to make sure that the machine has enough room to ventilate. Don’t leave you laptop on beds, blankets, and other fabrics either. They can be filled with dust, dirt, and small particles easily sucked up by the machine.

2-Use Software That Keeps Track

Keeping an eye on the temperature every now and then will ensure that you are able to shut off the laptop before the machine overheats. Type in "Temperature Software" in Google and you will find plenty of programs that can help you keep track of the temperature of different components and give you control over the internal fans of the laptop. These days, many laptops come with free additional software from the manufacturer to do just that.

3-Try to Limit Long Periods of Work Time

This is not always possible, especially when a project needs to be done soon or an essay is due the next day. However, you don’t need to spend 3 hours on Facebook every night either. It’s important to remember that all computer components have a limited life span. The more you keep them turned on, the sooner they will fail.

4-Clean Out Dust

After a while every laptop will have some accumulation of dust. Take care of it yourself with a compressed air can or take it to a professional to have all the dust cleaned out. Dust and dirt will hinder air flow and increase the overall temperature of your laptop.

5-Get a Cooling Pad

These pads work by pushing air into the machine, keeping the internal temperature down. If you can't get a cooling pad you try purchasing additional external fans.

Keeping your laptop from overheating not only saves your laptop, but it also prevents system crashes and contributes to the efficiency of your entire machine. Make sure you keep your laptop as cool as you can, so that you don't overheat as well!