Cooling Fan

[StrawberryGal]

My computer won't boot up because of cooling fan is shot. Is it possible to replace a cooling fan or do I have to buy a new desktop computer?

I had this computer since 2004 and it was my first time to open the tower to find out what's wrong. The cooling fan is coated with dust.

Are we suppose to clean the cooling fan regularly or what? I'm just wondering what's the maintenance on the computer other than updating and virus scanning, etc.

TIA!

 

[Kain99]

Fans are a dime a dozen.. Go buy one.

 

[StrawberryGal]

Fans are a dime a dozen.. Go buy one.

I can buy one. No problem. I'm not a computer geek to know how to replace it.

 

[MrX]

they're easy to replace. four screws and one plug at the most. Be sure to clean the dust and stuff out of the computer case while your in there.

you may wanna hope that the motherboard or other components arent fried because the fan stopped working and they overheated.

 

[Floyd2004]

Id say clean out the fans and such once every other month, but most will never even look at it unless something messes up

 

[basher]

buy a can of air duster and spray the dust out of the fan. you might have a lot of dust in/on other parts of your computer too, try dusting those as well. always hold the can of air upright or you might spray some liquid instead of air into your computer. if there is a lot of dust, it'd be best to dust it ouside.

 

[chess]

they're easy to replace. four screws and one plug at the most. Be sure to clean the dust and stuff out of the computer case while your in there.

you may wanna hope that the motherboard or other components arent fried because the fan stopped working and they overheated.

listen to the nerd come out in you.....

 

[StrawberryGal]

they're easy to replace. four screws and one plug at the most. Be sure to clean the dust and stuff out of the computer case while your in there.

you may wanna hope that the motherboard or other components arent fried because the fan stopped working and they overheated.

Two screws, two plugs, and something is stuck.

Thanks for your help.

 

[StrawberryGal]

Id say clean out the fans and such once every other month, but most will never even look at it unless something messes up

That's very true.

I'm not a computer geek, I might be heading down that way though with all of the help I'm getting from you guys.

 

[StrawberryGal]

buy a can of air duster and spray the dust out of the fan. you might have a lot of dust in/on other parts of your computer too, try dusting those as well. always hold the can of air upright or you might spray some liquid instead of air into your computer. if there is a lot of dust, it'd be best to dust it ouside.

I've heard a can of air duster. Where do I find them at?

I've opened the tower up and it is full of dust. The cooling fan is the worst. I have own this computer since 2004, and it never had been opened up until last night. I'm guessing it have four years worth of dust.

 

[Caddyman]

I bet it is a mess, you cna get air dusters at most local stores like walmart or whatever. any place with even a small PC section should have it.

 

[StrawberryGal]

I bet it is a mess, you cna get air dusters at most local stores like walmart or whatever. any place with even a small PC section should have it.

Thank you. I will check out the local stores.

Yeah, it is a mess.

 

[LordStanley]

Before you air dust....

-Unplug everything
-get a vaccume with a brush attachment
-very very gently, vaccume the major dust off the Case, fans and pretty much everywhere else its thick.
-use the can-o-air for the hard to reach spots and delicate parts.
-Vaccume off the air intake/fan on the powersupply. Im sure thats covered in dust also.

-go to Radio shack for a replacement fan. Make note of where the fan plugs into the motherboard.
-Remove the fan from the case and take it with you for reference.
-Radio shack also sells cans-o-air!

 

[MrX]

listen to the nerd come out in you.....

Whooo me???

 

[Mousebaby]

I am neurotic about keeping my computers clean. The last guy to come out to work on my laptop told me I had one of the cleanest computers he's seen in a long time. Made me feel good

 

[GWguy]

Before you air dust....

-Unplug everything
-get a vaccume with a brush attachment
-very very gently, vaccume the major dust off the Case, fans and pretty much everywhere else its thick.
-use the can-o-air for the hard to reach spots and delicate parts.
-Vaccume off the air intake/fan on the powersupply. Im sure thats covered in dust also.

-go to Radio shack for a replacement fan. Make note of where the fan plugs into the motherboard.
-Remove the fan from the case and take it with you for reference.
-Radio shack also sells cans-o-air!

...being VERY careful not to vacuum any internal components. Vacuums build up static electricity which can damage electronics. There are specially designed vacuums for cleaning inside computers.

 

[StrawberryGal]

...being VERY careful not to vacuum any internal components. Vacuums build up static electricity which can damage electronics. There are specially designed vacuums for cleaning inside computers.

I am not going to vacuum the tower. I don't want to accidently suck something right out of it.

 

[StrawberryGal]

Before you air dust....

-Unplug everything
-get a vaccume with a brush attachment
-very very gently, vaccume the major dust off the Case, fans and pretty much everywhere else its thick.
-use the can-o-air for the hard to reach spots and delicate parts.
-Vaccume off the air intake/fan on the powersupply. Im sure thats covered in dust also.

-go to Radio shack for a replacement fan. Make note of where the fan plugs into the motherboard.
-Remove the fan from the case and take it with you for reference.
-Radio shack also sells cans-o-air!

Does it have to be Radio Shack? What about Best Buy?

 

[MrX]

Does it have to be Radio Shack? What about Best Buy?

Best Buy sells fans and canned air, but you may pay more for it as opposed to other places. If you go to BB in California, talk to Joe Zimmerman, he at least know WTF he is talking about whwn it comes to computers.

 

[johnycarcinogen]

Before you air dust....

-Unplug everything
-get a vaccume with a brush attachment
-very very gently, vaccume the major dust off the Case, fans and pretty much everywhere else its thick.
-use the can-o-air for the hard to reach spots and delicate parts.
-Vaccume off the air intake/fan on the powersupply. Im sure thats covered in dust also.

-go to Radio shack for a replacement fan. Make note of where the fan plugs into the motherboard.
-Remove the fan from the case and take it with you for reference.
-Radio shack also sells cans-o-air!

I don't know what other towers are like but in mine the fan/heat sink are all one thing and are glued (some type of adhesive) to the processor chip, held down by 4 screws. If your tower is like that and you don't know what you are doing you risk damaging some very expensive parts.