Cooling problem? Just started happening

[astrosfan90]

I'm having an issue--my laptop, which has run WoW fine for months and months, has suddenly stopped being able to run it. It'll run fine for 5, 10, maybe 15 minutes, and then the computer will either shut down with no warning or it'll freeze up on me.

This used to happen once in a while, if I'd been running WoW for a few hours, and had accidentally blocked the vent on the back. Now it happens right away, every time.

Not really sure what to do about it.

 

[John]

Have you checked the event viewer for issues?

 

[astrosfan90]

Okay, dumb question (this is my first PC, I'm a Mac guy). Where's the event viewer?

*cowers waiting to be laughed at*

 

[John]

start > run > eventvwr.msc

 

[astrosfan90]

Thanks. Don't see anything that looks out of the ordinary there, but then again I have no clue really what I'm looking for. I'll see if I can replicate the crash and go back to it and see what shows up.

 

[John]

Does it shutdown/lock up in any other games or apps?

 

[jordanpr]

Literally the EXACT same problem happened to me.

I have a toshiba A11, and man it sucks.

Your vent is probably clogged up, I used my warranty and got an entire new board put in along with the vent after I took it to some Toshiba-authorized dealer of some sort.

The laptop will shut off if it gets too hot, and the video card running makes it boiling if its a toshiba like mine.

 

[astrosfan90]

It happened playing Star Wars Galaxies too.

I bought a chill pad for it and it's running fine now, so it sounds like the fan to me.

 

[DaveSimmons]

A friend's Toshiba was overheating and it was just dust/fluff buildup insde, like jordanpr
said.

Using the cooling pad isn't a good fix since the hot spots inside the case from the clogged vent could still cook parts to death.

 

[corkyg]

Just a related peripheral question . . . what is the ambient temperature in the room where you use this laptop? Is it warmer than it used to be? Sometimes non-air-conditioned summer temps push systemps slightly above their comfort zone.