Upgrading & Fixing Laptops DUMmIES

The third possibility is that something has gone wrong within the laptop

case. Don’t panic. Consult the instruction manual, web site (on a different

machine), or support desk to determine whether the laptop’s design includes

a fan that runs anytime the machine is running, or a fan that is switched on

anytime the interior reaches a certain temperature.

After the laptop has had at least half an hour to cool off, turn it back on. If the

fan is supposed to come on immediately, feel for a gentle rush of air coming

out of the vents; if the fan is supposed to switch on at a certain temperature,

use the machine for a while, checking for the fan. If the fan never comes on

and the heat builds, you’ll have to send the machine to a repair facility to

have the fan replaced — if that makes economic sense.

As a short-term solution — and I mean only about 30 minutes at a time — you

can run an exterior fan that blows beneath the laptop and assists venting.

That should allow you to offload any essential files to another machine or to

a CD-R; it may require several cycles.

You Receive a Threatening Note from the Computer..............................

Don’t take it personally... and don’t panic. Find a piece of paper and write

down the message, including any code numbers. And then write down as

much as you remember about what you were doing just before the message

appeared. Had you just loaded a program? Had you just executed a particular

command? How many programs were running at the moment?

Look for an indication of the source of the message. Do you see the name of a

particular piece of software or software maker in the note? Is the note merely

informational? (Your antivirus definitions need updating, for example.)

Users of Microsoft Windows XP will see some error messages that offer assis-

tance in repairing the problem; if your machine is connected to the Internet,

clicking the button takes you to a web page that offers some suggestions for

fixing the problem.

Does the note tell you that the machine has stopped? One tipoff is the

dreaded “fatal error” message. You may be able to restart the machine by

clicking a button within the message or you may have to force a power-off or

a restart by hitting the classic Ctrl+Alt+Del key combination and then select-

ing Shut Down. If that doesn’t work, as a last resort turn off the power to the

machine. (Some laptops will shut off if you press and hold the power button

Chapter 20: Ten Quick Solutions 305