How To Check Laptop Fan Is Working or Not?

If you own a laptop, you know how important it is to keep it running smoothly. One of the most common issues that laptop users face is overheating, which can cause damage to the hardware and disrupt your work or entertainment. It is where the laptop fan comes into play. A properly functioning fan is essential to regulate your laptop’s temperature and prevent overheating.

If you’re wondering how to check laptop fan is working or not, you’re in the right place. This guide will provide step-by-step instructions to diagnose whether your laptop fan is functioning properly. We’ll cover software-based tests, physical inspections, and performance monitoring.

Whether you use your laptop for work, studying, or entertainment, knowing how to check your laptop fan’s functionality is crucial. It can save you from costly repairs and ensure your laptop runs smoothly. So, let’s dive in and learn how to check your laptop fan’s performance.

Signs that Indicate Fan Problems

Before checking the laptop fan and its working, you should see the signs and symptoms that indicate the problems and what happens when the fan is not working. A working fan for your laptop ensures proper ventilation.

Some of the signs that indicate you need to check the problems include the following;

• When your laptop fan is not working, overheating is the first thing that happens, and due to this overheating, your laptop starts to work abnormally. The processor and motherboard undergo problems, and the laptop starts to hang and get stuck.
• The fan’s constant or interval sounds tell you that your laptop fan is working correctly. This fan turns on when you open a particular program, but when you open a program or a newly downloaded file, you might not hear any fan sound; this is one of the significant indications of the fan not working.
• When you use the laptop, the problem might be the fan if it shuts down suddenly. There is a possibility when the laptop shuts down suddenly, the problem is in the fan, but it is not always the case. There might be another problem with the laptop that you need to check.
• If you often see error messages on your laptop, the overheating might be due to the fan not working. You need to check the base of these error messages you will figure out the problem.
• The sound of the fan in a standard working laptop is not constant; you might hear it when you open demanding programs. But if you hear undue sounds from your fan constantly, there is a problem with the fan, and you need to fix it.

All these signs mainly indicate a fan problem, but there is a possibility of other mechanical problems if you face any of the glitches mentioned above in the performance. You need to test your fan and check it properly before making a final decision about the fan working.

How to Check Laptop Fan Is Working or Not?

After looking at the signs and what happens when the fan is not working correctly, you need to know the details about checking the laptop fan and seeing if it works. If you see any of the above symptoms, there is a high possibility that the fan is not working; here is a list of things that you can do to take care of this problem and check if the fan is working or not;

Hear the Fan Sound

You can say the fan works correctly when you hear a soft propeller sound. When you turn on your laptop, you might not hear the sound of the fan. It is because, at the start, it is running at its lowest speed and increases its speed as you open new programs.

After using your laptop for 10 minutes, you might hear the fan speed increasing and becoming faster and louder. Some of the best-cooled laptops have surprisingly quiet fans, and you can only listen to the sound of their fans in an empty, quiet room.

If the fan is making a weird and pulsating sound, you need to know that your fan is not working correctly.

Watch for Errors

If your laptop slows down more often and shows errors regularly, it indicates a fan. You need to check the fan’s working; the showing of a blue screen of Death or dreaded BSoD means errors, and errors mean the fan is not working in most es.

The laptop’s fan connects to the heatsink, which works as a cooling unit for the laptop. Due to this, even when the fan is throwing air, some other components might not work.

You might face overheating of the system when there is a problem in the cooling system and the thermal compound providing a regular cooling system to your laptop is not working.

Feel the Air

After the sound, the air from the fan can tell you about the fan’s working. If you can feel the air coming out of the fan, it indicates your laptop’s fan is working correctly. When you turn on the computer, the sound you hear might be less as it is just starting.

The air pressure increases when the laptop starts and slowly works for a few minutes. The central exhaust vent starts to throw the air out. Eventually, when you open some demanding programs, you can feel the air coming out through the palm of your hands.

If the fan is not working, you will not feel any air coming out of the vent. If the fan sound is high, but the air coming out of the vent is shallow, it indicates the malfunctioning of the sound. You need to clear the vents with the compressed air blast to ensure the clearance of the vents and clear blowing of the air from the vents.

Check the Temperature

If you feel air coming out of the vents of your laptop, you need to check for some other issues in the hardware, motor issues, or other issues preventing your laptop’s cooling. When you turn it on, you can see a temperature reading on the laptop.

If you cannot see the temperature on your laptop, you can turn on the reading using a hardware monitor program and check the CPU temperature. If your laptop’s average temperature is above 160 degrees F, the fan might not be working to cool down the temperature even when you are not operating anything on the laptop.

Use Software to Test the Fan

If you notice some symptoms but are unsure about the problem, if it is the fan or another mechanical problem hindering your laptop’s working, you need software testing. There are different software on the internet that you can use to test the fan speed, such as; SpeedFan. Free software helps you check the fan speed; you need to download and install it from the internet.

After installing the software, click the configure button and go to the fan control tab. You will see a list of multiple fans working inside your laptop. You can select any fan you want to test and click on enable button. Then click on the apply button and the ok button.

After this, the software will start to control the selected fan. Go back to the main window and click the Start Fan Control button; now, you can see the fan you selected and monitor its speed from there.

If the fan is appropriate, its speed will keep increasing with the increase in the program running, and the temperature will rise. If the temperature goes high without cooling it down, your fan is not working correctly.

What to Do When the Fan is Not Working?

Here is a list of things you can do when the fan is not working;

Clean the Dust from the Fan

You need to ensure that your fan is dust free; you can use a can of compressed air or a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush to clean the fan. It would help to clean it at least once a month to ensure proper working.

Drive Should Be Updated

The driver is the software that helps the laptops to connect with the hardware through a Wi-Fi adapter or other graphics card. There is a separate driver for every function; you need to check or update the driver if any of its pieces are not working.

Upgrade to New Fan

If the fan is not working even after cleaning it, you must replace it and upgrade to a new one. Check the size and type of fan compatible with your laptop. Clear out all the vents of your laptops to ensure the proper working of the new fan.

Check the Hardware

If the fan is working and you are still facing the symptoms and other indications, there might be a problem with the SSD drive; you need to upgrade the current hard drive with SSD or any other option mentioned above.

Final Verdict

This article contains complete information about checking the working of the laptop fan; it has a comprehensive guide about the symptoms of the fan problem. You can also get complete information about how you can check the fan working and some standard solutions to fix these problems.

If you think these steps are tricky to understand and don’t know how to deal with gadgets, you should contact a technician or laptop expert who can help you fix your laptop fan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Laptop Fan Damage the Laptop?

Yes, there are good chances of damage to a laptop due to its fan. The laptop has no heat-dissipating vents or vents that allow airflow. A laptop is a closed body, and a fan is the only way to cool all its heated internal components. If the fan is not working correctly. The laptop will get damaged, and you will have to replace it.

Can I Tell My Laptop Fan is Bad?

If you hear a rattling sound from your fan, your fan is damaged. You need to check the temperature and feel the air of your laptop to check if the laptop is working fine or not.