How to Fix a Laptop Fan That Stopped Working
A non-working laptop fan can lead to overheating, sudden shutdowns, and even hardware damage. If you notice that your laptop feels too hot or is shutting down unexpectedly, your fan might not be working. In this guide, we’ll go through step-by-step solutions to fix a stuck, broken, or unresponsive laptop fan.
1. Check If the Fan Is Spinning
✔ Place your hand near the laptop’s air vents and see if you feel airflow.
✔ Listen for fan noise—if it’s completely silent, the fan might be stuck.
✔ If the laptop overheats and shuts down, it’s likely a fan issue.
🛑 If your fan is not spinning at all, move to the next steps.
2. Restart Your Laptop & Enter BIOS
Sometimes, the fan is disabled due to firmware issues.
✔ Restart your laptop and enter BIOS/UEFI (Press F2, F10, or DEL while booting).
✔ Look for Fan Control Settings and ensure the fan is enabled.
✔ Save changes and restart your laptop.
3. Clean Dust from the Fan & Vents
Dust buildup can block the fan, stopping it from spinning.
✔ Turn off your laptop and unplug it.
✔ Use compressed air to blow dust out of the air vents.
✔ If comfortable, open the back panel and manually clean the fan with a soft brush.
🛑 Avoid using a vacuum—it can damage internal components.
4. Check Fan Settings in Windows
Sometimes, Windows reduces fan speed to "silent mode."
✔ Open Control Panel > Power Options.
✔ Click Change Plan Settings > Advanced Power Settings.
✔ Expand Processor Power Management > System Cooling Policy.
✔ Change it to Active and click Apply.
5. Update or Reinstall Fan Drivers
A missing or corrupted fan driver may cause it to stop working.
✔ Right-click Start > Device Manager.
✔ Expand System Devices and look for Thermal Management Controller or similar.
✔ Right-click and select Update Driver.
✔ If that doesn’t work, Uninstall Driver and restart your laptop—Windows will reinstall it.
6. Use a Cooling Pad or External Fan
If your fan spins but doesn’t cool properly, use an external cooling pad.
✔ Place a USB-powered cooling pad under your laptop.
✔ If your laptop has high CPU/GPU usage, limit background tasks to reduce heat.
7. Replace a Faulty Fan
If nothing works, the fan might be physically broken.
✔ If your laptop is under warranty, contact the manufacturer.
✔ If out of warranty, take it to a professional repair shop for fan replacement.
Final Thoughts
A non-working laptop fan can cause overheating and system damage. By following these steps—checking settings, cleaning dust, updating drivers, and replacing the fan if needed—you can fix the issue and keep your laptop running cool.
