BleepingComputer.com: Fan(s) working overtime, very loud

Every now and then the fans in my computer seem to be going berserk. (I have a Dell Inspiron.) Usually they are very quiet and barely noticeable, but on these occasions they run very fast and very loud. I noticed tonight that the computer seemed to be getting hot, so I shut it down and came back to it later when it was cooled off. It seems to be fine as I type this. I have had the computer for about 2 1/2 years and have never had the cover off. Should I be opening it up and vacuuming it out or cleaning the fans, etc.?

thb, on 19 January 2011 - 07:43 PM, said:

I would say that after 2 1/2 years of not being cleaned it is a pretty safe bet that one is needed. Compressed air is recommended. The symptoms you are describing are a perfect example of a over heating PC from dust clogged vents\processor heat sink, power supply vents, etc.

A pretty good tutorial can be found here.

Unless you have a vacuum cleaner that was made specifically for cleaning computer I would suggest not using it to clean your computer. The particles that a pulled through the tube of a vacuum cleaner make it a great little static electricity generator. A discharge from this can kill components inside the case of the computer. There are vacuum cleaners that are specially designed for this purpose, but a can of air beats it hand down. The canned air you purchase in a noble gas, this means that it will not generate static electricity.