Laptop Fan Not Working? Try These Methods To Get It Working

Last Updated on October 3, 2024 by Rajendra Hiwale

Most modern-day laptops make use of fans to cool the internal components like the CPU, GPU, and motherboard by expelling the hot air through the vents and bringing in fresh (and relatively colder) air from the outside. This mechanism ensures an optimum and a throttle-free experience for the user and is one of the crucial factors behind a laptop’s performance. If, however, your laptop fan has stopped working, it could lead to several problems, ranging from performance lag, overheating, and shutdown, all the way to your machine getting damaged.

If your laptop fan is not working, fret not. In this article, we have listed down the potential causes of the problem and will provide you with the best fixes that you can try to get it up and spinning.

Laptop Fan Not Working: Common Causes & Fixes

If your laptop fan is not working, there could be numerous reasons behind the problem. While some causes are software-related and can be fixed with appropriate steps taken on the software front, some are hardware related, which will require a bit more manual intervention, and you might even have to visit a service centre or seek professional support to get it resolved. Below are the probable causes of the issue:

1. The fan does not even need to be spinning right now
2. The fan has been turned off from the fan control utility or BIOS
3. Windows has switched off the fan based on the power plan
4. The wire supplying the power to the fan has been disconnected
5. Dust or dirt has accumulated on your laptop’s fan and in the air vents
6. The fan has failed entirely and needs to be replaced

How To Fix A Laptop Fan That Is Not Spinning

1. The Laptop Fan Does Not Need To Be Spinning

The laptop fan only turns on when the internal components really require cooling. When your laptop is not exerting too much pressure on the internals, there is really no need for the fan to kick in. So, if your laptop fan is not spinning, it probably does not need to. Therefore, there’s no solution to this non-existent issue.

2. Check The Fan Control Utility And BIOS

Some laptops, especially gaming laptops, come with dedicated software that allows you to customize hardware aspects of the device so that you can adjust its performance according to your needs. Asus, for instance, ships its laptops with software dubbed Asus Armoury Crate. Such software utility controls the functioning of the fans as well, and if the fan settings in it get affected somehow, your laptop’s fan could stop working.

To fix this issue, go to the respective software and turn the fan back on. If you are getting confused with the settings menu, it is always advisable to switch the values to default, and the problem might get fixed. Alternatively, you can also search YouTube about how to locate the fan controls in the software utility of your laptop.

Another place where you can control the fans of your laptop is the BIOS. For those who are unaware, when you start your computer, the BIOS is the first software to run. It checks your laptop’s hardware and configures it for the operating system to run.

Usually, the BIOS does not allow you to completely switch the fan off. It only lets you increase or decrease the fan speed. That being said, it is a good idea to check the BIOS to know what’s going on with the fans. To fix the problem, you need to first go to the BIOS. Here’s how you can do that:

1. Hold the Shift key and restart your machine
2. Go to Troubleshoot
3. Select Advanced options > UEFI firmware settings
4. Press Restart to enter the BIOS
5. Now check for tabs like Hardware Control, Cooling, or Customise and from there, change the fan settings
6. Once that is done, restart your laptop. It should solve the issue.

It is also possible that a recent update or a reinstallation of the BIOS might have caused the issue. If that is the case, you have to Google how to go back to an older version of the BIOS.

Also Read: Laptop Battery Draining Too Fast? Here’s How To Fix

3. Check The Windows Power Plan

Sometimes, your Windows power plan turns out to be the culprit, as it could have switched off the fan based on the performance/power setting that you have selected. Windows 10 and Windows 11 usually turn off the fan when the machine is in the Power Saver mode, so you can check your device’s power plan settings to fix the issue.

Change the power plan to Balanced or High-Performance mode and this might get the fan to start spinning again. If, however, this does not help the case, you can go to Choose or customise a power plan, click on Change power plan settings, and see if there’s a way to turn the fan on/off.

4. Check For Loose Or Broken Connections

If your laptop fan has stopped working, there are chances that it has stopped receiving power from the motherboard. Loose or broken connections are not too uncommon when it comes to a portable machine, and this could easily have been the reason behind the fan not working. You need to do the following to solve the issue:

1. Turn off the laptop
2. Remove the housing of your laptop to access the internal parts
3. Check for loose connections
4. Reconnect the wires, and your fan should start working again

While the process does not seem too complicated, there’s always a risk involved in it, so unless you are absolutely sure of what you are doing, we suggest seeking professional help while performing this fix.

5. Unclog The Laptop Fan

Over a period of time, dust and other foreign materials tend to accumulate on your laptop’s fan as well as in the air vents. If your laptop fan has stopped working or is spinning slow, here’s how you can check whether there’s something hindering its normal functionality:

1. Turn off your laptop
2. Remove the housing to access the internal components
3. Clean the fan, CPU/GPU heatsink, and air vents using compressed air and a brush/microfiber cloth
4. If you are using any sort of solution to clean your fan components, kindly make sure that the solution is safe for electronic internals

Also Read: Why Is My Laptop Slow? Here’s An Easy Step-By-Step Procedure To Fix It

6. Replace The Fan

If the solutions that we have mentioned above haven’t worked out for you, there is a high possibility that the fan has failed. If that’s the case, there’s no other way than to replace the fan with a new one. It will, of course, cost you money, but since a fan is crucial for the normal functioning of a laptop, you will have to bear the cost, as a laptop without a fan is prone to get damaged even further.

To replace the fan, it is better to take the laptop to the authorised service centre. You can also opt for Onsitego’s Laptop Repair And Maintenance service if you want to get the laptop serviced from the comfort of your home.

There you have it. By making use of these fixes, you can fix your laptop fan problem. What are your thoughts on the fixes that we have suggested in this story? Do let us know in the comments section below.