Overheating Laptop

[NoOp]

On 06/15/2008 04:36 PM, SYNass IT Ubuntu / Linux wrote:
> On Sun, 2008-06-15 at 19:22 +0900, Michael Sotnikov wrote: 
>> SYNass IT Ubuntu / Linux:
>> 
>> 
>> > sna at WS222:~$ cat /proc/acpi/processor/CPU0/power
>> > cat: /proc/acpi/processor/CPU0/power: No such file or directory
>> > sna at WS222:~$
>> 
>> looks like you have problems with acpi. Usually it happens with "bad" 
>> bios. I recommend you to update firmware for your laptop first. (for 
>> example, my laptop had this kind of problem too, but 2 month ago my 
>> manufacturer fixed this problem in firmware.)
>> 
>> 
>> To be sure you can check if all acpi-related stuff was loaded properly
>> 1. check loaded modules: lsmod | grep acpi
>> if everything ok, there should be acpi_cpufreq, and some other related 
>> modules (cpufreq_ondemand, freq_table, etc...)
>> 2. check errors during boot: dmesg | grep ACPI, any errors/warning?
>> 
>> Good luck!
> 
> 
> Hi Michael
> Thanks for your feedback and suggestions !
> 
> You are correct with pointing problems to ACPI but 
> your pointing to "bad" BIOS may not be coorect !? ;-)
> 
> ACPI:
> Well, I had a "sensor setting error" while booting and removed all ACPI
> stuff !
> Since then the error message is gone but not the heating problem !!
> Very soon I have to do a complete new installation from scratch with
> 8.04 
> and will see later again with this new setup if the problem persist !?
> 
> BIOS:
> The notebook is maintained very well with IBM / Lenovo's Update
> Service/s !!
> BIOS is most accurate I had no heat problems before i installed
> Ubuntu !!!
> So, this shouldn't be the case !?
> 
> Cheers, svobi
> 
> 

Did you look at top as suggested to see if/what process may be consuming
your cpu and causing it to overheat? Add the System Monitor to your
panel to watch for high cpu spikes. When you notice your cpu maxing out
run top (as suggested) to find out which process(s) are consuming the
cpu. Laptops don't just heat up when the cpu is setting idle or at
normal levels - unless of course you have a memory module or other part
that is causing the overheating.

Given that it is summertime in the Northern Hemisphere (where you are),
it's probably a good idea to take your laptop apart and do some spring
cleaning:

 I've fixed more than one overheating laptop where the customer though
it was standard practice to "blow out" the fans & accumulated dust that
they could see using those cans of pressurized air. Once I open up the
case, I show them that all they actually did was push the dust bunny's
further in to the case until it built up dirty hairballs on all the
internal components. Brushing (I use a woman's makeup brush for the
standard stuff as the bristles are soft - toothbrush for the caked on
crap in non-sensitive areas), vacuuming, cleaning the CPU & heat coils,
plus some new silicon free heat sink compound does the trick every time.
Don't forget the printer & vacuuming out the CRT (for those of use that
still use them) as well.

That's not to say that the OS isn't causing the heating problem, but it
never hurts to do a good spring cleaning when warm weather sets in.