[SOLVED] Laptop fan stays at 0 RPM some times.

Oct 23, 2019
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Yesterday:
I had the worst possible performance in my laptop, and it took me a while to realize it was heating up like crazy and the fan was not running. So i open and clean it up and it was started running normally.

Today:
When i boot up PC again i straight away look at the Temperature and Fan speed and it was stuck at zero. So i open it up and try to boot in order to check if the fan is getting stuck somewhere it is running as ever again.

View: https://youtu.be/3HWPbG6jqZ4


Things to note:
  • Model is X555LF. Single fan covering i3 5010u and Nvidia 930 M
  • Its spinning surprisingly well for a fan that did not work with the last boot.
  • It is not as noisy as it sounds in the video.
  • It has been running noisy like this for a while now, but never had the Zero RPM issue till yesterday.
  • I vented out almost all dust except for the ones sticking to the blades.
  • I have seen some videos on you tube but none of them show dissembling the fan internals and cleaning it
How do i proceed with this..?
  • Can i have a quick fix without any additional equipment for now.?
  • Also for a permanent fix what additional equipment would i need..?
 
Solution
First, go into the Windows settings power plans and click on Edit power plan options. Click on advanced. In the advanced options for your power plan make sure that under "Processor power management" the fan profile is set to "Active" and not "Passive".

Go into the BIOS and make sure that if there are any options for the fan profile in there that it is set to either the default, standard or performance profile, not silent or passive as well.

If none of that helps, then it is probably a failing fan. A weak fan can have trouble getting started, but once started can run completely normal. The problem is likely to get worse as the fan motor gets weaker.

There is no "quick fix" other than the setting changes I outlined. If those are...
First, go into the Windows settings power plans and click on Edit power plan options. Click on advanced. In the advanced options for your power plan make sure that under "Processor power management" the fan profile is set to "Active" and not "Passive".

Go into the BIOS and make sure that if there are any options for the fan profile in there that it is set to either the default, standard or performance profile, not silent or passive as well.

If none of that helps, then it is probably a failing fan. A weak fan can have trouble getting started, but once started can run completely normal. The problem is likely to get worse as the fan motor gets weaker.

There is no "quick fix" other than the setting changes I outlined. If those are already set that way or do not exist, then there is no other option for you that does not require the replacement of hardware and the fact that you had to ask this question tells me that you are probably not able to disassemble the unit in order to replace the fan, which means you will need to either RMA the unit if it is under warranty still OR take it to a repair facility to have the fan replaced.

Disassembly and replacement of internal components, for MOST laptop models, is not for the uninitiated or the faint of heart. I've seen too many people attempt it thinking they could do so after watching a Youtube video, and end up with multiple problems that did not exist prior to the attempt.

Dust is unlikely to ever cause a fan to stop working and if it does, then it is probably beyond the point at which cleaning is likely to cure the problem anyhow.
 
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Solution