[dtaylorl]

As it turns out my air compressor is wayyyyy too low powered, so thats a no go. I think the fan may have died now. It didn't spin at all today and my computer was overheating (I got some message about the temperature being above the threshold, so the processesor was going to reduce its maximum usage or something like that). Can I replace just the fan? How do I know what size/type I need? Is there any way to check that it is actually not working? What about a laptop cooling pad, or is that going to be way less effective than an internal fan? I really don't have much money, but I do need this computer working so I'll do what is necessary...

[dtaylorl]

Okay, I opened up the laptop. By all appearances the fan should be fine, but obviously I know that it isn't. It spins freely, which I read on one site means it *should* still work. I'm going to try lubricating it and see how that works (and also take some measurements so I know what I need if I have to replace it). Anything else I should look for while the computer is open?

Edit: So I lubricated it with a bit of grease, closed everything back up and it seems to be working fine now. The fan is spinning and sounds nice and quiet. Granted I've only had the machine on for 10 minutes, but I think this is a good sign. Do you think this will last or am I just temporary extending my fan's life?