Member Avatar for moerpheus

hi guys,
i have recently installed ubuntu netbook edition on my hp mini netbook and it all went well. but the problem came after, the fan has been making some annoying noise. at first it would go on and off, then i went and disabled the "fan always on option". it stopped, so now i get continues annoying noise from fan.

please help..

Thanking you in advance

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by jingda

Dani AI

Generated

A short, practical checklist that follows the hardware hint from and the software checks suggested by — start with non‑invasive tests and gather data before opening the case. Many Mini‑series notebooks expose a BIOS "Fan always on" option that changes whether the fan runs constantly; toggling that is a safe first step (Setup/BIOS). (manualmachine.com)

Collect thermal and process data next. Install lm‑sensors, run its detector, and read temperatures/RPMs; inspect CPU load and kernel messages to see if a process or an ACPI/driver error is driving the fan. Example terminal sequence for diagnosis:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install lm-sensors psensor tlp thermald
sudo sensors-detect
sensors
top
dmesg | egrep -i 'acpi|fan|thermal|hp-wmi'

lm‑sensors + sensors-detect is the standard way to read temps/RPM on Ubuntu; pwmconfig/fancontrol can be used to test PWM control but will briefly stop fans and must be used with caution. (help.ubuntu.com)

If software tools cannot change fan behavior (many laptops expose fan control only via firmware/EC), use runtime power management to cut heat: thermald (zero‑config on modern Intel systems) and TLP are low‑risk ways to reduce average CPU power and fan activity. If sensors show normal temperatures but the fan is noisy, the cause is likely mechanical (dust or worn bearings) and the HP maintenance guide documents fan/heat‑sink removal for servicing — have it cleaned or replaced if not comfortable disassembling. Also note that some HP models only allow firmware-level control, so software fancontrol may not work. (wiki.ubuntu.com)

Summary of useful outputs for diagnosis: sensors (temps/RPM), top (CPU use), and relevant dmesg lines (ACPI/hp‑wmi). These clarify whether the issue is software/driver related or a hardware/firmware limitation before attempting a physical repair.

Recommended Answers

All 7 Replies

Member Avatar for tje210

it could be a hardware problem. how do you feel about looking up online how to open up the case and checking it out in action?

Member Avatar for jingda

What tje210 say could also be true but in this problem is common and nothing ever happens to the laptop only the fan noise. You can try doing a scan to check whether there are any virus on your laptop. Don't disemble any parts if you are not experience.
What do you do when the noise occur, what apps or software are you running that time?

Edited by jingda because: n/a
Member Avatar for moerpheus

nothing, it is just the OS.. ever since I put ubuntu in it.

Member Avatar for tje210

Perhaps we just dont understand exactly what the sound is. Regardless, the operating system that is on a computer should not cause it to make any abnormal sounds.

Member Avatar for jingda

Sounds are common if your engine is running. What do you mean by abnormal sounds, try using a different os and see whether you still have the fan problem

Member Avatar for moerpheus

i was using windows 7 starter before.. Then I got rid of it, thats when the problem came up!

Member Avatar for jingda

That means something is wrong with your ubuntu. Have a scan found anything?

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