Member Avatar for decimus785

Hello everyone.

I would like to get a second opinion on an issue i'm having with a acer aspire 5050 notebook. Seconds after i turn it on it shutdowns suddenly( after passing the POST screen). And i've noticed that the cpu fan isn't working and cause overheating problems. So.. is the faulty fan causing those sudden shutdowns right after i turn the laptop on?
or could the problem lie somewhere else??

  • 3 Contributors
  • 6 Replies
  • 369 Views
  • 1 Week Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by rubberman

Dani AI

Generated

A compact diagnostic checklist and safety notes, tying together ’s beep-code point and ’s reminder that prior overheating can cause secondary failures.

Recommended diagnostic sequence:

  1. Record any beep pattern and exactly when power cuts (seconds after POST, at POST, etc.). Beep timing is model-specific and useful to techs.
  2. Enter the BIOS/Hardware Monitor screen and observe fan spin, reported fan RPM, and CPU temperature with the system idle.
  3. If comfortable and with battery/AC removed, open the bottom cover to visually inspect the fan connector, dust build-up, and electrolytic capacitors for bulging or leakage.
  4. With caution: briefly power the machine (panel removed) only to confirm whether the fan actually spins. Do not touch components while powered.
  5. Manually spin the fan blades when powered down; rough or stuck bearings point to a failed fan. Cleaning with compressed air sometimes helps, but a noisy/stiff fan should be replaced.
  6. Re-seat the heatsink and replace thermal paste only if familiar with the procedure; an improper re-fit can worsen cooling.
  7. If a new/working fan still gives the same immediate shutdown, suspect a faulty thermal sensor, fan control circuit, or motherboard damage from earlier overheating — these require board-level diagnostics or replacement.
  8. A cooling pad is a short-term stopgap but not a fix for a dead internal fan.

Safety and service notes:

  • Do not open the laptop if under warranty; use authorized service.
  • Always remove power and battery and follow basic ESD precautions before touching internals.
  • Avoid running the laptop for any extended period with a non-functioning fan to prevent further damage or data loss.

This sequence prioritizes isolating a simple, low-cost fan replacement before escalating to possible motherboard/thermal-sensor faults, reflecting both practical field experience and the thermodynamics point raised earlier.

Recommended Answers

All 6 Replies

Member Avatar for saxmaster49

If you are hearing some beeps followed by a shut down, odds are it is just overheating because the cpu is not being cooled. Check the beep codes first.

Member Avatar for rubberman

I disagree with saxmaster49 about this, if as you say, it happens immediately after turning the system on. In that case, it has not had time to heat up. Yes, a non-functional fan will cause the system to over-heat. That may have been the root cause of the problem. What you are experiencing now is likely some other component failure that the original overheating caused. Time to take it into the repair depot and let them figure out what is the cause, and how much $$ it will cost you to fix, if not still under warranty.

Member Avatar for saxmaster49

In response to rubberman, thats why I said "If you are hearing beeps". I have personally run into a situation where, because of lack of cooling, the system would post, beep then shut down within seconds.

Member Avatar for rubberman

Back achya... :-)

I don't agree that "hearing beeps" and (almost) immediate shutdown may indicate overheating, but contend that previous overheating may have caused a component to fail, which is the root cause of the symptoms observed. In any case, we are in agreement that overheating was probably the root cause of this problem. :-)

At least, this is what my experience as an EE and computer systems engineer is telling me, without further evidence to the contrary. Even if a laptop fan is non-functional, lacking additional component failures, it would generally take some time (minutes to hours) before the system overheats to the point of failure. This is basic thermodynamics.

Member Avatar for saxmaster49

Ah, I am just an EE. I actually tested this out a couple months ago with a single core pentium 4 and just a heat sink to see what would happen. I got 4-5 seconds past post before an overheat beep code and shutdown. Might have been some safety factor built into the motherboard, I will check it out.

You are probably right that it is something else. I just happen to see, 9/10 times that fixing the overheating fixes the problem, but thats just my experience which is by no means extensive.

Edited by saxmaster49 because: n/a
Member Avatar for rubberman

I agree that 9/10 times that fixing the overheating addresses the problem (it worked for me when my overheating memory sticks were causing system problems), but as I said, if the initial overheating caused additional component failure, then all bets are off! :-) Anyway, thanks for your feedback saxmaster.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.