Member Avatar for boiler80027

I have a Dell Inspiron B130, the other day it froze and I could only turn it off manually by holding the power button. I then tried to restart it and all I got were two indicator lights and nothing else. So I took out the battery and left it unplugged overnight. The next day I conected the AC adapter and it started right up and had no problems. After about 5 min of being up and running it froze again, same problem.

I took it to a friends house and while we were there it froze, we let it sit for 10 min, then started up with no problems. This time we had about 5 programs running, listening to music and running a movie. We noticed the fan was running and it wasn't running before.

My Question, is it just a fan problem since it will work fine but not when it gets hot? Should I replace the fan or just clean it? I've done some research and to get to the fan you have to take the whole thing apart so cleaning may be harder than expected. I've had the computer for about a year too.

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Summary of the problem and context from the thread: describes a Dell Inspiron B130 that hard-freezes and only restarts after cooling; the cooling fan sometimes does not run until after a freeze. , and offered useful starting points. The most reliable approach is a short, ordered diagnostic path that separates software from hardware, documents evidence, and only then moves to opening the case or replacing parts.

A practical troubleshooting path:

  • Reproduce and isolate: boot into BIOS or a neutral environment (live USB) and run the system long enough to see if a freeze happens there. A freeze outside Windows points to hardware.
  • Collect logs and telemetry: look at the OS system log for unexpected shutdowns (power/thermal related) and record timestamps. Use a temperature-monitoring utility during a test run to see how temps move before the freeze.
  • Controlled stress: run a controlled CPU/GPU load to force fan response and watch if the fan starts consistently. Note whether the fan comes on gradually or not at all.
  • Pre-boot diagnostics and firmware: record any error codes reported by the vendor diagnostics. Check for a BIOS/firmware update that addresses thermal or fan control issues.

Hands-on checks (only if out of warranty and comfortable with laptop disassembly):

  • Visually inspect the fan and heatsink path for obstruction, grit or bent fins. Spin the fan by hand to feel for roughness or binding.
  • Check the fan connector and wiring for corrosion, loose pins or damaged insulation near the hinge; intermittent contact can produce exactly this behavior.
  • If the fan is getting power but does not run reliably when hot, the fan motor or bearing is likely failing and replacement is the correct next step. If no power reaches the fan when it should, the motherboard fan header or thermal sensor/BIOS control may be at fault.

Final notes and cautions: if the system is still under warranty, do not open it; use authorized service. Avoid guessing at fixes — document behavior, capture logs and error codes, then decide between cleaning, replacing the fan assembly, or a professional repair.

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Member Avatar for TT4Titans

the fan is regulated by the BIOS if a certain temp is detected it kicks it on.

How much memory do you have?

The reason i ask this is 128 is minumum which that means it will run windows XP but will be slow.256 a little better but don't add much extras will effect it.recommended 512 to get performance and be able to add apps and it run fairly smooth.suggested 1 gig most problems solved.

also go to start - run - type msconfig.

Now in there shut down what you don't need running at start up.like Quick time,word,media player,msn & yahoo messenger and such.

Member Avatar for boiler80027

I got a 1 gig or ram + 80 gig hard drive.

I don't really have problems starting up its just sometimes the fan works and sometimes it doesn't. Should I just replace the fan or clean it?

Thanks for the info on cleaning up the start up, sounds like something I need to do anyways.

Member Avatar for TT4Titans

Well freezing is normally due to CPU overheating or hardware filure.clean it but if it doesn't run like it should you need to replace it.

Member Avatar for lasher511

This time we had about 5 programs running, listening to music and running a movie.

Can i ask why you would listen to music and watch a movie at the same time? Seems a bit silly to me.....

It really all depends on how computer savy u feel as to what you do to fix the problem. you can either clean the fan like you suggested or you could just get a can of compressed air and clean it as best you can without having to open it up.

The other option is that it may still be under warunty especially if it is only about a year old. If it is still covered then i would suggest doing this before you go opening it and cleaning it out as this could void your coverage.

Member Avatar for boiler80027

Can i ask why you would listen to music and watch a movie at the same time? Seems a bit silly to me.....

We were testing the ability of the machine. My friend was thinking it could be the hard drive but since it could handle all the activites, including watching a movie and listening to music we were sure it wasn't the hard drive.

thanks everyone for the advice

Member Avatar for DellOutreach

I’m with Dell's Online community outreach team offering support via forums and blogs. It sounds like you've narrowed it down to a thermal issue but if you still want to rule out other components you can always run diagnostics. As far as the fan goes, if it is still spinning then it isn’t likely that it needs to be replaced. I would try blasting it with canned air like someone else suggested and if there's still a problem then I would go inside it to give it a better cleaning. If you have any questions or would like my help feel free to contact me.


Neil
Dell, Inc.

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