Our Dell Inspiron 1100 Has Overheating Problems Again

I am having a similar problem with mine, and upon removing the heatsink unit I realized that the cpu was attached to heatsink and am unable to separtate it, do you have any suggestions as to how to resolve this? Was this the case with yours?

I'm having the same problem with my Dell Inspiron 1100. This causes the computer to run really slow as well. The heat actually caused part of my power supply plug to MELT when it was in the socket. Thankfully, Dell replaced that at no charge, but when I told them about the amount of heat and the fan always being on, they suggested I BUY a cooling pad. I don't think this is right. I hope you post any solutions you might have. This will most likely be the last Dell I will ever buy.

Chris

Hey, great website ;) "learning css myself"... Could you please explain what method you used to remove the actual CPU from the heatsink??

I removed the heatsink unit and the CPU was glued on, I suppose the thermal greese has hardened like a rock..... I didn't want to try and pry it off to damage it, so I only blue the dust off...

Its for my g/f's computer; keeps crashing from over heating goes up to 70'c

Thank you so much for this post. I have been looking for a while for instructions. By the way, these instructions work for the Inspiron 5100 as well.

As to the CPU sticking to the heatsink: I used a jewler's screwdriver to gently pry up under the green board, alternating on all four sides, careful not to scratch it. And it popped off.

Then I used rubbing alcohol and Q-tips to loosen the old baked-on grease. I also had to use my thumbnail (carefully) to get the harder stuff off.

It's only been running a few minutes but already my CPU temp is 40C-50C and my HD temp is 33C. This is incredible. It was running 60C-70C (CPU) and 50-54C (HD) before.

I am glad to find this website and I was very surprised to know that someone like Dan will take precious moments out of his time to create this website for us people who badly need it.
I was able to pull out the heatsink with in 5 minutes without any problem. I removed the old greese and applied new heat sink greese from Radio shack ($2.17 incld tax). My laptop is working great..no heat and no fan noice.
THANKS DAN for your great help

I forgot to tell you that before applying greese, you must clean your heatsink by blowing air through the heat sink vents. I also unscrew the fan which attached to the heat sink with three screws.
I also forgot to give credit to sherree for creating this website. Thanks both of you for the help

Thanks for the further details, Wendy and Zach. I'm sure some will find it helpful!

I just found and applied your fix for the overheating issue and downloaded the fan monitoring program. I think this is going to fix our problem also. You have done a great service!
Thank you
Sharon

Dan, you absolutely rock. I was in a panic mode an hour ago. I was at the local library trying to do a lesson plan for one of my teaching classes, and my Dell Inspiron 1100 just shut down, BLAM. Yes, it had done this before, but only under really heavy CPU loads. The problem was obviously getting worse. I figured it was something like a heatsink compound problem, but I thought I'd go into work and see if anybody else had similar problems.

I expected AT MOST to find a text description of how to fix the problem. You put up pictures! I easily took my laptop apart, scrounged around work for some rubbing alcohol and heatsink grease, and 20 minutes later, my laptop is running smooth. I can barely hear the fan running.

Oh, I was surprised to find that I can pull my entire CPU from my laptop in sleep mode! I thought it had shut down again from a thermal overload, but it had just gone to sleep. Don't try that at home!

Thanks again, I hope someone can help you out as much in the future.

Thanks for at splendid homepage.
I also experienced that my 1 year and four month old Inspiron 1100 suddenly shut down without warning.
First I tried Dell. They told me that the problem was probably the heatsink : A new heat sink cost 200 dkr. (approximately 33$) but they asked for 1800 dkr. (approximately 300$) to do the “out of warranty reparation”
– too expensive if you ask me compared to the price of the price of a new laptop.

I the found this homepage and tried – due to the description on this page - to clean the heatsink/fan. It didn’t work out. I also installed the “Dell Inspiron 8x00 fan control” and could see that I got a temperature problem.

Then I ordered a new heatsink/fan at Dell - to the price of 300 dkr. (apprx 50 $) including transportation.

I installed it but this didn’t do the trick either. There were no sign of life from the fan. I even tried to put back the old heatsink. But nothing helped. I could only start the computer when it was cold and then it only ran for 10-20 minutes.
I got rather pissed off - so I restarted the computer 40-50 times. Suddenly I got some kind of BIOS-error and after restarting the computer again everything seemed to work fine - great. The next day I called Dell to ask them whether my problem was a BIOS-problem. They couldn’t tell me but suggested it could be some combination = heatsink+BIOS problem. I then asked them whether I should update my BIOS – they told me that this was a good idea. I found the update file on Dells homepage (I1100A32.exe) I installed it – I turned on the computer but then got a bit scared because again there were again no sign of life from the fan (almost got pissed again). But the computer didn’t turn off. After a while the CPU got hot and when the temperature reached 55 degrees Celsius the fan started to work –> a happy man again.

Well the point is: Before trying to clean your heatsink or ordering a new heatsink from Dell you may try to update your BIOS first. If you update your BIOS the fan may turn on (and Off) at another temperature than before - so be patient. If you use the “Dell Inspiron 8x00 fan control” you can control CPU-temperature yourselves.
Thanks again
Pedersen, Fred (Denmark)

When I emailed Dell with the problem, they told me I needed a new motherboard and CPU! However, by the time that I got their message, I'd already pretty muvh followed the procedure here, pulled out a dust bunny the size of Wyoming, and everything worked fine.

In a lot of cases, including mine, removing the heatsink will be unnecessary because the heatsink is well bonded to the CPU and no dust is getting in to hurt the cooling. OTOH, the fan must be pulled and compressed air used to clean out the entire area under it, especially the cooling fins to the rear, where the real cooling takes place. If this isn't enough to keep the machine from spontaneously shutting down, then you can clean the CPU and put on some new heat compound, preferably something with a better heat conductivity than Dell's.

Remember also to get the most up to date BIOS. BIOS A32's text file says that it's supposed to "update thermal table to improve the "Thermal dust" issue on Inspiron 5100," and who knows, maybe it helps the 1100, too. BTW, don't get too impresssed by or afraid of the heat readings you get with fangui; they change with the BIOS version, and I have no idea which BIOS, if any, shows the coolest, or most accurate, temperatures.

I removed the heatsink/cpu, and now my keyboard/LCD isn't working, any ideas.

Thanks Dan,

Your website was a great help, I did what was written and so far so good.....no heat!

Does anyone know if I should have used the expensive Artic Silver compound instead of the generic stuff?

Keep up the great website, you have a fan in me..

Jordan on the sunny Mediterenean Coast in Croatia

Had the same problem, upgraded the bios and sprayed out the fan and it works much better.

Of note, if you try to upgrade the bios and it says it can't because you're at a phoenix bios, you'll have to upgrade to A22 and then on from there. I went to A32 which is where the fan control fix appears to be.

Excellent advice and guidance that will help me cure the identical problem on my Inspiron 1100. Just one question, mine sucks air through the back and blows out the bottom where the heat can't escape easily. Is my cooling fan going backwards? Can someone check theirs? Thanks robert@homelectrix.co.uk

Great site. Thank you!

I just replaced my heatsink and reassembled.

The fan comes on when I power-up, but the display does not appear and the system does not boot-up. I didn't disconnect anything else that I'm aware of. Any thoughts/ideas?

Seems like the same problem as Chuck (June 8 post).

Robert (6/14) - My fan runs the same as yours.

!!! Warning !!!

Following (or perhaps, deviating from) the above procedure may damage your computer!

At least, based on my experience and the posts of Chuck (6/8) and Glenn (6/14).

I followed this procedure on my Inspiron 5100. My CPU was also bonded to my heatsink, and initially, I did not remove it. After cleaning the heatsink and vents, I reassembled everything. After this, my laptop would no longer boot even to the BIOS. It powers on (fan runs), but no more.

Thinking that perhaps the CPU did not seat correctly, I disassembled it again, and this time separated the CPU from the heatsink, re-seated the CPU and reassembled. Still no luck. I'm still not 100% sure that the CPU is seating correctly. My best (and only) guess is that the socket or CPU was damaged due to some misalignment when screwing the heatsink back in it’s mounting with the CPU attached. Obviously, I don't know what it looked like when it before I removed it, as it was impossible to see, but it just doesn't feel solid. But no matter what I do it doesn't seem to seat any better.

I would think twice before performing this procedure, or at least (if my guess has any accuracy) make sure you remove the CPU from the heatsink.

Thanks a bunch!

I had the same problems with my Inspiron 1100 and your page was a great resource on how to fix the problem. After spending 20 minutes cleaning out the heatsink and fan it runs much cooler now.

Hi, reporting back on a successful repair. There was a thick layer of dust across the copper cooling fins that was only visible after taking the fan out of the die cast section, and after cleaning out, the air flow now expels heat through the laptop's rear vent. The CPU chip remained firmly glued to the heatsink throughout. On re-insertion to the motherboard I aligned the chip's pins to the socket whilst the socket was in its unlocked position, then I gently turned the socket's locking screw whilst easing the heatsink assembly into place. Maybe those that didn't reboot after re-assembly need their CPU chips re-seating.

I have the no video problem afterI cleaned the heat sink and fan and re seated the processor, has any one found out a way to resolve this??? Too much thermogrease perhaps?

Lo and behold, I jumped the gun on the previous post. There is a really easy solution if you loose video after reseating the CPU. There is a ZIF mechanism for laptops just like for desktops. Obviously no room for a lever so instead there is a small turn screw on the left hand side of where the CPU sits.

If you look closely, there are small LOCK and UNLOCK icons on either side of the space wher you would turn. After seating the CPU, simply turn the little notch to UNLOCK then back to LOCK, screw your heat sink and fan back in, replace all screws and parts. Blowing out the dust does help a ton but I think I will update the BIOS just to be on the safe side.

A.K., my friend, you are a genius. I could sense that I was making a jackass mistake regarding the seating of the processor, but could not figure out what it was.

Use the screw, problem solved.

How hard should I screw heatsink to CPU? May I use other thermal compound like arctic silver 5 or arctic ceramique?

hi, i read this forum and it completely applied to me. i went out, bought some new themral compound, cleaned my cpu and my heat sink, applied the new compound, put it all back together and....no fix. my temp started out at about 65-70 degrees when i turned it on, but now it starts at 60 -70, but then rapidly heats up hack into the 70's range. could i have done something wrong? maybe used bad compound? i cleaned the dust out too but to no avail. any response would be GREATLY appreciated, ty all

Hey I am studying to dell certified and came accross this website in research.... When removing the processor FAN assembly You have to make sure you do NOT touch the copper tubing on the thermal cooling system OILS from your hand will cause the copper tubing not to disipate heat properly..... just extra info I thought might help

I found some precision info about the proces.
1.Removing EMI shield and thermal cooling assmebly and other stuff): http://docs.us.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins5100/sm/index.htm
Cleaning and adding new thermal compound (it's very important to do it properly!):
http://www.arcticsilver.com/ceramique_instructions.htm

My cpu temp: idle temp = 36-38 grades(celsius).
max(100%) cpu use for ten min. = 65-70 (64 -after hovering dust without any parts removing.
I'll give you some info about cpu temp after replacing thermal paste for ceramique. (maybe in two weeks - busy right now)

I tried this fix on mine. Now when I try to boot it up, all it will do is stay running for a couple of seconds, the num lock light will flash nine times and then it shuts itself down. Any ideas on what might be going on?

Finally I done it. I've cleaned radiator from dust and I've changed thermal compound. I warn everybody it's not easy (its very hard to do all process properly. When I was trying to remove heatsink from cpu I almost break pins(legs) of cpu (My advise is: change cpu socket position to open when you try to remove hatsink). The heatsink came out with cpu attached to it. (The legs of cpu were little curved.)It wasn't easy to separate Cpu from heatsink (I used my swiss army knife to do it. (It was impossible to do it with plastic - non scratching knife). Next I cleaned cpu and heat sink surfeces with izoprophyl alcohol(high purity). Then I cleaned radiator from dust ( I think that the best way to do it is to use direct stream of water). Next I applied some arctic ceramique thermal compound and replaced all the parts. Now I have 36 temp idle and 62 max with 100% cpu use (when temp reach 62 fan kick to next gear and temp fall to 60). These temps could be lower after 24 houres. (thermal compound needs some time to be fully efficient). So if you really want to clean radiator and change thermal compound - read first this: http://docs.us.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins5100/sm/index.htm
http://www.arcticsilver.com/ceramique_instructions.htm
ps: Use only the best thermal compounds and apply them properly!!! (arctic silver 5 or ceramique or ocz +ultra5).

Hey I am having the same problem with not getting any response from the monitor after cleaning out the fan and heatsink and re-assembling the computer. my cpu is stuck to my heatsink and i am wondering if it asolutely necessary to seperate the two. i have taken the advice of using the unlock/lock screw and am still have no luck!! any helpful words?

Lets see, my problem is when I press the power button, the HD, power, etc lights turn on green and orange,and blink randomly(absolutely randomly, no order) No video is recieved by the display. Its become as useful as a paperweight. Dell has no answer for the problem, other then the mobo or processor is fried! I have another 2.0ghz intel celeron laying around just of a differnt fsb. but if the procesor was fried the lihgts wouldn't spiratically blink as they do. So my problem is finding a mobo for under 300 US american dollars. http://www.laptopparts.com has a replacement mobo but for 500 friggin' dollars. And its not covered unedr warranty so i don't even wanna know how much dell would charge for jsut the mobo itself. so if anyone can find a replacement mobo for the 1100, it'd be greatly appreciated.
lupinguard@walla.com
AIM: shavelieva

Thanks for the information!
It is also a good practice to wear an anti static wrist strap when opening your electronic components.
I would also remove the battery before opening the laptop just to be on the safe side.
The processor can be removed by sliding a small screw between the heat sink and the processor a few times until you get a groove in between the paste, then you can pry them apart.
Also, the screws are numbered 1-2-3-4 on the fan assembly, This should be the sequence in where you should tighten them when you are putting it back, it should only be snug not Gorilla tight as for these components are very delicate.

Thanks again Dan

Worked great for me :). Thanx for the info.

Ok from the research that I have done I have determined that this is a 400fsb cpu, it is not prescot ready. So Has anyone actually had any luck upgrading this cpu from the stock 2 gig?
I have found upto 3.0 ghz celerons that are 400 fsb, and I have a customer that is interedted in upgrading so If anyone has had any luck in this upgrade on the cpu please let me know!

Followed Dan's directions, ran down to Radio Shack and purchased $2.00 heat sink compound. Used reasonable care and took my time. Working like a champ. Dell claims there isn't a problem with cooling on the 1100. I would disagree based on what I see here.
Thanks for the link to the fan monitor applet.

Hello, I was reading some of the comments about the dell 1100, My son called me this morning saying that he was unable to boot his computer, I asked him to try dc and ac, both no boot, nothing. When I came home I the only light that comes on when I press the power button is the amber battery light. I came across your web site looking for help. I have noticed that prior to total power down it was have heating and fan issues as described above...looking for help
John

My laptop is new again! Thanks.

Everything runs better. I went from 70C to 50C (even under heavy CPU loads).
For those who messed up their notebooks doing this procedure, it's not hard to fix, just get a tech person you know to look at it. Piece of cake.

I have had this problem since May with my 1100 and dell suggested it being a virus or something else that has nothing to do with them. This website is exactly what I've been looking for since then and I'm glad I have finally found it

I was reading everyones post, I ended up cleaning out both my Dell 1100's the same way about a year ago, but I am really dissapointed about the amount of heat I have, even after it is cleaned thoroughly. Also even my power supply heats up very hot. I bought a cooling pad which works great, but its a laptop and it makes an already bulky laptop even bulkier. I have had my laptop for atleast 3 years, and hardly used it because of the size and heat issues. I started using it again but more as a desktop replacement then a portable laptop. I wish Dell would do something to help us out, maybe a nice fast fan would be great. Anyways glad to see everyones in the same situation as me. Hope we could figure out a better way to cool an already bulky laptop? Any ideas?

Thanks for the tips and pictures!!! I was worried about my own overheating/shut down issues and feared how much it would cost to send my 5100 to Dell for service....but thanks to your Bio's update tips, pictures and $2.09 at Radio Shack for Heat Sink Compound I tore into my laptop like I knew what I was doing. So far, 5 hours later it is still running cool and quiet.

Great post! Just finished up and my 5100 seems to be much improved. The only difficult part was separating the cpu from the heatsink... I ended up using an exacto knife to delicately remove the thermal compound from around the edge before popping the two apart. Prepackaged alcohol swaps worked pretty well for cleaning off the compound.

In response to "By hello , written on July 25, 2005 at 11:27 PM." I am having the same issue with my Inspiron 1100. I was using my laptop, when it suddenly had a complete power down. Thus far, I have not been able to boot it up from either the battery or ac power. Even though the AC adapter is plugged in and the green light is lit on it, there is no light on the laptop present. Any suggestions? Please reply to ymp5845@fsu.edu

I have a Dell Inspiron 1100. One day it stopped working, no lights or activity on the Laptop. The power pack works well. I'm wondering if the overheating issue is burning out the Motherboards? I checked Dells FAQs and found that it has to be the Motherboard. Do you think overheating has damaged to motherbard. Thanks for your time.

PS. Great Web Site, Thanks for spreading much needed information Dan.

Hi Steve S,

This is the same issue that I am currently experiencing with my laptop. If I hear a response I'll pass the info along to you as well!

I also had an overheating problem with my dell inspiron 1100. I sent it back to dell under warrenty. When they returned it I received a notice that if I had it repaired and it wasn't under warrenty it would have cost approx 300 - 400 dollars and asked me if I wanted to purchase an extended warrenty, I didn't. The overheating problem came back approx 3 months after the warrenty expired. I called dell and told them I was having the same problem and they said that warrenty parts are only covered for 90 days. Found this board and followed the instructions, only I used the Arctic Silver #5 along with the cleaning compounds. Cost was approx 7-10 dollars for everything. Took apart the heat sink, cleaned the cpu and the heat sink, followed the directions for the application of the Arctic Silver grease/cleaning compounds. Installed the program for the Dell inspiron 8000/8100 fan monitoring and now as I type this I'm looking at a temp of 41 degrees where as before it would hover around 55 to 60. The warrenty work that dell performed stated that they replaced the cpu and fan unit. When I took the heat sink off the cpu I found a "glob" of heat sink grease smeared on the cpu, over the edges and not totally covering the unit at all. Oh well, not another dell. Thanks for the help and info.

I've had a Inspiron 1100 laptop for over a year now. I've been using it mostly for gaming and i plan on building a new computer in the coming few months. I was just wondering if there was any possibility in replacing the Celeron into a Pentium 4, when i first purchased the inspiron 1100, it had a customizable option upon purchase to switch the celeron into a p4, But i don't know which one i should buy. Judging on how well the cooling fan works under heavy load, i was wondering if someone could tell me what pentium 4 they could recommend which won't overheat in my rig. I was thinking of maybe a 2.8 ghz, but i don't know what effect it would have on heat. Also, does this motherboard support hyper-threading? i can't remember if you need a certain mobo to use hyperthreading or its just a feature that is supported by all motherboards.

Just to let everyone know... This seems to be resolved with the latest bios version. After installing the latest bios update the machine is running much cooler, and the cpu usage seems to be better regulated as well

I just had my 1st overheat shutdown on my Inspiron 1100...I downloaded the fan control utility..my ? is what is the proper cpu temperature range....I'm not willing to try and repair this myself so what would be a fair price to clean fan etc...Thanks

By hello , written on July 25, 2005 at 11:27 PM.

I have the exact same issue that you described. Did anyone give you a fix????

Thanks,

Bill

Follow up to my previous post. After opening up my laptop, I reapplied the heatsink compound, but it didn't do anything to fix the situation. After some more poking around and consulting with one of my CS friends, the motherboard is pretty much shot. Does anyone have suggestions if it's better to buy a new motherboard or buy a new laptop?

just finish repairing my friends computer inspirion 1100 same problem as you guys have.
Did not try to open and clean up the fan and cpu
the only thing that I see is the fan is at the bottom of the laptop (manufacture design error)
the only thing that you can do is download 8000/8100 fan control and have it inclined so it can have cool ventilation. Try not to block the fan.

I wanted to tank you for the great document on the 1100 and it overheating issues. I was able to resolve the problem without a major setback. My fiancee and I thank you!!! I Linked to you on my linkroll and also on my weblog, thanks again for saving us so much time!!

I has the same problem with my Inspiron 5100. but instead shuting down by itself , it freezes in about 5 minutes after I put it on. Nothing brings it back but a turn off , as it stoped responding to any command even to CTRL+ALT+DEL.
I removed CPU and clean it with industrial alcohol and pun mmore thermal paste , reassable back and not it is not going more then 40 degrees celsius. before was in 50's degree all the time. THANK you all.

I have the same problem someone was having here a few months back. "I tried this fix on mine. Now when I try to boot it up, all it will do is stay running for a couple of seconds, the num lock light will flash nine times and then it shuts itself down. Any ideas on what might be going on?". I tried the cpu reseating a few times already and i just don't know...

Hi- I'm so fustrate with the current problem with my Dell Inspiron 1100 that I am ready to sell it for parts. Here's the situation. The symptoms are keyboard keys are switched (j=e /=z etc) and sometimes the keyboard "window" key is pressed so when I press D - all windows on screen close and when I press R the RUN interface comes on. From boot, can not enter the bios, regardless if I press F2, F3, Ctrl Esc, but I could get into dos with F8. The last thing is Dell logo does not appear on reboot. The last action I did to this computer was adding 512mb of RAM, but I don't think it affected the computer that way. HELP!!! Much appreciated.

Blessings
working in China

All I can say is THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I wasted about 2 hours of my time yesterday trying to have tech support explain the fan replacement procedure..(this was after explaining to them that I did NOT need a new Motherboard...at least I hoped I didn't). Today I put it back together with your help. Things are running smooth, quiet and cool.

Thanks again.

Dan (Inspiron 5100)

Useful information on how to disassemble a 1100. I had a small piece of paper stuck in the heatsink/fan area. No clue how it got there.

Dell sent my a new heat sink assembly since I didn't want to lose my computer to them for 5-10 days.
AK's comments were the key (you must unlock and then re-lock the ZIF mechanism to properly seat the cpu). I didn't do that first and my 5100 wouldn't boot. I followed AK's instructions and presto, everything works fine, runs quietly, and very cool. I will now blow out the fan on a monthly basis (it was so clogged you couldn't see through the vents). Thanks everyone.

I have an inspiron 5100 and made it to the point of removing the metal shield, and unscrewing the labelled 4 screws. I am unable remove the fan/heatsink--do i just have to yank really hard? I am afraid of damaging anything.

Thanks!

Thanks so much for this page. I had never attempted anything like this before, and it went very smoothly. Until the video didn't come up, but fortunately other feedback explained how to take care of this too. My 1100 may limp along for another couple of years now!

Dear Dan,

Thanks for this page.. Also, to Voytec and AK for the helpful hints.. I managed to reduce the idle temp. to abt. 50C from 68C..

At first my laptop didn't boot up but then I realized the CPU wasn't locked into the socket.

Earlier I couldnt install service pack 2 bcoz my computer would shut down in the middle but now this gives me confidence that I'll finally be able to do it..

thanks a lot!
balak

I was also having the same problems as many of you are, I was extremely frustrated and ready to take apart my computer. I figured that I would first try another route. I went to CVS, bought some of that dust cleaner spray and sprayed all in the bottom of the fan, tons of dust came out, then sprayed in the back fan(exhaust), it seems that the exhaust was blocked because it did the trick, no more annoying overheats or shutdowns due to dust...it took two seconds, and I didnt even need to touch a screwdriver.

Hi ya, i have an inspiron 1100 and one fine day there was condensation in and around it all out of the blue. It refused to work on ac or dc and had the power light up green and battery light up amber all throughout but no startup. 2 days later it powered on and refused to go beyond the boot load page. Neither the F2 or F12 keys do much. The screen freezes after a while and auto shuts down. Any ideas on what is goin on?? thank loads guyz....

Thanks a lot for the info. I removed the heatsink and I could not believe my eyes when I saw the amount of dust on it. Used air pressure on it and around, now I am happy. Laptop runs fine now. ;-)

Thanks, took it apart using your photos, I removed the black fan from the metal frame and spied a thick velvet layer of dust on the inside of the copper fins. I carefully removed the dust layer with a piece of uncooked spaghetti (note: uncooked). then put everything back together. posting this message on the fixed machine :) I had no need to seperate the cpu or add grease... Thanks!

I am having the same problem as some of the others, which includes it not booting up. Mine turns on for about 4 to 5 seconds and then shuts off with just the power light turning on. This only occurs when the processor is seated. If removed, it doesn't turn itself off, so its something with the processor. Im hoping I don't have to get a new one and my desktop has a prescott so I can't do a swap. I will greatly appreciate any help! Thanks!

I contacted dell support over email last night and they told me that the heat sink was the problem, which doesn't sound correct since it does the same thing with heatsink unplugged and in no way attached to the processor. I'll try it though, unless anyone knows of anything.

Jeff, I'm not sure what might be happening with your 1100, but I'm quite sure that trying to run it without the heat sink is a bad idea. There's probably some kind of thermal protection for the processor to keep it from burning up, but I wouldn't want to chance it. Similarly, the processor gets so hot so fast that I bet it'd only stay running for a few seconds.

Based on what you're describing, I'd start over with the reassembly process: be sure the processor is seated and locked correctly, the heat sink seated and screwed down, the fan attached, the keyboard attached. Maybe something wasn't in all the way or something like that. It would also be worth flipping the notebook over and reseating the RAM.

That worked fine! Thanks - ps . . I used a desktop heatsink I had laying around with the dell one aside to see if it was the heatsink, I wasn't running it with nothing, but yeah thanks a bunch, its working great!

Interesting article. I have an Inspiron 1150 however it quite happily runs as long as it likes at high temperatures without any performance or stability sacrifice. Ive performed tasks several hours long whilst the CPU sits at a toasty 80 degrees without a problem.

I'm having the same problems that AK and Robert had - no video after cleaning out the fan and heatsink. I've tried unlocking and locking the screw to the left of the CPU to no avail. Anyone have any ideas on how to fix my computer?

I have a Inspiron 1100 for two years now and i love it had to get a new hd the firts one Dell had was crap and died on me so they replaced iut for free Mine wwas running at around 45 and then i put a cheap laptop pad from regal LOL and just put a real small fan on the desk behind it blowing underneath laptop and now i have been up running for about 8 hours straight and have not got hotter then 39 i love it its running fast and smooth

Thanks to your photos I was able to replace the fan in my Inspiron 1100.

Thanks a lot for your help. I had a lot of problems with this before I saw the website. I took out the processor, put it back in and got the no video thing. I was happy when I turned the screw and found that it would work! Right now my computer is at 37degrees so i guess that's okay. I don't know how to find out what it is at 100% cpu usage but I'm sure it's about the same as everyone else.

As for my CPU, it completely attached to the heatsink, like a lot of people here.I was actually a little afraid of prying it off, so i didn't.

This is an outstanding site with much knowledge and wisdom. I've read it all and feel inspired but afraid.

My 17-month-old Inspiron 1100 died in June 2005. I have been battling ""fix-it, don't fix it.

I feel overheating was the cause of the demise but Dell Tech Support told me a new mother board was needed...$400+. What do I look for. The battery is good as is the power supply. It will not power up. Help!!!

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Hi! I own a Dell Inspiron 1100. I am a 2nd year law student and purchased the laptop about 2 years ago while I was still working full-time. However, I didn't start using the laptop daily until last summer. Several weeks ago my laptop started to shut off upon starting up. I called Dell and they had me take the battery out and go through the reboot process. Everything worked fine. Then about a week later I began having problems where the AC power would switch to battery power as soon as the battery was charged 100%. In order to switch back to ac power (even though it was plugged in) I would have to turn the system off and then turn it back on. I called Dell again. They told me my motherboard needed to be refaced and gave me another number to call. The next morning when I went to turn it on I was unable to start it. Since I'm a student I needed a local fix and since it isn't under warranty I brought it to a local shop. They said there are problems with the motherboard. If i need it replaced it would be $1000. If they can repair it, it would be $400. Am I being ripped off? Is this a part I can buy on my own and install myself? I have noticed that my laptop does get fairly warm and the fan is noticeable when running but nobody has mentioned this could be part of the problem until I read this site. Any assistance would be appreciated.

Thanks -- Tedd

Yes, I would have to say that you are being ripped off. I bought my Inspiron 1100 for a total of 850, I don't know how much yours cost, but 1000 dollars to replace the motherboard is worth more than the whole thing. Also, I'm pretty sure that there really isnt anything they could do to fix the motherboard, if something went wrong, I would assume its going to be like that. To me, if they knew a great amount on circuitry and electronic devices like that, the place possibly could fix it, but I am also pretty sure that a new motherboard would only be about 200 tops, new. Goodluck,
Jeff

The problem with my "dead" Inspiron 1100 is mostly solved. After a good dose of compressed air into the heatsink opening and fan grill, I attempted to power up and Lazarus arose. Do not trust Dell's diagnoses: they said I needed a new motherboard. I have a screen message saying my attempt to add hardware (tried to install a WiFi card) was corrupt and needs to be removed. That should be an easy fix.
Thanks to all for your sage postings. I may still have an overheating problem, but maybe a bios update can overcome that. This site is a gold mine of information.

I am having the same problem with my Inspiron 1100. I cleaned the heatsink and re-assembly back based on instruction, which includes re-seat CPU. After this process, the computer is not booting up. I re-assembly several times, it still does not work. I am really worrying about if my CPU got damage during process. Any suggestions and help!!! Much appreciated.

William, I had the same problem and was extremely worried, but eventually, I just repeated the process and then swapped the ram modules around and then when I turned it back on, everything worked fine. I'm not sure why the ram reseating / swapping fixed the problem but its sure worth a try if you haven't already done so. Also, make sure none of the pins are bent on the processor. It didn't look like any of mine were but after further examination, I saw one out of place. That also could have fixed it.

Thanks, Jeff.
I repeated process several times and swapped the ram modules based on your suggestion, but no luck now. I think I have exact same problem as your previous problem. I will try again.
Thank you again.

Off topic, but very much related since you have had the guts to take your inspiron 1100 apart.

This model dell's main drawback is a lack of internal mini-pci wireless card, yet the 1150 and 5150 with the same body type do have integrated cards.
It's well known that you can add your own mini-pci cards in most laptops these days that don't have one, with the slot being under they keyboard. But I'm hoping this model has that capability too because it was never offered as an option. But looking closely at your pictures, there does seem to be a slot available for a mini-pci card. Do you have any recollection whether there was a mini-pci socket in that spot? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again!

I just followed these directions and pulled a 1/16in (1-2mm) thick sheet of dust out off the cooling fins. I'm sure this was just about cutting off airflow through the heat sink.

For quite some time, the system has been running at 70C under load even with the fan running at high speed. It would idle in the 55-60C range with the fan on. Recently, it has begun shutting down under heavy load and reaching 80C. Now it's idling around 42C. I put it under load last night and it sat at 62C with fan on high.

I'm wondering if those of you having problems after reassembly might have allowed some dust to fall into the CPU socket. This might be preventing a good connection.

I had the same problem as many here - I'd turn on the computer only to have it shutdown after 4 - 5 seconds. Fixed it by reseating the ram. Thanks for the tips!

I have been using the I8kfangui for a few months now with no problems on my Inspiron 1100. Recently I have been having problems where the fan will not turn on. Without the fan utility the fan never runs. But with the utility it tries to turn but only does for about a second on 2 seconds off when I use the temperature control setting. When I switch it to direct fan control it will work but it runs for 3 seconds stops for 2 seconds then back on for 3 seconds then back off. When I restart the computer the fan will run constantly during startup with no problems. I ran a diagnotstic test for the fan and it gave me an error code: 3700:011B
Msg: Expected fan on high rpm of 4600 ,Detected fan rpm = 0. When I ran the test the fan did run on high for about 2-3 seconds and then stopped. I then recieved that error message. The diagnostic does not even detect that the fan is spinning. I bought 4 different fans from ebay and they all do the same thing so I'm thinking it isn't the fan. Also tried reseating the ram, and have installed and re-installed the fan numerous times making sure everything is connected correctly. Since the fan runs fine on boot I have no idea what is wrong. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance

Thanks for the great info. I also forgot to unlock the CPU from the socket so my display was black, after some panicing I read AK's post uptop and realized what I forgot to do. Operating at 40-55*F down from the 65*F - 76*F I was running at before.. Thanks again I was worried I was going to have a boat ancor on my hands. PS: Was in at dell for a new fan 6 months prior so I would reccomend giving it a shot of compressed air atleast every 6 months to keep things cool ^^

Guys, thanks a LOT!!! My fan was on all the time, with temperatures of around 70°C, according to i8kfangui, which by the way is a brilliant little program. I opened up the laptop, and found a big dust clog in front of the copper plates. I carefully removed the dust with a screwdriver, put everything back, and since then I am at 50-60 the most, and most importantly, once the fan comes on at slow speed (which unlike the high speed is bearable), it takes no time to cool back the processor!!!

Dell 1150...no lights, wont power up, power supply shows voltage, doesn't appear to be faulty power connector. what is the procedure for the cooling fan, heatsink, processor workaround?

I'm having trouble getting off the first piece of plastic with a screwdriver, i don't want to snap the plastic on accident...any specific instructions?

hey this page rules!! but i still ca't fix mi inspiron, i've tried everything you've suggested but i still can't make it to power... =(
i hope te get some help from you guys!! thanx in advance!

Charles: based on some of the experiences I've had with by Inspiron 1100 -- Dell said I needed a new mother board, try this.

De-power the unit. That means unplug it and take out the battery pack. Leave it unpowered overnight. When you power up, make sure you leave the power button depressed for an extended period -- like 10 seconds of longer and listen for any clicking and look for the green power light to come on. That procedure worked for me and the problem was not a dead mobo, but rather a sporatic (sick, sick) hard drive. We are not in the process of replacing it. By the way, the overheating CPU is a direct result of overwork and overstress when the CPU is truing to make connection with a hard drive that is running sporatically. The heat goes up (assuming you don't have a furball in the cooling duct) in direct proportion to the amount of work it is performing. Again, this is based on my experience with my Inspiron.

I have an Inspiron 1150 that when you power it on comes up to the screen for safe mode, last known good, etc. If I select to "start normally" it shows the XP screen like normal then goes to black screen with mouse pointer.

Dell said the motherboard was bad...what say you?

Hi,

I followed the procedure posted here but then I lost video. The processor is thoroughly and firmly attached to the heat sink.

Should I pry back and forth with a knife to separate the two components?

I tried the locking/unlocking mechanism (with the CPU attached to the heatsink) and the computer boots up, but not correctly. When the XP logo pops up, it has vertical and horizontal lines convering it and when the desktop should appear, there is (how should I say) static. This leads me to believe that the processor is not completely seated correctly.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Phil: try the de-power routine, outlined above and determine how hot the CPU gets during the time you get the safe mode screen and before it goes all black. There may be some other issues besides a bad mother board. Try starting up on your Windows XP disk, as though you are reinstalling the operating system. See if you get a different result. If you do, this is further proof of some glitch other than mobo.

When i first reassembled my computer i didn't realize but when i tightened the heatsink screws the cpu didn't fully lower into place. The screws tighened and the cpu holes were lined up, but i had to gently press the heatsink into place and that fixed it right up.

I have this problem with my Dell Inspiron 1100. When I turn on my labtop, it has the dell screen then it becomes the Window loading screen, it is suppost to go to the Window's Window(with starts button and stuff) But instead my labtop reboots itself. So again it is Dell screen -> Window loading screen -> reboot forever and ever. Do any of you ever experience that? Can anyone help?

I got an 1100 from a friend. His mother fried the NIC with a static discharge, but the broadcom utility shows almost nothing wrong with the port, except it can't recieve traffic. It can detect a link, but otherwise does not work. I disabled the on-board NIC in the BIOS.

The previous owner had tried re-installing XP to fix the NIC (it was a hardware problem, so OS reinstall won't fix it, duh!) and the machine was in a state of chaos. The original system restore discs weren't available.

I used the restore discs for my Dad's 5100, which as it turns out, is very similar to the 1100. The XP Pro CD installs perfectly, and the driver/diagnostics CD gets me all the drivers I need.

During install and after install, it runs flawlessly UNTIL you try to get on the network, then it is subject to random and very frequent lock-ups.

For network, I've tried:

3COM 3CCFE574BT 16-Bit PCMCIA 10/100 Card (it's not CardBUS)
Linksys WPC11v3 PCMCIA 802.11b Card (also not cardbus)
D-Link DWL-G122 USB 802.11b/g Adapter

I updated the BIOS to the latest version, Cleaned the heat sink, used Arctic Silver 5, the whole nine yards.

It works great for days straight (I've even used programs to spike the CPU to 100%, a procedure I always use to heat-cycle Arctic Silver). The procedure had my CPU tem spiked at 138*F for over a day without a lockup.

Whenever I hook it up to the network though, no matter what adapter I use, it works for a very short while, then locks up.

I've re-installed XP with the on-board NIC disabled, so it doesn't even know that NIC exists, nor is the driver installed or is it showing up in the hardware manager. I'm relatively certain that there's no hardware conflict. After the fresh install the only card I've tried is the wired 3COM. Works for a little bit then locks up. Any other advice?

Inspiron 1000, same problems, overheating and shutting down, finally tokk apart and look, no heat-sink grease at all(on CPU). back together and so far so good, also threw away fan filter.
I'll update how long it lasts.

I must say that you have a wonderful blog entry for the Dell inspiron 1100. I just cleaned up all the dust inside the fan housing and now my dell runs sooo quiet. Before this, my fan was running at max speed at all times. Thanks so much !

My own Dell 1100 had the same problem as described, it would close down when at 78 degrees (meltdown!). So, i stripped it out as per your recommendations, found no heatsink compound at all on the cpu. Running like a dream now. Thank you for the hints and tips. Vic

I have an Inspiron 5150 and am having similar problems. It shut down from overheating. But now the problem is that the a/c adapter won't charge the battery. If I remove the battery, and plug it in, it still won't turn on. No light come on or anything. It acts like it has no power at ALL. I've tried three different cords, so that can't be that. I've also tried another battery, and it works fine. Dell tell me it's the motherboard, but if the computer runs off the battery, it works just fine. I'm just not so sure it's the mother board. Does it sound like I need to goes through this prcedure...and will this work the same for 5150's?

Okay, I got impatient and went ahead and did all this to my computer, and it didn't fix my charging problem. I'm sure it helped my computer, but it still won't charge the battery, or turn on when the battery is out(and it's plugged in). Again, dell tells me I need to spend $400 on a new motherboard, but does anyone have any other ideas. Anything! I'm desperate.
Stephanie

Stephanie,

It sounds like the power control circuitry is not working properly. It could be something simple like the part the power plug goes into breaking off the motherboard or a bent/broken pin inside that connector, or it could be something small on the motherboard like a surface mount fuse or burned up resistor, but surface mount components are difficult for normal people to troubleshoot and replace. It could also be a much more complex failure than just one or two of the microscopic surface mount components, such as an integrated circuit (microchip) that burned up.

While troubleshooting my own problems, I had my Inspiron taken apart to where no two parts were still assembled, and I can tell you that on the 1100 and 5100, the power control circuitry and the power connector is unfortunately all part of the motherboard.

I suppose what I'm saying is that Dell is pretty much correct. I guess if it was my own laptop I'd be looking to see if the 3 pins on the power connector on the back of the laptop were still intact. If so, I'd check to see if maybe the solder came loose or it otherwise broke off the motherboard. Checking this requires a LOT MORE taking apart than this how-to covers, and you could break stuff or otherwise incorrectly reassemble and damage