CPU Fan error message

[Drakstern]

Sooo... on my Dell, which was just recently fixed, I just started getting this message...

CPU Fan not functioning!

Now, I'm a hardware clueless... Any recommendations? Should I try popping the case and cleaning the bugger out? Check power connections?

Speaking of which, secondary DVD drive has recently stopped functioning. Could it be a related issue, or entirely unrelated?

Any help would be appreciated.

[PuckishOne]

Ideally, if you don't feel that you should be the one touching anything, you'll want to have a professional do it for you. However, if you're feeling intrepid...

The CPU fan not functioning could be due to the fan itself, the power supply, or how the CPU was seated (and probably other things I'm not remembering). This is definitely something I wouldn't recommend you poking around with yourself unless you feel very confident that you know what you're doing...the CPU is too important (and expensive) to mess with. Definitely consult a pro.

As for the DVD drive, if you have another drive that you know works, try popping the non-working one out and replacing it with the working one. Could be power, could be the drive, could be connections, could be memory, could be a lot of things. Really, trial and error is often the way that these things get fixed.

Also, there are much bigger geeks than me on this board who might have better ideas...:)

Good luck.

- Puck, Giver of Moderately Helpful Advice

[Ringtail Z28]

If you're not sure what you're doing then it would probably be better to let a pro work on it.

As far as what the problem is, I'm going to guess that it's either the connections are loose or the power supply is failing. I've seen both happen even on new computers.

[lordlundar]

You'll void the warranty on a Dell Machine if you open it.

Sounds to me like they forgot to plug the CPU fan in after they finished. Have them take a look at it. Your computer won't start up without it operational. (the CPU will literaly blow up if the computer tried)

[Dreamstalker]

My stepfather's Dell that I'm repairing now didn't have a CPU fan, just the heatsink and a duct :eek: (I'm slapping everything into a new case for him and replacing the PSU, so I'll pop on a new heatsink/fan assembly as well...if Dell motherboards have a CPU_FAN header)

[LostMyMind]

My stepfather's Dell that I'm repairing now didn't have a CPU fan, just the heatsink and a duct :eek:
I can remember having computers without a CPU heatsink and fan. :sigh:

Where's my old man shaking a cane smile?

[Drakstern]

Warranty's already voided due to expiration.

Anyhow, I've a friend who has more experience who's gonna take a look at it. If he's uncertain... it's taking a trip to Micro Center for fixinging.

[BrightEyedKitty]

Take out the screws on the back that hold the case cover on, remove the cover, and see if the fan is working.

If not, follow the electrical plug that goes from the fan to the motherboard to make sure it's plugged in.

Don't touch anything in the case while the computer's running.

If it's not plugged in, turn the computer off, unplug it, ground yourself by touching the computer chassis(static shock + electrical components=BAD), and plug it back in. It SHOULD be pretty obvious where it goes.

If it is plugged in and just not working, you'll need to replace the fan. Should be less than $20. There's a plastic piece around the socket with tabs to hold the metal clip that attaches the fan to the motherboard. Push down on the end of the metal clip and pull it off the tab. May take a couple tries, and you may need a screwdriver for leverage, but be careful not to slip and puncture the motherboard.

Reinstall fan in reverse of removal and plug it in to the fan header on the motherboard. Alternately, some fans just plug into one of the power supply connectors instead.