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"Processor fan not detected"

StandUpChuck

Tart with a Heart
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*groan* Son turned on the desktop today and there was that warning. I told him to shut down the computer right away, but he said dad's been ignoring that message for weeks.

So I figure I need to get it fixed ASAP or my motherboard could fry, right? :unsure13: I'd drop it off at the computer guy's shop, but that means no desk top or wifi for my notebook for at least a few days. I would lose it.
 
1. Make sure its plugged in. It should be a two prong white connector, kind of small.
2. If its bad, post the make/model of the computer and I can tell you what fan to buy, installation is usually just a matter of clipping it in place.
 
1. Make sure its plugged in. It should be a two prong white connector, kind of small.
2. If its bad, post the make/model of the computer and I can tell you what fan to buy, installation is usually just a matter of clipping it in place.

How gentlemenly of you sir :)

seal-of-approval.jpg
 
1. Make sure its plugged in. It should be a two prong white connector, kind of small.
2. If its bad, post the make/model of the computer and I can tell you what fan to buy, installation is usually just a matter of clipping it in place.


Thank you Mega! :kissy: Do I have to open the MB to ensure the fan is plugged in? I'm pretty sure the fan is on the inside.

BTW, I did let my son play on it since it's been OK for hubby. I just opened a window to make sure the room is relatively cool.
 
Thank you Mega! :kissy: Do I have to open the MB to ensure the fan is plugged in? I'm pretty sure the fan is on the inside.

BTW, I did let my son play on it since it's been OK for hubby. I just opened a window to make sure the room is relatively cool.

Yeah, but as long as you don't start smashing things with hammers, there isn't much that can go wrong. You might want to take the opportunity to blow it out with a can of compressed air.

The connector looks like this, there should be the same number of prongs stick out somewhere near the processor, if its not plugged in. The little fins on it will make sure you plug it in the right orientation.

cpufanpower.jpg
 
Yeah, but as long as you don't start smashing things with hammers, there isn't much that can go wrong. You might want to take the opportunity to blow it out with a can of compressed air.

The connector looks like this, there should be the same number of prongs stick out somewhere near the processor, if its not plugged in. The little fins on it will make sure you plug it in the right orientation.

cpufanpower.jpg


Thank you. :scared: to open it. Like I have a can of compressed air. :lol: I'll scoop out the filth with my fingers.

Is it bad that people are still using that computer without the fan?
 
Thank you Mega! :kissy: Do I have to open the MB to ensure the fan is plugged in? I'm pretty sure the fan is on the inside.

BTW, I did let my son play on it since it's been OK for hubby. I just opened a window to make sure the room is relatively cool.

If it wasn't working at all, your pc wouldn't be working either.
That's what I've been told.
 
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If it wasn't working at all, your pc wouldn't be working either.
That's what I've been told.

Either that or she has a helluva case fan and its pulling lots of air across the heat sink.
 
If it wasn't working at all, your pc wouldn't be working either.
That's what I've been told.

That's good to know! I don't use the desktop, so I can't say if I've heard the fan running or not to be honest. It rarely runs on my notebook. The desktop is in a non-air conditioned room, and it's been hot, so I imagine the damage would have been done before anyone told me about the error message.
 
I have no idea what that means, so I don't think I have that.

It's the exhaust fan on the back.

Most, if not all computer processors run so fast, that if the fan were to die 1 or 2 things would happen......

1. The pc would automatically shut off, to protect itself.

Or

2. It would run a few seconds and then die because it overheated (and probably fried) the processor.
 
It's the exhaust fan on the back.

Most, if not all computer processors run so fast, that if the fan were to die 1 or 2 things would happen......

1. The pc would automatically shut off, to protect itself.

Or

2. It would run a few seconds and then die because it overheated (and probably fried) the processor.

Modern processors will shut themselves down and throw out lots of beeps
 
Modern processors will shut themselves down and throw out lots of beeps

Last time anything close like this happened to me, was with a friend and his brother He took the Processor out and installed back in the wrong way.

Wouldn't work again after that but the pc was really old too.
 
Last time anything close like this happened to me, was with a friend and his brother He took the Processor out and installed back in the wrong way.

Wouldn't work again after that but the pc was really old too.

What was the socket type?!
 
If the cooler doesn't work properly (let stand not work at all) youll get a warning and beeps starting up and windows wont load half the time or shut down after a few seconds. Burning the mobo is not going to happen, before it overheats it will shut down.
I touched the mobo with a screwdriver once while the pc was running, now that does causes problems. Luckily mobo's usually come with a 3 year warranty and they wont waste time determing whether you caused the problem or not (unless you put the pc out in the rain), its cheaper to send a new one. Good companies who sell a lot of pcs care about a good consumer review, it is important to select a good vendor.
 
I was so busy with phone calls last night that I forgot about the desktop. :doh Ima get brave and open it tonight (or tomorrow .... :scared: )
 
CPUFan.jpg


You seem a little tentative of opening up your computer case, so maybe this will help you out a bit.

This is what your heatsink fan will look like (or something similar). The silver, finned device is the heatsink. Your CPU is mounted on the motherboard, underneath the heatsink and fan.

The little plug the guy has between his fingers is the connector that megaprogman showed you a picture of in an earlier post. Like he said, it will only go on one way. Most of the connections on a motherboard and other components are like that. Lessening the chance of messing something up.

IF it's unplugged look for a connection on your motherboard labeled 'CPU Fan'. It'll be close to your CPU.


The little fan, lower left, is a chipset cooler fan. Your motherboard may or may not have one - most older ones don't. I'm just mentioning that so that if you happen to have one, you don't confuse it with the CPU fan.
 
CPUpower.jpg



Sorry I meant to enclose this photo also.

It shows him plugging in the connector. Compare it to the first photo and it'll show you the general area and how close to the fan the motherboard connection is.

There's another connector just to the right of where he's plugging the CPU fan in, it's probably just another connection in case you want to install an auxiliary case fan (usually out to the side).

Good luck...:)
 
*groan* Son turned on the desktop today and there was that warning. I told him to shut down the computer right away, but he said dad's been ignoring that message for weeks.

So I figure I need to get it fixed ASAP or my motherboard could fry, right? :unsure13: I'd drop it off at the computer guy's shop, but that means no desk top or wifi for my notebook for at least a few days. I would lose it.

Well, actually, you'll most likely fry the CPU instead of the motherboard, but either way the computer will quit working.


Before you open up the case and start poking around inside, I'd suggest one other thing first.

Download and install Coretemp. When you run it, it will allow you to see the temperature(s) of your processor core(s). Below is a pic that shows what the program looks like when it's running.

coretemp.png


When the processors are running around idle (less than 15% load or so), your temperatures should be somewhere around 30-50 deg C, if they are, then you're fine, and you can ignore the message. If they're considerably higher than that (like 80 or 90 deg C), you most likely have a problem.
 
Thank you so very much, folks. You all rock!

Yes, I am very apprehensive about opening up the tower. I did something bad to my last computer when I was installing more memory, so I have never opened this one. I think we bought this one in 2002, so it's probably ancient.
 
Well, actually, you'll most likely fry the CPU instead of the motherboard, but either way the computer will quit working.


Before you open up the case and start poking around inside, I'd suggest one other thing first.

Download and install Coretemp. When you run it, it will allow you to see the temperature(s) of your processor core(s). Below is a pic that shows what the program looks like when it's running.

coretemp.png


When the processors are running around idle (less than 15% load or so), your temperatures should be somewhere around 30-50 deg C, if they are, then you're fine, and you can ignore the message. If they're considerably higher than that (like 80 or 90 deg C), you most likely have a problem.


I finally got around to doing this, and the program can't be run because "This Intel processor is not supported. This program will not continue." :crazy3:
 
I finally got around to doing this, and the program can't be run because "This Intel processor is not supported. This program will not continue." :crazy3:

Holy crap!
 
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