Overactive Fan

[Fay]

The fan in my desktop blows at full pelt 70% of the time. I am typing this & it is revving hard!!!! Not as though I am playing games on it. Have you any idea's as to why this is Mac?

It has been like this for quite a while now

Thanks

[mickw]

Either you are trying to run every application on your PC at the same time or it's full of dust/fluff

Take lid off and you will see it, probably in/around the fans and in the vanes of the cpu heat sink.
I use a soft bristled brush to flick  a bulk of the dust off then use an Air Duster to blast the rest of the stuff off.

Best done in the garden unless you love housework.

[Fay]

I have just had the side off Mick & cannot see an obvious amount of dust. It is going at full pelt even doing this. Where is the cpu heatsink? Behind the fan?

[Fay]

CPU in task manager, System Idle is 98, is that significant?

[mickw]

Where is the cpu heatsink? Behind the fan?

Yep, it will have a lot of fins on it.

System Idle is 98, is that significant?

Don't know 

The blades of the CPU fan and the case fan should look clean and relatively shiny, if they have a coating of muck on them they are not doing a proper job of cooling

[Mac]

CPU in task manager, System Idle is 98, is that significant?

yup it means that your pc is doing nothing for 98% of the time which is normal.
download this and have a look at what is running, its a tad better then task manager.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx

if you find one of your SVCHOST processes is running a lot when your actally doing nothing,
chances are you have some sort of spyware / malware running although not always.

Also as Mick said , just check that your cooling fins are clear and that the CPU has adequate cooling.

Mac.

[Fay]

Can't get the help file to open, so dont know what I am looking for at the moment. I think it is going to be hoovers at dawn!!!!!!!!

[Fay]

Clever boys!!!!!!!

Had a good brush & hoover & all seems well now!!!!!!!!!! Thanks