Why is my laptop fan vibrating

Help please. My laptop fan won't stop vibrating and making a loud noise from ASUS

Hey @amro2, 

Welcome to the HP Support Forums!

You had mentioned that you are hearing a loud noise and that the HP Pavilion Notebook - 15-p248ne is vibrating when this occurs. You believed that it sounded like the fan was touching something while spinning. I also watched the YouTube video that you had provided for me. That was very helpful! Thank you. 

One of the possibilities may be that the fan needs to be cleaned. 

Even though you had not stated that you are not having issues with heat, there is a document called Fan is Noisy and Spins Constantly. This document has troubleshooting steps that may help. I realize that you are not having an issue more intermittently than you on a regular basis, however, the steps in the document may lead you in the proper direction for a resolution. 

I am going to provide you with the HP Pavilion 17 Notebook PCHP Pavilion 15 Notebook PC Maintenance and Service Guide for your reference. 

If none of the steps above help, and the Notebook is still in warranty (please use the Warranty Checker if you are unsure), I would not suggest opening up the Notebook. Although opening up the notebook should not void your warranty, if any damage is caused during the process without contacting HP Support then it can void your warranty. If you are still in warranty, please use the following link to create yourself a case number:

Step 1. Open link: www.hp.com/contacthp/

Step 2. Enter Product number or select to auto detectStep 3. Scroll down to "Still need help? Complete the form to select your contact options"

Step 4. Scroll down and click on: HP contact options - click on Get phone number

If any of this information helps you to a resolution, please share with others by marking the appropriate post as an Accepted Solution. If you would like to show your appreciation for my efforts today, please take a second to click the Thumbs Up button below. 

Thank you for joining in. 

Have a wonderful day!

EmeraldAvenger
I work on behalf of HP

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View solution in original post

Is your laptop making a strange noise? Among the many malfunctions that a PC can encounter, we find the problem of vibration. This phenomenon can quickly become very disturbing when it is noisy. It can also become disturbing if it persists over time. But do you really have to worry about it? And are there any solutions to get rid of it? This is what we will see today in this article by answering the question: what to do when your laptop vibrates? We will first see the different reasons that could trigger this unwanted noise. Then, we will see the different checks and manipulations to remedy it.

A vibrating laptop is not normal. However, this does not always pose a risk to the lifespan or performance of your computer. Everything will depend on factor causing vibration. In fact, when your laptop makes noise, and more particularly a vibration sound, the problem may come from different causes :

• One or more fans not working properly is the most common cause. Ventilation is the weak point of laptops. Many factors can interfere with the proper functioning of the fans and lead to the appearance of vibration, starting with natural wear and therefore its seniority. On the other hand, the fan can be obstructed or unbalanced because it is dusty, or work much more than usual (for example when playing a video game). These factors will not allow optimal cooling of the PC, which will lead to an increase in the rotation speed of the fan and therefore noise much more important. In summary, a fan that makes noise comes from the mechanical resonance produced by an adjustment or a malfunction on it.

• A damaged hard drive. The hard drive of a laptop computer is made up of read heads that emit vibrations throughout the PC case when they rotate. Manufacturers therefore use bindings or pads to prevent them from being heard. However, when the hard disk is physically defective following a shock or natural wear, the vibration can then increase and become audible.

• A loose, unsoldered, damaged, or overheated hardware or electronic component on your laptop. Be aware that if a component starts to heat up too much, it tends to activate the fans at full speed. In this case, the fan problem then comes from an external factor.

Read also: My laptop is crackling, what should I do?

If you vibration noise on your laptop starts when the computer is hot, that it is strongly solicited (video game for example) or under charge, there is a good chance that the failure comes from the ventilateur. You can confirm this by bringing your ear close to the computer, and depending on where the noise is coming from, deduce whether or not it seems to be coming from the fan. If so, there is almost no doubt. Otherwise, the problem most likely comes from another component of the PC. Also be aware that if your computer tends to overheat, the problem probably comes from another component which activates the fan at full power.

If your laptop is noisy when starting the computer, and therefore when it is cold, the problem then most certainly comes from the Hard disk. In this case, it is very likely that the vibration noise is accompanied by other problems such as bugs or malfunctions. Moreover, this happens very often after the computer has taken a shock or been dropped. Again, you can try to make sure by bringing your ear closer to the computer and try to determine if the noise is coming from the part where the hard drive is located or not.

Finally, if you don't think the noise is coming from the fan or the hard drive, or you can't determine where the noise is coming from, it may be that a another component of your laptop vibrates because it is unscrewed, unsoldered or damaged. However, this is harder to diagnose. You can then attempt to perform the troubleshooting steps below if you have some electronics skills. Otherwise, it is best to go to a repairer.

Read also: Image of laptop jumping, what to do?

First of all, if your vibrating laptop is still under warranty, do not dismantle it as this will invalidate your warranty rights. Call the After-sales service from the brand or the reseller store to obtain a diagnosis free of charge; and if necessary, the repair or replacement of the defective component.

As you will have understood, in the vast majority of cases, it is laptop fan vibrating. Fortunately, one of the main factors linked to this problem is easy to avoid since it is a accumulation of dust which rushes into the ventilation and clogs the interior of the laptop. In this case, a simple cleaning and dusting of this one allows to suppress the disturbing noise.

For clean the fan, you will have to remove the cover of the computer after having obviously turned it off and disconnected its power supply. On many laptops, disassembly and access to the fan is very simple. All you have to do is open the back of the case by unscrewing it. Tutorials exist on the net, do not hesitate to consult them. You can dust the blades of the fans and the radiator with an antistatic cloth, a soft brush with long bristles or a quality compressed air can, holding it straight to avoid the projection of liquid. Although this is much less effective, if you can't open the bottom of the PC, blow compressed air through the fan duct to dislodge dust.

Note: Be careful that the air circulates well. Check that the ventilation grilles are never blocked and that your computer is not placed on a soft or insulating surface.

If you PC fan keeps making noise after dusting, it may be that the problem comes from the axis of rotation. In this case, if you can and the handling is easy, disassemble the fan to access the central rod of the fan. Once again, video tutorials exist to show you the manipulation to follow. Drop a little bit of mechanical grease non-conductive (one drop) on the stem.

Finally, reassemble the fan of the PC computer, ensuring that it is correctly positioned and well screwed. If the laptop fan continues to vibrate, then either the fan will need to be replaced, which may be faulty, or the problem may ultimately be with another component.

If during the dismantling of the fan, you noticed that the fan is in bad condition, that a blade seems broken or damaged, it is possible that the fan is defective. As a result, it may be unbalanced or no longer work properly and thus cause to shiver the laptop.

In this case, you will need replace noisy fan. To do this, make sure that the fan is compatible with your laptop. That is to say of the same power or more powerful if your computer tends to overheat, and of the same size. If you are afraid of making a mistake, the best thing is to replace it with the same reference. For this, you can try to contact the after-sales service of the brand or the retailer of your laptop and see if they sell spare parts. Online sites also offer new fans from many brands.

If you have noticed that your laptop vibrates due to hard drive, you will then have to try to reattach (video tutorials exist) or if necessary, to replace. To do this, buy a compatible, more powerful hard drive or, in case of doubt, of the same reference.

When your laptop keeps vibrating, as a last resort you can first try to change power management settings of your PC by putting them on economical, especially if your computer tends to overheat. Indeed, this allows your computer to heat less and therefore the fans to run less at full power.

If changing the settings does not fix vibration noise on your laptop, or if the settings are affecting your performance, check visually or by very gently touching the components to see if they are loose or unscrewed. If so, reattach them. In the event that your computer is overheating, try to determine which component is responsible. You may need to replace the component that is overheating and/or replace your fan with a more powerful one to compensate for the excessive heating.

If you are not suitable for the manipulations or if you cannot find the origin of the problem or solve it, then you will have to contact an independent repairer or Brand after-sales service for further physical diagnosis and, if necessary, proceed with the replacement of the shaking component.