Acer TravelMate 2420 overheating problems

Aija · 06-20-2009, 04:53 AM

I bought a used Acer TravelMate 2420 laptop (WinXP, RAM 1 GM, hard disk 40 GB, Intel Celeron M processor 1,50 GHZ) and since the beginning it had overheating problems and also some issues with power management. And yes, I know it was a stupid thing to buy it, but knowing it doesn't help.

Now the problems:
1. Whatever I do, it keeps overheating, even if no programs are opened. The laptop's fan works very vaguely, and I can hardly hear any sound of it. At first it didn't trouble me much, as it was winter and it would still work, although heated up. I also bought an USB fan pad (2 fans), and it helped for some time. But now, when the air temperature is over 30 degrees, the laptop just "freezes" in the middle of work and stays like this for about 20 min, or just suddenly shuts down completely.

2. I can't turn it off if the power supply is on - I have to unplug it just before the computer shuts down, otherwise it keeps on restarting. Also I can't use it without a battery, as it doesn't turn off in any way (even pressing the power button for a long time doesn't help), and I have to unplug power supply (which ain't no good for computer).

What I already tried to do:
1. Re-installed Windows, installed updates.
2. Checked the computer with various antivirus and antimalware programs (Avira, AVG-free, Malwarebytes' Anti-malware, Spybot Search and Destroy, Ad-Aware).
3. Installed additional Acer utilities: Acer emPowering Framework, Acer ePerformance Management, Acer ePower Management - but they basically didn't let me change anything important (like the fan speed, for example). With PowerManager I changed the CPU speed to Medium, well, it helped a little bit, but the comp. is totally slow now (and still overheats) ...
4. Instaled SpeedFan to speed up the fan - but it didn't detect any fan in the computer!
6. Dismantled the laptop (removed the hard disk, the keyboard) to see if the fan isn't clogged, but I still couldn't reach it. So I just used a vacuum-cleaner as much as I could reach, but of course it didn't change anything.
5. Oh and of course I disabled all the unnecessary programmes (by modifying msconfig -> startup).

I've read quite a lot now about these laptops, and seems like they all have this overheating problem, but it's usually solved by using a ventilating pad (which helped in my case a bit, but basically didn't solve the problem). I didn't found anybody having these power problems, so I guess maybe a previous user made some stupid modifications... I just don't know how to fix them now.

So, if anyone would have some advices, it would be really appreciated.
(of course, not this type of advices like "buy a new computer" [if I could afford a new one, I would't have bought a used one in the first place]).

**TriggerFinger** · 06-20-2009, 09:49 AM

Start with reapplying thermal compound (shut off/slow down if temp is over 30C? at what temp exactly?). Also run HDD diagnostics to test the hard drive. Test your RAM too with Memtest86+. Post back what you find out.

Aija · 06-21-2009, 06:24 AM

Hi, sorry, didn't understand that part about "thermal compound" - I was talking about air temperature. In the room. That in winter it worked ok, when the vent. pad was on, and now, in summer, it utterly overheats.

The HDDScan S.M.A.R.T. report:
(a few minutes after turning the laptop on)

Model: ST9402112A
Firmware: 3.06
Serial: 5PJ05DCM
LBA: 78140160

Report By: HDDScan for Windows version 3.1
Report Date: 2009-06-21 13:19:03

Num Attribute Name Value Worst Raw(hex) Threshold

001 Raw Read Error Rate 100 253 00000000-0000 006

003 Spin Up Time 097 096 00000000-0000 000

004 Start/Stop Count 097 097 00000000-0CC4 020

005 Reallocation Sector Count 100 100 00000000-0000 036

007 Seek Error Rate 081 060 000009FB-CECB 030

009 PowerOn Hours Count 090 090 00000000-22E1 000

010 Spin Retry Count 100 100 00000000-0000 034

012 Device Power Cycle Count 071 071 00000000-7721 020

187 Reported Uncorrectable Error 100 100 00000000-0000 000

189 High Fly Writes 040 040 00000000-003C 000

190 Airflow Temperature 060 047 40 C 045

192 Power-off retract count 086 086 00000000-6D6A 000

193 Load/unload cycle count 001 001 00000003-4E24 000

194 HDA Temperature 040 053 40 C 000

195 Hardware ECC Recovered 068 055 0000031B-CA35 000

197 Current Pending Sector Count 100 100 00000000-0000 000

198 Uncorrectable Sector Count 100 100 00000000-0000 000

199 UltraDMA CRC Error Count 200 200 00000000-0000 000

200 Write Error Rate 100 253 00000000-0000 000

202 Data Address Mark Errors 100 253 00000000-0000 000

And I downloaded Memtest86+, but it's just a .bin file, which is associated with VLC player, and doesn't provide any other options...

**TriggerFinger** · 06-21-2009, 09:33 AM

Check this out: YouTube - How to Apply Thermal Compound to a CPU

Aija · 06-23-2009, 07:16 AM

Hi, I watched the movie. And, as I said, after dismantling a laptop I can't even reach ventilator, not even talking about a processor.

Aija · 07-03-2009, 04:50 PM

Well, I'll ask otherwise: can somebody suggest how to dissasemble Acer TravelMate 2420, so that I could reach the processor? This model seem to have a complicated structure, as after removing a keyboard there's still a metal plate covering everything, and it doesn't take off. I also tried to remove the monitor, but one of the screws is stuck.

06-20-2009, 04:53 AM	#1 (permalink)
Aija Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 8 OS: xp	Acer TravelMate 2420 overheating problems I bought a used Acer TravelMate 2420 laptop (WinXP, RAM 1 GM, hard disk 40 GB, Intel Celeron M processor 1,50 GHZ) and since the beginning it had overheating problems and also some issues with power management. And yes, I know it was a stupid thing to buy it, but knowing it doesn't help. Now the problems: 1. Whatever I do, it keeps overheating, even if no programs are opened. The laptop's fan works very vaguely, and I can hardly hear any sound of it. At first it didn't trouble me much, as it was winter and it would still work, although heated up. I also bought an USB fan pad (2 fans), and it helped for some time. But now, when the air temperature is over 30 degrees, the laptop just "freezes" in the middle of work and stays like this for about 20 min, or just suddenly shuts down completely. 2. I can't turn it off if the power supply is on - I have to unplug it just before the computer shuts down, otherwise it keeps on restarting. Also I can't use it without a battery, as it doesn't turn off in any way (even pressing the power button for a long time doesn't help), and I have to unplug power supply (which ain't no good for computer). What I already tried to do: 1. Re-installed Windows, installed updates. 2. Checked the computer with various antivirus and antimalware programs (Avira, AVG-free, Malwarebytes' Anti-malware, Spybot Search and Destroy, Ad-Aware). 3. Installed additional Acer utilities: Acer emPowering Framework, Acer ePerformance Management, Acer ePower Management - but they basically didn't let me change anything important (like the fan speed, for example). With PowerManager I changed the CPU speed to Medium, well, it helped a little bit, but the comp. is totally slow now (and still overheats) ... 4. Instaled SpeedFan to speed up the fan - but it didn't detect any fan in the computer! 6. Dismantled the laptop (removed the hard disk, the keyboard) to see if the fan isn't clogged, but I still couldn't reach it. So I just used a vacuum-cleaner as much as I could reach, but of course it didn't change anything. 5. Oh and of course I disabled all the unnecessary programmes (by modifying msconfig -> startup). I've read quite a lot now about these laptops, and seems like they all have this overheating problem, but it's usually solved by using a ventilating pad (which helped in my case a bit, but basically didn't solve the problem). I didn't found anybody having these power problems, so I guess maybe a previous user made some stupid modifications... I just don't know how to fix them now. So, if anyone would have some advices, it would be really appreciated. (of course, not this type of advices like "buy a new computer" [if I could afford a new one, I would't have bought a used one in the first place]).

06-20-2009, 09:49 AM	#2 (permalink)
TriggerFinger Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: USA Posts: 11,802 OS: Vista SP1, XP SP3, PCLinuxOS2007	Re: Acer TravelMate 2420 overheating problems Start with reapplying thermal compound (shut off/slow down if temp is over 30C? at what temp exactly?). Also run HDD diagnostics to test the hard drive. Test your RAM too with Memtest86+. Post back what you find out. __________________ DBAN - Memtest86+ - BartPE - Linux LiveCD - ImgBurn - HDD Diags - Disk Copy HOW TO BURN AN ISO FILE

06-21-2009, 06:24 AM	#3 (permalink)
Aija Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 8 OS: xp	Re: Acer TravelMate 2420 overheating problems Hi, sorry, didn't understand that part about "thermal compound" - I was talking about air temperature. In the room. That in winter it worked ok, when the vent. pad was on, and now, in summer, it utterly overheats. The HDDScan S.M.A.R.T. report: (a few minutes after turning the laptop on) Model: ST9402112A Firmware: 3.06 Serial: 5PJ05DCM LBA: 78140160 Report By: HDDScan for Windows version 3.1 Report Date: 2009-06-21 13:19:03 Num Attribute Name Value Worst Raw(hex) Threshold 001 Raw Read Error Rate 100 253 00000000-0000 006 003 Spin Up Time 097 096 00000000-0000 000 004 Start/Stop Count 097 097 00000000-0CC4 020 005 Reallocation Sector Count 100 100 00000000-0000 036 007 Seek Error Rate 081 060 000009FB-CECB 030 009 PowerOn Hours Count 090 090 00000000-22E1 000 010 Spin Retry Count 100 100 00000000-0000 034 012 Device Power Cycle Count 071 071 00000000-7721 020 187 Reported Uncorrectable Error 100 100 00000000-0000 000 189 High Fly Writes 040 040 00000000-003C 000 190 Airflow Temperature 060 047 40 C 045 192 Power-off retract count 086 086 00000000-6D6A 000 193 Load/unload cycle count 001 001 00000003-4E24 000 194 HDA Temperature 040 053 40 C 000 195 Hardware ECC Recovered 068 055 0000031B-CA35 000 197 Current Pending Sector Count 100 100 00000000-0000 000 198 Uncorrectable Sector Count 100 100 00000000-0000 000 199 UltraDMA CRC Error Count 200 200 00000000-0000 000 200 Write Error Rate 100 253 00000000-0000 000 202 Data Address Mark Errors 100 253 00000000-0000 000 And I downloaded Memtest86+, but it's just a .bin file, which is associated with VLC player, and doesn't provide any other options...

06-21-2009, 09:33 AM	#4 (permalink)
TriggerFinger Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: USA Posts: 11,802 OS: Vista SP1, XP SP3, PCLinuxOS2007	Re: Acer TravelMate 2420 overheating problems Check this out: YouTube - How to Apply Thermal Compound to a CPU __________________ DBAN - Memtest86+ - BartPE - Linux LiveCD - ImgBurn - HDD Diags - Disk Copy HOW TO BURN AN ISO FILE

06-23-2009, 07:16 AM	#5 (permalink)
Aija Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 8 OS: xp	Re: Acer TravelMate 2420 overheating problems Hi, I watched the movie. And, as I said, after dismantling a laptop I can't even reach ventilator, not even talking about a processor.

07-03-2009, 04:50 PM	#6 (permalink)
Aija Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 8 OS: xp	Re: Acer TravelMate 2420 overheating problems Well, I'll ask otherwise: can somebody suggest how to dissasemble Acer TravelMate 2420, so that I could reach the processor? This model seem to have a complicated structure, as after removing a keyboard there's still a metal plate covering everything, and it doesn't take off. I also tried to remove the monitor, but one of the screws is stuck.