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Macbook running very hot recently

iz3r

iz3r

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 22, 2007
30
0
Arizona
I've had my mac book since May of this year. When I am in class I have always used word to take notes, and it ran very cool. I have always had the dashboard turned off, and nothing is running in the background.

Now when I am in class I will open up word start taking notes, and after about three minutes, the fan goes on full blast, and it is pretty loud. And my battery life used to be fully charged about 3-4 hours, now it only stays at one hour.

Can someone please help me fix this issue.

Thanks
 
Check to see what process(es) is(are) using a lot of CPU time using Activity Monitor. (/Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor)

I don't know why a even post the path anymore when you can just use Spotlight. :rolleyes:
 
My guess would be that an application is crashing. That's always the problem when my mac shows those exact symptoms. Run Activity Monitor to see what's taking up all the CPU. :)
 
Overheating MacBook, fan running

As was suggested, I ran Activity Monitor when the fan was running. Some kind of printer software from Lexmark had an incredible CPU usage, which fluctuated between 75 and 100%. This without being connected to any printer, much less a Lexmark. The instant I removed all my Lexmark files, the fan powered down.

I had to take the MacBook in recently, logic board failure apparently. Previous to that, it had developed a battery problem, maybe similar to your other forum posters: Excessive battery drain, finally resulting in shutdown when battery level showed 25%, power cord not connected.

Probably coincidence, but the severe problems started when I downloaded and started using Safari Beta. Any possibliity that Safari Beta has a security fault that allows someone to take over the Lexmark software, in order to steal computing power over the internet?
 
I finally looked into all processes and it showed that the mac printer app was still running in the bg, even after restarts and shut downs, I closed it and now im back to normal.

Thanks guys.
 
Rogue processes are usually the cause the random high processor usage.

Printers and indexing services (e.g. Spotlight) seem to be the biggest culprits lately.
 
Fax Server was the culprit

Thanks folks!
I had the same problem. would you believe neither Mac Care, nor a Genius Bar analyst could figure it out?
one said, "it's probably a good sign, that the fan/cooling function is working." !!! :mad:

followed your advice and saw that the Fax Server was running 50% of my CPU! :eek:

deleted that, and fan and ultra-heat stopped in ten seconds.
i have never used my fax server.

much appreciated
 
I have a related problem. While encoding video in visualhub or handbrake my CPU temperature rises to around 90c .... that surely cant be normal. The fans are going mental, obviously to no avail. My macbook runs fine though (a little worrying). It has been doing this for the last 10 months. I've just been too lazy until now lol!
 
Ummm..

Hey guys idk if this post is outdated but sumin weird happens when i open a flash play game standalone (its like supposed to be in the browser but i download a full screen version) so when i first open it activity monitor shows 99.0 percent its takin gbut regualry when im playing its from 30 to 50 and i saw stuff that like took 1 or 2 percent i quit them so it kinda doesnt go over 3000 rpm so is that good cuz i got burnt :(
 
maxout5 said:
Hey guys idk if this post is outdated but sumin weird happens when i open a flash play game standalone (its like supposed to be in the browser but i download a full screen version) so when i first open it activity monitor shows 99.0 percent its takin gbut regualry when im playing its from 30 to 50 and i saw stuff that like took 1 or 2 percent i quit them so it kinda doesnt go over 3000 rpm so is that good cuz i got burnt :(
Click to expand...

Don't resurrect old threads.
However, your problem may be related to the browser (try changing it) or to the script itself (see if it happens with other flash files).
 
I want to throw this in because noone else has mentioned it, ever, anywhere.
Try this for a solution to a fan running at high speed continuously

If you dismantle the heatsink and fan assembly, thoroughly clean it, clean off the poor-quality thermal compound and replace it with the best you can afford, then put everything back together again, you will find you get alot less noise from the fan, regardless of load.

I was having the fan running at full speed under heavy memory usage even with barely any CPU usage, presumably because the northbridge was making alot of heat that wasn't getting dissipated properly. The old thermal compound just crumbled apart - it was useless - and the heatsink/fan assembly was completely choked with dust and crud. The computer is 6 years old, so it's no surprise it was struggling, but it runs like new again.

Even if you are fastidiously clean and only work/play in the international space station, all heatsink fan assemblies eventually collect enough gunk for cleaning to become essential.
 
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