Windows 10 runs hot on Mid 2010 Imac

[Loyola]

Does anyone have suggestions on what to do to help with my Imac running hot using Windows 10? I did try to search but I didn't find anything useful.

Here are some details. I am using Windows 10 to work from home. We connect using Citrix. The only reason I am using Windows 10 is to use a second monitor. The USB connector that I have will not run on 10.13.6.

I am planning on getting a new computer later this year.

 

[maflynn]

Try using throttlestop
The ThrottleStop Guide (2019): How to Lower Temperatures, Increase Performance, and Boost Battery Life on Your Laptop

I used this on all of my PCs, each machine required different settings but it helped. I'm not sure what else you can do, as the throttling technology built into macOS is not carried over in any form to windows for your Mac. That is, Apple has done a great job at the OS level to manage the temps (at the expense of performance), yet they've not provided drivers or utilities for mac owners to run windows optimally.

 

[Loyola]

Try using throttlestop
The ThrottleStop Guide (2019): How to Lower Temperatures, Increase Performance, and Boost Battery Life on Your Laptop

I used this on all of my PCs, each machine required different settings but it helped. I'm not sure what else you can do, as the throttling technology built into macOS is not carried over in any form to windows for your Mac. That is, Apple has done a great job at the OS level to manage the temps (at the expense of performance), yet they've not provided drivers or utilities for mac owners to run windows optimally.

Thank you. I will look into this. I am also looking into Macs Fan Control.

 

[maflynn]

I am also looking into Macs Fan Control.

That works well managing the heat when you're running macOS, but to my knowledge there's no windows app for you to run to change the fan speed.

 

[Loyola]

That works well managing the heat when you're running macOS, but to my knowledge there's no windows app for you to run to change the fan speed.

I opted to try this one since it seemed a little easier for me. It looks like it controls the speed of the fan. As I increase RPM, I can hear the fan get louder. So far it has kept my CPU temp at about 50.

 

[nathansz]

That works well managing the heat when you're running macOS, but to my knowledge there's no windows app for you to run to change the fan speed.

just to clarify,

Macs fan control does indeed run on windows

 

[Altemose]

@Loyola Since you are on a 2010 iMac, which is likely before the official support for Windows 10, verify that the correct graphics drivers have been applied to your system and also attempt to update them to the latest Microsoft versions. Specifically, a number of 2010 era Macs with the Nvidia GPUs tend to run much better with the latest Microsoft drivers that come from Windows Update. I am not sure off the top of my head if your machine includes on of those GPUs which we have seen such improvements on. You can update the drivers by opening Device Manager as an administrator, selecting the graphics card, and selecting "Update Driver". Windows will then query Windows Update and check for available drivers, based on your hardware.

 

[Loyola]

@Loyola Since you are on a 2010 iMac, which is likely before the official support for Windows 10, verify that the correct graphics drivers have been applied to your system and also attempt to update them to the latest Microsoft versions. Specifically, a number of 2010 era Macs with the Nvidia GPUs tend to run much better with the latest Microsoft drivers that come from Windows Update. I am not sure off the top of my head if your machine includes on of those GPUs which we have seen such improvements on. You can update the drivers by opening Device Manager as an administrator, selecting the graphics card, and selecting "Update Driver". Windows will then query Windows Update and check for available drivers, based on your hardware.

I will check it out. At this point I am not sure how much longer I will wait to buy a new iMac. Windows 10 is very unstable since I downloaded the driver to use the second monitor. It crashes a lot and it doesn't always boot up right away. Using the second monitor is the only reason I have Windows 10.

 

[Altemose]

I will check it out. At this point I am not sure how much longer I will wait to buy a new iMac. Windows 10 is very unstable since I downloaded the driver to use the second monitor. It crashes a lot and it doesn't always boot up right away. Using the second monitor is the only reason I have Windows 10.

Sounds good! We have Windows 10 running on even 2006/2007 Mac Pros without issue. Is there a reason you can't use the Mini DisplayPort that is on the iMac rather than the USB adapter?

 

[Loyola]

Sounds good! We have Windows 10 running on even 2006/2007 Mac Pros without issue. Is there a reason you can't use the Mini DisplayPort that is on the iMac rather than the USB adapter?

I never really thought about it. The adapter is a USB to VGA. My partner bought it for me. I can to try to find a Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter.

Now my Windows 10 boots with a temp profile which I have tried using several methods to get rid of for last few hours. So far none of the 6 methods I have tried have worked. I am close to giving on Windows.

 

[Altemose]

I never really thought about it. The adapter is a USB to VGA. My partner bought it for me. I can to try to find a Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter.

Now my Windows 10 boots with a temp profile which I have tried using several methods to get rid of for last few hours. So far none of the 6 methods I have tried have worked. I am close to giving on Windows.

Using the Mini DisplayPort under either macOS or Windows is the preferred method since it uses the GPU to drive the display, where as most USB adapters use the CPU to drive the display. As for the temporary profile, what exactly do you mean?

 

[Loyola]

Using the Mini DisplayPort under either macOS or Windows is the preferred method since it uses the GPU to drive the display, where as most USB adapters use the CPU to drive the display. As for the temporary profile, what exactly do you mean?

from the windows site:. A temporary profile is issued each time that an error condition prevents the user's profile from loading. Temporary profiles are deleted at the end of each session, and changes made by the user to desktop settings and files are lost when the user logs off. Temporary profiles are only available on computers running Windows 2000 and later.

 

[Altemose]

from the windows site:. A temporary profile is issued each time that an error condition prevents the user's profile from loading. Temporary profiles are deleted at the end of each session, and changes made by the user to desktop settings and files are lost when the user logs off. Temporary profiles are only available on computers running Windows 2000 and later.

At this point, it sounds like there are many variables plaguing your install of Windows 10. If I were in your shoes, I would do a complete reinstallation of Windows 10 and only install the drivers that are needed. Windows 10 really irks me with the amount of tweaks it takes to get to a vanilla setup that is tolerable for work use on a clean install.

 

[Loyola]

At this point, it sounds like there are many variables plaguing your install of Windows 10. If I were in your shoes, I would do a complete reinstallation of Windows 10 and only install the drivers that are needed. Windows 10 really irks me with the amount of tweaks it takes to get to a vanilla setup that is tolerable for work use on a clean install.

I cannot do anything. Safe mode even boots in the temp profile.

I upgraded from 7 to 10 and cannot revert back.

Windows looks to be finished on my computer.

 

[Loyola]

Using the Mini DisplayPort under either macOS or Windows is the preferred method since it uses the GPU to drive the display, where as most USB adapters use the CPU to drive the display. As for the temporary profile, what exactly do you mean?

I purchased the Mini DisplaPort adapter. It works perfectly. At this point I no longer have to boot in Windows. Thanks again.

 

[Altemose]

I cannot do anything. Safe mode even boots in the temp profile.

I upgraded from 7 to 10 and cannot revert back.

Windows looks to be finished on my computer.

Microsoft has done a lot better with upgrade installs of Windows atop of another version, however they are nowhere near as reliable as macOS. If you ever decide to go back to Windows, I would recommend doing a clean install of Windows 10.

I purchased the Mini DisplaPort adapter. It works perfectly. At this point I no longer have to boot in Windows. Thanks again.

No problem! If you ever go back to Windows, that adapter will work wonderfully as well!