My next solution, therefore, was to use a can of compressed gas made for cleaning computers. I shot the gas into both the outlets and intake openings, making sure to hold the can upright to prevent liquid entering the system, and of course the computer was off. Sure enough this simple solution worked, and a can of compressed gas costs just a few dollars. For preventive maintenance I plan on using the gas every few months.

Afterwards, I researched the laptop overheating problem on the web. One thing I found was heartbreak stories from others suffering with the laptop overheating problem. One guy had wasted over 500 hours on the phone trying to get help from Dell; they never suggested the gas solution. But I also found a number of articles that very clearly described exactly what I had discovered as the simplest solution.

Still, I can't help but be angry that people in stores like Best Buy and even computer manufacturers do not provide this easy solution.� They want to sell expensive devices.� Now you know what to do if you hit the laptop overheating problem, which might not pop up right away, but is likely to surface eventually.