The laptop gets too hot and shuts down
My laptop becomes very hot and switches itself off. How do I stop it?
Written by The CommonFixes team · fact checked by CommonFixes review desk
Last updated
Short answer
The computer protects itself by shutting down when the chip passes a safe temperature. Blocked airflow and dried thermal paste are the main causes. The quickest thing to try first: give it air — Use it on a hard surface, keep the vents clear by at least a hand's width, and avoid using it on a bed or a cushion. Most people are done in about 20 minutes.
Full walkthrough below: 5 steps for Windows and Mac, rated medium.
Sounds like this
- •Uncomfortably hot base
- •Sudden shutdowns
- •Performance drops after a few minutes
Why it happens
The computer protects itself by shutting down when the chip passes a safe temperature. Blocked airflow and dried thermal paste are the main causes.
Work through these in order
0% done- 1
Give it air
Use it on a hard surface, keep the vents clear by at least a hand's width, and avoid using it on a bed or a cushion.
- 2
Clean the vents thoroughly
Blow compressed air through the exhaust grille in short bursts while the machine is off. Years of dust build into a felt-like mat that blocks all airflow.
- 3
Watch the temperature
Install a free monitor such as HWMonitor on Windows or use the built-in fan control on a Mac. Anything above ninety-five degrees Celsius under normal work is too hot.
- 4
Limit maximum processor speed
In Windows power settings, choose the Balanced plan and set the power mode slider away from Best performance. This drops heat noticeably with little loss in everyday use.
- 5
Renew the thermal paste
On a machine older than three or four years, ask a repair shop to clean the heatsink and apply fresh paste. It typically lowers temperatures by ten to twenty degrees.
If none of that worked
If it shuts down within minutes even while idle, stop using it until it is serviced. Repeated overheating shortens the life of the whole machine.
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Who wrote this and how we checked it
The CommonFixes team
Writer and researcher
We are a small group of people who spend our days repairing laptops and desktops for family, friends and small offices. Every guide here starts with a problem someone actually brought to us, and we only write down the steps that put the machine right.
- Everyday repairs
- Windows and Mac
- Plain language
CommonFixes review desk
Technical editor
Before a guide goes live, a second person walks through it on a real machine and checks each instruction against the maker's own support pages. Anything we cannot confirm is removed rather than guessed at.
- Fact checking
- Safety warnings
- Source links
This guide was last updated on 10 August 2026. If a step no longer matches what you see on screen, tell us on the contact page and we will test it again.
A gentle reminder: back up anything you cannot afford to lose before major repairs. If a step ever feels risky, stop and ask a technician. There is no shame in that.