How to Increase the CPU Fan Speed on a Toshiba Satellite

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CPU fans circulate cool air over a warm processor.

The buildup of heat from the "central processing unit" (CPU) in a Toshiba Satellite laptop can cause performance problems. The CPU fan is vitally important in regulating the heat generated by the CPU as it performs large and complex calculations to carry out a computer user's commands. If the cooling effect from the CPU fan is minimal, then the processor may slow down. Toshiba Satellite laptops that use the Windows 7 operating system have functionality that allows users to increase the speed of the fan before the processor has a chance to throttle back.

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Step 1

Click on the Windows orb logo at the bottom of the desktop to show the Start menu. Choose the Control Panel from the menu. Select "Power Options," which is under the "System and Maintenance" category.

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Step 2

Click on the "Change Plan Settings" link under the "High Performance" or "Balanced" plan.

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Step 3

Click on the "Change Advanced Power Settings" link, which opens a new dialog box.

Step 4

Scroll down to find the "Processor Power Management" option.

Step 5

Click the plus sign (+) to expand to see the "System Cooling Policy" option.

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Step 6

Click the plus sign to expand to see the "On Battery" and "Plugged In" options under System Cooling Policy. Click on the settings to the right of these options to activate a menu.

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Step 7

Click the down arrow to show the menu. Change "Passive" to "Active"; if "Active" is already selected, leave it as is.

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Step 8

Click the "Apply" and "OK" buttons in the dialog box. The CPU fan speed is now set to active, which increases the fan speed to cool the processor before it slows down.

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