# Sony Vaio keeps crashing?



## Samiah24 (Mar 27, 2020)

Hi,

I have a 8-year old Sony Vaio Laptop and from today it has been automatically crashing, slight movement of the laptop causes it to automatically shut down. I have tried cleaning the vents of the laptop which can overheat, with a straw. I'm not sure if that helped, and if so how long will it last till it happens again. Pleasea advise!

Tech Support Guy System Info Utility version 1.0.0.9
OS Version: Microsoft Windows 10 Home, 64 bit, Build 18362, Installed 20191117131622.000000+000
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2450M CPU @ 2.50GHz, Intel64 Family 6 Model 42 Stepping 7, CPU Count: 4
Total Physical RAM: 4 GB
Graphics Card: Intel(R) HD Graphics 3000, 1797 MB
Hard Drives: C: 581 GB (305 GB Free);
Motherboard: Sony Corporation VAIO, ver N/A, s/n N/A
System: INSYDE, ver Sony - 20111117, s/n 27552170-5009526
Antivirus: Norton Internet Security, Disabled


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## managed (May 24, 2003)

Please go here, scroll down to the correct launch date and find your laptop's model number, and include it in your reply :- https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/articles/S1F0264?layout=standalone#notebook

You may have to dismantle the laptop to completely clean the fan area, if you provide the model number I will look for a dismantling guide for it.


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## Samiah24 (Mar 27, 2020)

Hi, thank you for this. The model number is VPCEH3N6E.


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## managed (May 24, 2003)

One thing you can test easily is can you feel a current of air coming out of the vents when the fan is running ?
If you can then you probably don't need to dismantle the laptop.

Do the unexpected shutdowns still happen when you run it off the battery without the charger connected ?
If they don't there could be a loose connection between the charger plug and the laptop power socket.
Does the plug seems a good tight fit and if you wiggle it (with the battery removed) does it cause a shutdown ?

If you do decide to dismantle it I can't find much with that exact model number but the laptop in this video should be similar to yours, watch up to just after 2 minutes or so which shows how to take the base off. The heatsink 'grill' next to the fan can get blocked with dust, hair etc and you need to get the fan out to check that properly.






This picture shows the sort of blockage I mean :-


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## Samiah24 (Mar 27, 2020)

No air can be felt from the side or underneath the laptop. Also, my laptop since yesterday has been unable to charge battery. I have to keep the charger connected to the laptop otherwise it won't turn on, even with hours of charging. Any slight movements near the charger port causes the laptop to shut down immediately.
Do you think it is a case of dismantling the laptop? Thank you


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## managed (May 24, 2003)

You have to ensure the fan is spinning (which you may be able to hear) before looking for the air current at the vent, you can do that like this :-
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/16474-prime95-stress-test-your-cpu.html
That should also show if the shutdown problem is caused by overheating.
(If your laptop is similar to the one in the video in my previous post the outlet vent is about half way along the right hand side.)

There could be a poor connection between the charger plug and it's socket on the laptop, so a slight movement causes a loss of power which in turn can cause a shutdown.
Is the shutdown instant or does Windows close down as normal ?

If the fan is blocked, as in the picture in my previous post, you can try blowing it out with a can of compressed air. It's a good idea to stop the fan spinning if you do this by pushing something non-metallic like a cocktail stick in between the fan blades, which you can usually do from underneath the laptop where there are holes in the base under the fan. If that doesn't work you will have to dismantle the laptop if you want to clean it yourself.


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## Samiah24 (Mar 27, 2020)

I'll take a look at the above links to rectify the issue. And regarding the shutdown it happens instantly and goes to a black screen so i have to power it on again.


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## Couriant (Mar 26, 2002)

Samiah24 said:


> No air can be felt from the side or underneath the laptop. Also, my laptop since yesterday has been unable to charge battery. I have to keep the charger connected to the laptop otherwise it won't turn on, even with hours of charging. Any slight movements near the charger port causes the laptop to shut down immediately.
> Do you think it is a case of dismantling the laptop? Thank you


What you are describing is your battery needs to be replaced. Laptop batteries have a finite life, and since this is an 8 year old laptop, and assuming it hasn't been changed at all, i'm guessing that is dead. Typically there is an onboard test but i can guarantee that the main issue is the battery.

The second issue would be either the ac adapter cord or the AC port on the computer.

Cleaning the fans/other areas would be beneficial too.


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