The fan on my computer starts running after about 5 minutes of being turned on or waking up. It continues to run and is very loud. Is there a fix for this problem?
iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5)
Open Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder. Select All Processes from the View menu. Click on the CPU tab in the toolbar. Click twice on the CPU% column header to display in descending order. If you find a process using a large amount of CPU time (>=70,) then select the process and click on the Quit icon in the toolbar. Click on the Force Quit button to kill the process. See if that helps. Be sure to note the name of the runaway process so you can track down the cause of the problem.
Open Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder. Select All Processes from the View menu. Click on the CPU tab in the toolbar. Click twice on the CPU% column header to display in descending order. If you find a process using a large amount of CPU time (>=70,) then select the process and click on the Quit icon in the toolbar. Click on the Force Quit button to kill the process. See if that helps. Be sure to note the name of the runaway process so you can track down the cause of the problem.
This did not seem to work. I didn't have any CPU% above 70, only in single digits. Thank you for your help though.
Try:
Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM
Boot into Safe Mode then back into normal boot.
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions - Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion or Lion
Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Repair
When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility and press the Continue button. After Disk Utility loads select the Macintosh HD entry from the the left side list. Click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If Disk Utility reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit Disk Utility and return to the main menu. Select Restart from the Apple menu.
If you haven't already done so, try this simple step first.
I tried this fix also and it didn't work. Thanks for your help
I tried this also. It still is running. Thanks
Was that iMac recently opened up and worked on...?
If so, them you may have a loose/bad temp. sensor or sensor cable. Addtitionally if the HDD was replaced, then the new HDD might have an incompatable internal temp sensor.
I had this problem for several months. I tried everything including SMC and PRAM/NVRAM resets. My fan would come on when no applications were running and often upon start up. After several chats with Apple Support, they suggested I take my computer in to the GeniusBar at a nearby Apple Store. They ran various diagnostics and found that one of my heat sensors was not functioning properly; this resulted in 2 of the 3 processor fans to run at 4x the normal RPM. The only fix was a $600 replacement of the entire logic board . I have had the machine home and running constantly for the last 24 hours and it is quiet for the first time in months!!! If it stays this way, it will be worth spending the $600.
Please read this whole message before doing anything.
This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
The purpose of the test is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party software that loads automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.
Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem.
Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start up and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow.
The login screen appears even if you usually login automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
Test while in safe mode. Same problem?
After testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of the test.
Finally had time to run the diagnostic test and it showed nothing wrong. The fan is still going strong! I guess I need to make a trip to the Genius Bar. Thank you so much for your help.
Why is the fan running all the time and loud all of a sudden
