My laptop fan started sounding like a dying cicada at 3am and I fixed it with a toothpick

So I'm on my night shift break around 3am, trying to watch a video on my old Dell, and the fan just starts screaming. Not the normal whir, but this horrible scraping rattle like something is trapped in there. I figured it was dead, looked up replacement fans and they were like $25 plus shipping. Instead I grabbed a toothpick from the break room, popped the bottom cover off, and found a wad of cat hair wrapped around the blade. Pulled it out with the toothpick and some tweezers. Fan runs quiet now. Has anyone else had a laptop survive longer than expected just because you were too cheap to replace it?

2 comments

2 Comments

michael_craig23h ago

Man, a dying cicada is a pretty dramatic way to sell a loose piece of fuzz.

betty_white3922h ago

Well shoot, that fuzzy thing probably saved the poor critter some dignity on its way out!