One of the most common issues laptop owners experience is overheating. But overheating may not be entirely obvious to a laptop owner. Though the case may get warm, many modern laptops don't get uncomfortably hot. Instead, there are some common symptoms that you might need to look out for.

1. It's Slow Even Though Nothing Is Running

If your computer is operating slowly even though you're not running any applications, it could be that it's overheating. Either that or its memory or hard drive could be failing. Overheating is the more likely answer if you notice that your computer is fast when it initially boots up but then begins to slow to a crawl after an hour or so of being on -- this could be because it's slowly heating up.

2. There's a Loud Whirring Sound

A loud whirring sound usually means that your laptop's fan is going as fast as it possibly can. A fan will often spin up as needed and slow down when the temperature is cooler. A loud whirring sound means that it's being pushed to its limits, which isn't something that it should be doing consistently.

3. There's No Sound At All

If you listen to your laptop and hear no sound at all, the fan could actually have stopped working. This will invariably lead to overheating; a laptop is not made to function properly without a fan. If you simply hear some clicking noises or an intermittent whirring sound, this is likely the hard drive platter starting up, rather than the laptop fan.

4. Disk and Memory Errors

One of the biggest signs of an overheating laptop is memory errors. Once your computer has been on for a while, it may start telling you that it's experiencing read/write errors on the hard drive. It may also give you alerts saying that it's having trouble reading its memory. This is what happens when a laptop overheats -- the components of the laptop start reporting issues. If this happens, you should immediately turn off your computer. Keeping it on could lead to the corruption or complete loss of your memory. 

An overheating laptop is more than just an inconvenience -- it's a danger. If your laptop is overheating, it's very likely that the components inside of it are slowly becoming damaged or degrading. You could end up losing your information entirely as well as having to invest in costly repairs. Contact a laptop repair shop for more information.