Thinkpad Fan Noise Problem: Light at the End of the Tunnel

[Metallo]

Hi!

I am new to TPFancontrol and noticed a problem with my T40 2373 "short fan", the icon on the bottom right of the toolbar should show a rotation of the various temperatures, but mine stays stable on gpu, temperature moves up or down but the icon stays there, on gpu.
Rarely, it moves to aps a few secs then back to gpu

Any idea why?

For the time being, I am using the default values in the .ini file, but would like to low the temperatures down for my T40, any profile suggestion is welcomed.

Also, if I want to use TPFancontrol as a service, shall I only start the service as such and nothing else? I mean, do I need to change any other option?

Finally, is there a possibility to have "smart mode 2" to start as default? I wanted to change the settings according to my needs and have it to start by default. I know I could easily do it in "smart mode 1", but I'd rather like to leave it as is and change the "smart mode 2" profile.

Thank you and congrats to troubadix

Alex

[citizenNB]

Hi Alex,

I am new to TPFancontrol and noticed a problem with my T40 2373 "short fan", the icon on the bottom right of the toolbar should show a rotation of the various temperatures, but mine stays stable on gpu, temperature moves up or down but the icon stays there, on gpu.
Rarely, it moves to aps a few secs then back to gpu

I am not sure if I understand you correctly. But as far as I know TPFanControl dosn't show the temperature values in rotation, it rather shows the temperature value and the name of the sensor detecting the maximum temperature value. If the sensor nearby the GPU reports most of the time the highest temperature value, one can see the gpu temperature on the icon most of the time.


citizenNB

[troubadix]

Hi Alex,

1st: citizenNB
2nd: in WinXP only install service is needed, service starts automatically at boot time or by hand (start service)
3rd: there is no option to start with level2 profile by default. So take your values to start with to the level profile and the original level values to level2
4th: you can run T40 with original level values, but if you like to have your T40 a bit cooler and like to hear the fan sometimes, go down for 10 degrees centigrade in each level.

ciao, troubadix

[Metallo]

Hi citizenNB & trouabadix,

Thanks for your replies.

Once I start the service, when I switch my laptop on, I get the following message:

program or service already running, error 5

I guess this is because the service starts at booting time and the application tries to start as well, how can I let TPFancontrol start as "service" only and not as "application" ?

Thank you
Alex

[citizenNB]

Hi Alex,

take a look in your Autostart. Is there a shortcut to TPFanControl. If yes, delete this one. Apperently, you already installed the service. So you don't have to start the program a second time at the Windows startup.

To control, if the service is installed, you could go to the Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services. There you should find the service TPFanControl.


citizenNB

[Metallo]

Sure mate, you are right, stupid me that I didn't think about that

Now it works, perfectly.

Thank you!
Alex

[Metallo]

Hi there,

I have another question, I have 4 login accounts on my T40, how can I get the ballicon bottom right to appear in all accounts?
At the moment, it appears only in the account I used to install TPFancontrol.

Thank you
Alex

[Metallo]

Hi there,

I have another question, I have 4 login accounts on my T40, how can I get the ballicon bottom right to appear in all accounts?
At the moment, it appears only in the account I used to install TPFancontrol.

Thank you
Alex

Well, the point is if you want to use TPfancontrol as a service, you have to delete the program from Windows startup in order to avoid the attempt to restart the program a second time, hence, error 5.
But, deleting the application from startup menu won't let the ballicon show up in a different user login account.

So, what's the trick here?

Thanks
Alex

[troubadix]

run tpfcicon.exe or tpfcicon_noballons.exe additionally in different user login account

[Metallo]

run tpfcicon.exe or tpfcicon_noballons.exe additionally in different user login account

This is not the solution, if I run ]tpfcicon.exe it gives error 183 because the program is already running (I have uninstalled the service and reinstalled the whole program as application because I thought that when it is asking to put an icon into startup program it should have worked for all the login accounts, but it is not so ).

If I click tpfcicon_noballons.exe it works until I log off, which again, is not acceptable.

Any idea why it doesn't work on all four accounts?

Thanks
Alex

[troubadix]

as TPFanControl works flawlessly on my machines with normal user switching (logon/loggoff), I guess you are talking about FastUserSwitching.

With Fast User Switching, users can switch sessions without closing Windows, programs, and so forth. For example, User A is logged on and is browsing the Internet, User B wants to log on to their user account and check their e-mail account.

TPFanControl cannot be run simultaneously on two different accounts, as you can't have two drivers active on one car. So, you have to stop TPFanControl before FastUserSwitching and start it again on different account manually .

[Metallo]

TPFanControl cannot be run simultaneously on two different accounts, as you can't have two drivers active on one car. So, you have to stop TPFanControl before FastUserSwitching and start it again on different account manually .

OK, I see your point, but I wonder how other applications work, for instance, skype shows up in the toolbar of my 4 accounts simultaneously, so I guess it depends on how the programmer has conceived the software??
Anyhow, good work!

Cheers
Alex

[troubadix]

NEW: now program or service can have up to 8 additional icons simultaneously on different accounts by tpfcicon.exe/tpfcicon_noballons.exe, try TPFanControl v0.60 SecWinUptime & SecStartDelay no longer needed.

ciao, troubadix

edit: program/service behavior at user log off completely reworked TPFanControl v0.61.

[Stormwing]

Hi, just registered. I've been running a T43 since mid 2005, and I've already had the fan worked on once. Nowadays, I get a "Fan Error" upon startup, and the computer shuts down. Usually I can circumvent this by going to the BIOS/Access IBM utility, and then wait for the fan to start, but today the fan seems to have died completely. Took a long while to get the computer started, but the fan just wouldn't start.

I had been using v0.20 before, so I went and got v0.61, hoping perhaps it would make a difference. The fan still won't budge. Is there anyway to make it start spinning, or have I screwed it up wayyyyy too much at this point?

Thanks!

[RasmusP]

Hello,

I use you fan control software with great pleasure. The other day a
service guy from IBM was replacing the fan of my X60 and he was aware
of you program too. Either way, I have a couple of usability/feature
request. First of all, it is kind of annoying that it does not show up
in the ctrl-tab list when it is expanded. When the program is
expanded and on the desktop it would be naturally to be able to find
it via ctrl-tab.

Also, it would be great if the program could be vertical rather than
horizontal. These days vertical space is much more valuable than
horizontal space. If there were a vertical mode one could place it on
the side of the screen. A mock-up screenshot to make
visualize my idea can be seen here.

Thanks for you effort in making TPFan avaible!
--Rasmush

[troubadix]

it would be great if the program could be vertical rather than
horizontal

try: TPFanControl_slim.zip screenshot

[Metallo]

NEW: now program or service can have up to 8 additional icons simultaneously on different accounts by tpfcicon.exe/tpfcicon_noballons.exe, try TPFanControl v0.60 SecWinUptime & SecStartDelay no longer needed.

ciao, troubadix

edit: program/service behavior at user log off completely reworked TPFanControl v0.61.

Thank you!

Alex

[RasmusP]

try: TPFanControl_slim.zip screenshot

Cool! Thanks!

[joefried]

I'm a newbie here and have a Thinkpad T43 (2687 DDU). I'd like to install the Fan Control programme but was unsure what was the latest version. Could someone post the link?

Also, I got the sense that the fan programme wouldn't necessarily solve the excess noise issue -- does taking the CD player out help?

Many thanks,

Joe

[troubadix]

latest version: TPFanControl v0.61

[joefried]

Ta! I'll install it now.

J

[Masi_K]

tpfan control doesn't follow typed settings after awaking sleep mode.
Haven't tested yet for hibernate.
T20, winXP sp3.

cpu temp stays about 38-42´c on idle after reboot and hours of use. After sleep mode temp raises instantly to around 50 and stays there on idle. Is this sensor reading error or software ?

[troubadix]

sorry, not this kind of error here & no T20

[Ursus]

Hi, I've had a T60p for a couple of years that was running warm and just found this tool.

1 cpu 50°C (0x78)
2 aps 38°C (0x79)
3 crd 35°C (0x7a)
4 gpu 68°C (0x7b)
5 ba1 33°C (0x7c)
6 x7d n/a (0x7d)
7 ba2 32°C (0x7e)
8 x7f n/a (0x7f)
9 bus 38°C (0xc0)
10 pci 49°C (0xc1)
11 pwr 53°C (0xc2)
12 xc3 n/a (0xc3)

The GPU is the v5250... I need to underclock that a bit although I play some 3D games sometimes.

Oh I am also using the vertical widget that was just posted as it is much more useful to my needs.

Thanks a bunch guys.

[troubadix]

Oh I am also using the vertical widget ...

If you like that you may use v0.62 with .ini:
SlimDialog=1 //Set to 0 to have full window dialog

[Metallo]

NEW: now program or service can have up to 8 additional icons simultaneously on different accounts by tpfcicon.exe/tpfcicon_noballons.exe, try TPFanControl v0.60 SecWinUptime & SecStartDelay no longer needed.

ciao, troubadix

edit: program/service behavior at user log off completely reworked TPFanControl v0.61.

Hi Troubadix,

I had to format my T40, therefore reinstalled TPFanControl 0.61 as a service.
However, if I use the FastUserSwitching (I have 2 accounts now) the balloon icon doesn't show up when opening the second account.

Any idea why?

Thank you
Alex

[troubadix]

Hi Alex,

reason why:

In Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and earlier versions of the Windows operating system, all services run in the same session as the first user who logs on to the console....

as second user isn't in same session (zero), you have to run tpfcicon.exe (out of that startup folder) to communitcate with service by named pipe.

ciao, troubadix

[Metallo]

Hi Alex,
as second user isn't in same session (zero), you have to run tpfcicon.exe (out of that startup folder) to communitcate with service by named pipe.

ciao, troubadix

OK, I see the point... but I won't switch to Vista for this!
Should you find a solution out of your hat, just let me know

Ciao!
Alex

[Masi_K]

I confirmed that tpfancontrol works well with T20 if you do not use sleep/hibernate. Awaking from both modes kindly disables tpf. Manual mode and bios mode works okay, but even when setting fan at full speed, cpu temp doesnt get lower than 50'c. After reboot, everything is back to okay. Temp reading is quite correct. Bottom of laptop is noticiable hotter when 50'c

[troubadix]

Never had any test on T20 but by the way had you set inTPFanControl.ini:

Code: Select all

// For Thinkpads A2x,T2x,X2x set NoExtSensor=1 to exclude reading 
// of extended sensors to prevent program errors. 

NoExtSensor=1 

Best regards to Finland!