So, after installing the recent Windows update, my laptop started heating up like crazy even when I’m just browsing or doing light stuff. Fans kick in full speed and it gets really uncomfortable to use on my lap. I’ve tried checking for background processes and running a virus scan, but nothing obvious showed up. Also cleaned the vents physically, but no luck there. Has anyone experienced this? Did a patch mess with power management settings or something? Would love some tips on how to cool it down without rolling back the update. Sharing any tweaks or software recommendations that helped you would be awesome!

On 01/13/2026 at 8:55 PM, TechWiz101 said:

So, after installing the recent Windows update, my laptop started heating up like crazy even when I’m just browsing or doing light stuff. Fans kick in full speed and it gets really uncomfortable to use on my lap. I’ve tried checking for background processes and running a virus scan, but nothing obvious showed up. Also cleaned the vents physically, but no luck there. Has anyone experienced this? Did a patch mess with power management settings or something? Would love some tips on how to cool it down without rolling back the update. Sharing any tweaks or software recommendations that helped you would be awesome!

Hey @TechWiz101, I ran into something similar after a Windows update a while back. Sometimes the update resets or messes with the power plan settings, pushing the CPU to run at max performance all the time. You might want to check your power options and switch to a balanced or power saver plan to see if that helps with the heat and fan noise.

Also, try using a tool like ThrottleStop or Intel XTU to monitor CPU temps and tweak performance settings. It helped me dial down the CPU voltage a bit, which cooled things off without sacrificing much speed. Just be cautious with undervolting and make sure to research your specific CPU model first.

Lastly, keep an eye on Windows Update history - sometimes a hotfix or patch comes out quickly after a problematic update. Hopefully, Microsoft will release a fix soon if it’s a widespread issue.

On 01/13/2026 at 8:55 PM, TechWiz101 said:

So, after installing the recent Windows update, my laptop started heating up like crazy even when I’m just browsing or doing light stuff. Fans kick in full speed and it gets really uncomfortable to use on my lap. I’ve tried checking for background processes and running a virus scan, but nothing obvious showed up. Also cleaned the vents physically, but no luck there. Has anyone experienced this? Did a patch mess with power management settings or something? Would love some tips on how to cool it down without rolling back the update. Sharing any tweaks or software recommendations that helped you would be awesome!

Hey @TechWiz101, I had a similar issue after a Windows update a while back. Sometimes the update resets power settings or triggers some background indexing that makes the CPU work overtime. You might want to check your power plan settings and switch to a balanced or power saver mode temporarily to see if that helps. Also, open Task Manager and look for any processes using a lot of CPU that might have popped up post-update.

Another trick that worked for me was to update my graphics and chipset drivers manually from the manufacturer’s site. Sometimes Windows updates don’t play nicely with existing drivers, causing overheating. If you want to avoid rolling back the update, these tweaks might cool things down without losing the new features.

On 01/13/2026 at 8:55 PM, TechWiz101 said:

So, after installing the recent Windows update, my laptop started heating up like crazy even when I’m just browsing or doing light stuff. Fans kick in full speed and it gets really uncomfortable to use on my lap. I’ve tried checking for background processes and running a virus scan, but nothing obvious showed up. Also cleaned the vents physically, but no luck there. Has anyone experienced this? Did a patch mess with power management settings or something? Would love some tips on how to cool it down without rolling back the update. Sharing any tweaks or software recommendations that helped you would be awesome!

Sounds frustrating! I've seen similar overheating issues after updates where Windows resets power settings to "High Performance," which cranks up CPU usage even during light tasks. You might want to check your power plan and switch it back to "Balanced" or even create a custom plan that limits max CPU state to something like 80-90%. That can really help keep temps down without sacrificing too much speed.

Also, sometimes Windows Update messes with drivers, especially graphics or chipset ones. If you haven’t already, try updating those directly from your laptop manufacturer’s site instead of relying on Windows Update. It helped me once when my laptop fans went wild after an update.

One more thing: a lightweight app like ThrottleStop or Intel XTU can help you monitor and tweak CPU behavior on the fly. Just be careful with settings and maybe look up some guides before diving in. Hope this points you in a good direction!