try the laptop formum or the pc hardware forum as dis is the desktop forum.
i'm not sure how to solve ur problem.
Did u say dis only started happening recently? What made it start to happen all of a sudden? Dropped the laptop? malfunctioning drive maybe?
did u try contacting dell?
i have a dell inspiron 5150 laptop. just recently it started overheating when i play dvds or cds. when i put them in, it plays ok for awhile and then it freezes and if i continue, the computer shuts down and i get an error message stating that it shut down due to high temp and vents may be blocked. i blew air back through the fan and some dust flew out, but not much. if i do not use the dvd drive the temp remains normal. when it is hot, the only part of the laptop that feels hot is the area over the dvd drive. the rest of the body feels normal.

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