The fan in my laptop seems to have progressively louder, or my hearing has become progressively better! Are there any suggestions as to why this is so? Or is there anyway I can change the fan? My friends laptops are always so much quieter, and the base of my laptop, just where the fan runs, gets sooooo very hot! I hope I'm not operating a laptop which is about to blow up! Someone please offer any suggestions? All are very much appreciated!

Laptops are hot, and get hotter if you block the ventilation holes, frequently on the bottom. Unfortunately they are better suited to hard surfaces, rather than laps, carpet, etc. Some seem to require external cooling devices due to their design. A bad fan can be noisy, or it could just be a normal fan "revving up" to try to combat the increased heat from blocked ventilation.

If your only problem is the fan replace it. they are cheap and fairly easy to replace In most laptops (don't be afraid of all the screws)

The below site is a cooling solution for some laptops. Although as mentioned before cleaning or changing the fan may be a good route to solve your problem. http://www.sportsimportsltd.com/comlapnotsta.html

Thank you for all your replies, the ventilation areas are unblocked, and i rarely have it on a soft surface as i know its gets so hot, so I have it on a desk surface. I think i may need to clean it, if it's easy enough to open then i may have a look myself, and if i can change it, I will definitely consider doing that. Thanks again for your replies!