hi, i know very little with regards to laptop components, but im replacing the fan unit in my *OLD* toshiba a30 and i wanted to know if there was a way i can test the fan i remove by another means? such as plug it in on a desktop etc? in short its a double fan unit, and im unsure if one of them is functioning, if i can hook it up on something else to test then i will know. i understand there may be a voltage difference between desktop and laptop fans however. suggestions / comments. ive been told that one of the fans in the unit only turns on at certain points, however i am nearly convinced this is not the case, the only way i can be certain is by testing externally. this will allow me to either just replace the fan unit or give up the laptop for a loss as it will imply that its a internal sensor problem - which i am not qualified to fix and i refuse to pay to get it repaired again. Chez

If you have a 9 volt battery and some wires to hook the fan up to the battery, that should work.

wow thats the sort of thing i was looking for! ill give it a go as soon as the new one arrives /or when i remove the old one maybe. is there anything i need to be careful with? the usual positive to positive? how do i know which to hook to which? are the wires visible on the laptop fan's connector? is it red for live, black for negative? sorry its been a long day and im forgetting my basics Chez

It doesn't matter which way the wires are connected. The fan will turn clockwise with the wires connected one way, and counter clockwise if reversed. You will have to come up with a way to do the connections yourself.

i thought that it would spin clockwise and anticlockwise depending but i didn't want to put that in case i was wrong! i have an idea about the connections with im going to try test with a old desktop fan, although i know they require more voltage but its just to see if my connection idea will work - all-be-it a little unsafe, so even a slow spin will help! will post back if this test run will work and whenever(!) i receive my replacement fan. thanks for all the help. Chez