Hi, My 4 years old Toshiba Satellite A205-S4607 laptop is hanging abruptly. Earlier it was over heating. Because of excess heat the left speaker is not working. It makes weird noise while playing music. One fine day it started hanging abrubtly. The HDD light doesn't glow when it hangs. These days it hangs with in 5-10 minutes after turning it ON.

It's hanging because it's overheating.

The Processor is getting too hot, and turning off. Same with the graphics 'engine'.
Then they rapidly cool down, and turn on again.

To explain:

The Processor has a fail-safe feature built-in. It turns off when it reaches it's thermal limit.
(Thermal Limit: The highest temperature the Processor can safely operate at, and at a maximum efficiency)

The graphics 'engine' is a GPU.
Graphics Processing Unit.
A chipset,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphics_Processing_Unit

Chip and Chipset are slang terms for I.C.
Integrated Circuit,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_circuit

The Processor, and the GPU, are the two hardware components in a computer, that give out the most heat.

With the Processor turning on, and off rapidly, there are 'hiccups' in the functions of the computer.

My suggestion is to clean out the inside of the laptop, or have a professional do it.

This is Page 1, on an article/pictorial dealing with the complete disassembly, of a Toshiba Satellite A205 series of Notebook PC,

{The Toshiba Satellite A205-S4607 Notebook PC, is one of the Toshiba Satellite A200/A205 series of Notebook PC's},

http://www.irisvista.com/tech/laptops/toshiba-satellite-a205/laptop-disassembly-1.htm

I'm going to use this article to show you the cooling components for your laptop, and the problem.
I'm also going to use this article as a medium, to show YOU how to fix the problem, if you feel technically inclined to do so.

At the bottom of the page, (And all pages), are the page numbers in white.
Page 1::Page 2::Page 3::Find another model

Left-click on Page 4.
Left-click on the photo in Step 18. (Enlarges the photo)

To the upper left you see the Fan Assembly.
This is the silver D shape, with the black Fan in the middle.

To the Left of the Fan Assembly is the Heatsink.

What you do not see are the other cooling components.
This is a top view of the motherboard. The other cooling components are on the bottom of the motherboard.

Left-click on the photo in Step 22.
This shows the bottom of the motherboard. The D shaped Fan Assembly has been removed.
At the top right is the Heatsink.
The silvery looking rectangular finned object.

The Heatsink connects to the Cooling Tube.
The curved copper slightly flattened tube.

At the end, and partway back on the Cooling Tube, are two flat copper plates.

{The Processor is under the copper plate to the right. The one closer to the Heatsink.
The GPU is under the copper plate at the end of the Cooling Tube}

Heat is absorbed by the flat copper plate sitting on top of the Processor, and the flat copper plate sitting on top of the GPU.

The absorbed heat is then absorbed by the Cooling Tube.
(The slightly flattened copper Cooling Tube is filled with Nitrogen)

The heat is then transferred through the Cooling Tube to the Heatsink.
The Heatsink absorbs the heat, then radiates the heat away through it's fins.
Air flow from the Fan Assembly helps carry the heat away from the fins.

Fan Assembly:
1) Fan
2) Surrounding cage. (Shroud. The 'D' shape)

It could be that the bearings that the fan spins on, are bad. They may only let the fan spin at a slower speed than it should, or make it so the fan spins intermittently.
(Spins a while, stops, spins a while, etc)

MORE than likely however, the Heatsink is clogged with 'Gunk'
(Gunk = Dirt, dust, lint, food crumbs, hair, etc)

Same with the Fan Assembly, and the air intake duct.
{Air is drawn into the laptop from the Bottom. The area from the fan to the inside of the laptop, is the air intake duct }

Once the Heatsink, Fan blades, fan center hub, and surrounding cage (Shroud) are coated with 'Gunk', the cooling capacity drops tremendously.

This allows the Processor to overheat.

Laptop opened up down to the Fan Assembly removed, and the Heatsink still attached, the Fan Assembly is cleaned, and the Heatsink is cleaned.

Q-tips, a small soft brush, (Like a small makeup brush), and a can of compressed air for computers, is used to remove the Gunk.

One more thing;
In-between the top of the Processor's case, and it's matching flat copper plate, is Thermal Paste.
Same thing with the top of the GPU, and it's matching flat copper plate.

After time thermal paste can dry up. It loses it's conductivity properties.
Since your laptop has been overheating to the point of almost turning off, I would also recommend replacing the Thermal Paste.

Thermal Paste:
The top of a Processor's case, and the bottom of it's matching flat copper plate, are not perfectly smooth.
A magnified view would show, 'Pit-holes, Valleys, and Hills'.

When the two parts are mated together there is an air pocket created.
{Think of a pit-hole in a road, and lay a flat board over the hole. There is an air pocket created in-between the two}

Air is an Insulator, not a Conductor.
Thermal paste fills these imperfections, and is an excellent conductor of heat.

Cooling Tube removed, the two plates are cleaned, and the top of the Processor, and GPU are cleaned.

I use an old plastic credit card, to scrape off as much of the old thermal paste as I can.
(Has to be a non-metallic object, and static free)

I then follow with Q-tips dipped in Isopropyl Alcohol.
(Rubbing alcohol. 70 percent will do, but 93 percent is best)
Takes a few Q-tips dipped in alcohol to remove the gooey mess.

CAUTION!
Isopropyl Alcohol is EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE!
Use in a Well ventilated area, with NO sparks or flames present. Always remember to put the cap back on the bottle.

The top of the Processor, the top of the GPU, and the bottom of the two matching copper plates, MUST be perfectly clean. So clean you could eat off of them! (No kidding)

A dab of thermal paste the size of a small pea is applied to the top/middle of the Processor's case, and the top/middle of the GPU.
The Cooling Tube is then carefully set down into place, and attached.

Tools and instructions:

A) Buy and wear an ESD wrist strap. Connect it's alligator clip to a good ground source.
(I clip to an unpainted surface, of the metal frame of an open, empty desktop computer case)

Example of a ESD wrist strap, (Electro Static Discharge),

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103245

Your body carries Static electricity. Static WILL fry out (Short Circuit) the delicate hardware components inside a computer.
A Processor is the MOST susceptible hardware component to Static shock.
Use an ESD wrist strap, connect it to a good ground source, and be safe.


B) Use a multi-compartment container for the various screws you will remove.
Label each compartment for the area the screw/s come out of.

If a multi-compartment container is not available, you can use a clean egg carton as a substitute.
Label each egg holder.
Some screws look VERY similar to other screws, but they are NOT the same.
Do Not mix them up!


C) Make a record as you disassemble.
It's nice to have a record to refer back to in case you are interrupted, and nice to have a personal one you can understand.

Make notes, and drawings, and/or use a digital camera, and good lighting.
Take time to make the notes as legible as possible, so you can understand them later.
(Is that a B, or a D? Can't make it out)

For additional questions please post in a Comment.

Regards,
joecoolvette