When your CPU overheats the clock multiplier decreases and the voltage drops. This makes your CPU temporarily slower, but it still has the same amount of work to do. This would make all of the processes spike, but instead of them doing more, they are doing the same ammount on a temorarily slower CPU. The spikes in this case should appear to oscillate as the CPU will cool below the throttling threshold, return to full speed, heat back up, then compensate by dropping down again.
The fan may not even be dead. It's entirely possible that a quick snort from a can of air could fix your problem.
Hope this helps
I don't have a degree and I have a great job in IT. It's at a university actually.:-) I also know many professionals in IT, including current and former coworkers, without degrees. My former manager went from being a housewife, to a librarian's assistant, to a Technician, to Manager in less than 10 years without any formal training.
My coworkers with degrees are great at what they do, and I highly value having a degree of some sort, but I don't think the degree gave them what they needed to do the job. Some of the coworkers with degrees have completely unrelated degrees like history, or English.
All of that aside, if you can get a degree, DO. You will most likely be paid more, be more respected by your peers, and make lifelong friends with people who can recommend you when you apply at the company they work for.
I work for a school so I know this problem inside and out, but the answer really depends on your situation/resources.
The easiest way: Buy a copy of a program called Fortress. While you are at it get their HD protector it's called Clean Slate. These are available at http://www.fortresgrand.com/ This will enable you to comletely lock down the ability to open the command prompt, run certain programs, change the colors or or desktop, etc. Clean Slate can return a machine back to a known good state everytime you log out. (Or so it claims i've never had to acually use it.) Pros: Simple. Cons: Students still don't have their own accounts for saving documents. This sort of security sends a negative message of "I don't trust you with anything."
A better way but a bit harder: Create a domain controller using Windows Server 2003. Buy a beefy server with plenty of HD space. Install Server 2003 (or 2000 if you can find it.) Get a copy of a good Active Directory book. You will also need to buy CALs (Client Access Liscences). Buy a program called adinfintium. (makes managing users a lot easier) Then (using your trusty active directory book) create users and place them in an OU (Organizational Unit) called something like "Students". Learn how to add a "Group Policy" to the students OU. (at this point you can just call OUs folders.) Group policies can do things like set a homepage, lock the background and colorscheme, disable msn messenger, disable certain other programs, etc. Pros: A server that acts as domain controller and file server can do more things than I wish to list here. Cons: $$$ It's expensive, not just to buy, but to maintain. Alternanly you can do almost as much with a combination of a good linux server and that fortress program for a lot less. You will need to know linux though.
A note on content filters: Since you are at a school you have to comply with COPA (or something like it if you aren't in the US). Schools have the burden of being legally required to maintain a content filter to filter out bad things. What do they mean by bad things??? COPA like laws are all vague, but you have to show you are doing atleast something to prevent kids from vague things that may lead them into vague danger and cause them vague harm. The best way to do this is to to buy a server to act as your firewall and content filter. A compay called Clark Connect makes a great firewall product that updates its content filter automatically. It uses a program called dansguardian on the backend and is intelligent and easy to use.
Final note: The firewall/content filter and domain controller are not traditionally something you use just for one lab. They are usually used for an entire school, or in some cases mutiple schools. This includes staff computers also. Most schools use this type of setup and would highly reccomend it if you can afford the hardware and lisences.
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When your CPU overheats the clock multiplier decreases and the voltage drops. This makes your CPU temporarily slower, but it still has the same amount of work to do. This would make all of the processes spike, but instead of them doing more, they are doing the same ammount on a temorarily slower CPU. The spikes in this case should appear to oscillate as the CPU will cool below the throttling threshold, return to full speed, heat back up, then compensate by dropping down again. The fan may not even be dead. It's entirely possible that a quick snort from a can of air could fix your problem. Hope this helps
I don't have a degree and I have a great job in IT. It's at a university actually. :-) I also know many professionals in IT, including current and former coworkers, without degrees. My former manager went from being a housewife, to a librarian's assistant, to a Technician, to Manager in less than 10 years without any formal training.
My coworkers with degrees are great at what they do, and I highly value having a degree of some sort, but I don't think the degree gave them what they needed to do the job. Some of the coworkers with degrees have completely unrelated degrees like history, or English.
All of that aside, if you can get a degree, DO. You will most likely be paid more, be more respected by your peers, and make lifelong friends with people who can recommend you when you apply at the company they work for.
Best of luck to you adh0c
Borphos
I work for a school so I know this problem inside and out, but the answer really depends on your situation /resources.
The easiest way:
Buy a copy of a program called Fortress. While you are at it get their HD protector it's called Clean Slate. These are available at http://www.fortresgrand.com/ This will enable you to comletely lock down the ability to open the command prompt, run certain programs, change the colors or or desktop, etc. Clean Slate can return a machine back to a known good state everytime you log out. (Or so it claims i've never had to acually use it.)
Pros: Simple.
Cons: Students still don't have their own accounts for saving documents. This sort of security sends a negative message of "I don't trust you with anything."
A better way but a bit harder:
Create a domain controller using Windows Server 2003. Buy a beefy server with plenty of HD space. Install Server 2003 (or 2000 if you can find it.) Get a copy of a good Active Directory book. You will also need to buy CALs (Client Access Liscences). Buy a program called adinfintium. (makes managing users a lot easier) Then (using your trusty active directory book) create users and place them in an OU (Organizational Unit) called something like "Students". Learn how to add a "Group Policy" to the students OU. (at this point you can just call OUs folders.) Group policies can do things like set a homepage, lock the background and colorscheme, disable msn messenger, disable certain other programs, etc.
Pros: A server that acts as domain controller and file server can do more things than I wish to list here.
Cons: $$$ It's expensive, not just to buy, but to maintain. Alternanly you can do almost as much with a combination of a good linux server and that fortress program for a lot less. You will need to know linux though.
A note on content filters:
Since you are at a school you have to comply with COPA (or something like it if you aren't in the US). Schools have the burden of being legally required to maintain a content filter to filter out bad things. What do they mean by bad things??? COPA like laws are all vague, but you have to show you are doing atleast something to prevent kids from vague things that may lead them into vague danger and cause them vague harm. The best way to do this is to to buy a server to act as your firewall and content filter. A compay called Clark Connect makes a great firewall product that updates its content filter automatically. It uses a program called dansguardian on the backend and is intelligent and easy to use.
Final note:
The firewall/content filter and domain controller are not traditionally something you use just for one lab. They are usually used for an entire school, or in some cases mutiple schools. This includes staff computers also. Most schools use this type of setup and would highly reccomend it if you can afford the hardware and lisences.