Acer Aspire 5720 (Windows 2000) - Fan not spinning until 80C and CPU always at 100%

Alice_Cairanestan

Hello! I’m currently using an Acer Aspire 5720 (2007 model) with Windows 2000 Professional (Currently using for critical legacy applications). It is currently set to ACPI PC mode in Configuration. However, upon starting the computer up, the fan in the computer turns completely off until the laptop reaches around 70-80 degrees (even on idle) and only activates in short intervals. I’m scared this will damage the laptop due to its age. I’ve attempted everything to try and fix this issue, but it is to no avail. I will be willing to answer any questions needed. Plus, the CPU is stuck at 100% even when opening any application or unzipping files, the CPU skyrockets to 100% usage (as shown in the images below). Can anyone please help? Sorry!

Puraw

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/728032/acer-aspire-5720-windows-2000-fan-not-spinning-until-80c-and-cpu-always-at-100

Hi Alice_Cairanestan,

Running Windows 2000 in 2025 on a daily‑use machine isn’t just challenging — it’s unsafe and hardware‑limited. That OS hasn’t received security updates for over a decade, so you’re exposed to unpatched vulnerabilities, and modern hardware/drivers simply don’t exist for it.

If you must keep Windows 2000 for critical legacy apps, the safest approach is:

• Run it inside a virtual machine on a modern, supported OS (Windows 11, Linux, macOS) so you can isolate it and control resources like fan curves.
• Keep the host hardware modern enough to handle cooling, CPU load, and storage speed.

For day‑to‑day use:

• Consider a lightweight Linux distribution on your Aspire 5720 — it’s far more secure, still gets updates, and runs well on old hardware.
• Or, if you need current Windows features and full driver support, a budget Windows 11 laptop will give you vastly better performance, thermals, and security.