dv3t overheating and shutting down way too frequently

I get this problem at least once a day. I notice it happens when I watch videos online for more than a half hour. Tonight when playing full screen, all I have open running Windows 7 is Digsby and Firefox with 4 tabs. One of those tabs is playing the video. I am setting my notebook up on a flat desk with a 9-cell battery. I don't understand why it's shutting off simply by watching a video and it's getting enough ventilation?

Perhaps I need a notebook cooler to place underneath. Or I could send this notebook in to HP, although I purchased it a year and 2 months ago, so I'm sure my original warranty is up... what should I do?

 

So you say it's dust? A can of compressed air... didn't think much about that. If I sprayed it in the vents, where would the dust blow out from?

 

It wouldn't help. Like you see in that example (of my friend's dv6000) dust is quite solid and blowing air will just send fingertip-sized dustballs into the fan, possibly even jamming it.

Basically it has to be opened and cleaned by someone pro, since it's under warranty. Most probably someone with HP credentials even, unless he is pro enough not to leave marks or break it

 

I've always had good success with sucking the air out instead of blowing it. As in vacuum cleaner.

 

But those dustballs need as much suction as is needed to "suck a golfball thru a garden hose" -meaning a lot. Those dustballs in that picture are kitten and human hair mixed with regular dust.

Have you opened your cooler lately? Can't remember what it looked like in dv5 but in dv9000 it's like the above, dust gathers inside the black assembly.

 

How would I open up the cooler? I hope opening it up to clean this machine wouldn't void any HP warranty this might have (even though it's been over a year since I've bought it).

I do have a very strong vacuum cleaner (with a hose of course). Should I use that preferably over a can of compressed air? I figure it might not matter if I'm taking it apart anyways?

 

Never, ever use compressed air to try to clean a machine that hasn't been opened up. All you will accomplish is to jam the dirt/dust further into the machine.

Download a service manual, open up the case work, and vacuum the crap out.