Thermal Problem Gateway E4100

I have a Gateway E4100 that shut down due to a thermal event. The fan is working and the heatsink is clean as is the interior of tne box. The pc has been off for over 24 hours . When started it gives a message "Your computer was shut down due to a thermal event" press F4 to continue. I press F4 and it starts to boot then shuts down. I believe it may be a bad sensor. Where is the sensor and can I buy it (where?) and replace it myself? Or are there any other thoughts as to the possible problem?

Larrys

 

I would pull the heat sink off of the cpu and have a look, i have seen factory pastes set up like concrete. You will need some heat sink grease to put back together. Personally i have never had a sensor be bad, not likely but possible i guess. ed

 

As turnerised has said, thats the main culprit -our posts crossed.
Have a look in your Bios to see the shutdown temperature, if you believe you have a faulty sensor.
Try putting the shutdown temperature up a little (don't want to fry the cpu, in case it is getting hot)

 

Artic silver is a good heatsink paste.
If it starts with temperature up 10 deg , or, so, download Everest , from majorgeeks downloads, its a small program that can read the temperatures, an d many other things.

 

Thanks for the tip. I pulled off the heatsink and cleaned it up and applied new heatsink paste and it works like a charm.

 

I have an E-4100 also. Seems to shut down due to a thermal event. Same as Larrys. The fan does not work. Replaced the original with a refurb. Still does not work. Cleaned up the old paste and added some new. No luck. Aybody have any other ideas?

 

I have been busy (family ) lately, and this is an old thread, but as you have the problem, go to this page from gateway, and follow the oroceedures

http://support.gateway.com/s/Checklists/BPC/ck2007050376.shtml

If that page fails to show , try the first item on this page- it saves me a lot of typing and explanation.
http://search.support.gateway.com/i...wn&attr2=&t=0&text=thermal+shutdown&x=13&y=12

 

please see my other thread at bmollengarden@hotmail.com
maybe you can help?