XP P4 Question - Help!

Morning all, I have recently passed on my old P4 system to my Father-in-law which he has only had since the turn of the year. The system is now over 5 years old and up until last weekend did everything he needed it to for surfing & listening to music etc.

The Problem:-

When the PC is turned on most of the time the CPU fan goes straight in to overdrive and won't load up at all. On the lucky occasions it does boot to XP it will allow less than a minute in XP then reboot, kicking the CPU fan in to overdrive given me a black screen.

I have swapped the ram over etc and both sticks seem ok. The systems has booted with single ram sticks in place.

I also have had a look at the CPU itself and to be honest the copper coloured marking I found on the CPU itself is what causes me concern. Could the CPU be "scorched". There is still a thin layer of the gel stuff on the CPU but this copper coloured marking is what concerns me.

Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Dale

Could be that the CPU has had unrepairable heat related damage

But your best option would be to clean it and apply new Heatsink paste

Have a look at ArcticSilver Instructions
Here's some of the compounds there
Also don't forget that you still need a good Heatsink

Also isoprophyl alcohol to first clean the CPU

Thanks kimsland. I will go ahead and give the CPU a clean and add some new heatsink paste and see how that does.

Thanks

Now don't be a stranger !

Let us know how it all goes (this may take a couple of days or more, due to purchasing Heatsink and so forth.

Just reply here, later.

Good luck