Have a compaq presario v2000 laptop. The laptop fluctuated a great deal in its temperature reading, and would shut down every fifteen minutes. The temp, which I find by running speedfan, fluctuates between 48 and 100. I thought it was just that the heatsink outlet was clogged up, so I opened up the laptop, cleaned out the fan from any dirt, blew it out with compressed air, and removed a layer of dirt and dust that clogged up the heatsink outlet.

But the laptop still fluctuates between those temperatures and I dont understand what else to do. Please help Hi, I may not be of much help, but while you wait, I will point out that you should always keep a laptop on a hard surface for proper airflow. There is a possibility that putting your laptop on a bed or, ironically, your lap, may be causing heat issues. If you haven't looked into that already, give it a try - you never know!

Also I would like to add that if it is rapidly fluctuating between those EXACT temperatures consistently, there is also the possibility of a bad sensor. In my experience, Speedfan can also PRODUCE some wild numbers occasionally, usually when it gives readings for a sensor that actually isn't even available.

Good luck!  loder,

yes that is true, keep the laptop on a hard surface always so there is adequate airflow.  I dont QUITE trust the readings of speedfan but the fact is that the fan does go on occasionally, spin slowly at times and then fast at other times, and this does indicate there is a temperature problem. 

But I dont know what else to clean
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the fact is that the fan does go on occasionally, spin slowly at times and then fast at other times,