Here is something off of another forum where an owner of this same model laptop fixed the problem, just like I did:
Re: [SOLVED] HP Pavilion dv8000 suddenly crashes
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I wanted to thank everyone for the info on this forum, and particularly this thread. I have an HP dv8000.
After considerable deliberation, much reading, and the benefit of everyones discussion, and having already ruled out the battery and power supply, I determined my overheating problem was probably in line with this thread.
I took 'er apart, cleaned 'er out (MASSIVE hair ball on the heat sink in an otherwise pristine case - I wonder if that caused problems...) and simply replaced the thermal paste.
VOILA! She runs like a champ! Used to crash running a windows update (or anything for that matter) and now I'm running WAY too much stuff to stress test (not very scientific, but fun though) and barely any fan at all.
Link:
http://www.techsupportforum.com/hardwar ... ashes.html
It sounds like someone is trying to clip you. Don't pay the $210... just tell the guy to clean out the fan and the entire machine and put it back together for you. That shouldn't cost more than $40.
P.S. - You don't have cats do you? If so, get some kind of air filtration system - cats and computers don't go well together. I had a friend who has cats call me out to fix his computer, and it was stuffed full of cat hair! It took an hour to get it all out it was so bad.
