HP compaq 6730b cpu @100%

[CFC232]

Hello, guys and gals i've encountered a weird problem with the cpu (intel core 2 duo p8700) on the laptop of a friend of mine which i was trying to repair... The laptop was never cleaned, and the pc one day decided to go ballistic... It runs 100% all the time and the laptop is slow af... It renders the machine pretty much unusable. I thought that a cleanup and change of thermal paste along with a fresh install of windows 7 x86 would revive it, but i wqs misstaken... My quesrion is could the problem be with the cpu itself, and can a simple replacement (or an upgrade with core 2 duo T9600 ) would do the trick of reviving it... I can't seem to find the p8700 for sale in my country so im opting for the T9600.. Thanx in advance! 

[WAWood]

@CFC232 

The problem with a "fresh install" if Win7 is you're then setting up the PC for HUNDREDS of Windows Updates -- unless you know some tricks that can reduce this number, and even then, it takes HOURS to DAYS for all those to be downloaded and installed -- rendering the PC pretty much useless in the interim.

IF it suddenly became slow, a better guess would be a failing hard drive.

To check the drive you have to follow these steps:
1) Press Esc key repeatedly, several times a second, while rebooting the laptop. Do NOT hold the key down, just press it over and over.
2) Eventually, you will see an HP Startup Menu -- that will look similar to the image below ...

3) press the Function key for testing the hard drive (usually F2) and let it run.

Please report back the test results.