Kubuntu causing computer to overheat. (I think)

[David McGlone]

Hi all,

Apologies to the list mod for accidentally sending this to the request list.

Forgive me if this is not appropriate for this list.

Can anyone give me some help here. I am completely stumped. My desktop 
computer keeps shutting down when anything too much is done on it. the system 
log says it is overheating. But here is where I am completely stumped kubuntu 
is reporting my system temperature as -270 C (-454 F) which in my opinion 
would be the hardest block of ice on earth and when it shuts down, the system 
log says the temp was critical at -264 C. In my opinion it's still darn 
frozen. 

I don't know if it's a hardware or software problem. But at -270 C it sounds 
like a no brainer.

My fan comes on shortly while booting but after boot it never comes on again. 
I suspect this is because it thinks it's frozen to oblivion so there is no 
need to switch the fan on.

I have checked the kubuntu forums, found some bugs relating to this issue, but 
none that came close to my problem. I just can't seem to find a solution.

Anyone have any ideas?
-- 
David M.