Mid 2010 Macbook Pro 13"

Try resetting your SMC.

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964

 

Not true. If it overheats, it shuts down to prevent damage. The Intel processors used in Macs are designed to automatically shut down to prevent damage if they truly overheat (around 100C/212F - 105C/221F, depending on your processor). iStat Pro will give you accurate readings of your temps and fan speeds, among other things.

Unless there is a rare defect in a Mac, most temps are well within the normal operating range, considering the workload being put on it. Websites with Flash content, games and other multimedia apps will put higher demand on the CPU/GPU, generating more heat. This is normal. If you're constantly putting high demands on your system, such as gaming or other multimedia tasks, expect temps to rise and fans to spin up accordingly. It's just your Mac doing its job to maintain temps within the normal range.

Your fans are always on when your Mac is on, spinning at a minimum of 2000 rpm (for MBPs) or 1800 rpm (for MBAs, MBs and minis). They will spin faster as needed to keep temps at a safe level. If they're spinning up without increased heat, try resetting the SMC. PRAM/NVRAM has nothing to do with these issues, so resetting it will not help. Also, make sure you don't block the vents, which are located at the rear, near the hinge.

Learn about the fans in your Mac
Apple Portables: Operating temperature

For Flash-related issues:

• Find your Flash version and make sure it's the latest version available.
• Install ClickToFlash (Safari), Flashblock (Firefox) or FlashBlock (Chrome) to control which Flash content plays on websites.
• Use the YouTube HTML5 Video Player to watch YouTube videos, when available. (May impact fullscreen viewing. See link for details.)

 

You have these things on copy/paste, don't you?

 

We've already given you some possible solutions.
Did your brother find that the temperatures in the laptop were abnormally high, thus causing the fast spinning fans? Or are the fans just spinning up for no reason? If it's the latter, try a SMC reset.

 

See the suggestions above to reset your SMC. It controls fan speed among other things.

Also, what was the temp at when the fan was running at 4000?

 

You can accurately check temps and fan speeds yourself, with iStat Pro.

 

What does "temperature is stable" mean? Give us numbers!

 

dust