Separating CPU from heat sink. Please help!

Hi All

I was building my new system with a AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz Quad core processor.
The motherboard LEDs indicated that there was something wrong with the processor.
Not really thinking about it, I tried to remove the heat sink.
The processor was glued to the heatsink with arctic silver 5 and the CPU was ripped right out of the socket!
Luckily none of the pins on the cpu are bent. However, it is still stuck to the heat sink.

Has this happened to anyone else? Is there a trick to getting the arctic silver off?
I've read everything ranging from freezing to rubbing alcohol to WD40.
What's worked for you guys?

Thanks

Common problem, try taking two small flat blocks of wood against opposite sides of cpu, aply pressure and twist sideways, this will help you from accidently bending pins, steady pressure and using the minimun amount of force.

AS 5 sets over time but it is not a glue only a thermal compound. use a good TIM cleaner to clean of all of the AS 5 on the CPU and Hetsink before re-applying fresh AS 5

careful and gentle application a f a flat head screw driver

Be VERY careful with a screw driver, I've broke CPUs before using to much pressure. I suggest heating the sink back up so the TIM weakens some. Point a hair dryer at it for awhile, but don't let it get to hot. I also suggest trying whatever you can to twist it off. Don't just stick the flat head screw driver under neath it and twist.

You can use a razor or putty knife to carefully pry it off. You can also use an iron to heat the heatsink and soften the paste. I've done it and it works well.