Be Quite! Pure Rock CPU Cooler "Protective Cover"

[Cruendithas]

Hello, I purchased a Be Quiet! Pure Rock CPU Cooler, and the instruction manual said "The protective covering on the underneath of the cooler must be removed prior to installation against the CPU", but didn't give a visual representation of what exactly it meant. I'm assuming it meant the part of the heat sink that comes into contact with the CPU. There is a white substance spread over the contact surface of the heatsink. This is my first experience installing a CPU cooler, but I believe the substance to be thermal paste, and I am confused as to why the manual would refer to this as "protective covering" and wonder whether or not this should be removed. There is nothing else I can see that can be described as protective covering. Thanks for any help provided.

Update: I contacted Be Quiet! and apparently the heatsink contact surface was supposed to come with a clear plastic cap, and mine simply didn't.

 

[Gam3r01]

Here is one example of a protective cover: https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7554/15957079532_ec45e0ae2c_z.jpg
Other times it is a simple plastic "lid" that keeps the paste or heatpipes from being disrupted.

The thin substance you mentioned is the thermal paste, you can keep it untouched if you wish to use it, or clean it off if you want to use your own.

 

[synphul]

It might be generalized instructions carried over from their other coolers. I got my dark rock pro 3 from be quiet and it didn't have any preapplied thermal paste but it did have a clear plastic film on the underside of the cooler. Had to peel it off the base of the heatsink before applying thermal paste and installing. It might just be that yours came with thermal paste pre applied instead of the protective film.