I'm pretty certain that with all stock HSF units that the thermal paste is already applied and you don't need to add any more yourself. You can check on the bottom of the HSF unit - there should be a grey square where the thermal paste is.
Your stock HSF should definitely have thermal paste pre-applied. It definitely looks like it does from that picture. Also, there should be no need to remove the pre-applied paste - it should suit your needs fine. Even if you want to overclock you would be better off getting an aftermarket cooler instead of the stock one anyway. The only time you should need to reapply paste yourself is if you remove the heatsink. Then it will need to be cleaned and a fresh layer reapplied.
Use the stock pad/compound thats on the cpu. It works fine. With the stock Intel HSF , after you install on motherboard, make sure all 4 pins have come through the back side. Intel has a install video if you start to panic
Use the stock pad/compound thats on the cpu. It works fine. With the stock Intel HSF , after you install on motherboard, make sure all 4 pins have come through the back side. Intel has a install video if you start to panic