Liked the picture ... looks like something medical!
Seriously, how did you use it? Just stick it in the exhaust slots of the lappy, or take off the keyboard and address the fan?
From the description, it sounds like you did the former. If so it is possible that there was a fair bit of dust around, which has been blown into the fan & jammed it. Next stage is for you physically to inspect the fan - see if you can spin it. If you're uncomfortable about using a finger (static & all that) you might like to use a cable tie or summat with a bit of give in it... or even give a puff with your camera cleaner.
It's usually quite easy to get into the innards if you work carefully and slowly and remember where all the bits come from. Ive been known to use a digital camera to prompt me old memory sometimes...