[MountainDewGirl]

Hi All!
New here and I've got a problem.
We recently acquired a 2nd home computer (hand-me-down from a relative). She is running windows 2000.
Lately, she had been just shutting off on her own.
No warning or error screens. She just shuts off.
When I turn her back on, all of the screens look normal and there are no error messages. If she stays on long enough, I can go into any program and she seems to work fine.
Sometimes she will run fine for awhile. Last week, I had her on for 3 days in a row straight with no problems.
All of this seemed to start after we had a rain storm go through and we lost the power for a few minutes.
I'm wondering if the fan might not be cooling her or maybe the fan has gone faulty.
I had taken off the sides and blown out what little dust was in there, there wasn't much.
I wanted to see if the fan was clogged up with dust, but I'm not sure if that's something I should be touching??
Not even sure how to open it up to get to it?????
One of my friends mentioned that a virus might also be the culprit but she's not currently hooked up to the internet as our other computer is the only one connected at this time.
I do know this one came with AVG on it. Not sure what else as we've not had it a long time.
Any suggestions or starting points?
Would be much appreciated.
Thanks so much!

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Let's start with the following:

Please disconnect the power cord for a minute and re-connect. Don't take any fan out, just look through the blades and see if the fins of the heatsink are clogged with dust. If they are fairly clean then your problem is not there. While the computer box is open check that all the main cables are tight in place, especially the large connector that connects the power supply unit to the motherboard. If you feel capable to do this, remove all cards and memory modules, clean the contacts with a soft cloth and the slots with with a soft brush. Re-install firmly but do not use excessive force.

Clear the BIOS by doing this:Disconnect the power cable from the back of the computer. Open the side cover and carefully take out the cmos battery (looks like a silvery button). Keep it out for about 15 minutes. Reinstall and reboot. You will probably get a checksome error or some other message. If you do, enter BIOS and set time and date, save the new values and let the computer boot. Most desktops will boot into BIOS by clicking Delete or F2 keys immediately after switching on. There are computers in which other keys have to be used to enter BIOS (Setup). You can find the correct key when looking at the screen right after pressing the start button. If you don't, press the Pause/Break key immediately after startup to freeze the first screen. Now you should be able to see what keys to press.


Download memtest from the links below, create a bootable CD and run a test throughout the night. Please report if there are any errors.

[The Skeptic]

Let's start with the following:

Please disconnect the power cord for a minute and re-connect. Don't take any fan out, just look through the blades and see if the fins of the heatsink are clogged with dust. If they are fairly clean then your problem is not there. While the computer box is open check that all the main cables are tight in place, especially the large connector that connects the power supply unit to the motherboard. If you feel capable to do this, remove all cards and memory modules, clean the contacts with a soft cloth and the slots with with a soft brush. Re-install firmly but do not use excessive force.

Clear the BIOS by doing this:Disconnect the power cable from the back of the computer. Open the side cover and carefully take out the cmos battery (looks like a silvery button). Keep it out for about 15 minutes. Reinstall and reboot. You will probably get a checksome error or some other message. If you do, enter BIOS and set time and date, save the new values and let the computer boot. Most desktops will boot into BIOS by clicking Delete or F2 keys immediately after switching on. There are computers in which other keys have to be used to enter BIOS (Setup). You can find the correct key when looking at the screen right after pressing the start button. If you don't, press the Pause/Break key immediately after startup to freeze the first screen. Now you should be able to see what keys to press.


Download memtest from the links below, create a bootable CD and run a test throughout the night. Please report if there are any errors.