Jump to content

Welcome to Geeks to Go - Register now for FREE

Need help with your computer or device? Want to learn new tech skills? You're in the right place!
Geeks to Go is a friendly community of tech experts who can solve any problem you have. Just create a free account and post your question. Our volunteers will reply quickly and guide you through the steps. Don't let tech troubles stop you. Join Geeks to Go now and get the support you need!

How it Works Create Account
Photo

Computer shuts down randomly


  • Please log in to reply

#1
Craque

Craque

    New Member

  • Member
  • Pip
  • 4 posts
I'm new to the forums, Hi everyone.

My system has been running fine until about a day or 2 ago. Since then, it randomly shuts itself down. So far it's happened while loading windows safe mode, at the windows logon screen, when running normal apps, and when the system is just idle. It always happens within 10 minutes after being turned on.

Strangest part about the problem is that after a crash, the power button stops working, I have to pull the power cable and plug it back in before the power button works again.

thoughts? theories?

thanks

edit: updated the nature of the problem

Edited by Craque, 28 May 2005 - 03:57 PM.

  • 0

Advertisements


#2
macten

macten

    Retired Staff

  • Retired Staff
  • 638 posts
I would set it up to blue screen. start>control panel>system>advanced>startup and recovery. Uncheck 'automatically reboot'. Hopefully it will 'blue screen' with an error message that you can post back here. I would check Event Viewer also.

What your describing sounds like one I fixed several weeks ago. Only it wouldn't shut down. It would just freeze. Initially it wouldn't boot up so I installed a new power supply and it would boot into windows and then freeze. I upgraded the BIOS because it said 'unrecognized cpu' but it would still freeze soon after booting into windows.

I directed my focus onto the BIOS. I disabled just about everything and made a few other changes. It booted up and the problem was gone. I then enabled things 2 at a time and the problem never came back.

My thinking was that something was sharing an irq or other resource with the on-board video.

Your problem could be a number of things but I thought I would post my experience. When you say 'hasn't crashed while outside windows' and the part about the power button, that is exactly what was going on with the one I fixed.
  • 0

#3
Craque

Craque

    New Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • Pip
  • 4 posts
Ok, I unchecked the "automatically restart" box, but it doesn't seem to have changed anything; no blue screen, it still shuts down like someone pushed the power button.

It also just powered down while I was in BIOS. Guess I spoke too soon about that. :tazz:
  • 0

#4
macten

macten

    Retired Staff

  • Retired Staff
  • 638 posts
If it powered down while in the BIOS I would think that the problem is a hardware issue. The power supply would be the first thing that I would test. I bought a power supply tester from Comp USA for about $12 awhile back.
  • 0

#5
peterm

peterm

    Trusted Tech

  • Technician
  • 3,385 posts
Did you ad any hardware software or windows updates bedore this happened
  • 0

#6
Craque

Craque

    New Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • Pip
  • 4 posts
I didn't add any hardware or software, though I do remember installing a few windows updates a few days before the problem showed up
  • 0

#7
macten

macten

    Retired Staff

  • Retired Staff
  • 638 posts
Software or software updates would not cause the machine to power down while in the BIOS.....
  • 0

#8
Craque

Craque

    New Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • Pip
  • 4 posts
Ok, just picked up a power supply tester and a new power supply, wish me luck :tazz:
  • 0






Similar Topics

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users

As Featured On:

Microsoft Yahoo BBC MSN PC Magazine Washington Post HP