Dec 31, 2004 10:47 am There is a virus (perhaps it's spyware, I forget) that does do that, in addition to running AV, run spybot and adaware on it too...see if they come up with anything...
Computer Spontaneously Shuts Off (What the?)
Posted on Dec 31, 2004 10:39 am
guitar_jim
Czar of Cheese
Member Since: Jun 09, 2004
My second computer (the one the kids use) has a nasty habit of shutting off and restarting for no apparent reason. This usually happens about three or four times daily. If they let it sit for a while it will work again, only to shut off on them a few hours later.
I was told that it might be a virus. I tried installing Norton, and it came up empty. I even replaced the hard drive with one that I had laying around. Same story. I don't think that it is a virus.
Okay, all you computer geeks...am I over-heating? Do I have a bad power supply? Is it posessed by Jezabell himself?
I'm looking for recommendations as to how to troubleshoot the problem and fix the computer so that my kids will stop whining every time it spontaneously restarts.
Thanks in advance!
Jim
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Dec 31, 2004 10:47 am There is a virus (perhaps it's spyware, I forget) that does do that, in addition to running AV, run spybot and adaware on it too...see if they come up with anything...
Dec 31, 2004 11:06 am I've a problem like that on XP, but an error comes up when it's re-booted, calling it a 'memory dump' and it's annoying.
I've had an overheating problem in the past, which it does sound like also.
The best thing to do is, go into the bios and check the temp of the motherboard and CPU, do this just after it shuts down, you should still be able to access it.
It hits a safey temp and shuts down to avoid burn out, see what your shut down temp is set to.
Dec 31, 2004 04:07 pm Ive had that problem myself when i built my new computer. How big is your power supply? Hw many devices do you have plugged in? (i.e. hard drives cd-roms or burners. dvd drives, anything that needs a power plug.)
Dec 31, 2004 08:30 pm I guess start by monitoring your resources. See if anything is being overtaxed. Check out your initial load by running msconfig under the Run command (win 98 and XP). See what is being loaded in on start up. A flakey power supply can be a little tougher to diagnose. Removal of periferials requiring power may help diagnose that. Source power is also a consideration of course. If you suspect that, there are companies that will send out a Drenitz meter. You hook it up send it back, they give you an analysis. Really not too expensive, at least last time I used one.
There are a few things to play with anyway.
Jan 01, 2005 09:02 am I had that same problem
for me it was the cables inside were a bit loose
so I fixed that and now I never had a problem with it
Jan 01, 2005 11:41 am Yes, theres a great chance theres a virus, and its eatting at the mother board, making ur cimputer crash when on...
^^serious matter...you need to take it to a shop before u motherboard goes out..once ur motherboard is fried you'll need a new comp...
It could also be internal wires, which I doubt...
^^still take to the shop..and get it checked out
Jan 01, 2005 11:45 am Quote:
once ur motherboard is fried you'll need a new comp...
Not necessarily true, once the MoBo goes out, you need a new MoBo...not necessarily the complete computer...depending on the make, model and such things.
This is where the "home-brew" PC is the bomb, add and remove any piece at will...no worries.
Jan 01, 2005 11:55 am yeah, but there expensive, right?
Jan 01, 2005 03:16 pm no. computers you uild yourself can save you a ton of money, if you know what to buy and where. I got a pentium 4 3.0 ghz with 1.5 gb of dual channel pc3200 ram for about 450 bucks after rebates. It also has a good video card and the motherboard has all the bells and whistles.
Jan 01, 2005 03:19 pm or were u taling about the motherboard? If you were, you can get a motherboard for as cheap as 30 bucks or so ( check out www.tigerdirect.com)
Jan 01, 2005 03:22 pm No, they are cheaper.
I'd never in my lifetime buy another PC from a shop.
Jan 01, 2005 06:03 pm I'm thinking overheating...clean out your PC of all dust, especially around the CPU (CPU fan and even the heat sink below it that looks like a car amp). Move cables and such to help out with air flow. Be sure to clean out all fans on case and power supply. That most of the time helps.
Oh yeah, do you happen to get any errors when the PC does reboot?
Jan 01, 2005 06:17 pm oh ight grafitti...
vdale, good point about dusting the fan..
Jan 01, 2005 10:04 pm My 2 cents here. (more like a buck fifty )
Generally, if a computer reboots itself an issue has arisen at the BIOS level. This is the part of the computer that runs the operating system. The fact that it is happening regularly could mean a couple of things. 1st, it may indeed be overheating. This can be caused by a loose CPU fan, the cooler block is not installed properly (The part the CPU fan is attached to) and is thus inefficient at keeping it cool. It's also possible that the computer itself is not getting adequate ventilation. Is it in a tight space or even inside a computer desk cabinet? I would literally open up the case and run the computer to see if it helps out. If it does, then it is likely an overheating issue. I would then make sure it's well ventilated and then get a new cooler put on if ventilation alone does not do it.
The other problem you may have is the memory itself. It's possible that a stick of RAM has a bad chip on it. Everything will work fine until that part of the memory us used and then WHAM, the computer reboots. If possible, start by removing one stick of RAM and run the computer without it. (Performance will definatly be affected, but it will assist in figuring out if the memory is the culprit.) If it still has the issue, then replace the stick, and remove a different one.
There are other memory issues like mismatched speeds between different sticks, but this is already a long response. IF none of this works, then you will need to take it in to a place that repairs computers and let them deal with it. On the other hand, if you’re not comfortable with the inside of the computer, I would just take it to a Pro.
Good luck.
Jan 01, 2005 11:56 pm sry if i seemed harsh or something RobertJ, but i just got excited cuz i thinkeople really get ripped off by buying packaged computers. :)
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