Computer shuts down unexpectedly, bad mobo??

[manchurianCEO]

My cousin's computer (vista)keeps shutting off at random time, one minute, one second, five seconds after turning on. Even while loading safe mode, it shuts off.

I put thermal paste on the chip with no results.
Already checked RAM sticks, connections, tried to turn it on with basic drives connected and also finally tried to run it with another power supply. Still no results, keeps shutting down.

Mother board problem?

[flagstar]

More like a windows problem to me.

When you boot your computer, can you access to BIOS and does it still on when BIOS menu are active?

[faroukmuhammad]

Check your PC fan;is it not running or
is it running sluggishly
then it is your CPU fan...

[manchurianCEO]

More like a windows problem to me.

When you boot your computer, can you access to BIOS and does it still on when BIOS menu are active?

I have accessed BIOS and I have accessed windows too. But when it comes to shutting off, it does not make any difference, it has shut down while in BIOS just as it does while loading windows.

[manchurianCEO]

Check your PC fan;

• is it not running or
• is it running sluggishly

then it is your CPU fan...

I'm not sure about the fan, the computer has shut down barely two seconds after being turned on and other times has lasted well past a minute. Being on for barely three seconds is not enough time for it to overheat because of the fan running poorly (the does run however).

[flagstar]

Maybe (just maybe) you didn't reseated the heatsink properly... That could be the reason it shut down by itself. Normally when a computer shutting down by itself, most of the time it was overheat problem or insufficient power from PSU (power supply unit).

If reseating the heatsink fan doesn't work, if you have another working computer at your place, salvage it's power supply unit and test it on the faulty computer.

[manchurianCEO]

Maybe (just maybe) you didn't reseated the heatsink properly... That could be the reason it shut down by itself. Normally when a computer shutting down by itself, most of the time it was overheat problem or insufficient power from PSU (power supply unit).

If reseating the heatsink fan doesn't work, if you have another working computer at your place, salvage it's power supply unit and test it on the faulty computer.

No I have taken it off twice (the heat sink) and blew all dust away that is like new. The spare power supply I tested it with is technically brand new and so far has worked powering up other computers.

[flagstar]

what about testing the PSU with the faulty computers? did it work normally??

[jingda]

Like what Flagstar said above. Overheating could well be the problem. Just asking can you charge your laptop or are you using a PC?

[faroukmuhammad]

I, jingda and Flagstar may be right. It may take longer the first time you turn it on (say 15min) when it turns off and then restarted, the system may take less time because the processors is already hot (say 3min) and the time will keep falling. Note that even if it is still running (but sluggishly) it cannot cool the processor.

>Solution: Open the computer so that you can see the fan and at the same time able to turn on the computer, then observe and post what you see.

[manchurianCEO]

I, jingda and Flagstar may be right. It may take longer the first time you turn it on (say 15min) when it turns off and then restarted, the system may take less time because the processors is already hot (say 3min) and the time will keep falling. Note that even if it is still running (but sluggishly) it cannot cool the processor.

>Solution: Open the computer so that you can see the fan and at the same time able to turn on the computer, then observe and post what you see.

I know what you mean. But the computer has never stayed on for so long. I can turn it on after being shut all night and it shut down in seconds. The fan works good, I put my hand on it and I feel it. It works at the same rate until the whole thing shuts down. Also tried maybe the thermal paste was the problem but the results were the same.

[jingda]

Can you charge your laptop?

[christianX]

I think the problem is in the mother board, maybe it is too old or have a bad conflict, almost anything problem coming from the installation of motherboard can be fix easily. Try to format it one more time and if it still not working. Then you have to get a new motherboard.

[flagstar]

Maybe there's a bloated IC's on your motherboard (capacitor with a + mark on top of it). That could very much explain it.

To check it, simply just look through every IC you can find on your motherboard and check it's condition on top of it. If it was bloated (expanded to outside) then it's very much your motherboard may need a new replacement.

[caperjack]

Being on for barely three seconds is not enough time for it to overheat because of the fan running poorly (the does run however).

oh yes it is!a cpu can get hot instantly and not turn .

i have hp dv9000 here that would not even turn on[not mine belongs to a customer of mine ] ,just light up all the lights on it ,it was left running on a bed overnight,after that it would not even turn on , and has not run until i took it apart ,used a butane torch on the video chip and added paste to both the video chip and processor ,it now runs,i used it last night for over 1 hr, so far so good !

[faroukmuhammad]

Ok, try booting from a live CD and see for how long it can stay, this will help us eliminate the possibility of a virus attack. If it shuts down then it is definitely a hardware problem else it is a virus attack.

[manchurianCEO]

It was the mobo. I changed it for exactly the same one, computer just had to perform some system recovering because of the shut downs and it's all now gravy.

[jingda]

So did you figured out what was wrong with the Mobo?