Computer Randomly Shuts Down

[juiceisub3r]

I've been having this problem for a while now. Basically what happens is at random times my computer will lock up for about 2 seconds and then just turn itself off. If I try to turn it back on it will start up for about 3 seconds and then just shut down again. I usually have to wait like 5 minutes before turning it on again. I reformatted my computer today thinking it was just some crazy virus but it still does it. That leads me to believe the problem is possibily w/ my hard drive. Heres my system specs

Motherboard:
CPU Type AMD Athlon XP-A, 1300 MHz (13 x 100) 1700+
Motherboard Name Asus A7N8X v2.0 Deluxe (5 PCI, 1 AGP Pro, 3 DDR DIMM, Dual LAN, IEEE-1394)
Motherboard Chipset nVIDIA nForce2 Ultra 400
System Memory 512 MB (DDR SDRAM)
BIOS Type Award (05/14/03)
Communication Port Communications Port (COM1)
Communication Port Communications Port (COM2)
Communication Port ECP Printer Port (LPT1)

Display:
Video Adapter RADEON 9800 PRO - Secondary (128 MB)
Video Adapter RADEON 9800 PRO (128 MB)
3D Accelerator ATI Radeon 9800 Pro (R350)
Monitor Philips 107T4 [17" CRT] (BZ 80310083)

Multimedia:
Audio Adapter Creative SB0090 Audigy Platinum Sound Card
Audio Adapter nVIDIA MCP2 - Audio Codec Interface
Audio Adapter nVIDIA MCP2 - Audio Processing Unit (Dolby Digital)

Storage:
IDE Controller NVIDIA NForce MCP2 IDE Controller
Floppy Drive Floppy disk drive
Disk Drive IC35L120AVV207-0 (123 GB, 7200 RPM, Ultra-ATA/100)
Disk Drive WD CR HS-CF USB Device
Disk Drive WD CR HS-5-IN-1 USB Device
Disk Drive WD 1600JB External USB Device (149 GB, USB)
Optical Drive SONY DVD RW DRU-530A (DVD+RW:8x/4x, DVD-RW:4x/2x, DVD-ROM:12x, CD:40x/24x/40x DVD+RW/DVD-RW)
SMART Hard Disks Status OK

Partitions:
C: (NTFS) 117789 MB (107500 MB free)
G: (FAT32) 152588 MB (10517 MB free)

Input:
Keyboard Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
Mouse PS/2 Compatible Mouse

Network:
Network Adapter 3Com 3C920B-EMB Integrated Fast Ethernet Controller
Network Adapter NVIDIA nForce MCP Networking Adapter (130.49.59.77)

Peripherals:
USB1 Controller nVIDIA MCP2 - OHCI USB Controller
USB1 Controller nVIDIA MCP2 - OHCI USB Controller
USB2 Controller nVIDIA MCP2 - EHCI USB 2.0 Controller
USB Device Generic USB Hub
USB Device USB Composite Device
USB Device USB Human Interface Device
USB Device USB Mass Storage Device
USB Device USB Mass Storage Device

[anurag_wizards]

hi wat i think about this ;-
it might be a problem of your Ram slot try changing your ram in other slot
and if you have a lan connection then i m about 90% sure that it is a problem of typical lan virus which can be removed with help of any antivirus it is removed by symantec korgo remover i can provide you if you think you need it

[anurag_wizards]

and ya format the other partition using fat32

[adakke]

in my work I've had serveral problems with ASUS-motherboards, mostly these problems occur with the AGP foot on the board.
one board had this problem en I returned it three times for repair and it still doesn't work.
an other board show't this problem once and a while and after one year it didn't start up, at all.
so I don't think youre gone solve this problem without another or new motherboard.
if other whise, please let me know,
regards,
Adakke

[Thong_Ispector]

Sorry, I didnt notice that this was a dead thread from last year....

How old is this PC.
A common reason for shutting down is the cpu is overheating.
Have you monitored the temp with a software tool...
Have you checked the temps in CMOS
Have you pulled the heat sink, cleaned it and reinstalled with thermal grease

[jbennet]

My server shuts down and switches on whenever i turn on my hi - fi!

[george_hopkins]

i have got the same problem with my computer. it randomly shuts down after about an hour or so and when i try and turn it back on it lasts about 1 minuit then it switches off again. after about 3 times trying to turn it on it beeps about 4 times then it says "cpu overheated" then some windows restore stuff then it switches off, at first i thought that it could be that the processor fan wasnt working because when i took the cover off the metal bits around the fan were very hot. i dont know what to do about this and i have no idea what is not working. i dont know why the cpu is overheating because the fan that cools the processor is spinning. if there is a fan on the power supply i dont think it is spinning because i cant feel any air coming out. my motherboard is an asus p5gdc and there is a a nvidia geforce pcx 5750 plugged into the pci-e x 16 slot and there is a modem which i have never used in one of the pci slots and two 256mb sticks of ram in the blue slots and thats all.

there is a fan in the back of the case, a fan covering the processor i think there is meant to be a fan in the power supply and there is a fan in the side. does anyone have any idea what this problem is and what can i do about it.

[zerosk8er0393]

Ok i had this problem for a week now and finally fixed it! Here is what you do first. Scan your computer for viruses and spyware, i recomend AVG antivirus and Spybot Search & Destroy. Do that because there are spywares/viruses that cause this to happen so try that. 2nd if it is still doing open up your computer and get a can of compressed air look at the motherboadr and unscrew the fan and see if it is clogged with dust. that was my problem, the motherboards fan was clogged with dust so my computer shut down before the motherboard fryed. I hope this works for you,if not try a different outlet also. hope this helps:)

[l3ean]

This is not a virus or other software-related problem. The reason it may SEEM to be a virus or regular hardware problem - randomly shutting off - is because your cpu has to try to access files fast enough to OVERPOWER the power supply. If its going to happen, its usually going to be when the cpu and the hard drive are at their maximum power consumption which CAN be caused by a virus eating resources. The virus itself does not directly cause the problem; it just shows the problem.

Yes, This is a power supply problem! check your voltages; an nforce 2 has voltage meters in BIOS and you can get software (nvidia nforce boards can use nvidia monitor as well as others) to monitor voltages; specifically check the 12v and 3v rails.

A virus will never shut off a computer with an intact file system! bascially, your computer would have never started windows/linux again if the virus caused the computer to shut off as it would have been done with its dirty deed.

[bugimafia]

yea i think i have the same problem my comp randomly shuts off im runnin a window xp i think it sucks ass dont know much bout this kind off stuff so any help would be great. problem is everytime i try to scan the computer for spyware and viruses it get to about halfway through the scan and shuts off. its really pissin me off so if u guys out there have and tips or info on how to fix this please feel free to write as much as you know cause any info would be great. thanks

[Seelie]

I worked on a computer with a similar problem. I checked the obvious culprits only to find out that the owner kept his computer in a slot "made for the computer" in his desk. The desk was pushed up against a wall and wasn't allowing enough circulation to the computer and his CPU was overheating causing the unit to shut down. Once he moved it out of the slot, it stopped shutting down.

[techno t]

yea i think i have the same problem my comp randomly shuts off im runnin a window xp i think it sucks ass dont know much bout this kind off stuff so any help would be great. problem is everytime i try to scan the computer for spyware and viruses it get to about halfway through the scan and shuts off. its really pissin me off so if u guys out there have and tips or info on how to fix this please feel free to write as much as you know cause any info would be great. thanks

does it shut down under heavy load???

or at anytime?

*

[motomart]

First thing one would suspect at random shut down is Power Supply and overheated CPU. But somehow I suspected NVIDIA nForce Networking controler randomly shuts my machine down. It is HP Slimline desktop and when I disconnect network cable and enable wireless everything is OK for days. Plug network cable in it shuts down at about 30-45 minutes and more often later,
Anyone else having similar issue. Network adapter is built into the motherboard. Can it be faulty Netgear Router, but I have another PC connected with no problems. Yes, I have tried to use different cable, pluging into 3 different router ports.
I need 100 on this machine for quick data transfers.
Any suggestions?? Thanks!

I found this board board searching Nvidia NIC shuts off

[Tokyopete]

Do you know if Thermal Grease was used when the CPU was installed? If you know how then removed the alloy heat shield holding the CPU in place and check. If there isn't any thermal grease, then go to a large PC store and buy a stick of it. Read carefully howto apply it and then refit the shield over the cpu.
(you may have to remove your moboard if you are unlucky. Don't try this unless you know what you're doing as one good slip of a screwdriver (unhooking the heat shield or refitting it) and you may damage the moboard.
It's unlikely that the ram's location is a major factor but the slot nearest the CPU is usually marked "O" and should be used if you have only one ram unit.
If the motherboard is a professionally built unit then the ram will be correctly installed but check anyway. (Friday night special syndrome)
The other factor and I don't see why unless you played around in the bios is the CPU run speed is set too high. Read up on how to set up the bios before trying anything.

[BstrucT]

Does the pc freezes up just before it shutsdown, I mean, does the last bit of sound from a game maybe repeat itself just before shutting down?
If so, you have an overheating problem, probably CPU. If you encounter visual abnormalities, check the temp of the heatsink on your Radeon to feel how hot it is.

Also try removing the memory dimm closest to the CPU, and reboot.

Hope this helps

>BstrucT

[pokearoo]

I had the same type of problem. It seemed to have crept up over time and just got worse.

I took the CPU heatsink off and cleaned it thoroughly. It was bad. I replaced the thermal compund, make shure not to use more than a light smear. Its just there to fill microscopic gaps between the metals. Too much of this stuff is worse.

I took the video card out. NVIDIA with a large shroud over the heatsink. It was plugged. It was running hot. Too hot to keep a finger on. I changed the thermal compound.

My son cleaned the inside of the power supply. He's 20 by the way.

The unit works much better and the CPU is within temperature specs. I checked the AMD site and the AMD Athelon 64 +3800 can run at 2.4Ghz and up to 67 deg. C. Its being run at 2.01 Ghz and keeps a max of 42 deg. C The alarm is set for 50 deg. C

Everytime I access the DVD drive the computer wants to shut down. Usually in a very short time. I changed the drive and get the same result. I can run for hours otherwise. Still shuts down on rare occasion even when I don't use the DVD drive.

[pokearoo]

I kept looking once I left the site and look at what I found on motherboards.

http:////www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1041920/msi-k9n-mobos-suffer-random-shutdowns

I'll try the UDMA mode change first and then look for the capacitor C565. An electrolitic capacitor would explain the problem creeping up slowly. They tend to dry up with time and some runs had bad paste in them that dried prematurely. My motherboard is about 3 or 4 years old.

Later
Pokearoo

[gamemaniac]

As far as I can see is that this might be a RAM problem just check it out yourself if you have some hardware knowledge or get it to some computer/ laptop repair expert.

Regards
"gamemaniac"

[NicoleS98]

I've been having this problem for a while now. Basically what happens is at random times my computer will lock up for about 2 seconds and then just turn itself off. If I try to turn it back on it will start up for about 3 seconds and then just shut down again. I usually have to wait like 5 minutes before turning it on again. I reformatted my computer today thinking it was just some crazy virus but it still does it. That leads me to believe the problem is possibily w/ my hard drive. Heres my system specs

Motherboard: CPU Type AMD Athlon XP-A, 1300 MHz (13 x 100) 1700+ Motherboard Name Asus A7N8X v2.0 Deluxe (5 PCI, 1 AGP Pro, 3 DDR DIMM, Dual LAN, IEEE-1394) Motherboard Chipset nVIDIA nForce2 Ultra 400 System Memory 512 MB (DDR SDRAM) BIOS Type Award (05/14/03) Communication Port Communications Port (COM1) Communication Port Communications Port (COM2) Communication Port ECP Printer Port (LPT1) Display: Video Adapter RADEON 9800 PRO - Secondary (128 MB) Video Adapter RADEON 9800 PRO (128 MB) 3D Accelerator ATI Radeon 9800 Pro (R350) Monitor Philips 107T4 [17" CRT] (BZ 80310083) Multimedia: Audio Adapter Creative SB0090 Audigy Platinum Sound Card Audio Adapter nVIDIA MCP2 - Audio Codec Interface Audio Adapter nVIDIA MCP2 - Audio Processing Unit (Dolby Digital) Storage: IDE Controller NVIDIA NForce MCP2 IDE Controller Floppy Drive Floppy disk drive Disk Drive IC35L120AVV207-0 (123 GB, 7200 RPM, Ultra-ATA/100) Disk Drive WD CR HS-CF USB Device Disk Drive WD CR HS-5-IN-1 USB Device Disk Drive WD 1600JB External USB Device (149 GB, USB) Optical Drive SONY DVD RW DRU-530A (DVD+RW:8x/4x, DVD-RW:4x/2x, DVD-ROM:12x, CD:40x/24x/40x DVD+RW/DVD-RW) SMART Hard Disks Status OK Partitions: C: (NTFS) 117789 MB (107500 MB free) G: (FAT32) 152588 MB (10517 MB free) Input: Keyboard Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard Mouse PS/2 Compatible Mouse Network: Network Adapter 3Com 3C920B-EMB Integrated Fast Ethernet Controller Network Adapter NVIDIA nForce MCP Networking Adapter (130.49.59.77) Peripherals: USB1 Controller nVIDIA MCP2 - OHCI USB Controller USB1 Controller nVIDIA MCP2 - OHCI USB Controller USB2 Controller nVIDIA MCP2 - EHCI USB 2.0 Controller USB Device Generic USB Hub USB Device USB Composite Device USB Device USB Human Interface Device USB Device USB Mass Storage Device USB Device USB Mass Storage Device

hello,
sorry i dont have a solution but i have the exat same thing happening to my laptop,i just wanted to know is your computer an acer?
and did it only start after months of using it?

[pokearoo]

No not an Acer, the desktop is an assembled PC clone from parts. The problem was the power supply. I replaced it and it runs 24/7 now.

My Toshiba laptop started that random shutdown. I took it apart and cleaned the heat sink. It was literally plugged solid. There was no air going through it. Now it runs without problems.

Hope that helps.