Member Avatar for Whilliam

Hello. I need help.
I have this problem that my computer will automatically shut down and will never turn on again unless I turn it off for like an hour and turn it on again.
It does not shut down like the normal shut down like the computer will prepare itself for the shut down, it will just turn off.
Sometimes, it will happen 10 minutes after I turn my computer on. Sometimes, it will happen right after I turn my computer on like the computer will not boot.
I think, the thing that caused this was playing a game that requires 300 more RAM and 300 more MHz than what my computer has. That was the last thing I did before the problem occured. I tried getting the RAM off and putting it back. I also tried cleaning my computer. What should I do, can anyone help?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by efmesch

Dani AI

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Good points from and about heat as a suspect. The one-hour cooldown requirement plus an immediate power‑off (no Windows shutdown sequence) narrows the likely causes to hardware protection trips or intermittent hardware faults — most commonly the power supply, failing electrolytic capacitors or cracked solder joints, or a short that only appears when the system is hot. Below is a focused, non-redundant troubleshooting sequence to isolate the fault.

An effective isolation sequence:

  1. Distinguish hardware vs OS: boot into BIOS or a bootable rescue/live USB. If the machine dies before Windows starts, the problem is hardware.
  2. If Windows runs long enough, examine Event Viewer for unexpected power events (Kernel-Power / Event ID 41) and match timestamps to failures.
  3. Minimal-configuration boot: remove nonessential cards and drives so only CPU, one RAM stick and video remain; observe stability.
  4. Run a dedicated memory test (Memtest86) for several passes to rule out RAM errors.
  5. Check the PSU by swapping in a known-good unit or measuring the main rails with a multimeter (acceptable tolerance ±5%: 12V → 11.4–12.6V; 5V → 4.75–5.25V; 3.3V → 3.135–3.465V).
  6. Visual inspection: look for bulging or leaking capacitors, burn marks, loose standoffs or screws that could short the board.

Practical interpretation and next steps:

  • Symptoms that clear only after cooling most strongly implicate the PSU or a thermal/protection feature on the board; replacing the PSU is an inexpensive, high‑value test.
  • Visible capacitor damage usually means the motherboard needs recapping or replacement.
  • If a minimal hardware boot is stable, the fault is likely an add-on card or peripheral.

Safety and service note: power should be removed before working inside the case; capacitors can retain charge. If hardware work or mains-voltage measurements are unfamiliar, professional diagnostic/repair is recommended.

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Member Avatar for Suspishio

Nah - nothing to do with a program that demands resources.

Are the fans running and not blocked? i.e. is the PC overheating, perhaps?

Might there be a metal chad that expands with heat, shorts, and then contracts after cooling?

That sort of thing.

Member Avatar for efmesch

It certainly sounds like a temperature-related problem. Not that he needs my approval, but Suspishio seems to have put his finger on what you should do. I only repeat his advice in different words:
1. Clean out your computer's insides, especially the fan seated on your CPU.
2. Make sure that the fans are running properly (do they make any unusual noise?). If not, replace anything faulty.
3. From another thread with a problem of overheating I learned that there is a contact/heat transfer paste that sometimes dries out, between the fan and the CPU. Replacing that paste should increase the eficiency of heat transfer from the CPU and help it to run cooler.

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