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Hi all. Of late, my PC has been simply shutting down at some point after
its normal launch into screensaver mode. I'm confronted with a blank screen and have to reboot to revive.

Files in the ensuing error report are:

C:\DOCUME~1\GORDON~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\WERebfd.dir00\Mini 092605-01dmp

and

......\WERebfd.dir00\sysdata.xml

I'll happily post the Error Signature as well but can anyone first shed
some light as to where my problem may lie? (I can't navigate to these
above files- I can't find them- but should I be trying?)
I'm running XP pro (SP2) on a P3 with 384 mb ram.

Thanks!!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Cirrus Tech. Lt

Dani AI

Generated

This type of sudden power‑off while the machine is idle is usually a hardware, driver, or low‑level firmware issue rather than a simple screensaver bug. Because already has a Windows error report saved, use that as the first clue before wiping or reinstalling the system. ’s note about checking firmware-level settings is on the right track, but gather diagnostic data first so the root cause can be identified.

Practical checklist to follow (in order):

  • Copy the system error/minidump files to removable media and examine them with a quick parser (WhoCrashed) or the Windows Debugger (WinDbg + symbols) to see which module triggered the fault. See Microsoft’s guide on analyzing crash dumps for details.
  • Run a full memory test (bootable Memtest86) overnight to rule out RAM errors.
  • Inspect hardware and power: test or swap the power supply, look for bulging capacitors on the motherboard, and ensure fans/heat sinks are clean. Older single‑board systems are prone to PSU and cap failures.
  • Check Event Viewer for System/Kernel‑Power or related critical events and run SFC /scannow and chkdsk to catch filesystem/OS corruption.
  • Try a clean boot or a Linux live CD session and let the machine idle to see whether the shutdown recurs — this separates Windows/driver problems from pure hardware faults.

If the dump identifies a driver, update or roll it back accordingly. Replace a failing PSU or bad RAM immediately. Firmware (BIOS) updates can help but should be done only after backing up and confirming vendor guidance. Reinstalling the OS is a last resort once hardware and driver causes are excluded.

References: Memtest86 — https://www.memtest.org/ ; Analyze crash dumps (Microsoft) —

Member Avatar for Cirrus Tech. Lt

Check your Computer Bios, under the ACPI Settings.

You May Have to reinstall Windows based on that.

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Thanks Cirrus Tech.Lt.....

I think, based on your comments, I'll try creating a slipstreamed version of my
XP pro and then running a repair install. 'Til then, thanks again.

Member Avatar for Cirrus Tech. Lt

if you need any more help please let me know.

Cirrus Tech Ltd.
Michael

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