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Help, computer turns off for no reason...
BPerron
Registered Users Posts: 464 Major grins
I am not a computer expert and i do not have any computer friends...so I am hoping this is ok to post here and maybe someone can help me. My computer has been just shutting itself off lately for no reason. It shows a blue screen with text I can not read, cause it goes away to quickly and then it shuts off and tries to turn itself back on. Does anyone by any chance know what is causing this? I doubt anyone will, but I am hoping someone might.
Brandon Perron Photography
www.brandonperron.com
www.brandonperron.com
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* : and yes, Macs have their own curse, the kernel panic.
Regardless, if you've recently installed any new software (especially a Windows
Update), you might want to roll back or perhaps look for a fix by running the
updater again. If you've recently installed new hardware, go back and check
that everything is properly seated.
Lastly, windows creates dump files that this references. You might find the reason
by reading the dump file. You can find the dump file(s) by searching for .dmp.
www.brandonperron.com
In my experience with BSOD's that come out of nowhere, it is often related to heat buildup.
How old is your PC?
Confirm it is a desktop of laptop?
Can you give us a brand and model number?
When was the last time you took the cover off and cleaned out the dust?
- the best way to clean is, with the PC off and power plug disconnected for an hour or overnight, use a bottle of compressed air and from a moderate distance (~ 6 inches closest) blow out the cooling fins of the heat sinks on the graphics card and main CPU. While doing this have your vacuum running to suck up the crud that comes out. Be careful not to touch the inside of the PC in order to avoid static discharge. I use a grounding strap whenever I work on the inside of my PC.
- cleaning the fans... don't blow compressed air on the fan blades and let them freewheel as you could damage the bearings. Take a toothpick or Q-Tip and use it to prevent the fan from spinning while you use the air on each blade.
All the fans working?
- you may find fans on the graphics chipset, usually on a card mounted in a slot; tiny noisy fans on the motherboard itself; a large fan on the heat sink cooler over the main CPU; exhaust fans mounted on the chassis, and one in the power supply (don't touch this one!!).
- after you've cleaned out the dust, let the PC sits for a few minutes to allow for any moisture from the compressed air can to dry off then, leaving the cover off, plug in and boot up. Check the fans.
Tips:
- DO NOT use compressed air from a home workshop compressor!!
- DO NOT use a shop vacuum with reverse air flow to "blow" out the dust!!
Workshop compressors have high moisture content and, much worse, OIL in the air. You may as well get out a can of PAM and spray your PC with it. It'll cook but you won't have to worry about sticking....
I once had a friend, whose PC I was working on, offer his shop vac and before I could yell wait he turned it on. Unbeknownst to him, his wife had used it to clean up a small flood the day before. He probably blew a half gallon of dirty water onto the motherboard, memory, desktop, and me followed by OMG! OMG! OMG! before he could turn it away. Shock and horror! It was another 4 days before we tentatively tested the system.
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If you haven't installed any new software, then it is likely that the hardware is failing, causing a system crash. You should disconnect all external devices other than the keyboard and monitor. If you are lucky and the machine boots successfully, you can reconnect them one by one. If you can boot the system in safe mode (without networking) you should try running the hardware diagnostic program that came with the machine. If all of this sounds like Greek to you, then you better take the machine to a repair service and see what they have to say.
Good luck.
Whilst i doubt that i can now say that this is your problem...just open the box & get a torch & have an optic over the circuitry to make sure nothing like that is going on.
Right click "My Computer" and select Properties from the menu that appears. Then the Advanced tab. In the Startup and recovery section, click Settings and uncheck the box that says automatically restart. Click ok/apply/ok and reboot the computer. The next time the computer crashes you'll see a BSOD screen that you can read. The first few lines may give some clues as to the cause.
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