Power Supply Going Bad?

[FirePenguins]

My computer has started turning off randomly and I can't figure out why yet :/

I've attempted to catch it in the act but it always shut down when I'm in the bathroom or eating dinner or something. I was wondering if this is most likely power supply related or if there's something else that might be going on? Also is there anyway to check a power supply?

[BlueFusion]

So it also shuts down when its inactive? Is it a hybernation or is it dead?

Try setting a screensaver, and see if it stops the shut downs. Also you check all your power settings on the controll panel and see if you've got automatic shutdown (or hybernate) checked.

[emike55]

If you haven't changed any hardware or settings that were just mentioned previously to this post then most likely it is your power supply. How long has this been happening if it's only been recently with no hardware or other setting changes then I would place my bet on the power supply.

Another thought is overheating, but only way to narrow it down is to see it as it shuts down.

[Kalki]

It could really be anything, bad memory addresses that get allocated, hardware malfunction, driver malfunction.

Is it shutting down or restarting?

In windows xp Microsoft said that they had eliminated all bluescreens, and that sort of true, where you'd normally get a blue screen xp reboots :P
There's a registry setting to enable it showing the blue screen.

I'd try to deattach any recently connected hardware, I'd try to deinstall some strange weird application and see if that helps.

But then I guess it could be the power supply... There are just so many things that could be the cause of it acting strange.

[Sir_Lancelot_2nd]

I think ur computer is getting overheated and when dat happens the computer turns off to protect ur hardware. Try changing da Fan inside of da computer it should work.

[FirePenguins]

Well I disabled sleep mode and hibernation and so far it hasn't shut off again. I think maybe it has some sort of error when it tries to go into sleep mode.

It's possible that it was overheating because we were having hotter weather for a while but the fans are all still running. If it starts happening again I'll look into fan replacement.

[Kalki]

ACPI BIOS settings?

[Maximus-]

I had that problem with my laptop... fixed it cleaning the inside and the fans.

[Dufresne]

I've had this sort of problem before, I would go to bed for the night and leave the computer on, then wake up and it would be off. Then I would have problems getting it to power back up, forcing me to turn the power strip on and off, then turn on the pc again. However, it has only happened twice since I got my new PSU in August.

[Fianor]

Random reboots are almost always 1 of 3 things

1) Heat
2) Bad power supply
3) windows blows

I start with checking my heat. Open the case blow out any build up of dust. If it's heavily coated, you've probably found your problem. Be certain you get all dust out of any fins on any heatsinks, especially the ones on your CPU and inside your power supply. Dusty power supplies are very very bad for you. I pull them out, open them up and use an air can/compressor. If you do this, do not touch the shit inside, as you can get an extremely nasty bite. If you are a'scared of getting bit, you really really shouldn't open up a powersupply. Also remove the fan from your cpu and all other fans in your case. Get them clean then put them back. Clean any opening between those fans and fresh air. It's best if you pull every panel off your case, and make sure there is nothing blocking airflow anywhere.

If it's all clean or you have done this and it's still rebooting, replace the power supply. You can replace it for $30 usually.

If it's still acting up, then you need to do some trouble shooting. It's more likely to be a software issue at this point than hardware, but it could always still be a bad motherbooard, bad ram, bad add-on card, or bad peripheral. It's just not very likely to be any of those.

First check your event logs ... right click on my computer - choose manage - event viewer.

Look for any errors listed in the application or system logs. If you have them go to eventid.net type in the event id # and the source as given to you in the logs. There are usually links to fixes there for you.

If those are clear, then first thing I'd do it DL a ram testing program that boots on it own from DOS. Not something that runs on top of windows, those are useless.

http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/system/fwmemory.html

I use memtest86 most of the time, booting from CD. Set it to run and go away for a while. If it crashes or you have errors then you have bad ram, or bad ram settings.

If none of this has stopped your computer from randomly rebooting, unplug every thing you can. Every usb device, hubs, disconnect from modem / network lines. Everything. Leave only your keyboard (mouse if you can't navigate without it ... n00b) and monitor plugged in. Take all add-on cards except video card, unless you have video on the mobo. Then pull the video card, and use onboard video. Basically get the computer as bare bones as you can. If its still acting up, then I'd say it's your motherboard or CPU, or windows. Reinstall windows clean without all your stuff plugged in. When it's running, test if it crashes. If not then it was "windows blows" If it continues crashing, I'd replace the motherboard if I haven't had heat issues. If I'd had heat issues I'd replace the CPU.

If it quits barebones then start adding add-on cards back in one at a time and test. If after adding one it is stable, then add the next and repeat. Then start adding peripherals back on one at a time and continuing to test. Repeat this until it starts crashing again or until you have everything added back in. If it start crashing, whatever you added last is the cuplrit. First update all drivers on that item. If it continues. Replace it. If it still continues then it's probably a combo of that item and another. Leave this "bad one" in and start pulling other things ones at a time. If you get no crash with something else removed then it's that the 2 don't like each other. Update drivers on this one also, if still crashing, replace one or the other with a different model, preferably different brand, or do without.

Should you manage to remove and replace all and never get it to crash again, then consider the autopsy enough to have scared the computer into working properly. It happens.

There you have the proper way to troubleshoot windows errors. I don't follow this as I'm lazy and good at my job. I make guesses based on history of the computer and get it right the first time usually, but that's only because I went through all the above enough times to just know now. Also I lean towards windows blows/malware has broken something. It's generally the answer to windows problems in general. I reinstall windows as my first response to anything annoying me. But I cheat and can do an install on my PC's in about 5 minutes, and therefore do not suggest that to others.

You could always just pay someone like me to deal with it for you. I charge $45/hr and upward usually myself, depending on the situation, how much I like the person, and how annoying I find the job. Good luck on being a PC tech.

[Master_Platinum]

I know this was a old thread but, my friend was the same problem as penguin have it on the past. I have search all days long to find on google, yahoo... how i can repair this damn frustrating problem. When He's playing a game or make a school work, the computer shutdown!!! And never at the same time!!! All works was lost... Word save each like 10 minutes but you can make a lot of work in this time...

I read this and the random reboot was DONE!!!

I have changed the power supply and the pc stop reboot!

It help me out a lot!

He's clean the dust on the fans whith a air can each like 6 months and i have boost the computer with like 2Go of ram on Xp... This was fine! The pc have enough ram.

The power supply was the real problem!

Thx Again! Rep for Fianor!