My computer is shutting itself off in mid sentence and I don't know why??

We have like 3 spy/virus deals on it so what gives and how do I fix it??

pdq67

Boot up in safe mode and start running your virus and spyware programs to see if you have a bug... could just be a bad power supply too...

does it shut itself all the way off (green light on tower goes out)?
or does the mouse freeze?
Does it restart by itself?
Will the reset button restart it?
or do you have to unplug it and plug it back in to make it go again?

If it's actually powering down, I agree with Dennis, it's probably a power supply. PC power supplies typically have thermisters in them to guage over temp conditions. Does the unit power right back up after shutting down ? You might want to think about opening the power supply, clean out the dust, and check the fan operation.

I have to push the on/off button to get it to come back on AND this has happened right after I get on the site after I get on the web to check my yahoo e-mail first thing so I can't see that my box is hot??

pdq67

Open up the tower and see if the processor fan is running when you turn it on. Most newer computers will shut down if the processor temp gets too high. A fan clogged with dirt or one that just isn't running will make the processor overheat really quick. These new high speed processors generate a lot of heat.

How many minutes does it take before failure ?
Take the cover off and ensure that your CPU fan is operational and clean. Modern motherboards will shut down for processor overtemp.

I still suspect power supply. If you have access to a spare (is your CPU clone or name brand ?) I'd swap it for a day or two to test.

There's always a chance one of your devices could be pulling the 12VDC or 5VDC supply down. I have seen NICs (network cards) and modems do this a number of times. Remove the card from the buss and all is well. It takes a bit of troubleshooting to isolate the offending hardware, but it's really not difficult.

1) Unplug all drives (power and data) not necesary for bootup for your first easy test. If it runs consitently you've got a drive that's gone bad.

2) Remove all installed cards not absolutely necessary for boot. Test operation. If it runs consitently you've got a card that's gone bad.

3) If you're at this point (Power Supply Swap, Unnecessary Drives Unplugged, Unnecessary cards removed) and you're STILL powering down, you may have a motherboard problem (rare).

Hope This Helps
Mark

(Oops..sorry 12run, we must have been posting at the same time)

Do you have a Best Buy nearby?
If so, call their "geek squad", 1-800-433-5778.
They make house calls.

If your as old school with your computer as you are with your engines I'll bet you are still using dial up. If so your modem card may have been zapped by a power surge and the weakened chip is failing as soon as you start to access the modem. NIC cards are a little more robust (that and RU cable is shielded from induction power surges), so they're less prone to failure. Another $29.00 bucks for a modem card, if your using one, will be much less than a visit by the geek squad.


Larger Dave (A+ certified)

Dave,

The old Lady say's we have broad band... Whatever that is??????????????

It did it tonight too.

pdq67

Sounds like the power supply, or if by chance its a dell gx270 could also be the motherboard. Open your case if a dell and check for capacitors with an "X" on the top of them (actually stamped into the tin), if the top of these are raised or bubbly looking call dell with your service tag # and they should replace the board and power supply under warranty. We have gone through about twenty of these at work The caps are sub standard and they will replace but in my opinion they should have recalled all the comps with these boards. I know of other companys who have had to replace hundreds of these as they go. Dell has extended the board replacement even if the comp is out of warranty, at least thats what they say so far all of ours has been under the three year warranty. If not a dell still check the caps because I,am sure they just didnt get into the dell motherboards and probably effect other mfg's.

Check list
in order of cost and assuming each step is still closing down
It is rare for spyware, malware to cause shutdowns...this is the biggest excuse for computor techies to sound like they know what they are talking about and blame when the realy have no idea at all
1/ clean out all the dust from PSU (power supply) fans, heat sinks and anywhere else.
2/ If have 2 sticks of ram, remove 1 farthest from cpu, then replace with the other...If a defective stick replace both...check out compatablity issue with type of ram and motherboard model.
3/ replace psu..beg borrow 1 if possible 1st
4 / replace video card if not on board...again beg borrow if possible
5/ a great number of motherboards of many budget and brand name machines from late 90s thru to late 2003 have defective capacitors (long story) These deteriate, espec those around the cpu...look very carefully for any with a slight swelling.
6/before spending any money, decide if the machine is actually worth repair, good custom built office/gaming/puyrpose built machines with top quality componets are supprisingly cheap.
DONT BUY A BRAND MACHINE.

Does it happen only when you launch the internet browser?
There was a virus years ago, cant remember the name, but as soon as you launched IE the computer would shut down.

Unfortunately I can’t remember the sequence I had to go through to get my fathers PC going after his system was infected. Since I couldn’t get on the internet at his home I couldn’t get to the Norton website to get the white papers to find out how to fight it.

I ended up calling Microsoft and they walked me through how to change the settings at startup to allow you to fight it. I suggest you do the same, if this is the problem.

What's an "NTFS" file on "C"-drive

Apparantly something is wrong with it b/c my machine says it needs to be checked?

pdq67

Keep in mind that if you crack the case, your hands are a static discharge hazard. You can short out RAM and other things in there by not being grounded.
Cleaning out the dust and cleaning off the fans will help, just be careful about static.

Also, if you have more than one virus program, they can work against each other. I had a Mcaffee and a Norton and together and my machine was slower than molasses. I got rid of Norton and the machine ran faster and smoother.
Unfortunately, the Mcaffee was not as effective as the Norton for me and I got a virus. After I fixed it, I went with Norton. Norton does encumber things a bit more than mcaffee does but I do believe its a better piece of software.

Anyway, my point is, I'd only run one type of virus and one type of spyware and I'd be careful when cracking the case in reference to static discharge.

What's an "NTFS" file on "C"-drive

Apparantly something is wrong with it b/c my machine says it needs to be checked?

pdq67
NTFS is an acronym for New Technology File System. It’s the file system on your hard drive that your computer uses to organize your programs and files. If it is corrupt it is possible your hard drive it going bad. You should back up all of your important data ASAP.

What's an "NTFS" file on "C"-drive

Apparantly something is wrong with it b/c my machine says it needs to be checked?

pdq67

Along with what Steve has already covered... NTFS is the file system that WinXp, Win2K and WinNT use. It's more secure and more robust than the old "FAT" file system DOS used or the derivatives that came with Win95, 98 and me called FAT16 and FAT32... Bottom line it's how the files are stored and accessed but down to a block and byte and sector level.

You should also run CHKDSK (check disk).
To do this:

Step One: Open "My Computer", RIGHT click on the C drive icon, choose "Properties".

Step Two: When that loads, click on the "Tools" tab, then click on the "Check Now" button in the "Error Checking" section.

Step Three: When that little window loads, place a CHECK in BOTH boxes, then click on "Start Now".

Step Four: A message will pop up saying that Error Checking will run after you restart the computer, so......Restart the computer. Error Checking will run automatically after the restart and it locks you out from doing anything until it's finished. It takes a little time to perform the task but after it's finished, it will restart into Windows automatically.

Microsoft Windows XP - Chkdsk (http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/chkdsk.mspx?mfr=true)

Your PC says the file system needs to be checked because the shutdown sequence was "hard" due to the loss of power and the operating system was unable to complete its housekeeping.

Have you tried Steptoe's recommendation? 2/ If have 2 sticks of ram, remove 1 farthest from cpu, then replace with the other...If a defective stick replace both...check out compatablity issue with type of ram and motherboard model.

It is not uncommon for problems with RAM (or some other piece of hardware) to cause sudden shutdowns. Sometimes the RAM is bad and sometimes it can be reseated and the problem goes away.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Get you problem fixed yet there PDQ67??

Dave,

we have broad band... Whatever that is??????????????

pdq67

I thought that I was the only computer illiterate on this site. You make an old guy like me feel good. Jim