Computer keeps shutting down without warning

[Lorne]

XP home, fully updated.

What can cause a computer to shut down without warning?

I have run memstest86 but the RAM is all OK. Also run a total virus scan
using McAfee (which has always been installed and running) but no virus was
found. No new hardware has been added recently. And I have not noticed
that I was doing anything that could be a common cause of the shutdowns -
they seem to be random and sometimes allow me to work all day and other
times it shuts down after 5 minutes.

I have noticed that I regularly get a disabled desktop waring saying there
was an error 'object doesn't support this action' in line 65 of desktop.htt
but it is the same desktop I have always used and it loads fine in
FrontPage.

Any ideas what to look for next?

 

[Bruce Hagen]

XP home, fully updated.

What can cause a computer to shut down without warning?

I have run memstest86 but the RAM is all OK. Also run a total virus scan
using McAfee (which has always been installed and running) but no virus
was found. No new hardware has been added recently. And I have not
noticed that I was doing anything that could be a common cause of the
shutdowns - they seem to be random and sometimes allow me to work all day
and other times it shuts down after 5 minutes.

I have noticed that I regularly get a disabled desktop waring saying there
was an error 'object doesn't support this action' in line 65 of
desktop.htt but it is the same desktop I have always used and it loads
fine in FrontPage.

Any ideas what to look for next?

Have you cleaned it out lately? Fans working? Overheating can shut it down.

 

[Don Phillipson]

XP home, fully updated.

What can cause a computer to shut down without warning?

The most common cause is a failing Power Supply Unit
(replaceable for about $30 at genuine PC repair shops.)

I have noticed that I regularly get a disabled desktop waring saying there
was an error 'object doesn't support this action' in line 65 of desktop.htt
but it is the same desktop I have always used and it loads fine in

FrontPage.

This is a software configuration problem, unrelated to
spontanneous shutdown.

 

[Leythos]

XP home, fully updated.

What can cause a computer to shut down without warning?

I have run memstest86 but the RAM is all OK. Also run a total virus scan
using McAfee (which has always been installed and running) but no virus was
found. No new hardware has been added recently. And I have not noticed
that I was doing anything that could be a common cause of the shutdowns -
they seem to be random and sometimes allow me to work all day and other
times it shuts down after 5 minutes.

I have noticed that I regularly get a disabled desktop waring saying there
was an error 'object doesn't support this action' in line 65 of desktop.htt
but it is the same desktop I have always used and it loads fine in
FrontPage.

Any ideas what to look for next?

If there are NO event log entries related to the shutdown, if it just
SHUTS OFF, then you have one of several problem, check the following:

0) Run a AV/Malware scan using MBAM, download it from:
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

1) PSU Fan(s) - Are the actually spinning and clean?

2) Video Card fan/capacitors - check to make sure the fan is spinning
and clear of dust, check the CAP's to make sure they have not popped.

3) Case Fans - If your case is one of the smaller ones, or has a lot of
components, case fans can fail causing your computer to overheat.

4) CPU Fan/Heatsink - make sure that the heat sink is clean and that the
fan is spinning. If youv'e checked the other things above, it's been
seen that improperly applied CPU heat sink paste can deteriorate after a
number of years and provide insufficient cooling. You should check this
if you are comfortable with working on the CPU and inside your case -
reapplying HSP should be done following the manufactures EXACT
instructions for your type of CPU.

5) Bad power supply - in many cases, when none of the above are the
reason, changing a PSU with a new one can resolve the problem. A cheap
PSU can be purchased for less than $50, as a test, or a better quality
one can be purchased for under $89.

 

[Lorne]

XP home, fully updated.

What can cause a computer to shut down without warning?

I have run memstest86 but the RAM is all OK. Also run a total virus scan
using McAfee (which has always been installed and running) but no virus
was found. No new hardware has been added recently. And I have not
noticed that I was doing anything that could be a common cause of the
shutdowns - they seem to be random and sometimes allow me to work all day
and other times it shuts down after 5 minutes.

I have noticed that I regularly get a disabled desktop waring saying there
was an error 'object doesn't support this action' in line 65 of
desktop.htt but it is the same desktop I have always used and it loads
fine in FrontPage.

Any ideas what to look for next?

1. For those who suggest it may be the power supply, is there a way to check
if mine has a problem other than buying a new one? Are there any other
symptoms?

2. On overheating the fans all seem to be working. I ran a utilility that
says CPU temp is about 52c, hard disks about 40c, system board 49c. When I
ran it at close to 100% CPU use for a while the CPU went up to 56c. Is that
reasonable for a dual core CPU about 4 years old? The manufacturers site
says it fails at 85c, but I guess that is an extreme.

 

[Leythos]

1. For those who suggest it may be the power supply, is there a way to check
if mine has a problem other than buying a new one? Are there any other
symptoms?

Since the problem is "Intermittent" unless you are using a measuring
device (A Multi or Digital meter) there is little chance you will catch
it, and once it shutdown, since it comes back on, there is also little
chance you will find it using a meter.

By the time you purchase a multi or digital meter, you could have
purchased a new PSU, installed it, and been on your way.

Your problem is split, 50/50, between heat and PSU. You didn't mention
if you checked all the fans or if they were clean.

Those programs that monitor/show your temperatures are often wrong,
don't trust them.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

XP home, fully updated.

What can cause a computer to shut down without warning?

If it doesn't attempt to restart, it's hardware failure.

In many cases, it's overheating, and that can rapidly lead to non-repairable
damage.

In other cases, specific components such as the power supply or memory have
developed problems.

I have run memstest86 but the RAM is all OK. Also run a total virus scan
using McAfee (which has always been installed and running) but no virus
was found. No new hardware has been added recently. And I have not
noticed that I was doing anything that could be a common cause of the
shutdowns - they seem to be random and sometimes allow me to work all day
and other times it shuts down after 5 minutes.

I have noticed that I regularly get a disabled desktop waring saying there
was an error 'object doesn't support this action' in line 65 of
desktop.htt but it is the same desktop I have always used and it loads
fine in FrontPage.

Any ideas what to look for next?

First, ensure that your backups are current.

Unfortunately, diagnosing exactly which components are failing is difficult,
which is pronounced "expensive". It's hard to tell without replacing the
component, and it's quite possible that the problem exists in more than one
component.

-pk