It Keeps Shutting Itself Off. ACPI? Registry?

[Nehmo Sergheyev]

Windows XP Home (SP1)

The computer shuts itself off after a brief period of inactivity. The
monitor gives the No Signal alert box, and the case's front on/off light
goes out, but the HD keeps spinning and the processor fan keeps running.
I can't bring it out of this state by hitting a key. And the case's
on/off button has no effect. (It's set to turn off the computer) either.
When I reboot, I have to unplug and replug.

I tried fixing this with the Power Options to no avail. On Desktop
rightclick > properties > Desktop Properties window > Screen Saver tab >
Screen Saver set at None > press Power button > Power Options Properties
window > Power schemes = Home/Office Desk > All dropdown setting for
Home/Office Desk = Never, that is never turn off anything and never go
to standby. This didn't change anything.

At the direction of a friend, I also tired to fix by going into the BIOS
(hitting Delete key just before Windows boot up) > Power > set Yes for
ACPI > Exit > Save changes > let Windows start. Actually this option
*was* set to Yes when I first looked at it, but I set it to No and then
back to Yes. My friend told me to do this. It seemed to work for a day,
but now the problem is back. It doesn't turn off the computer as much as
it did before I did the "fix" in the BIOS, but it still does it.

I also tried going back to a system restore point made before I tried
putting in the new HD. The restore didn't help either.

I notice there's a registry entry for ACPI
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\ACPI
Which has this under it:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\ACPI\DSDT\INTEL\Whitney\06040000

I think the solution may be in that part of the registry.

How do I keep the machine form shutting itself off?

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

Just a thought.....I suspect your friend may be on the right trail. Problem
may be a weak BIOS battery, so the system forgets that setting, and you end
up shutting down. Also check other BIOS PM settings, you may need to disable
them, as they can conflict with Win-based power management.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone

 

[Nehmo Sergheyev]

- Rick \"Nutcase\" Rogers –

Just a thought.....I suspect your friend may be on the right trail. Problem
may be a weak BIOS battery, so the system forgets that setting, and you end
up shutting down.

- Nehmo -
The problem is "fixed" now, I think. I was working with the computer
for several hours while I was dozing in and out of sleep. I was
researching ACPI and other things I thought might be relevant while
trying different attempts at fixes. I don't remember exactly what I
did. I tried the BIOS Yes>No>Yes a couple of times since that seemed
to repair the problem before. I also, and I know this sounds
unrelated, turned down the monitor brightness. Curiously, I notice now
that hibernation is enabled. I don't remember doing that, but somehow
it happened. And "Prompt for password when computer resumes form
standby" is also checked. I'm sure I didn't do that. I don't use a
Windows password. I just now unchecked that, by the way.

Another thing that might have caused the problem: During the time of
this problem, it was very cold here (Kansas City). I'm in a
larger-than-we-need un-insulated house and we use a gas fireplace to
heat this room only. The fireplace is on the other side of this room
and the computer sits on the floor near a cold wall. Maybe a drop in
temperature affected the BIOS battery performance. (?)

The motherboard and its battery are rather old. I bought the computer
in 2000.

- Rick \"Nutcase\" Rogers –

Also check other BIOS PM settings, you may need to disable
them, as they can conflict with Win-based power management.

- Nehmo -
I don't think I have any other BIOS Power Management settings other
than the one I described. I should point out that when I do put the
ACPI Power BIOS setting to "No", Windows doesn't boot up. It has to be
set to "Yes". When I previously described going form Yes > No > Yes, I
didn't mean I was able to start Windows under the "No" state.

- Nehmo – [original post]