Windows shuts down on me without asking me first

[Guest]

Dear everyone,

Recently, I don't know for what reason, I experienced at least three times
that my computer shut down on me when I was trying to run three or four
different programs; and it did not happen this way before. I have FreeRam Pro
and I watched it closely to make sure my computer is not overloaded. But my
computer would shut down when I am in the middle of clicking somthing. For
example, I watch some TV channel while running my MSN messenger, Eprompter
Ad-aware, then I click on something and the Windows would just shut down and
restart. How weird? Anyone can help?

Well, I have all the protection I need to protect my computer. Secondly, I
know how to adjust the Power or timing shut down system and so on.

System: Microsoft Windows XP, home edition, V 2002, Service pack 2,
Dell Inspiron I5100, Intel (R), Pentium (R) 4 CPU 2.40GHz, 384MB of RAM

Thanks,
Tom

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Tom,

Overheating is the likely suspect. Most systems will shutdown or restart to
protect them from damage if the system overheats. You may need to add
ventilation or clean the existing fins (or a combination thereof),

Also, you are wasting money on the memory program. All they do is strip
cache memory - makes the system work that much harder when it goes to load
something. You don't want "free" memory, as you are not using what you paid
for - you want to see all the memory being used. Not using it, or having it
free, is akin to owning a car you never drive - it looks good, but it's not
helping you get to the store.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[MGGP]

You say:
I have FreeRam Pro

and I watched it closely

I say:
Many programs that purport to boost your free RAM are not
only a waste of money but detrimental to your computing
experience.

You say:
I have all the protection I need to protect my computer.

I say:
What protection do you have ?

Most important:
What changed between the time your computer was running
correctly, without shutting down by itself, and now ?

 

[Ron Sommer]

Does your protection include a UPS?
What are your settings for a power interruption? Will the computer shutdown
or restart if the power is interrupted?

 

[R. McCarty]

Free Ram Pro or for that matter any Ram enhancer isn't worth having.
XP natively handles memory quite well. Hooking a 3rd party tool into
memory management may be the cause of your problem. Besides you
can monitor memory/system states with TaskMgr & Perfmon easily.
Does the abrupt shutdown actually power off the machine or initiate a
reboot ? You should check both System & Application event logs to
locate any errors that were logged.
I would also update primary drivers (DirectX, Video, Chipset, Sound)
and make sure all your apps are patched/updated to latest releases.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Rick, MGGP, Ron and McCarty!!!

What is the way to check both System & Application event logs to locate any
errors that were logged?

How do I update primary drivers (DirectX, Video, Chipset, Sound) and make
sure all your apps are patched/updated to latest releases? I thought Windows
XP automatically updates all of these for me because I set it to automatic
updates.

I agree with what three of you said about how I should not install the third
party software because Microsoft has something better. But that is not
always the case, nowadays, users almost have to be some sort of computer
expert to be able to use their computers properly.

When I first bought my Dell laptop, I thought my computer will be safe and
easy to use without much worry, if I just stayed away from the "bad"
websites. I was wrong, Mcfee Virus scanner did not do its job at all and I
had to replace it with Avast. And then I added ZA, Ad-aware, spybot and so
on to protect my computer. The more I learn about how unsafe the Microsoft
products or software are, the more third-party software I search to install
into my computer. I got to have some other software to adjust the internet
speed and fix up registry and errors and so on. It never ends.

Now the scariest thing is the keylogger software; I still do not know what
would be the best way to prevent people from stealing my personal information
from my computer. There was one time, somebody I do not know who, sent me an
email to show that my pictures (lots of pictures) from yahoo and other
people's pictures together had been stolen. And a few days ago, somebody I
talked to told me that he can spy on my computer anytime and all he needs to
know is my server number.

So my question is that why has Microsoft not been able to make users feel
easy and safe using computers with its software? It is akin to you buy a new
car from Microsoft and you just don't feel safe driving it. You will keep
asking yourself, "why do I need to buy a car that MUST have microsoft
components installed first?" Monopoly?

Tom