PC just shuts down 1

[Mich]

My machine has been running fine for a couple of years. Recently it has started shutting off. Shutting down like some simply pulled the plug. I'll be chugging along and -bam- it powers off. I've kept a close watch on CPU temp to see if that might be causing it, but it appears to be 50-52C when it shuts down. That seems pretty low for a heat event.

I've got a 500W power supply and not many devices pulling from it, so I don't think it's a power supply issue either. Although, I guess it could be the power supply is going bad.

This seems to happen most when I'm playing games. Perhaps the video card is creating a heat event? Or some other type of event?

Any ideas here? Thanks in advance.

-If it ain't broke, break it and make it better.

 

[wolluf]

Anything in event log (presuming its XP) - run eventvwr.msc?

I take it you haven't added/removed any hardware/software lately?

Up to date anti-virus? Worth running a scan.

Up to date anti-spyware? worth running several scans - I'd run at least spybot, adaware and windowd defender.

If it is hardware, then its the old process of elimination.

 

[paparazi]

Mich
Check your motherboard for bulging/leaking capacitors.
See this site for a description:

http://www.badcaps.com

If you have more than one stick of ram remove all but one, now try (could be a failing module)

Check for free movement of all fans including the one is the power supply and graphics card, completely clean of dust build up.
Power supplies can act up in this way if their thermal cut out device goes faulty.
Martin

We like members to GIVE and not just TAKE.
Participate and help others.

 

[xit]

Listen to paparazi about the bad capacitors as I had a system which did the exact same thing, it actually had 8 bad capacitors. I ended up upgrading the motherboard and using most of the other hardware back in the system.

good luck
xit

 

[Mich]

UPDATE

I checked in Event Viewer and noticed tons of bad sector events. I guess all of the sudden power stops killed it. Anyway, I bought a new hard drive and a new power supply. Put both in, but it seemed each time the machine tried to access the hard drive to install XP or install the hard drive utility the PC would shut off. I replaced the memory, video card, and processor, but the problem still happened. I figured it had something to do with the IDE controller so I went out and bought a new mobo.

This story is just starting. I put the new mobo in and now the machine won't post. It powers on and that's it. No beep, no video, no nothing. ALSO, my wife's PC (the one that I stripped the aforementioned parts from) won't boot. At first it would post, but when it came time to load the OS it would power off. I reseated the processor and now the damn thing powers on for 2 seconds and then powers right back off. It was working perfectly until I canabalized it for parts.

I can't think of what in the hell is going on here. I've got several Microsoft and CompTIA certs so please feel free to talk ubertechie with me. Any clues on how I'm breaking every machine in the house?

Thanks in advance.

-If it ain't broke, break it and make it better.

 

[wolluf]

Have you tried the new mobo with nothing but graphics and keyboard connected?

If you've got known good PSU, processor and memory and new mobo isn't booting, suggests new mobo may be defective.

I have had issues where a machine had died, and using parts from elsewhere has apparently killed those too! I never knew for certain if that was the reason, but am now very circumspect about using components from a problem machine with known good ones! Have you tried resetting the cmos on your wife's machine?

 

[BadFrog]

Did you even read paparazi's post? This problem sounds exactly like a defective capacitor problem. Very easy to check and would've saved you a ton of trouble. Anyways check it out, it has merit.

"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy"
Albert Einstein

 

[Mich]

Did you even read my post? I bought a new mobo and have even more problems now.

It has to be a processor issue. Everything else in the system is new or has been swapped with known working parts. I'm going to buy a new processor this evening and see what happens.

-If it ain't broke, break it and make it better.

 

[BadFrog]

Good luck.

"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy"
Albert Einstein

 

[firewolfrl]

Did you have a UPS installed to filter surges and brownouts???
check your A.C. Power and see if you have a consistant flow

a shorted device can cause lots of damage...I see alot of CD and or DVD drives that short out systems.

have you had any electrical storms come through?...static electricity can do lots of damage


In A Nut Shell: I think you have a shorted device that took out all the other devices.
1. check the optical drives first
2. harddrives next
3. any PCI card
4. USB devices (common)
5. The Floppy drive

a short can backfeed and burn out the CPU....



good luck

 

[Mich]

PROCESSOR!!!

Put the new processor in and now I'm installing Windows. I have no idea why the old one went bad, but I bet it had something to do with the mobo. I say that because I pulled a processor out of another machine to test and now that machine (with the processor put back in) will not boot. At this point it won't even post. My money says that it will once I get a new processor for it.

Perhaps something went wrong with the mobo and it was frying processors. It's happened to me before. The only thing strange here is that it was gradual at first. I was having problems and, over time, it got worse and worse until one day I had all of the problems noted in this tread.

Oh well, use this for future reference and thanks for everyone's help.

-If it ain't broke, break it and make it better.

 

[paparazi]

Just a side note*
Yet again it seems that we have debated on a problem for 3 days without even knowing the sum of it's parts.
It seems like another one of those posts where we are getting information bit by bit until a picture is gradually formed.
I mean this as no direct critersism to Mich but to general posters.
I would ask therefore that all posters give as much information of hardware/software/history and precice run of events (as we suggest and the poster carries out) in their first post.
Information, how irrelevant is the key to fast and accurate diagnosis.


Martin


We like members to GIVE and not just TAKE.
Participate and help others.

 

[Mich]

I have to take complete exception to your post paparazi. I gave the EXACT events as they happened as I'm sure most posters do. As I continued to debug I asked for help along the way. This is how debugging works. You test, change the control, consult others, and repeat until it works. I don't understand what you're looking for.

I'm sorry your ONLY post wasn't helpful in this situation. It's my hope that posters would continue to work on their problem (given they are adequately trained) and not wait on others to tell them what to do. How else would any poster truly learn?

What exactly are you looking for so it would be less of a burden on you? Never mind the people that are experiencing the problem. Forums like these were created to help each other regardless of the posters knowledge.

Posts like your last one make novices not want to ask for advice. Shame on you.

-If it ain't broke, break it and make it better.

 

[paparazi]

Oh dear! as usual wrong end of the stick!
When I was simply stating a fact!
Day three of this post and we still don't know basic information like: what motherboard do you have, what CPU, what memory you are using etc etc

I am not trying to scare anyone off, on the contrary, I am trying to help you and others help yourself by including all this basic information straight off in the first post.

As you know, this Forum is solely for computer professionals so is really not like other sites.

And I am the one who should be taking offence at being told that I should be ashamed of myself! when I only have good intentions for this site and it's professional users.
So please don't take offense and take this reply in the purely informative and polite manner it was intended

Martin



We like members to GIVE and not just TAKE.
Participate and help others.

 

[BadFrog]

Not to mention that it's common courtesy to at least acknowledge any advice/suggestions and respond accordingly.

That being said I think firewolfrl was spot on with his dignosis,

a short can backfeed and burn out the CPU....

and yet again no acknowledgement whatsoever.

So I will give firewolfrl star.

"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy"
Albert Einstein

 

[firewolfrl]

I have not been on for a while ....
Thanks BadFrog for the star

 

[directlyconnected]

I myself have seen nothing but the processor cause random reboots and power downs. And by the way, paparazi, common sense is the key to fast and accurate diagnoses. Other people do read these posts, and get good info from them, usually ther problem and the solution, not how the individual posts. Just a little constructive criticism. I'm always on the wrong end of the stick.