Computer help please!!

[Box of Frogs]

Every now and then my computer will just switch itself off for no apparent reason. I have checked the power options and they are all fine.

I can guarantee it will do it if I am trying to burn a video ( over an hour long) onto a disc. I can usually burn a video under 45 minutes long with no problem. Same thing when transferring a video onto my PSP - under 45-50 minutes is fine, any longer and the computer switches off! Other times it will be ok for days without a problem.

I have tried various burning software - Roxio, Nero, Ashampoo etc - and it does it with all of them.

Once the computer switches off, I can start rebooting it but it will keep switching off before it has finished. I then leave it overnight, try again and it is fine!

Any ideas please?!?!

 

[Dave the OAP]

check the power settings in the control panel.

we have thousands of pc's that all sit dormant until we pixi boot them. Sometimes the power settings get confused and the machines switch themselves off.

check the screen saver power settings

 

[dougdeep]

Where's Tom Hark when you need him?

 

[TonyW]

Could be a temperture problem.

Try burning a disc after taking one of the side panels off the case.
If it runs OK, you need to find out why it's overheating.

Could be the fan on top of the CPU's heatsink is on its way out.

 

[Stevie Boy]

have you tried turing it off then on again!

 

[Muhammad - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

have you tried turing it off then on again!

 

[Old Greg]

you may need to clean the inside of your computer, get rid of the dust in the fan, so it keeps it cooler. That's what i did and mine is fine now.

 

[NMH]

Have you tried not doing anything, and letting it turn itself off, then on again?

 

[Box of Frogs]

Have you tried not doing anything, and letting it turn itself off, then on again?

It doesn't turn itself back on again!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Have you tried just turning it on?

 

[Box of Frogs]

Have you tried just turning it on?

If I switch it on straight away, it switches off again within a minute. The only cure seems to be to leave it overnight (to let it cool down?). However, I can also use it all day (like today) without any problems!

 

[Cian]

you may need to clean the inside of your computer, get rid of the dust in the fan, so it keeps it cooler. That's what i did and mine is fine now.

+1

Get a can of compressed air (hope you're over 16 and don't look like a solvent abuser ) and blast all the fans, including the one at the top near the plug. While its off, obviously.

 

[Old Greg]

+1

Get a can of compressed air (hope you're over 16 and don't look like a solvent abuser ) and blast all the fans, including the one at the top near the plug. While its off, obviously.

He know's the game

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It may be a reboot problem

 

[liverpool_one]

done a callout to a job like this the other night.

open up your pc have a look at the processor cooling fan and if underneath the fan is clogged with dust the processor will overheat and pc shuts down to protect the processor.

unscrew the fan off top of the heatsink and use a hoover with pipe attachment to remove any dust form heatsink a paintbrush can help to get stubborn dust out od the grooves.

its only four screws holding the fan to the heatsink. just remember which way up the fan was.

jim

 

[Laptop Ell]

I'd agree with liverpool one & MYOB.

There is usually a setting in the computer BIOS that is set to shut down when it hits a certain temp.
When you are burning a video it really stresses the CPU and makes it run hotter than if you were just surfing the net.

 

[ridda]

Yes probably overheating,if cleaning does not cure the problem it could be your
PSU [power supply unit]on the way out.

 

[Wardy]

you may need to clean the inside of your computer, get rid of the dust in the fan, so it keeps it cooler. That's what i did and mine is fine now.

+2

With mine I even took the fan off the heat sink and cleaned in between the fan and heat sink. Had a layer of dust that you could have woven with. While I was at it, took the chance to clean all the other components. Works fine again now. Though still time to buy / build another one. Made me realise how old this thing is.