Computer randomly shuts off/reboots

[link575]

Hey, the past maybe 4 months I have been having strange things happen with my computer. It will shut off/reboot with no warning and the maybe two or three times the date jumped like 3 years ahead. Could this be signs that my mb battery is going? If not, does anyone have suggestions?

 

[link575]

bump

 

[jaquith]

IDK, but the first thing I'd do is to replace the CMOS battery and verify the Date & Time is set correctly in the BIOS. IF you don't have the PC on an UPS then I don't recommend Standby mode, and instead 'Hybrid Sleep' where the memory state is written to the drive. Also, in the BIOS there are settings for 'Power Loss' and you can set it to e.g. 'Power Off'

My feeling is you are having issues with brown-outs, black-outs and maybe a bad PSU or connections. However, IF you allows Windows to Automatically perform 'Updates' e.g. in the middle of the night then sure the PC comes out of Standby -- and performs the updates in an 'ON' state.

You also 'could' have a problem with 'Sleep' and it might be worth while to perform a 'test'; powercfg -energy - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976034 & http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976877

 

[link575]

I do have it hooked up to a UPS so I don't think it's a matter of black/brown-outs. The only reason I'm skeptical of the problem being the CMOS battery is because I've changed a controller in the BIOS that was giving me trouble and it hasn't reverted back to that. Not sure if it's possible for the clock to get messed up and not the settings. So I guess it's either the PSU or the motherboard itself unless you have any other ideas. Also I turn it off every night and I know it's not just an update doing it cause it happens without warn as if it got unplugged.

 

[jaquith]

If it's Windows then run MSCONFIG, select Diagnostic and 'test'
If it's loosing Date/Time then first try a new CMOS battery.
If it's some setting in the BIOS then Load (Optimized) Defaults.
If the CMOS is corrupted somehow then unplug the PSU for 5 minutes, then watch this video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdHH9KrceR0

 

[link575]

Best answer selected by link575.

 

[nikorr]

This topic has been closed by Nikorr