Pc shutting down

sgull123

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Dec 15, 2011
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Not sure whether this is the proper category to post about this issue. My issue, however, has to do with my just pc shutting down suddenly without warning. So far since yesterday it's done it twice. After it shuts down like this I've been able to simply power up the pc again and it boots up no problem. I realize there's several possibilities, but I'd like some help with troubleshooting the cause and hopefully remedy this problem. Some of the possibilities, I understand, could be as follows, and I've commented briefly about each.

1. Virus/malware: Constantly been protected with Norton at all times, runs automatically all the time, monitoring and preventing any such threats. Been no sign of unusual system behavior otherwise.

2. Power supply issue: Maybe? But no indication otherwise of power supply interruption, running plugged into regular AC power outlet where I always run. Power supply component within pc failing? Need advice on ruling this possibility in or out...

3. Hard disk failing: Is the shutting down issue I describe a possible symptom? Any way to know?

4. Power-saving (sleep features, etc): None were set to on with this happened.

Any advice/comments appreciated. Can gladly provide more details if that can help troubleshoot.
 
I would check cpu temperatures first.
http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/
Pc's shutdown automatically when temp threshold is exceeded.(cpu)
Btw cheap psu's also shutdown prematurely when internal(psu) temps are too high.(cheap caps and crappy secondary's)
HDD failure is usually obvious in my experience(loud/noisey and or freezing).
As suggested earlier list your specs.
 

sgull123

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I can do that if necessary. I realize this likely won't be a simple issue to pin down without more details. Perhaps it would be helpful though if some of most possibly relevant details for me to post here were suggested. Thanks.
 

sgull123

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Thanks. I'll see about checking cpu temps with that or other such software.
 

sgull123

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Also worth mentioning because possibly relevant, the first time (out of the two) that this sudden shutdown happened, I was in the middle of a Linux distro (Mint) installation from a live cd on the machine (to dual boot with Windows) . I powered up again and restarted the installation, and it completed successfully. The second time it happened was the next morning, after powering up the pc and running the Linux OS for 15-20 minutes or so. Then it just suddenly shut down, as I've described.
 

sgull123

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I'm not having any blue screens. It just shuts off. Like somebody pulled the power or something all of a sudden.
 

Frizzo

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yea the guy that said about the temperatures was probably right. my neighbor brought me his laptop the other day was doing the same thing, i took the back plate off and the cpu hsf had stopped spinning. the fact that it's only doing it in the browser though, that is why i mentioned firefox. there is a bug with some systems doing that with firefox. not even the faintest idea about opera though, what is that the mac browser? heh no clue.
 

sgull123

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I could take the back plate off mine and check to make sure the fan(s) are spinning. I can hear at least one in there spinning (normal sound like always, not loud or unusual). As I mentioned, the first time it happened I was loading a Linus OS into the pc off a liveCD. The second time, I happened to be in the just installed OS, but was not in a browser, Firefox or otherwise, at the time. It's happened a third time now, and this time it was while in Windows, on Chrome browser. I'll check the fan, and try to check/monitor the cpu temp too. thanks
 

jenkas

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laptops do that thing always, every lap i have check will have insects obstruciting the fans, in my opinion you need to change your lap right now, is to old and by the time, the components life will be ending, so you gonna have more problems, get the cheapest lap on the market and will be at least 3 times better than yours.

Im almost sure davcon are right the temps are the problem, and the temps are rising because the fans wont work anymore or have something inside, bugs love live in laptops i dont know why
 
Most certainly a temp issue = the bain of laptops
Well now that we all know this is a laptop you have a couple of options.
Disassemble the unit to clean fan and reapply your most likely dried up paste.= not for the faint of heart=often break more stuff.
Take it to a professional.
Replace it,laptops are throw away in our current society.
 

sgull123

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Just an update here: I discovered this is a known issue and apparently the fix for it is to do a BIOS update on the machine. With the original factory installation of BIOS on the preconfigured Acer machine, if another OS is installed other than the original (vista home premium x32), when running the other OS the pc has no instructions to operate the fan, thus the overheating/shutdown issue. So I went ahead with a BIOS update and that solved the issue for me.