PC problem

I've got a home assembled PC based around an Asus motherboard. Which shuts off at random. Not a controlled shut down - it just dies. Thinking PS problems I've replaced it. Same thing. Sometimes it will boot up ok and continue for as long as I want. Sometimes it switches off half way through the boot sequence - but never at the same time. Any guesses? I've got AVG free installed and that shuts it down after doing its tests. That sequence always works ok.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)
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In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

What temperatures is it running at?

Reply to
Si

Had that recently - oddly enough, seemed to be the graphics card. Remove, reseat. Update drivers. Update firmware (on card and/or BIOS on motherboard). Most complete fix was to switch graphics cards between two identical machines - problem moved with the card but also became much less frequent (once a month instead of several times a day).

Other things tried w8ithout success (but might be worth a go) included checking memory using

formatting link
reseating memory, patching Windows, setting graphics acceleration to minimal and all the usual silly things that almost never help.

Reply to
Rod

As what?

Any guesses? I've got AVG

How old is the mobo? Sounds like the bulging capacitor problem that affected many pc's about 5 or 6 years ago, mine included, which reboots itself for no apparent reason every now and then. If the mobo is newer than that then it could just be an intermittent bad connection or dry joint somewhere which will probably be impossible to track down.

Reply to
Dave Baker

Take a look at the CPU fan and heatsink,if need be take them off and see if they need a clean? fluff and dust build up a lot in this area and clog the fins of the heatsink resulting in random shutdown because of overheating. If this is not the problem load bios defaults.

Reply to
George

Does your graphics card have a fan?

Reply to
George

AVG shutting it down? never heard that one before,run AVG in safe mode and see what it finds?

Reply to
George

The electrolytic capacitors on the motherboard can go. You can spot the knackered ones as the metallic top rises up in a domed fashion. You can change these knackered caps to repair, but watch how much heat you apply to the board as you can easily lift tracks/pads and ruin it.

If it was something overheating it would more likely crash than switch itself off,. Same goes for memory faults.

Reply to
Jon

In my experience, a sudden switch-off is quite common with processor over-heating so don't rule it out.

Tim

Reply to
Tim Downie

Fairy nuff. But I'd bet a pint that the capacitors have dried up on the mobo.

Reply to
Jon

I think we've found another use for the ubiquitous Maplin IR thermometer.

Reply to
LSR

It doesn't switch off at a particular point in the boot sequence which might point at a software thing.

Just over a year. The whole thing.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

All clear.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

I think it is AVG - but could be Spybot. The both run once a day and after disc activity ceases the machine shuts down. I've never been able to find out why. It's not actually as much as problem as you might think as I use this machine for most. Just use the PC for some browsing and handling AV stuff.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

It can happen seconds after a cold start. And the machine is well cooled, with the correct fan on the processor which is working normally. Thing is sometimes the PC is in use all day without problems.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Nothing looks amiss - and it's a bit new for capacitor failure given those caps ain't exactly stressed.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

Microsoft

Reply to
Si

I would put in another HD? with XP installed and run it for a few days and see if its a software problem? then if does the same I would as already been suggested change the Graphics card or if the mobo has a built in graphics,take the GC thats in it? out and run it lie that to see if its the card.

do you hear a click when the problem happens?

Reply to
George

Dave,

Perhaps a silly question.

Is the PC 'hidden' away in a cupboard under the desk - or enclosed in some other way.

Reason for the question: My other half has her computer in a side cupboard under her desk and she was having exactly the same problems for around 6 months giving all the classic signs of overheating and shutting down.

I tried reseating everything in on the motherboard - including using paste on the processor and moved all the cables out of the way of the airflow etc to no avail. (A higher output PSU had also been fitted).

It turned out that the air from the fan was hitting the back of the cupboard and was 'bouncing' around and being recirculated through the computer case causing the processor to overheat rather quickly - some very drastic surgery to the board at the back of the cupboard allowed the air to escape into a large void and the problem was solved - no unexplained shut-downs now for almost a year.

This may not be your problem, but the cause may be just as improbable :-)

HTH

BRG

Reply to
BRG

You've got the "shut down computer after scan" tickbox ticked??

If I've had mine on for a long time and it's getting short of memory it will sponaneously restart itself but not getting past POSTing is something else. Does it boot up into command prompt? (if your OS supports it)

It's not an old Asus board from 1976 is it? ;-)

Reply to
adder1969

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