Computer shuts off by itself

  • Thread starter Thread starter vintageman@no-spam.com
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vintageman@no-spam.com

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This is a Pentium III, 1000mhz system. I ma running Win98se.

It worked fine for several months. About a week ago, it just suddenly
shut off while I was typing a message on the newsgroups. The other
night it shut off when I was not using it, but sitting near it
watching tv. Today I left it turned on, but not online. I went away
for 2 hours and when I came home it was shut off. Just the computer
shut off, not the monitor or other accessories.

It's NOT an electrical problem, only the computer goes off. It's not
a virus or spyware, I have scanned thoroughly. Windows works fine, as
does all the software. I DO NOT get any error message or crash, the
computer just randomly shuts off without warning.

I considered that there might be some sort of "power management"
enabled, but I have all of that shut off. No screen savers either.
Besides, it dont just shut off the video, or put hard drive in sleep
mode, it completely shuts off the power. When I hit the ON button, it
works fine again. This is also not a reboot, because I have the "shut
down" set to boot into dos on shutdown, simply because I often want to
just exit windows without shutting off the computer.

What the heck could cause this? There don't seem to be any problems
most of the time. Any ideas?

I should note this is one of those computers that does shut off the
power when I close Windows (if I set it that way). This is the first
computer I have owned that does that. My older ones always left the
computer running, and just gave me the message "you can now shut down
your computer", or booted into the C: prompt if I set it that way.

This is most irritating.

Thanks
 
Re: Computer shuts off by itself

Might be an overheating problem, check the fans, and clean what you can.
OR, could be related to malware or other, check with a good scanner.
OR, could be related to APM or ACPI, might want to recheck the settings.

--
MEB
http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com
________


<vintageman@no-spam.com> wrote in message
news:2ssnj31o8cdordc09ser9pk1rg8mfce76b@4ax.com...
| This is a Pentium III, 1000mhz system. I ma running Win98se.
|
| It worked fine for several months. About a week ago, it just suddenly
| shut off while I was typing a message on the newsgroups. The other
| night it shut off when I was not using it, but sitting near it
| watching tv. Today I left it turned on, but not online. I went away
| for 2 hours and when I came home it was shut off. Just the computer
| shut off, not the monitor or other accessories.
|
| It's NOT an electrical problem, only the computer goes off. It's not
| a virus or spyware, I have scanned thoroughly. Windows works fine, as
| does all the software. I DO NOT get any error message or crash, the
| computer just randomly shuts off without warning.
|
| I considered that there might be some sort of "power management"
| enabled, but I have all of that shut off. No screen savers either.
| Besides, it dont just shut off the video, or put hard drive in sleep
| mode, it completely shuts off the power. When I hit the ON button, it
| works fine again. This is also not a reboot, because I have the "shut
| down" set to boot into dos on shutdown, simply because I often want to
| just exit windows without shutting off the computer.
|
| What the heck could cause this? There don't seem to be any problems
| most of the time. Any ideas?
|
| I should note this is one of those computers that does shut off the
| power when I close Windows (if I set it that way). This is the first
| computer I have owned that does that. My older ones always left the
| computer running, and just gave me the message "you can now shut down
| your computer", or booted into the C: prompt if I set it that way.
|
| This is most irritating.
|
| Thanks
|
|
 
Re: Computer shuts off by itself

Yes what MEB said, open up the computer and check the CPU heatsink and fan
is not clogged with dust. If that does`nt cure it the next thing I would
look at is the power supply unit.

"MEB" <meb@not here@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:uGyhy72JIHA.1168@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Might be an overheating problem, check the fans, and clean what you can.
> OR, could be related to malware or other, check with a good scanner.
> OR, could be related to APM or ACPI, might want to recheck the settings.
>
> --
> MEB
> http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com
> ________
>
>
> <vintageman@no-spam.com> wrote in message
> news:2ssnj31o8cdordc09ser9pk1rg8mfce76b@4ax.com...
> | This is a Pentium III, 1000mhz system. I ma running Win98se.
> |
> | It worked fine for several months. About a week ago, it just suddenly
> | shut off while I was typing a message on the newsgroups. The other
> | night it shut off when I was not using it, but sitting near it
> | watching tv. Today I left it turned on, but not online. I went away
> | for 2 hours and when I came home it was shut off. Just the computer
> | shut off, not the monitor or other accessories.
> |
> | It's NOT an electrical problem, only the computer goes off. It's not
> | a virus or spyware, I have scanned thoroughly. Windows works fine, as
> | does all the software. I DO NOT get any error message or crash, the
> | computer just randomly shuts off without warning.
> |
> | I considered that there might be some sort of "power management"
> | enabled, but I have all of that shut off. No screen savers either.
> | Besides, it dont just shut off the video, or put hard drive in sleep
> | mode, it completely shuts off the power. When I hit the ON button, it
> | works fine again. This is also not a reboot, because I have the "shut
> | down" set to boot into dos on shutdown, simply because I often want to
> | just exit windows without shutting off the computer.
> |
> | What the heck could cause this? There don't seem to be any problems
> | most of the time. Any ideas?
> |
> | I should note this is one of those computers that does shut off the
> | power when I close Windows (if I set it that way). This is the first
> | computer I have owned that does that. My older ones always left the
> | computer running, and just gave me the message "you can now shut down
> | your computer", or booted into the C: prompt if I set it that way.
> |
> | This is most irritating.
> |
> | Thanks
> |
> |
>
>
 
Re: Computer shuts off by itself

I agree fully with Kim & MEB.

Also, I guess you may as well have a look in the Task Scheduler, just to
see whether some trickster snuck a shutdown shortcut into it, if you
have that running...

"START button, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Scheduled Tasks".

Another unlikely possibility is that there is a BIOS setting doing it
somehow. Do you know how to look in there...?...

You must press a key at boot to enter BIOS Setup. If you don't know the
key to press, try "Esc" at the manufacturer's logo. Then, the key to
press to enter BIOS setup will show up. Quickly press it. For this
Compaq, it is F10.

In BIOS, use TAB & the arrow keys to navigate, & ENTER to select. (Well,
there may be a legend showing your keys are different.)

(a) Look around for a possible culprit.
(c) If you make a change (& are sure it's OK), find & select
"Accept changes & Exit" in the menus.

While in there, you'd better go through all the menus & jot down the
settings. If they are not set to defaults, and somehow, someday, they
are cleared, all these settings will have to be input again.

......Quote of Candlin about...............
......keystrokes to get to BIOS Setup....
Usually DEL, but F1, F2, F10 are also common.

Other keystrokes which might work are:

AMI BIOS: Del key during the POST
DTK BIOS: Esc key during the POST
Award BIOS: Ctrl-Alt-Esc
Misc BIOS: Ctrl-Esc
Phoenix BIOS: Ctrl-Alt-Esc or Ctrl-Alt-S
IBM PS/2 BIOS: Ctrl-Alt-Ins after Ctrl-Alt-Del

If all else fails, shut down, power off, unplug the keyboard,
and power up again, as some older systems will default
to the CMOS Setup if a keyboard is not found.
.......End of Quote............................

--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
Should things get worse after this,
PCR
pcrrcp@netzero.net

kim wrote:
| Yes what MEB said, open up the computer and check the CPU heatsink
| and fan is not clogged with dust. If that does`nt cure it the next
| thing I would look at is the power supply unit.
|
| "MEB" <meb@not here@hotmail.com> wrote in message
| news:uGyhy72JIHA.1168@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
|> Might be an overheating problem, check the fans, and clean what you
|> can. OR, could be related to malware or other, check with a good
|> scanner. OR, could be related to APM or ACPI, might want to recheck
|> the settings.
|>
|> --
|> MEB
|> http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com
|> ________
|>
|>
|> <vintageman@no-spam.com> wrote in message
|> news:2ssnj31o8cdordc09ser9pk1rg8mfce76b@4ax.com...
|> | This is a Pentium III, 1000mhz system. I ma running Win98se.
|> |
|> | It worked fine for several months. About a week ago, it just
|> | suddenly shut off while I was typing a message on the newsgroups.
|> | The other night it shut off when I was not using it, but sitting
|> | near it watching tv. Today I left it turned on, but not online.
|> | I went away for 2 hours and when I came home it was shut off.
|> | Just the computer shut off, not the monitor or other accessories.
|> |
|> | It's NOT an electrical problem, only the computer goes off. It's
|> | not a virus or spyware, I have scanned thoroughly. Windows works
|> | fine, as does all the software. I DO NOT get any error message or
|> | crash, the computer just randomly shuts off without warning.
|> |
|> | I considered that there might be some sort of "power management"
|> | enabled, but I have all of that shut off. No screen savers either.
|> | Besides, it dont just shut off the video, or put hard drive in
|> | sleep mode, it completely shuts off the power. When I hit the ON
|> | button, it works fine again. This is also not a reboot, because I
|> | have the "shut down" set to boot into dos on shutdown, simply
|> | because I often want to just exit windows without shutting off the
|> | computer.
|> |
|> | What the heck could cause this? There don't seem to be any
|> | problems most of the time. Any ideas?
|> |
|> | I should note this is one of those computers that does shut off the
|> | power when I close Windows (if I set it that way). This is the
|> | first computer I have owned that does that. My older ones always
|> | left the computer running, and just gave me the message "you can
|> | now shut down your computer", or booted into the C: prompt if I
|> | set it that way.
|> |
|> | This is most irritating.
|> |
|> | Thanks
 

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