Hoping someone might be able to help

My PC has recently started shutting down at random points either during Windows load of once loaded after a period of time.

I’ve sat it in the BIOS for a few hours and it’s OK but as soon as I let it load Windows it shuts down even if I run it in safe mode. I don’t think it is software as there is no specific point it drops out each time. I’m starting to think it might be the memory.

Anyone with an ounce of IT know how able to give me some pointers?

I’m running XP on an AMD chipset. I built it about 5 years ago and has been running fine until now.

Could be the thermal cutout, what temperatures are your CPUs running at?

I though about that but its happening first thing in the morning when its cold.

Might be worth cleaning it out and then reseating the memory and checking the HDD connections etc.

Although my first thoughts are dodgy PSU.

Although my first thoughts are dodgy PSU.

That could be a fair shout.

Step back a week or so to before when it started restarting?

As above PSU or memory issue. All drivers/ BIOS up to date?

Could try removing graphics card or wireless card etc to see if one of those is causing a problem?

Not a guru but had a similar thing happen to me and was actually the power supply unit!

What I gather is BIOS runs from the motherboard so doesn’t draw as much power, when you boot into windows it draws more power to the hard drive(s) and that caused an overload/fault in my PSU and forced a shut down/failure.

I also had problems with occasionally the power button wouldn’t turn the thing on…

New power supply solved the issues and been running the same components and software now for 6 months after with no further issues.

EDIT: Whilst typing PSU gets mentioned…..

I’d look at hardware as said above, power supply, over temp, maybe fans (some BIOS’s will look at fan speed and shut down if not fast enough.)

Might have a play with some of the above tomorrow. “Borrowed” a psu from maplin and still had the same problem so thinking either grpahics or memory. Already cleaned it out and put the mem in a diff slot.

You could download a memory test program. The test the BIOS does on start up is very basic. I once couldn’t install Windows because of a memory fault, not detected by the BIOS but picked up by a real tester.

Purely on the details presented in the OP, I think I’d be removing the dead thermal paste from the CPU and applying fresh.

Cougar – I did take the CPU heatsink off to de-dust it and the paste looked like it could do with reapplying. Will give it a go.

Will also run a mem test – any suggestions?

Ran memtest and it crashed out and shut down halfway through. Ran it a second time and crashed out earlier so make me wonder if it is something to do with the heat build up

Do you have a small desktop fan? You could open the case and run the fan into it to see if that helps, which would help you point the error towards a overheating issue…

Halfway through my dissertation at uni my PC started shutting down after a certain amount of time after switching on.
I couldn’t be without it while it was being repaired, so just opened the case and fired a cheap desktop fan into it. Used it like that for a few weeks until I got the stuff I needed to get finished, finished.

Got some thermal paste and tried that and didn’t make a great deal of difference.

So I’ve turned off 2 of the 4 cores and it seems to be much better – Overall I think it is on it’s way out so going to invest in a new one when I can

Memtest+

When you apply the paste, you need to remove the old (google “TIM cleaner”, ace stuff) and apply the new sparingly. If you slap it on half an inch thick it’ll work more like an insulater, you only need a smear. I use an old credit card to spread it out and scrape off as much as possible.

OK, I may have spread it on like I do with peanut butter on toast. 😆

Ye-es.

Don’t do that. (-: