Computer shutting down

[roachy123]

Hey, i didnt know where to post this as i dont know if its a hardware or windows problem, so i posted here. My computer keeps completely shutting down shortly after i log on (usually 10-30 mins after although yesterday it lasted around 3 hours). I thought it may be overheating at first but i kept my room cool and turned the computer off all night and it is still happening so i dont know, as it may be hardware or maybe a virus. Ive got no idea what it is, if anybody could help me out it would be HUGELY appreciated, thanks in advance.

[Miz]

It doesn't really make any difference how long a computer is turned off. If there's a heat problem, that heat can build up in a matter of minutes, sometimes seconds. If the air vents are clogged with dust or pet hair, that cool room air can't circulate inside the case.

If it is heat, that's at least cheap to fix. With the computer turned off and unplugged, open the case and carefully remove any and all dust. Make sure all air vents, both front and back, are also clear.

With the case still open, plug it in and fire it up. Check that all fans are running. If the video card has a fan, it may not cut on until there's a load on the card...like a game.

Let us know how it goes.

[roachy123]

the problem has now got worse, my computer now won't turn on. Usually it will get to about the log in screen and then completely shut down. It also makes a weird clicking noise before it does it, and it sometimes tries to restart, gets to the first screen with the computer info on and shuts down. Also, to turn it back on, i have to flick the power switch at the back on and off, and then try turning it off. Now it is getting harder to actually switch ON (im on a different computer)...il open it up later on tonight and clear it out of dust etc. and let you know how it goes, but if anybody has any other ideas then please post them, this is giving me a LOT of grief :sad: thanks.

[roachy123]

lol

[roachy123]

:sad:

[renegade600]

open the case and try to locate where the clicking noise is coming from. Possibly the fan in the power supply.

[Miz]

A clicking sound is a classic sign of a failing or failed harddrive. Given the problems you describe, I lean towards a failed harddrive.

If you can get it to boot up, get your data (documents, pictures, music, email messages you want to keep, address book, etc.) backed up ASAP. Once a drive starts clicking, it's only a matter of time...perhaps a verys short time...before it won't work at all. In that case, retrieving your data will require a data retrieval service and they don't work cheap...usually in the thousand-dollar range.

Fortunately, harddrives are cheap...about a dollar a gig.

[jediforce]

I heard that if you put it in a baggie and into the freezer for some time, when you take it out you can put it in slave and boot it up and copy everything as quick as you can before it dies again. this is a last resort kind of thing for data rescue.

[roachy123]

yup, it does look like that. It now won't boot up at all. It lasts around 5 seconds, fortunatly theres not much on there that was really important. Do you think it could of been a virus (I did have a few on my system) or could it be due to it just breaking (i still got a warranty you see ;) ). Anyway, if i buy a new hard drive and fit it it should work ok or is there anything else i need to do? Thanks for your help ;) .

[smurfy]

A failed hard drive won't normally stop the PC turning on, it will just halt the boot process during PoST because drive is missing or after POST because there is no operating system.

I'm leaning toward power supply here (which thankfully is cheaper than a new HDD).

When you try to turn it on, do you feel any exhaust airflow from the back of the power supply? Can you see the fan try to start turning?

[roachy123]

well before, it turned on and i usually got a good 10 minutes out of it, now it wont boot up. Sometimes it will try, it makes the clicking noise and then shuts down after around 10 seconds. That is all I can get out of it now. The fan does boot up, i can see it running at the back, then it shuts down and stops..:)

[smurfy]

oK, well you are going to need to isolate that clicking sound because I'm pretty sure that's going to be the source of your problem.

Take the cover off the case and try to boot it up. See if the fan on the CPU is working.

To try and find the sound, it really is as simple as using a cardboard tube (inside of a paper towell roll, toilet roll) and having your ear on one end and pointing it at various components as you try to boot it up.

[roachy123]

I cant find whats making the clicking sound...everythings so...close together that it sounds like its coming from everything :sad: . It looks like im gonna take it to crappy world and have them charge me £30 to locate the problem and then try to sell me an over-priced solution :sad: thanks for your help everybody ;)

[jediforce]

if everything's too close together, try taking things out. your computer only strictly needs motherboard, processor, power supply and RAM in order to boot. If you have any case fans, leave them in. If the clicking persists, you've narrowed it down to graphics card and a bunch of fans. If there is no more clicking, start adding back the hard drive, and so on.