Computer shuts off by itself...

[batperez]

My computer has developed this weird problem that's driving me nuts :dizzy:. It shuts off by itself usually after a few minutes, but right away you can hear the CD-ROM's clicking and the fans working, but nothing happens with the screen, and it doesn't restart. I press the reset button and sometimes it restarts right away, and sometimes it doesn't, and I have to press the reset button more than once. I thought it could be overheating, but the temp monitor in the system doesn't show it being that hot.
An interesting thing about this is that I ran F-prot anti-virus for DOS on it last night, and it didn't shut down. It went for over an hour just fine, but when I rebooted to start normal it does the same crap again. I haven't run it on Safe mode long enough to see if it happens.
BTW, the problem began happening after I installed an Ethernet card so I could use the new Actiontec DSL modem I had acquired. I installed the card because the modem would crash the start-up when it was connected to the USB port. That problem was corrected, but this new one started, and it happens even when the modem is disconnected from the computer.
Any suggestions or help will be really appreciated. I really need this computer running, since I'm a Spanish translator and this is my livelihood.
Thanks.

Built by myself:
Athlon XP 2200
MSI k7 Turbo 2
704 SDRAM
ATI RADEON 7000 with 64M RAM
CD-ROM
LG DVD/CD-RW Combo
on-board sound VIA AC'97

[tetonbob]

So this problem began after you installed a new NIC? Have you tried removing it and related software to see if it runs normal? What OS are you running? Can you boot to Last Known Good configuration in Win2k or XP to see if it's a driver issue?

You should let it run in Safe Mode for equal length of time to see if the problem occurs in Safe....if it doesn't, it's probably a driver issue.

How is your Power Supply Unit? Is it's fan spinning? Have you checked it's output with a multi-meter? Can you? Spontaneous shutdowns/reboots are often indicative of failing PSUs.

Have you run Adaware and Spybot S&D as well as CWShredder, to scan for malware, in addition to your AV program?

Do you have IRQ conflicts? Does the modem have the same IRQ as another device which is frequently used? Are there any issues showing in the Device Manager?

Just a few things to chew on.....

Bob

[batperez]

Thanks for the " checklist." :wave: I did most of it before I posted but it sure gave me more ideas about what to do.
I checked the PSU and the connections to the different components and I found that the connector to the motherboard has one burned... uh, thing, I forgot how those are called, but of 20 connectors, it seems one of them is burned off, like a short circuit or something. So I will be changing the PSU and I'll keep you guys posted about what happens.
Thanks,
Carlos

[tetonbob]

:eek: I hope it's not as bad as it sounds. You could have mobo issues after a burn like that. I hope it's as simple as the PSU. Good luck!

Bob

[batperez]

Yep, it seems it was the PSU. I replaced it and the computer has worked almost flawlessly for the last 2 hours. (I don't know any computers that are perfect.)
This is what I think happened. The PSU wasn't doing too good. Then I added the extra component (NIC card) which added a load to the PSU that was already struggling to fulfill the job. Once I added the NIC card it was a matter of time for the PSU to give up the ghost.
Of course I could be mistaken, and the PSU just coincidentally screwed up.
Knock on wood that it'll keep working. :pleased:
Thanks.
Carlos

[tetonbob]

:happy: I like a story with a happy ending. Good job! Knock, knock.

Bob