My PC is shutting down ITSELF.

nitemistress

New Member
hmmm define 'not so great memory' lol

I would love to double it but I didn't think 512 was all THAT bad plus there is also the onboard which I *think* brings me up to almost 530.

Overheating? Even with the 4 ..maybe 5 fans inside plus the one outside for extra circulation? Will recheck them all again tomorrow and clean whatever might have snuck in since last cleaning. Can't do much about adding any memory for awhile though.

Thanks for those suggestions, will let you know if it helped or if the problem has corrected itself.
 

Praetor

Administrator
Staff member
hmmm define 'not so great memory' lol
By that I mean is the memory corrupted/messed-up? :) Try running an extended memory check on boot-up and see if it passes that! :)

I would love to double it but I didn't think 512 was all THAT bad plus there is also the onboard which I *think* brings me up to almost 530.
Onboard? Onboard typically doesnt "add" but rather "subtracts" .... 'sides 512MB should be plenty fine either way :) What motherboard do you have?

Overheating? Even with the 4 ..maybe 5 fans inside plus the one outside for extra circulation? Will recheck them all again tomorrow and clean whatever might have snuck in since last cleaning. Can't do much about adding any memory for awhile though.
Are you running a stock cooler? With the temps lately i wouldnt be surprised about if there was an auto-shutdown from BIOS kicking in? (btw .... Toronto? Windsor? Sarnia? :))
 

nitemistress

New Member
You lost me :eek:

Will attempt to answer. Memory, computers should be fine, has been up til about 5 hours ago at any rate. Mine?? That is yet to be determined.

Ok as far as onboard adding/subtracting...go fig. I did not know that. Thanks for the newest bit of info. *doesn't make me terribly thrilled but it's new knowledge*

Stock cooler?? Um, not sure? Am almost afraid to ask what one is.

*try smack dab between Toronto and Windsor in the city that killed Jumbo*
 

extraction

New Member
Another victim

Having similar problems the last 2 days...shuts down abrubtly anywhere from 1-5 min after startup, no BlueScreenOfDeath, looks like the monitor only goes down (tower lights stay on) but hard drive also stops spinning. Recently I replaced video card due to no video output and no POST beep, this was 6 weeks ago however and was problem free once new card was in...

Thinking temp issue or power supply, but currently running in safe mode with Norton Corporate updated 2 days ago, has been on for 147 minutes and counting...(typing this on wife's ThinkPad) ...no recent driver/software...

Also run daily Webroot Spy Sweeper and frequent AD Aware, use Zone Alarm Pro at higher settings, recently upgraded this and about 4 days ago had the first red alert I have ever got in 1.5 years saying a malicious user may be trying to gain access but it did block it...hmmm....

I frequently use Overnet and KazAa and have Cable modem so I'm guessing something came through the pipe like a worm...I know there was a worm last September that would do something similar..

Virus scan hasnt picked it up yet, I will do a Sys Restore next then return to "Normal" mode, and will update everyone...

ABS custom build (Jan '02)
GeForce MX2 AGP
AMD Athlon XP 1800
Gigabyte 7ADX Mobo
512 DDR
90 GB HD (60 + 30)
Plextor 24/10/40 CD-RW
Pioneer DVD
 
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Praetor

Administrator
Staff member
Nitemistress
Will attempt to answer. Memory, computers should be fine, has been up til about 5 hours ago at any rate. Mine?? That is yet to be determined.
Yes well just enable the extended memory check in BIOS and let it run through that completely (some mobos do multiple tests), if it passes you can unset the extended memory check and you're good to go :)

Stock cooler?? Um, not sure? Am almost afraid to ask what one is.
Stock Cooler = the fan that comes with the original cpu (i.e., the fan that comes from AMD or Intel)
Non-stock Cooler = something like this: http://www.xoxide.com/ttextreme.html

*try smack dab between Toronto and Windsor in the city that killed Jumbo*
Simcoe? :confused:

extraction
Thinking temp issue or power supply, but currently running in safe mode with Norton Corporate updated 2 days ago, has been on for 147 minutes and counting...(typing this on wife's ThinkPad) ...no recent driver/software...
What is the temp?
 

extraction

New Member
Sorry - temp(erature), and it never exceeded 49 degrees C...

Currently doing a clean install - Safe Mode seemed to fix it all, Norton/SpySweeper turned up nothing... but then the same thing was happening again today...then would not start in any mode whatsoever- missing "xDLL files" ...damn

...tried to recover current installation but got the message "cannot locate wmpreg entry point" or somesuch came up...so now I'm reformatting, et al...was at least able to pull off important pics/docs last night...

This has to be a worm/virus right??
 

extraction

New Member
Hmm...yeah though I had'nt really altered anything and uninstalled the Zone Alarm that had recently been added. I'm thinking of using Partition Magic to isolate the OS completely this time as I lost some files...

The clean install has been working fine thus far...slowly adding back what I need. I must say that this kind of thing always makes me think "why did I have all that stuff on there anyways?"...and it's nice to see a spartan desktop again...

The plus is that it's not a hardware issue...
 

Praetor

Administrator
Staff member
I'm thinking of using Partition Magic to isolate the OS completely this time as I lost some files...
Good call! Also something you might look into at the end, after installing the OS and getting everything up and running, is to back it all up with something like Ghost or DriveImage :)

The plus is that it's not a hardware issue...
:D
 

extraction

New Member
OK the shutdowns started again, after computer had been fine for 24 hours...
All virus checks with Norton current revisions OK, XP native Firewall up...

Was running Overnet at the time (P2P app) and computer rapidly shut down.
I know these programs are system hogs, but never before have I had an issue. Upon reboot "Check System Health !" appeared in the place of "System Health OK". on the startup screen. Pressed delete to enter BIOS and I see a temp of 59 C. Not good - right? ...

So I take the panel off and let it cool and d/l Motherboard monitor so I can see the vitals outside of CMOS/BIOS and I'm averaging CPU temp of 50 C, Case temp of 39 C. These values increase when I have the case panel back on...

When I look inside I see 4 fans spinning fine - Power Supply, Front case, Rear Case, Fan on Motherboard over raised heatsink?...I see 1 very small fan not spinning at all - it is also on the Mobo, on the CPU I beieve as the plug point says "Chip Fan". When I've had the case open before I have also noted to myself that I've never seen this spin...

Does this then seem to be a temp issue or am I crazy?? I thank you in advance for your input...


AMD XP 1800+, Gigabyte 7ADX, PowerMan FSP 300 Power supply
 

extraction

New Member
Arrghhhh!!!...............

Now shut itself off at 49 C !!!
Power supply?!? Any way to tell???

ANY suggestions where else to look ???
 

Praetor

Administrator
Staff member
. Upon reboot "Check System Health !" appeared in the place of "System Health OK". on the startup screen. Pressed delete to enter BIOS and I see a temp of 59 C. Not good - right? ...
Personally I dont like that temp but it's not a temperature which calls for panic yet. If it's consistantly above 60º than you should look into ways of dropping it; panic should ensue if it breaches 70°

So I take the panel off and let it cool and d/l Motherboard monitor so I can see the vitals outside of CMOS/BIOS and I'm averaging CPU temp of 50 C, Case temp of 39 C. These values increase when I have the case panel back on...
A couple things about that:
1. Your CPU temp isnt actually that horribly high, a mere 11º above your motherboard temp.... what is the ambient room temperature
2. You note the temp goes up when you close the case: a clear indication of not enough circulation within the case. You'll need to either get or upgrade the chassis fans

I see 1 very small fan not spinning at all - it is also on the Mobo, on the CPU I beieve as the plug point says "Chip Fan"
Sounds like the Northbridge fan. For systems that feature a fan, this fan must be operational for the system to function properly (systems without such fans deal with it via other ways). That'll be the source of your problems as the NB controls well over half of the functionality of the computer.

ANY suggestions where else to look ???
Deal with the Northbridge fan and you'll should be set, a simple $10 cooler like http://www.xoxide.com/iceberq.html should do the trick
 

extraction

New Member
Sounds like the Northbridge fan. For systems that feature a fan, this fan must be operational for the system to function properly (systems without such fans deal with it via other ways). That'll be the source of your problems as the NB controls well over half of the functionality of the computer.

OK I hope you're right, but do Northbridge chip's have their own diagnostics or thermal cutout that causes the reset?? Again the MoBo is Gigabyte 7A-DX, computer about 3 years old. Can this temperature be monitored??I still don't understand why it shuts off without warning, actually I would call it a reset as it behaves exactly as if I hit the RESET button, as the tower lights stay on...

My only other thought is bad RAM (2 sticks Kingston PC2100 DDR 256 = 512 MB). Cannot locate extended mem test in my BIOS - Any 3rd Party apps to recommend??

Thanks again, we're almost neighbors (Niagara Falls, NY)
 
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extraction

New Member
Got a Northbridge fan, spliced the connector and it starts humming away....ran fine for 30 minutes, all temp readings cooler, then with no warning the same abrupt reset problem...rebooted, set BIOS to "Failsafe", and the reset occurred again after a few minutes...I'm thinking power supply or RAM or maybe processor is cooked...will probably take it in in the next few days as I'm reaching my limit on time and knowledge...

thanks for all the suggestions/help thus far...
 

extraction

New Member
Have you tested the memory??


Cannot find anywhere in my BIOS to enable this...what are you thoughts on it being the power supply...again it is like a RESET as the monitor goes off but the tower lights stay on...
 

extraction

New Member
Just ran Windows Memory Test (free d/l)...no RAM errors detected, computer randomly reset during third pass of diagnostic after being on for 20 minutes running fine...
 
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