When am working, my PC suddenly goes off. Whats wrong?

Question

When I restart it, the recovered documents are normally the original (not the last saved), so I lose work.

Answer 1

Could be a number of reasons. The most common is faulty memory.

Answer 2

In the current weather conditions I'd strongly suspect its an overheating problem. If the problem has only recently occured, and it coincides with the hot weather then that would be my first guess. Its a problem as more PC boxes get smaller, people fit more equipment into the box disrupting airflow. It could be somethign like memory (but normally I'd expect to see a message prompting that there had been a memory fault)

if the PC BIOS has temperature sensing information I'd take note of what temp the PC is on start up, and see later after its shutdown once or twice waht temp it reaches - forget the threshold that PC's stop working but it is realtively low.

possible solutions (in no order)
-increase airflow, by either adding more fans to extract air (especially from areas near the CPU and/or the display card - available from most PC shops and Maplins
-reduce temperature in the room (open windows, increase breeze)
-relocate PC within exisitng room to area directly under open window (make sure plenty of space around PC to vent hot air, and provide new cooler air (so remove PC from under desk, -make sure plenty of space behind PC to vent hot air, make sure vent holes on front and side (which suck in ambient air) are not blocked
-move PC to a cooler room
-open up PC and remove the accumulation of dust and dirt that has collected on the fans and cooling surfaces using an old toothbrush and vacuum cleaner

if the PC has been subjected to highis temperatures then the PC could be suffering from "Chip Creep", where individual components in the PC which are fitted in sockets are forced out of the socket by thermal expansion. If you do opent he PC its always worthwhile (gently) applying pressure to any component (other cards, IC's in sockets) that doesn't have a securing clip to hold it in firm contact with thte motherboard.

Answer 3

If you live in the UK and the problem has just started, chances are the computer is overheating in this heatwave. I used to leave my computer on all the time. Now I power it down over night because it cannot cope in the heatwave.

It is possible you have some malware on your computer. If you don't have it installed, I would download Spybot S&D (donationware) and run it to see what comes up. If, after you remove any bugs, your computer continues to close down without warning, chances are you have a malfunctioning component - and it could be anything. If your computer is still under warranty, I would not mess with it yourself. Instead, contact your support people to check it out. If it isn't under warranty, have a look in your Thompson Local Directory to see if you can find cheap computer support locally.

I don't wish to alarm but my last computer started closing itself down without warning shortly before it gave up the ghost for good. It turned out that the motherboard and graphics card burnt themselves out and I ended up buying a new desktop (I was going to buy a base unit but I managed to get a whole set up with LCD monitor and printer for just over £500 and it knocks spots off my previous computer! So I guess every cloud DOES have a silver lining...!)

Answer 4

Computer turning off is NOT a memory problem.

60% a power supply problem. The remaining 40% might be a faulty CPU fan. So the CPU would overheat and shut down the computer.

It could be something else, but my bets are on those two.

Answer 5

M\ybe its psychic! Where is the computre located? If it is on the floor is the power button in just the right spot for you to kick it by accident? This has happened to me and some of my colleagues, we just move the PC box or put a makeshift cardboard screen over it to prevent kicking!

Answer 6

I have no idea what your problem could be, but my suggestion to you is: Keep on saving every few minutes. I've lost so much work - hard work on my computer, until I finally learned to save every few seconds. It almost goes automatically.

Answer 7

Sounds like, from the little information provided, your power supply is faulty, or something is overheating. If you are overclocking, stop, or maybe a fan failed.

Answer 8

have you cleaned inside the box
i do mine every 3 /4 months
empty the tmp files /cookies etc
defrag weekly
run anti virus

Answer 9

Sounds daft but check the plug. If it is just the tower, check that... Could be a loose wire.

Answer 10

Have u got your big toe on the reset button