Computer shuts down on its own.?

Question

I have searched this question but I dont see the same details as my problem.
My computer will just turn off on its own. I will be working and then bam it goes black yet I can hear the fans running in the case. Then I cant turn it back on by just simply pushing the button. I have to unplug the power cord wait for the fans to stop running and then plug it back in and push the button.
This is totally random. Sometimes when I am doing something very little like running MS word, sometimes when I am playing a game. Nothing in particular seems to cause the shut down.

Adding details to state
"Computer turns off on its own" so that the mentally challenged dont feel compelled to answer my question.

Answer 1

if the fan is running, i am guessing you are having trouble with the monitor and not the computer itself. is there another monitor around that you could plug in and try? maybe a friend or family member?

Answer 2

1. As someone above correctly noted it would be a good idea to start with your monitor. In other words, it might be that it is your monitor that turns off, while your computer is perfectly fine.

2. As someone else above noted the problem might be with the hibernation mode. I have heard that older computers used to have a problem with it. In any case, this is the simplest one to check. You enter the CMOS Setup program (usually by hitting the DEL key right after you computer is turned on and is running various tests), and disable the power management features (and see if it helps).

3. I doubt that the issue is with overheating. I believe that most motherboards switch to low frequency when the CPU or the board itself starts to overheat. So, in that case you would certainly see the difference in the performance of your computer.

4. If 1 and 2 do not help you may try reinstalling your operating system + some necessary software (e.g. MS-Office), but do not install various games and fancy stuff (so that you can see whether the problem was with some software). Also, install all the patches for your operating system.

5. If after all these steps it still does the same thing, you can probably only contact your operating system and computer manufacturers and see if they have something to say.

P.S. I presume that you have a standard IBM PC compatible computer.

Answer 3

First, the power cord issues. You can push and hold the power button for about 10 seconds, and the computer will power off. This is so you don't have to fiddle with the power cord.

Now, for the root problem. You might have an overheating issue. Check for dust around your fan vents. If you have dust build up, buy a can of compressed air, you can buy it any computer store. If dust is the problem, take the case off (you won't break anything) and blow the interior out with the compressed air. Your PC will thank you....

There could be other reasons. Try that first. If you still have the problem, repost the question, because there are a couple other possibilities...but the easiest ones are the best to try first.

Answer 4

computers can shutoff like that for many reasons one big one is overheating, if your CPU gets too hot it will just stop. but the fans stop with it, still make sure your computer is well vented and clean, go and pick yourself up some compressed air and blow all the dust out just to be safe. your problem sounds more like a connection problem, look at your cable connections in the back of you computer and make sure the video cable is connected properly. If you have to shutdown manually try not to just pull the power cord press and hold the on/off button for ten seconds it will shut itself down if there are no major software issues. Also the problem could be with a virus--get a good anti virus. Also could be that the computer is just old (you didn't say in your question).
these types of problems are incredibly difficult to solve because it has no definite antecedent, usually in that case its human error like a loose cable or damaged pins. give it a look and let me know

Answer 5

I'm not sure how much help this will be, but...

We have dell PCs at work, and sometimes the main fan that cools the system will go out. When this happens, the PC will continue to operate until it reaches a certain temperature, then it shuts itself off. We also have to unplug the machine and wait several minutes to turn it back on.

If you have a dell, and it does this, look at the power light afterwards, if it's blinking red/orange that means it overheated.

If that's the case, take it to a repair shop, they can figure out which fans have stopped and should be able to replace them.

Answer 6

it sounds like a thermal problem. this can be caused by several things. first is all your fans runnin there should be a fan inside the power supply, and 1 on top of the cpu. if either fan is not running, then the pc will shut down to protect itself.

Answer 7

It sounds like hibernation and you don't know how to wake it.
When you are up and running go into power management and see what the protocols are set to.
If it were an overheating issue, all would shut down...That would be bios protecting the machine.

Answer 8

Girlfriend a computer does not shut down on its own you have to turn it off.