Pc Start Up - Then Shuts Down Instantly

ianjamie7 · 19 March 2009 at 7:51AM

I have a windows media center pc and 5 weeks ago I could not log onto my aol account and even the pc fix it for you and reboot computer didn`t work but I could live without that for a bit as I am using Mozilla Firefox but the last three days as soon as I turn my pc on , it turns off automatically. I have pressed f8 when starting up and even got it to work on safe mode but after two hours even that shut down automatically. Every option on the f8 now doesn`t work. Any help please?

I decided to use the vacuum on the tower and the vents were full of dust , so once I cleaned them all without having to remove any screws I tried the Pc, after several attempts the Pc worked fine and worked for a couple of days but on the 2nd day after about 2 hours it happened again. Windows is shutting down. I felt like crying and I am pretty sure that I have a virus as I have tried to restore it to an earlier date but apparently this will not remove the worm. I have tried to start it in safe mode, safe mode with networking, in fact I have tried it in every mode but after a while , sometime sa couple of minutes, sometimes immediately I cannot get the Pc to stay on long enough to run a virus check/remover. I don`t have a blue screen when shutting down but sometimes when it shuts down it says that it is installing udates 1 - 6 and takes about 15 mins to shut down. Sorry I can`t post regularly as I can only post when I am in work and when no-one is around which is why my posts are sometimes a couple of days between each one. Does anyone have ay suggestions?

After the hoover out it worked for a couple of days but then kept shutting down again so in desperation I looked in the yellow pages and got a man to come out and look at it. He took it away and brought it back the next day , charging me £60 but the @ key is now on key number 2 for some reason and after working for another 2 days it won`t even start up now. When he fetched it back all data was lost and aol which is where I have my main email is also not present. I haven`t phoned him back yet as I bought a new mains adapter for a fiver which I can live with and I hoped this would do the trick but still not comig on. Every now and then, it would get to the first screen then shut down before you can actually do anything. This would be say one time out of ten goes of starting up on average. Anyone got any more suggestions besides from throwing it in the river dee.

Updated 6th April 12.40pm

Last thursday I took out my bluetooth dongle and moved my mouse usb to the back of tower instead of the front. I don`t know why I did it but I just did, anything that could be moved or changed I was doing as I was not at my wit`s end and to my complete amazement the computer actually loaded and I went and removed the bluetooth settings and it worked great for a dayt and then the usual happened and it shut down again. The next time I went to turn pc on it came up with an error message \windows\system32\config\system and said for me to press r on the first screen which I did and nothing happened. So I remembered I had a Norton Disk called Save and Restore I think so I inserted this disc and started the pc and kept my finger on the r button until the symantec came on the screen and I ran the check for errors and it found none, and my PC came back on after I exited the Norton disc but went off after about 3 hours. I did the same again by loading the Norton and disc and when I checked the hard drives it said there were errors on Drive C which it had fixed and touch wood it has worked fine for at least 7 hours yesterday while I watched Utd scrape another injury time win against Villa.

asininity · 19 March 2009 at 8:09AM

Sounds like a hardware issue, possibly the PSU but could be the Motherboard, or a malfunctioning cpu cooler. Its gonna need trouble shouting unfortunately to find out what it is exactly then replacing it.

timbim_2 · 19 March 2009 at 8:16AM

Before trying anything, get the HDD out, clone it and then attempt to fix. You really, really don't want to loose any data. Once you've got the drive cloned, try reinstalling windows, or install ubuntu, or linux distro of your choice, and see if that works. If that fails as well, then you know you have a hardware issue, although if a computer shuts down unexpectedly due to overheating, it usually tells you when it next boots.

AirCooledHeaven · 19 March 2009 at 2:31PM

ianjamie7 wrote: »

I have a windows media center pc and 5 weeks ago I could not log onto my aol account and even the pc fix it for you and reboot computer didn`t work but I could live without that for a bit as I am using Mozilla Firefox but the last three days as soon as I turn my pc on , it turns off automatically. I have pressed f8 when starting up and even got it to work on safe mode but after two hours even that shut down automatically. Every option on the f8 now doesn`t work. Any help please?

Does it turn off and stay off or is it in a continuous shut down & restart loop?

Wig · 19 March 2009 at 2:44PM

How long does it take to turn off after being left off over night? If it takes slightly longer to turn off then it's probably a cooling issue.

My PC did the same thing, I cleaned with a hoover inside and all the heat sinks (covered & clogged with dust), and I held the hoover nozzle over the CPU heatsink and turned the computer on, the computer stayed on because the hoover was drawing a load of heat away from the heatsink.

It worked fine after that.

You could look at getting a better CPU heatsink or CPU fan assuming it's not a laptop.

Darth_Marty · 19 March 2009 at 8:56PM

Its more than likely the psu, take it to the nearest p.c shop and they will fix it and change any fans, as they are likely to have burnt out too, for less than £100.
A recent similar development cost me £55 which included the new better psu, fan and all labour.
Didnt lose any data either.

Percy1983 · 19 March 2009 at 9:04PM

Does sound very much like the PSU, if it isn't a high spec machine you can get one for around £15 and fit it yourself.

ianjamie7 · 20 March 2009 at 5:11AM

AirCooledHeaven wrote: »

Does it turn off and stay off or is it in a continuous shut down & restart loop?

It turns off and stays off until I press the button again to start it.

ianjamie7 · 20 March 2009 at 5:20AM

Darth_Marty wrote: »

Its more than likely the psu, take it to the nearest p.c shop and they will fix it and change any fans, as they are likely to have burnt out too, for less than £100.
A recent similar development cost me £55 which included the new better psu, fan and all labour.
Didnt lose any data either.

I phoned someone out yesterday who I found in the yellow pages and he is coming at 12pm today, it`s a £40 call out fee but if he can`t give me a diagnosis then he said he won`t charge, but he could tell me anything and I wouldn`t know if he was lying or not. After explaining the problem to him over the phone, he instantly said it was the motherboard and that he would just come and pick it today and take it with him which I don`t feel that comfortable with. A couple of people in work have told me that it may very well be the fan in the pc needs changing and if I went to maplins then I could get one for less than £25 but I don`t really want to take my Pc apart as I don`t really know what I am doing.
Surely he could look at it in my house and do the diagnosis there. Perhaps it`s just me not trusting someone who will not do the work in front of you.

aliEnRIK · 20 March 2009 at 6:43AM

If your not happy ~ then dont use him

Wig · 20 March 2009 at 9:42AM

I wouldn't say instantly that it was the motherboard. We have identified the most likely cause

Either the PSU Power Supply Unit is on the blink (or it's integral fan) (can be as little as £15 for a new one, easy to replace)

Or the CPU (Central Processing Unit - it's the Big computer chip that is the heart of every computer) is overheating, could be due to dust build up inside. Open up the case and clean with a hoover, then whilst it is open check all the fans are clean and working. A free easy fix that worked for me. There's another fan on the PSU, should be blowiing warm air to the rear of the computer.

If I was you, I'd cancel this guy, tell him you're going to "have a go " yourself first.

Switch computer on, check there is warm air being blown out the back next to the power cable.

Then switch computer off at the wall, open it up (usually very easy to do) look for dust build up on heat sinks, and around the fans. Switch it on with the case open to check all the fans come on there's usually a fan on the CPU itself. If you did clean some dust, Hold a hoover nozzle close to the Main CPU heat sink/fan and switch on the computer, see if it is improved. If it does the same thing, remove the PSU (easy) go and get a new one, PC world used to do them for under £15, now the cheapest they have is £20
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1176201186.1237542480@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccffadegjmegfedcflgceggdhhmdgmj.0&page=ProductList&category_oid=-28017&show_all=true

If you photograph the case when open to show the PSU people here can help you identify it. Alternatively remove it (a few screws) and take it to a shop for a new one.

P.S. your symptoms sound very similar to what mine were, when the processor CPU is working hard it heats up quicker and shuts down the computer. I took mine into safe mode aswell, and it took a lot longer to shut down automatically, because the CPU does not work so hard in safe mode. At least open it up and look to see if it is dusty and the fans are working.

Pc Start Up - Then Shuts Down Instantly

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