It should be hardware problems, if it's virus, the system should give you warning before shut down. Two area I would look for is the CPU fan, and the drivers for your video card. If the fan of your CPU isn't screwed on tight, it may cause the CPU to over heat, and the system will automatically shut down. Video card that is not installed properly can cause system to restart too, try to re-install your video card driver.
I had a LARGE amount of dust covering my RAM, motherboard, and other inside components. I blew everything inside and cleared the dust. I reseated my RAM and video card. I am going to try and burn a disc and see if the problem still exists. If it does I'll post.
A virus definitely can cause the machine to power down. Blaster will usually tell you it's powering down, but perhaps it's some other virus -- one I've just found that sounds like it could be this is Bobax. I don't know much about AVG, but I do know a lot about Kaspersky, and it will usually be able to quarantine most of what you are having a problem with. This is what I'd do: Turn off System Restore -- a lot of viruses will restore themselves with System restore. Perhaps I'd make a restore point before I turn off SR, then turn it off. Bring up the machine in Safe Mode. Install Kaspersky. Have it update. Unplug your network connection. Run Kaspersky. Have it remove whatever viruses you have. Then bring up the machine in regular mode. Run Kaspersky again. If it says no more viruses, then you're okay. You could also run Symantec, Panda, any other AV program, I'm just really partial to Kaspersky. It will take it a long time to scan, but it usually does the best job of any AV to root out every trace of a virus.
Off the top of my mind, here's a troubleshooting checklist (you may have aldready tried some of these): Turn off computer and clean out all dust and dirt from motherboard, cards and especially the power supply. Make sure your power management control panel is not set to auto-power-down after a certain amount of inactivity Make sure you have the correct type of power supply for the motherboard (300 watt? 350 watt? 500 watt? etc.). Try to replace the power supply with a different one (different make and model, but correct wattage) which you know works and see if you continue to have problems Freeware CPU temp monitors: http://www.panopsys.com/throttlewatch.htm http://vcool.occludo.net/ http://www.stargaz0r.nm.ru/ Make sure computer has an I/O shields between motherbaoard connections and case hope this helps -- droxford
OK, everything has been running smothly so far but I'll have to check on that other computer and post the stats.
Another question, off the subject, whenever I type in search boxes or the like on the internet it is always auto-completing. I am using Firefox, how do I turn that off.
I think it's... Tools->Options->Privacy->Saved Form Information Click the Clear button and uncheck the box. That should stop auto-completing.
OK I guess everything is fine on my computer, for now. I have some family videos that are a little over an hour long but for some reason my DVD burning software says it might not fit, why?
its got nothing to do with ram..... Pun....check the video size(file properties)....are they over 2G a piece? also...depending on what format you are burning to...different ones have file size restrictions.
OK, my computer is not fixed because it is now just shutting off again. One thing that I forgot to mention when posting about these computers is that they will shut off even if nobody is using them, I can leave mine alone and come back later on and the whole thing (excluding monitor) will be shut off. I believe this has something to do with hardware issues as I built both computers. Here are the specs of each computer below: MINE: AMD XP 2800 running at 2.0 GHz ASRock K7S8XE Motherboard Gigabyte Technology RADEON 9200 SE 128 MB video card Crucial 256 MB RAM Pacific Digital DVD +RW-RW+R-R drive Mitsumi floppy drive Western Digital 60 GB hard drive Western Digital 30 GB hard drive MOMS: AMD XP 2600 running at 1.8 GHz ASRock K7VT4A+ Motherboard RADEON 9200 SE 128 MB video card (my mother has a different bran and I cannot remember the brand's name) Crucial 256 MB RAM Sony DVD CD-R combo drive Sony floppy drive Western Digital 40 GB hard drive I installed academic versions of Windows Professional XP on both systems and added (downloaded and installed) all updates. Please guys, and I thank you for all your help so far, keep helping me because I do not want to drop $200 or more to have these computers looked at by some other person. BTW, R2K none of my video files are over 1.5 GB. I have some videos that I have downloaded (Triumph clip, Eddie Murphy Delirious, etc.) that I would like to burn but it says that they may not display right on my TV and it has a red light by DVD but green lights by VCS and SVCD. What exactly does all that mean because I do not care if the picture is imperfect. But I must get this computer problem fixed before I can burn anything. I actually was able to burn 1 disc but my computer has been shutting down again whenever so I cannot do it anymore. Please help if you can, thanks!! Here is the ASRock website too, I cannot stay online long enough to download any info off the site. www.asrock.com/index_english.html
When did the problems start up on your computer? The same time you built your mom's? The systems aren't using the same parts, so the link between the shut downs seems to be something else: (1) the way you put them together (you being the common link), or (2) something with your WinXP installation (maybe SP2), or (3) some sort of virus you downloaded into both. Since you built your comp and it was working fine for a year, it seems more likely to be one of the other 2 issues. Just a side point - 256mb is weak for RAM, I wouldn't build anything without at least 512.
Pun -- how is the virus search coming? I have such a difficult time believeing it's anything else. What are the odds that you magically got two bad power supplies at the same time (now that COULD happen, but I have a tough time seeing it), or two unrelated problems that cause the same thing to happen at the same time? If you want to test out my theory without doing any virus removal, do this -- download Knoppix, boot from it, and use your PC for a while, if it shuts down then I'm wrong and it's hardware. But if not, it would most likely have to be software. BTW, do you have wireless? If so, do you have it encrypted or at least filtered by MAC addresses?
Sounds to me like it could be an issue with the power supply. Did you use the same case on both of these machines? If so, most cheaper cases come with the power supply, so that may be your problem. Just try to think if there is any common link hardware wise and go from there.
I was curious. Some video cards will map directly to the RAM through the System Bus. I didn't look to see what kind of card Pun had, so ---- Excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse Meeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
I used different case but both did come with power supplies. My computer has a 500 W and my mother's has a 300 W. I would almost have to agree with Vengeance in not believing that I received two bad power supplies. Which thing on that Knoppix website do I download? I am going to try and scan my computer again now. 'll post results later, if it will even let me scan. I am really trying to figure this out because like I said I built both computers and I am starting with that link first and going from there. I posted the specs from both computers too and I keep trying to find out if the video cards are OK with the mobo but every time I go to download the manual or FAQs or to see if there are any updates my computer shuts off.
I forgot to mention one more thing, every time my computer shuts off the computer's time and calender are always reset to December 16, 2003 12:00 AM. That's on my PC not my mother's I really haven't looked at her's yet because once I figure out mine I'm pretty sure they'll be the same thing. Thanks again!
