as above i have reapplied frsh conductive paste in the cpu and checked that all fans r workin

is a fresh install of windows

any ideas wat it is?

last time i had that it was a dodgy psu

Get a new psu

yea sound psu related or heat. psu more likely.

i had that thought but psu was replaced less than 12months ago

Doesnt really matter how old the psu is - they just die - it is possible the motherboard, hard drives and fans are too close to the max load of the supply so is more likeley to die if its a 400w one instead of a 600w one for example - like running a car at high revs instead of shifting a gear knackers engine faster.

heat or hardware failing,

when it turn offs ..have look for any amber or red lights on your mobo as these might indicate where in the system the problem is happening

use a program that can monitor and log temps every fews secs at component level(Everest ultimate)...then when it randomly turn offs...go and check the temp logs at the time of shutdown and see if there are any abnormal temps in your system

failing that strip down your pc(earth yourself to the pc case or work table), give the contacts a clean ..de dust the ends of cables ..apply new heat gel to the top of the cpu etc...

still broke?
if it is hardware related, swapping out parts is the easiest diagnostic method ...i would start with psu and cpu for the prob u describe ...then cards and memory..also try unpluggin all the unecessary stuff like dvd players etc ..run on barebones memory etc ..if its overclocked go back to default

Have you got any fans that are against something, like a heatsink on the motherboard?

Few years ago, my pc kept doing it in the summer (one guy who thought he knew lots about computers said get a new pc as it was about 2/3 yrs old, pfft absolute bollocks you pounce I thought and I was right), undid a fan on the heatsink on the motherboard and there was just a pretty solid layer of dust! No wonder it was so damn hot, nothing from the fan was getting through - got hoover and cleaned it right out, worked like a charm after!

have tried removin all un-needed drives and components

also tried heat gel and cleanin all fans


as for temp loggers cant even get it to stay on long enough to get into windows

this happend to me removed cpu and put a new one in and hasn't done it since

in that case I would go with cpu either overheating or is damaged.. can you see temps in your bios? ...does being idle in the bios screen cause it turn off or only when loading windows?

...or maybe the mobo or something on the mobo ..bad memory could also trip the board ..try with just 1 stick and then swap it to rule out memory..did u remove all the cards ..use onboard graphics?

after much hassle and waitin


i replaced the psu and no joy still same problem


will try and swap out memory only thing left i think


am seriously considerin strippin the whole thing down and rebuild


but will try the mem first

This happened to my old comp. turned out it was the cpu, thrown a new one in there and its fine now.

A shot in the dark: could the motherboard battery be dead? This was happening to an old Athlon PC of mine, but when I replaced the MB battery it was fine.

could be battery but why would it shut down at various stages of start up cuz of the battery


thanx ganja man but put brand new psu in yesterday


will try the memory later not got time now


and yes graphics r onboard

Corrupt BIOS

did you check the mobo led's in the end?

mobo????

Motherboard

You might have too much thermal compound paste on, you really only need a thin layer as far as I know, but evenly coated. Also try switching the cpu fan connector to a different motherboard connection than the cpu one. And check the connectors for your power on/off, pc speaker, reset, etc, usually best to put them on before installing the board I find. Check the manual for the motherboard too, it should also identify any beeps at the start if it detects a problem (download it from the manufacturers website if you can't find it). Temperamental things, computers. Hope you get it sorted.

If it's turning off and then restarting and then suddenly turning off it's not the PSU.
If the PSU was broken nothing would happen.

My guess is the cpu is getting too hot and it's turning off, make sure the paste is only really a film that covers it all, and make sure all fans are spinning and in place correctly etc.

Nothing is wrong with the hardware if it turns on and runs. My best bet is it's just getting hot and turning itself off to prevent any damage.

refresh from earlier post of things to try, if you have your pc open ..when it shutdowns if its hardware related you will prob have an amber or red led on the motherboard, which will indicate where the problem lies ...cpu, mem,mobo,card etc.....also check it shutdowns in the bios menu and not just booting windoze ..if not check the temps of the cpu, chipset etc in the bios screen

ps ..does it beep before it shuts down

power supply has been changed so i know its not that


as for too much thermal paste thats a no too

the paste came in lil(1-2mls) syringe and i only used bout half


will check the lights on mobo the weekend wen i have it open


most of the time it cuts out b4 i can get to bios

and it doesnt restart just cuts off

just lil update

have checked for mobo leds and cant see none

also have detached everythin except the hdd and same thing keeps happenin


am gunna get new battery 2moz hopefully



will keep yaz updated



need to get it sorted my dads doin his fruit in

Personally I've seen the exact same problem in a PC & it turned out the memory was faulty, after replacing it the PC worked fine. So I'd say it'd be a very good idea to try some different memory in it, maybe you have some lying about or you could lend some off someone else if it's the same type & see how it turns out.

just lil update


have changed lil cell battery inside still shuts off


also have tried swappin mem out and still no joy



am startin to think it either mobo or processor


mobo was replaced bout 18months ago


any ideas now???


kinda at a loss tbh


without knowin if it mobo or processor

probly more cost effective for him to buy new pc

Sorry for the hijack......... but my other half's PC does the opposite, it reboots every time you turn it off. I've disabled (wakeup on lan ?) but thats not worked. I just have to shut it down and hit the power switch every time. Any ideas??

Again, sorry for the hijack..... Burton

if it is ...leds will tell the tale or warning beeps ..tbh av never seen a faulty mobo/cpu that cuts power in the way you describe ...that didnt show amber/red led's and/or warning beeps ...Im assuming you have actually checked the manufacturers 'led key' in the manual

control panel / power options / advanced tab ..see options at bottom

Give Scribble a pm!

My 2p....

From your initial post, it sounds to me like it's temp. related (that's if it does reboot differently at different times). Are you sure your thermal paste is only in a 1-2ml syringe? The ones I've seen are 5ml so if you've used half then that is way too much. I'd say you shouldn't need more than 1/2ml of the stuff.

What happens if you reboot wuth the memory taken out? Do you get the expected number of beeps?

If the above two answers are as one would hope, my next guess would be that it's your PSU.

edit: for typos and to change CPU to PSU!!!

Just read further... obviously not your PSU!! My next bet would be backing Ganjaman

after much waitin and fuckin about i managed to get spare cpu for testin

pc has now been runnin for 2hrs ish on spare cpu


no cut outs shut downs just runnin sweet




thanx for all help and suggestions


now just need to get cpu that matches is same speed as old 1

¿What kind of CPU is it (type/speed)?

intel pentium 4 3ghz