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1 "helpful" answer available (2 pts)
5 Replies Last post: May 22, 2008 5:13 AM by mphenterprises   Branched to a new thread.
Click to view Rednas2129's profile New Member
Rednas2129
3 posts since
May 15, 2008
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May 15, 2008 8:32 PM

My pc unexpectedly logs off and shut down

hi!! good day to all of you... i really need your help, i can't sleep thinking why this happens to my computer... yesterday morning my pc is working fine.. then i turned it off... after a few hours of letting it rest... i turn it on again... after all of a sudden my pc automatically logs itself off and shuts down... so i tried to turn it on again, after a few minutes it logs off again and shut down unexpectedly... so my first remedy is i unplug my pc and disconnect its internal parts and clean it,, after that i assemble it again and hoping that my pc will be all right.. but again it logs itself off and shuts down... what should i do?? the processor fan, internal fan and the power supply fan is working well... i also tried to remove all the ide cable - the primary and the secondary- and tried to open it... but all of a sudden after the bios appears maybe 5 min. ago. it shut down again... please help me... what should i do,, my board is asus p4s8x-x with 1 gb of ram and 80 gb of hdd... thanks...
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Click to view mphenterprises's profile Member Moderators
mphenterprises
9,117 posts since
Feb 19, 2007
1. May 16, 2008 3:34 AM in response to: Rednas2129
Re: My pc unexpectedly logs off and shut down
Hi Rednas and welcome to the PCWorld Communities. :D

Okay, I have some questions for you:

  • Before this started, how exactly did you turn off your computer?

  • Is your computer connected to to a Surge Protector?

  • What is the Power Supply peak wattage? (You can find the Power Supply peak wattage on the inside of the computer on a sticker on the side of the Power Supply.)

  • Are you getting any error messages or Blue Screens of Death (BSoD)?

  • Does the computer restart at the exact some point each time? Does the computer make it to the Windows splash screen?

  • What version of Windows are you using?


This is my personal Dream PC: http://forums.pcworld.com/blogs/mphenterprises/2007/12/21/my-gift-to-myself
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Click to view Rednas2129's profile New Member
Rednas2129
3 posts since
May 15, 2008
2. May 20, 2008 5:49 AM in response to: mphenterprises
Re: My pc unexpectedly logs off and shut down
Thanks for the concern i appreciate it!!well sory for the late reply... well lets go to our discussion.. well i turn off my pc by clicking the alt+f4 then alt+u... just the normal way of shutting down a computer...it is also connected to a AVR or what you call a surge protector... the peak wattage of my power supply is 300watts..
nope, i don't have any error msg. as you said... my pc logs off and shuts down at a random time, i am lucky if my pc stays for 3-4 hours... but as time goes on,, that time of running goes lower...at this point it only ranges 1-1 1/2hours... i am using a windows professional service pack two... by the time i post my message. i tried to reassemble my pc again..few days ago, i found out that my video card is defective and malfunctioning... maybe because my unit is too old so the video card breaks down... is there any possibility that this defective Video card causes this random pc shut down??
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Click to view mphenterprises's profile Member Moderators
mphenterprises
9,117 posts since
Feb 19, 2007
3. May 20, 2008 10:47 AM in response to: Rednas2129
Re: My pc unexpectedly logs off and shut down
Rednas2129 wrote:

well i turn off my pc by clicking the alt+f4 then alt+u... just the normal way of shutting down a computer...


Well, this is a first. I personally have never heard of this key combination to shut down a computer. I tested it and Alt + F4 did close each open window but Alt + U did not do anything. Is there a reason you just don't use Start -> Shut Down?


Rednas2129 wrote:

...found out that my video card is defective and malfunctioning... maybe because my unit is too old so the video card breaks down... is there any
possibility that this defective Video card causes this random pc shut down??


I would say it is indirectly causing this issue. More than likely, I would say that your video card is failing and causing your Power Supply to work harder than necessary. Once the Power Supply reaches a point when it can no longer safely maintain the computer's power, it shuts the computer down.

Now, since this appears to be a custom computer, please provide the motherboard's manufacturer and model number. We can try to point you in the right direction to get a replacement Power Supply but the video card is completely personal preference.

This is my personal Dream PC: http://forums.pcworld.com/blogs/mphenterprises/2007/12/21/my-gift-to-myself
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Click to view Rednas2129's profile New Member
Rednas2129
3 posts since
May 15, 2008
4. May 22, 2008 4:09 AM in response to: mphenterprises
Re: My pc unexpectedly logs off and shut down

Well, here's my board is manufactured by asus,,, the model is p4s8x-x... i hope this will help.. :) ahm.. i always use that key combination, i don't know why it did'nt work to you at all... any way,, do you think that my power supply is worn out and needed to be replaced?
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Click to view mphenterprises's profile Member Moderators
mphenterprises
9,117 posts since
Feb 19, 2007
5. May 22, 2008 5:13 AM in response to: Rednas2129
Re: My pc unexpectedly logs off and shut down
I think your issue stems more more from the video card you stated is failing than the Power Supply itself. However, as mentioned, a video card upgrade is something that you would have to decide for yourself since the choices of video cards are so massive.

That being said, here is a collection of Power Supplies that are compatible with your motherboard.

450-600 Watt Power Supplies

I personally recommend no less than a 450 Watt Power Supply. Regarding the video card, I would suggest that you create another Discussion and ask for recommendations of video cards. Please be as specific as possible and detail your computer usage.

This is my personal Dream PC: http://forums.pcworld.com/blogs/mphenterprises/2007/12/21/my-gift-to-myself
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