Weird problem need help

[dashingdude]

Hello to all Digit readers, I have been a great fan of this magazine since the last 5 years and Digit teached me many things over the years. However one strange problem has affected me of late and am optimistic digit readers can help me solve this problem.
I am also confused about the problem, i.e. if its related to hardware/software, so just decided it to post here.
This problem has been lingering for a long time (about an year) and I have also tried to derive conclusions about it and tried remedies but all my efforts have gone in vain. Let me specify my PC Config first:

Pentium4 2.66 GHz Processor
MSI PM8M2-V Motherboard
160GB Seagate HDD
512 DDR2 RAM
GeforceGraphics Card 128MB (dont remember the version).

Problem is all of a sudden without any warning my PC gets shut down! Yeah its not restart but shut down. I checked the power cords, power supply etc and they are perfectly alright, again this problem does not happen consistently but at periodic intervals which can be even after a month.
I changed the RAM problem persists, formatted, checked for viruses, but nothing solved it.
Recently I noticed when am online and am viewing sites which have flash animations like the ones which allow playing online games for instance, PC gets shut down. Then again if I keep it on with the BIOS screen it wont shut down.
While installing fresh Windows (XP) during the process when the drviers get loaded it shuts down too.
I am all at sea, friends please help me out! Maybe I could not describe each aspects in details, the post is also getting lengthy, I am ready to answer whatever other things you want to know but it would be great if you could eliminate this disturbing problem!

 

[ravi_9793]

I think it is overheating problem.Check SMPS fan and cabinet fan.
Else you can try this-->> open cabinet from one side, and than run computer.your system won't shutdown.

 

[dashingdude]

Hello Ravi, its not overheating. I checked the system temperature from the BIOS its well within tolerance, then again this problem has occured in winter season too. Its regardless of the heat as I have seen.

 

[r2d2]

What psu are u using and what wattage? looks like a voltage problem to me. Can u give the voltage reading of your system.

 

[ravi_9793]

Have have U tried running system with cabinet open???..Give this a try.


Else:
Than the problem may be "old age SMPS"...try with another SMPS

 

[dashingdude]

Yes my cabinet is always open, and I also did a voltage reading after some days this problem started and its fine, I do not remember exactly the reading now since it has been 6/7 months. However can someone tell me why does this happen when my browser (Mozilla) open sites which has flash animations in it? Has this anything to do?

 

[nightcrawler]

The problem might be most likely an old PSU or it can also be a hardware conflict. Do you use a modem to surf on the net by any chance?

 

[ravi_9793]

The problem may be due to your graphics card.Remove your graphics card..and than try to run your system.Again check cabinet and SMPS fan.

 

[almighty]

Yup ravi is ryte
re seat ur graphics card or run ur pc without graphic card for some time and observe....

I happened with me too few days back ... by re seating graphics card and cmos battery this issue gone now

 

[realdan]

512 DDR2 RAM? is it really ddr2 or a typing mistake?

if you can still boot into windows now,
right click my computer and then properties
in the system properties...go to the advanced tab..search for the startup and recovery section and then go to settings...find system failure..uncheck the option automatically restart.

and then try loading the pages with flash animations again and see if you get a BSOD and note down the error messages and post here or search online to see what hardware or software is causing the problem.

if you dont want to try the above or cannot boot into windows anymore, then boot your computer with a bootable cd with utilities to format and partition hard disk (like the ultimate boot disk) or if you dont want or dont have the said disk then attach it to your friends computer and make a complete format of the OS partition of the hard disk or if nothing is important in other partition..a complete format of the entire hard disk.

 

[dashingdude]

Thanks a lot dear friends. I think I have tried everything apart from removing the Graphics card. Will see what happens and will definitely let you people know about it. BTW, I did HDD partition too earlier that did not solve the problem, let me see how it goes by experimenting with the graphics card.
Thanks for the overwhleming help!

 

[topgear]

Looks like your psu is overloaded. I face the exact issue with my 845 mobo, 2 hdds, 2 dvd writers, 1 5200 gfx card.

While I was playing wolfenstein my pc shut down abomormally that time.
Even with other games & Normal windows apps.

Changed my psu & everything get solved.

So change your psu. Try to buy at least 450w psu.

 

[r2d2]

I also think the psu may be the reason, test with a higher power psu (450w or more) and a good branded one.

 

[dashingdude]

Hi! Removed the graphics card and tried to run on the normal VGA mode but the problem remained, removed the RAMs ( I have two 256MB each) and (yes its DDR and not DDR2) tried running but the problem persists, so looks as all the others are saying it got to be a PSU problem. Being Durga Puja here, all would remain closed I guess, so will let you people know once I arrange a new one.

 

[dashingdude]

Hi friends, the problem finally got over for me. As suggested I did get a 450 w PSU but even then the problem persisted. I went to a service center but they too were clueless about the problem. It was one of my friends who later asked me to remove the processor fan and get it cleaned up which I did. The problem was gone. Yeah I forgot to mention while the shutdown problem increased I checked my BIOS settins and saw the CPU temperature drastically up (113 degree Cent/235 Farenheit) and this was all due to the dust accumulation over the fan blades and the heat sink.
Well who would have thought dust is the culprit!! And what to say about those people in the service center who asked me to replace my motherboard? The lack of able people in this field is really surprising.
But then thanks to the Digit readers/members of this forum who actually showed me the path which rectified my year long problem. As Ravi did comment about the overheating problem. But as I replied it was not so overheated when I checked last and I did not know this had become so worse!
But am relieved now, and this is all because of you, friends. Thanks a lot for your support.