Computer shut off

Discussion in 'PC hardware help' started by koco12, Mar 8, 2005.

  1. koco12

    koco12 Member

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    Hi,

    I add a new video card on my computer. Everything was ok before, now my system keep shutting off after 5 second, or 20 seconds or 1 minutes but not more than 5 minutes. I put back the old video card...same thing happenning. I unplugged everything, left with only the video card (new or old), one memory stick.....still the same problem. Any suggestions?
     
  2. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    check cpu heatsink & fan as possible now not seated properly
     
  3. Mr_Del

    Mr_Del Regular member

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    Removing all hardware including the processor has fixed similar problems for me in the past. Take it all out and put it all back in.This of course is not always the solution. Could even be the power suply. Strange things just happen sometimes.

    -Del
     
  4. koco12

    koco12 Member

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    I took everything out..even the cpu...work for arround 10 minutes....and same thing. Shut off by itself...the power light stay on...i have to unplugged the computer to get the light to go off and to get it work again....and still shut off by itself. Any other suggestion?
     
  5. madgreek

    madgreek Guest

    ITS THE POWERSUPPLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I am about 99% certain! This happens all the time. Please buy a new powersupply and see what happens. A new video card, something that is used for video games can use a lot more juice then your old one. Please replace the power supply.
     
  6. koco12

    koco12 Member

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    Ok...but the new video card that i installin the computer...is a old 16meg....i gave my 64meg to my son...so i'm not sure if its the power supply. Any other suggestion....
     
  7. Starbuck1

    Starbuck1 Guest

    I'm heavily leanging toward power supply too. Check all connections to and from PSU to mobo and devices. Go to Event Viewer and look for errors in the application/system log files for clues on the shutdown.

    Keep us posted.
     
  8. Mr_Del

    Mr_Del Regular member

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    You left out that tid bit of info earlier. About haveing to unplug to get the light off. Here is a list of MB makers I have had similar problems with.

    SOYO ECS BIOSTAR PC CHIPS AMPTRON(realy bad one)

    I would scratch my head for hours trying to figure it out. Eventualy I replaced the mother board With a better one. MY top three.

    1)ASUS 2)MSI 3)DFI

    They cost a bit more but are well worth it. It has also been my experince that mother boards with everything intergrated tend to run into this problem. This may not be the case in your problem but based on what has been tried we are now down to two items. The power suply and the MB.

    I do not think it is likely to be the power suply but worth a try if you have another laying around. It is able to keep the computer on longer than 10 seconds. Unless you have power hungry hardware I just dont think it wins the bet. If the hardware fully powers up and the wattage from the power supply is not enough then you crash. Usually the system will reboot on its own.

    MB can lock up just like Windows. Your computer does not always turn off when Windows Crashes so the system can remain on even if the board crashed. One important note. It can be tricky to move a hard drive with Windows 2000/XP from one system to another. It has been sugested that you boot into safe mode and remove all hardware in device manager before moving the hard drive over. Sometimes doing a repair install before allowing the HD to boot the new MB will work. Just don't let that HD boot the new MB until you did one or the other. What happens if you dont do this? Chances are you will be re-installing windows and lose everything on C or in rare cases it will boot fine. IF it gets to that point you can still hook the HD to another system to get your data before you format.

    Good luck
    -Del
     
  9. mallaug

    mallaug Regular member

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    Could try runing a scandisk might help.
     
  10. koco12

    koco12 Member

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    Ok...i have a Asus P4B266C motherboard. I don't thing either is the power supply, just with a video card and a stick of ram...it does the samething...i guess i have to change my motherboard.....Another thing...could it be my memory?
     
  11. koco12

    koco12 Member

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    Can't run a scandisk....the system stay on for not more than 2 minutes if i'm lucky.
     
  12. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    do you have another stick of ram to try
     
  13. koco12

    koco12 Member

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    No i don't...thats why i'm asking...otherwise, i will of try another memory stick.
     
  14. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    does it happen in both the bios or safemode??
     
  15. ScubaBud

    ScubaBud Regular member

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    koco12

    Lets see... Everything was fine just before you installed a new graphics card right? [bold]Loaded some new driver’s maybe [/bold] and then all of a sudden it starts to shut down on you. You remove the new card, but still have the old drivers installed, and put back your old card and still the same problem. So the only thing different with your old card back in your PC is what? The Drivers that you loaded for the new card! Remove them, go back in time with a system restore and see what happens then.
     
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2005
  16. Mr_Del

    Mr_Del Regular member

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    I was thinking you tried a new piece of RAM. Yes bad memory can cause problems like that. Sometimes you will get a message at windows boot that says "windows recovered from a fatal error" or something like that. An entry may also apear in the system log. Other times there are no clues left behind.

    Right click my computer and select manage. Go to event viewer. Now go into System. Look for a RED circle with an X in it. Also Yellow Triangles with a ! in it. Look at the times to see if they relate to the shut down time. Again there may not be anything logged at all. Worth looking at. As ddp mentioned try in safe mode when looking at the log. That way the computer may not cut out on you while your looking.

    -Del
     
  17. koco12

    koco12 Member

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    It's not my memory, i just installed the stick in my system at work...work fine. Can't tried the one at work in my system....they are not the same...and doesn't work with my motherboard. My MB can handled the one from my pc at home.

    For the other comment....would like to try, but my system want let me go in....even in the bios...shut off in less than 30 seconds.

    So the only thing left to do before changing the MB...is to try another Power Supply....can't thing of anything else.....any other suggestion? remeber...can't go in the windows registry...or other....shut off before. Can't go in safe mode either...30 seconds...and i'm out....with the power light on....have to unplugged the system to get back working for 30 seconds or less.
     
  18. koco12

    koco12 Member

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    And for your question ScubaBud...everything was fine before installing that video card. I unpugged everything...left with only the video card, one memory stick....and no luck...just shut off...my HD is not plug in....

    Now that i know that my memory is good...it could be the MB or the power supply......I'll start with changing the power supply....less expensive than buying a MB....keep you post....
     
  19. rafigold

    rafigold Regular member

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    Have you tried Scuba Bud's suggestion of uninstalling the new drivers that were loaded with the new video card. Even if you have removed the new card and put the old one back in, the drivers for the new card will still be there and getting rid of them may help.
     
  20. koco12

    koco12 Member

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    I can't...won't let me go in.....even with the HD unplugged...the system shut off. So it's not a drivers issue. The only thing that i have plugged in....it's a power supply, a motherboard, one memory stick and a video card.....nothing else....shut off after less than 30 seconds...
     

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