Era Might Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 My computer is shutting down intermittently. Sometimes it can stay on for a while without shutting down, but sometimes it shuts down right after Windows boots up. It goes through the Windows process of shutting down. Sometimes it beeps as well. The last time it shut down, I rebooted and got a message that it shut down because the processor was overheating. I dusted inside the system yesterday, which seemed to help for a while, but the problem is still happening. So I'm just trying to think of what the problem might be, other than the fan (which is the first thing that comes to mind, but the fan seems to be working). I don't think it's a virus because I wiped out my hard drive and reinstalled everything. Any ideas what I should look for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachael Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 it's broken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Era Might Posted July 10, 2008 Author Share Posted July 10, 2008 Really? Maybe I should call tech support to confirm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachael Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 and it's all your fault. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old_Joe Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 You should considered getting a second fan. They're inexpensive and easy to install. Also, try downloading [url="http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php"]speed fan[/url]. It'll tell you the temperature of your hard drives and CPU/motherboard. If supported, it can also change the speed of the system fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winchester Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 You might have a ton of dust in there making it not as efficient. Spray some Pledge in your computer. Kidding, Kidding! Don't do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seven77 Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 solution: get a mac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abercius24 Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 (edited) I agree with Old Joe's recommendations. The stock fan just isn't enough for most computers anymore. You might also consider getting a "North Bridge" fan. The North Bridge chip might be what is actually overheating, leading the CMOS to report it as the processor. Edited July 11, 2008 by abercius24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Funny computer story: I do most of my posting from a tiny old laptop. It kinda smells of elderberries. More than kinda. It often freezes. ...not a normal computer freeze though. More of a dumb little skipping thing where nothing works right. It literally works better when I smack it a couple times. [b]This[/b] my friends, is why men like hammers. I think. I'm not mechanically inclined. I just like giving things a smack when they don't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iacobus Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 I am assuming you are running a desktop. (Not really "first" per se, but if it does beep again, write down the beeps or open the case as see if your mobo has a display on it which puts out a error code number. You can look up the beeps or number based on the maker of your mobo or by calling your computer makers tech support). Like they said before, SpeedFan would be a good download. Dusting with compressed air and making sure your fans are clear and free is a second good idea. If your CPU is overheating but your mobo isn't and your other chipsets are fine, etc, (SpeedFan should give you a reading for HD temp and mobo, under 35 C and 45 C, respectively, are okay temps) I would suspect it is limited to a heatsink/fan issue and not a matter of case fans. First, fans would be a good thing to go with. Stock is sometimes good enough but not always. A good heatsink and fan for your CPU shouldn't be too costly or be too hard to install youself. You don't need anything fancy like a liquid cooled system, just a regular old heatsink and fan. I would suggest one for you but they differ by CPU type (at least as far as I understand it). [url="http://www.newegg.com/Store/Category.aspx?Category=11&name=Fans-Heatsinks"]http://www.newegg.com/Store/Category.aspx?...=Fans-Heatsinks[/url] Check out that link and just look around until you find something for your needs with a good review. Second, it is possible that your heatsink and fan are okay as stock. I know mine have been and I know a lot of people running on stock cooling still. Before ordering a heatsink/fan, I would first take off your current heatsink, clean off the "gray stuff" between the CPU and heatsink and re-apply some. I personally like Arctic Silver as my cooling compound, that would set you back like 10 bucks on NewEgg and I would think might be something you can get at a Best Buy or something for about the same price. Just ask for Thermal Compound or CPU thermal compound. There are tons of guides online on how to apply thermal compound or change a heatsink, if you don't already know how. I would be glad to help you with any questions you have about it. I think this also goes a bit without saying, but try to limit your use of the overheating computer until you get the issue fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Era Might Posted July 21, 2008 Author Share Posted July 21, 2008 It appears that the problem was my keyboard. I was suspecting the keyboard for a while, but it didn't seem like a keyboard problem. Sometimes it would occur only when I started typing. But sometimes the computer would shut down as soon as it booted up, so I was doubting that the keyboard was the problem. I decided to replace the keyboard a little while ago and see what happens, and I haven't had any problems so far. I have to wait and see whether the problem happens again, to know for sure, But I think it is fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommas_boy Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Is it a laptop? If so, how long have you had it? Laptops draw their power directly from their battery, even when it's plugged into the wall. Sometimes, the battery can get so inefficient at holding a charge that the laptop will turn itself off, even when plugged in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abercius24 Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 If it is a keyboard problem, then Iocabus is right. Based on the number of beeps at startup, you should be able to look up the manual for your montherboard and verify that signal is indicating a keyboard problem. I offer this suggestion just in case you want to make sure you've isolated the issue. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Era Might Posted July 22, 2008 Author Share Posted July 22, 2008 There didn't seem to be any pattern to the beeps. Sometimes it would beep a few times, sometimes it would beep erratically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balthazor Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I would have went into Bios and run a diagnostic to see what the problem was. My computer sometimes does weird things to! Lately I have had problems with the power cord shorting out the computer. Before that it crashed and I reinstalled everything, it works fine now, but I was going through withdrawl for a day or two. If I ever really break it beyond repair I will see if I can get the viruses exocised....of course for some reason computer's seem to be allergic to water, even holy water! so I reccomend using blessed salt in its place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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