Author Topic: Computer Randomly Turning Off  (Read 4192 times)

Arcane Archers

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Computer Randomly Turning Off
« on: December 29, 2009, 01:24:46 PM »
Any ideas as to hwat might cause this? Its been running very slow, and now it just randomly turns off after a while of running NWN. I checked it for dust, and cleaned it out, so I dont think thats the problem. I dont think its overheating , though im not sure.. I can usually hear the fan running... not sure if thats good or bad. [Shrugs] yeah.... any ideas?
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Psyche

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Re: Computer Randomly Turning Off
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2009, 01:35:13 PM »
Striking.
Basically, the physics gnomes (they push the electrons about inside your computer, and thus make it work) have formed a regional union, and decided to take industrial action.
My recommendation would be to hire a corps of strike-breakers.

failed.bard

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Re: Computer Randomly Turning Off
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2009, 01:51:26 PM »
  How old is the computer, and have you taken the side off to see if it's dusty inside the case?

Arcane Archers

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Re: Computer Randomly Turning Off
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2009, 02:35:26 PM »
  How old is the computer, and have you taken the side off to see if it's dusty inside the case?

Uh... im not quiet sure how old it is, and yeah, I checked for dust inside it as well. I know its getting old though, I may just have to get a new one, not sure. Was thinking about it.
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Re: Computer Randomly Turning Off
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2009, 09:05:33 PM »
Probably overheating and/or the fan though. Try cooling it with an actual fan if you've got one (open it up, place a fan next to it), see if that helps. Used to help the computer at work last longer. Not really an ideal situation I presume, but it can help you get through the days waiting for a new computer(part) and if it helps, you at least know what the problem is.

shadymerchant

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Re: Computer Randomly Turning Off
« Reply #5 on: December 29, 2009, 09:09:15 PM »
It could be any component in your PC, but the videocard and the powersupply are the two most common culprits. It's either turning off where it gets to a point where that is the safest thing for it to do, or something like a dying power supply is being pushed to its limit and dies. If you have spare PC parts around you can switch parts out, or cut down to the bare minimum to run. I had a similar problem recently and it turned out that the nearest wall outlet I was using for power just couldn't manage to keep it on. I've had to run an extension cord to another outlet.
« Last Edit: December 29, 2009, 09:11:53 PM by shadymerchant »

Emomina

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Re: Computer Randomly Turning Off
« Reply #6 on: December 29, 2009, 09:13:09 PM »
If you have a laptop. the connection on the power supply is a big culprit for this kind of issue, sometimes a new power supply will fix the issue.  If you have a gaming rig, then check to make sure all the fans are still running while its turned on.  And if your CPU has a heatsink, take it off and give it a good blow out wit h compressed air.  80% of total power off issues are heat related. Too much stress on the components.  Dust is a big catalyst for overheating.
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Kendric98

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Re: Computer Randomly Turning Off
« Reply #7 on: December 29, 2009, 11:01:59 PM »
Keep in mind it could be infected by everything from spyware, Trojans etc etc. Mine was restarting in windowed mode do to a Trojan.

Samson/Tatyanna Costella

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Re: Computer Randomly Turning Off
« Reply #8 on: December 30, 2009, 10:48:44 PM »
Do you get this with any other programs, or just NWN?

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Arcane Archers

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Re: Computer Randomly Turning Off
« Reply #9 on: December 31, 2009, 12:55:20 PM »
It... seems to have fixed itself , not sure.... weird. But yeah.. it was only happening with NWN. 
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Re: Computer Randomly Turning Off
« Reply #10 on: December 31, 2009, 01:10:38 PM »
Friend, I think your power supply is close to ascending to a better place. Usually that's the culpit of resets and powering off.
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Re: Computer Randomly Turning Off
« Reply #11 on: December 31, 2009, 01:14:45 PM »
Friend, I think your power supply is close to ascending to a better place. Usually that's the culpit of resets and powering off.
No, if it was his power supply it wouldn't only happen while he was playing NWN.

I used to have thsi happen to me as well. It wasn't my power supply or my video card, it was my crappy onboard Realtek audio. It was unpredictable--sometimes it might happen several times a day, or it might not happen for a week. But it went away entirely when I disabled the onboard sound chip, deleted the Realtek drivers, and installed a SoundBlaster.

Try running the game with sound disabled for a few days and see if the crashes still happen.

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Arcane Archers

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Re: Computer Randomly Turning Off
« Reply #12 on: December 31, 2009, 01:15:40 PM »
Friend, I think your power supply is close to ascending to a better place. Usually that's the culpit of resets and powering off.
No, if it was his power supply it wouldn't only happen while he was playing NWN.

I used to have thsi happen to me as well. It wasn't my power supply or my video card, it was my crappy onboard Realtek audio. It was unpredictable--sometimes it might happen several times a day, or it might not happen for a week. But it went away entirely when I disabled the onboard sound chip, deleted the Realtek drivers, and installed a SoundBlaster.

Try running the game with sound disabled for a few days and see if the crashes still happen.

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Re: Computer Randomly Turning Off
« Reply #13 on: January 01, 2010, 05:08:09 PM »
Friend, I think your power supply is close to ascending to a better place. Usually that's the culpit of resets and powering off.
No, if it was his power supply it wouldn't only happen while he was playing NWN.

I used to have thsi happen to me as well. It wasn't my power supply or my video card, it was my crappy onboard Realtek audio. It was unpredictable--sometimes it might happen several times a day, or it might not happen for a week. But it went away entirely when I disabled the onboard sound chip, deleted the Realtek drivers, and installed a SoundBlaster.

Try running the game with sound disabled for a few days and see if the crashes still happen.

If NWN was the only demanding application he was running, it could have been the power supply.

Kendric98

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Re: Computer Randomly Turning Off
« Reply #14 on: January 01, 2010, 11:38:27 PM »
You mean there are other things on out machines besides NWN and the browser?  :jawdrop:

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Re: Computer Randomly Turning Off
« Reply #15 on: January 02, 2010, 12:29:23 AM »
Friend, I think your power supply is close to ascending to a better place. Usually that's the culpit of resets and powering off.
No, if it was his power supply it wouldn't only happen while he was playing NWN.

I used to have thsi happen to me as well. It wasn't my power supply or my video card, it was my crappy onboard Realtek audio. It was unpredictable--sometimes it might happen several times a day, or it might not happen for a week. But it went away entirely when I disabled the onboard sound chip, deleted the Realtek drivers, and installed a SoundBlaster.

Try running the game with sound disabled for a few days and see if the crashes still happen.

If NWN was the only demanding application he was running, it could have been the power supply.
If it was the power supply, it would shut off on any program, really. NWN is hardly a demanding program compared to newer programs out there today. He could easily test it with all his other games and programs. If it only crashes while running NWN, it's not the power supply.

I speak from experience here. I had this -exact- same problem about a year ago. I did everything, ran virus scans, messed around with direct x, bought a new power supply, bought a new video card, checked the RAM....and none of it changed--the power kept shutting off and only while playing NWN, no other games. It only stopped once I disabled the Realtek drivers and onboard sound chip.

And disabling the sound is the simplest and easiest solution for him to try instead of buying a new power supply which he in all likelihood doesn't need.

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Arcane Archers

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Re: Computer Randomly Turning Off
« Reply #16 on: January 02, 2010, 04:35:22 AM »
Friend, I think your power supply is close to ascending to a better place. Usually that's the culpit of resets and powering off.
No, if it was his power supply it wouldn't only happen while he was playing NWN.

I used to have thsi happen to me as well. It wasn't my power supply or my video card, it was my crappy onboard Realtek audio. It was unpredictable--sometimes it might happen several times a day, or it might not happen for a week. But it went away entirely when I disabled the onboard sound chip, deleted the Realtek drivers, and installed a SoundBlaster.

Try running the game with sound disabled for a few days and see if the crashes still happen.

If NWN was the only demanding application he was running, it could have been the power supply.
If it was the power supply, it would shut off on any program, really. NWN is hardly a demanding program compared to newer programs out there today. He could easily test it with all his other games and programs. If it only crashes while running NWN, it's not the power supply.

I speak from experience here. I had this -exact- same problem about a year ago. I did everything, ran virus scans, messed around with direct x, bought a new power supply, bought a new video card, checked the RAM....and none of it changed--the power kept shutting off and only while playing NWN, no other games. It only stopped once I disabled the Realtek drivers and onboard sound chip.

And disabling the sound is the simplest and easiest solution for him to try instead of buying a new power supply which he in all likelihood doesn't need.

 Probably sound... [Coughs] Realtek AC'97 Audio.  -_-;
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Re: Computer Randomly Turning Off
« Reply #17 on: January 02, 2010, 08:17:36 PM »
Friend, I think your power supply is close to ascending to a better place. Usually that's the culpit of resets and powering off.
No, if it was his power supply it wouldn't only happen while he was playing NWN.

I used to have thsi happen to me as well. It wasn't my power supply or my video card, it was my crappy onboard Realtek audio. It was unpredictable--sometimes it might happen several times a day, or it might not happen for a week. But it went away entirely when I disabled the onboard sound chip, deleted the Realtek drivers, and installed a SoundBlaster.

Try running the game with sound disabled for a few days and see if the crashes still happen.

If NWN was the only demanding application he was running, it could have been the power supply.
If it was the power supply, it would shut off on any program, really. NWN is hardly a demanding program compared to newer programs out there today. He could easily test it with all his other games and programs. If it only crashes while running NWN, it's not the power supply.

I speak from experience here. I had this -exact- same problem about a year ago. I did everything, ran virus scans, messed around with direct x, bought a new power supply, bought a new video card, checked the RAM....and none of it changed--the power kept shutting off and only while playing NWN, no other games. It only stopped once I disabled the Realtek drivers and onboard sound chip.

And disabling the sound is the simplest and easiest solution for him to try instead of buying a new power supply which he in all likelihood doesn't need.

I'm not suggesting he should, and it looks like sound is his problem here, but I don't want people to be mislead into thinking falsehoods about power supplies when they're trying to diagnose their computer in the future.  NWN is old, yes, but with CEP and the amount of stuff we cram on the screen, it really chokes up computers - especially older ones, and many people here are playing on terrible computers that can hardly run the game on the lower settings.

I have had problems in the past where everything was fine until I would run a demanding application, at which point my screen would change colors and my computer would get unresponsive and all kinds of crazy things (the video card wasn't getting enough power, and was trying to steal all the power it could from everything else).  So it's not something that would just happen with every program on the computer.  It just depends.