PC randomly freezing/turning off

[rJCaiG]

Okay. For about 2 months my computer has been freezing up, requiring me to manually restart using the button. This wasn't really a problem, because it only really happened after 5+ hours every 3-5 days.
But now it's happening a LOT more often; atleast once a day, and in addition to this problem, twice today, my computer has shut itself off. Bang. No warning, no apparent pattern, just shuts itself off.
This problem is really bugging me. Here's some info that might be able to help anyone interested:

Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Service Pack 3
Video Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT
Video Driver version: 182.50
Audio Adapter: Realtek HD Audio output
AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4400+

My 8600GT runs at 53c at idle, while when in GTA4 it runs at 72c.
I have more than enough fan power inside my system.
Any more info required, i'll be happy to supply.
No errors are appearing in the error log when it freezes OR turns off.

[MikeUK]

Okay. For about 2 months my computer has been freezing up, requiring me to manually restart using the button. This wasn't really a problem, because it only really happened after 5+ hours every 3-5 days.
But now it's happening a LOT more often; atleast once a day, and in addition to this problem, twice today, my computer has shut itself off. Bang. No warning, no apparent pattern, just shuts itself off.
This problem is really bugging me. Here's some info that might be able to help anyone interested:My 8600GT runs at 53c at idle, while when in GTA4 it runs at 72c.
I have more than enough fan power inside my system.
Any more info required, i'll be happy to supply.
No errors are appearing in the error log when it freezes OR turns off.

Open your PC up, take the RAM out. While it is open, give it a good dust, and Put the RAM back in. The close it all up and restart it.

By dust you can't put anything that generates static in there, you need some spray air, in an aerosol bottle. A good substitute is deodorant held about 20cm away.

[rJCaiG]

Well, i'll try that next time it shuts off :P

[SargentJosh]

**Giac sprays deodorant into his pc 20cm away**   BOOM


LOL jks nah, my pc turns off after a while, :/ sometimes it doesn't. but its what you get for living in asutralia with shit pc's........

i just took the side off my PC and left it. reduced it.

[Mafs]

Ye.. I wouldn't recommend using a spray can of deoderant, since it's kind of flammable
If you really want to give it a good clean up, I would suggest taking every single component out and using your vacuumcleaner to clean inside of the heatsinks.

Especially your graphic card heatsink they're really sensitive to dust, same for your processor heatsink really.
Also, if you have a bit of knowledge with computers or electronics. You might want to open your PSU (Power Supply) as alot of air also comes through that on most models, if they are decent enough, so this means there will probably be alot of dust inside that also.

And if you're to afraid to do any of this, or you do not have the knowledge. Just vacuum as much as you can without taking too much out.

PS: If you take off the heatsink from the CPU or the GPU (Graphic card) be sure to have some cooling paste to put back on the heatsink, as this will help to make a solid connection between your CPU, GPU and the heatsink.

[MikeUK]

If you have a dell, they have a piece of mesh that collects dust on the fans, Like a tumble-dryer, you can slide it out and empty it.

[Mafs]

If you have a dell, they have a piece of mesh that collects dust on the fans, Like a tumble-dryer, you can slide it out and empty it.

Who would buy a Dell..  :trust:

[MikeUK]

Who would buy a Dell..  :trust:

Well, they make AlienWare my friend.

[rJCaiG]

That. ^

[brainiac220]

I had the same problem with the PC freezing , everytime i enter San andreas or other game after like 4-5 mins the whole sistem freezes, but after the restart it works fine ... and in one day, i got pissed off about those freezes and i reinstalled my windows .... and looks like that did the trick, my pc is running now fine without any freeze problem ...  :banana:

[Janar]

I would suggest taking every single component out and using your vacuumcleaner to clean inside of the heatsinks.

Using vacuum cleaner to clean computer from dust is not good idea!
It can spoil chips on motherboard.
Better use some compressed air or use compressor.
I used compressor to clean my friends computer from dust, no problems and computer was faster.

[Mafs]

Using vacuum cleaner to clean computer from dust is not good idea!
It can spoil chips on motherboard.
Better use some compressed air or use compressor.
I used compressor to clean my friends computer from dust, no problems and computer was faster.

And why would that be? Most vacuumcleaners have a plastic tube which is flexible to clean with, along with most of the times and iron tube for the floors.
If you take the iron tube off, what's the problem with the chips? Plastic isn't static, so I don't think their is any way of 'spoiling' the chips, or do you know something I do not?

[Roadkill]

OK what you need to do is open your case, give it a quick vacuum, take the fans off and clean them, then give your case a full vacuum and make sure there is hardly any dust.

I don't care what anyone says about using a vacuum, obviously don't use it too close but I've been doing it every 2 months to my PC for the past 3 years and NO problems what so ever and the owner of a local PC shop said that it was fine.

Then what you need to do is download SpeedFan and make sure that your components are not too hot, if they are too hot then simply change the fan speed using SpeedFan.

[Roger_Murtaugh]

Shut down of PC has LOADS of things as cause, everything that has been said here is an option, but i have read on forums people with same trouble shooting.. and they give loads of other things to do to prevent this kind of things. When it shuts down, means you got an error in windows somewhere, and your PC shuts automatically down, i hadf it with my ex-PC... You can change in 'My computer' a setting wich allows you to NOT auto shut down your PC and you see the error appearing and then your able to fix, you get an error report etc, then you can fix everythig normally.

[MarioRinarri]

As Trojan suggested, try using SpeedFan.