Computer turning it's self off and on

**Biker Chick** · October 6th, 2007, 03:13 PM

Well !!! my friends after I finally got the sound problem fixed on my computer I started having problems with an old problem.
This problem was the computer turning it's self off and on. I had not had the computer but about a year and a half and it started turning it's self off and on constantly. It would not even get booted up till it would start shuting down again. I would turn it off and let it sit for a couple of days and then sometimes I would be able to get it all the way booted up and it would like a charm for a while and then the same old thing.
Finally, I took it to the shop and the tech told me it was going to need a new motherboard. Needless to say I had it done and afterwards it worked like a charm again for a while. Then I started having the problem with sound that you guys worked with me on. Believe it or not the stupid

computer has started doing the same old thing again. It's not the power source either. That was checked out. The computer has been reformatted only about 6 wks ago. I kept check on defrag, ran SpyBot for malware, and I ran Avast Anti Virus nothing there, it was clean.
Needless to say I ditched the thing and it is siting over in the floor. My son had given me this new tower for Christmas, and I just plugged this thing up yesterday (Friday) afternoon. I made up my mind I was not going to let that thing drive me crazy any more. I would tell my friends and family that I had a ghost in my computer and it kept turning it off and on.
I would really like to know if any one has encountered a problem like this and if you have how did you fix it???

**CCT** · October 6th, 2007, 03:18 PM

Turn off auto restart - right click my computer, properties, advanced, and in the startup and recovery section click the settings button and uncheck the box 'automatically restart'... next time it will blue screen properly, then you make a note of the exact message and post it here.

**NooNoo** · October 6th, 2007, 03:33 PM

Yep, and it could be a powersupply problem, the powersupply blips and the computer is set to restart on a power shut off. That doesn't mean the psu is bad, it could mean that the power supplied to the computer is blipping - do you have the computer plugged into a surge protector?

**Biker Chick** · October 6th, 2007, 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

Yep, and it could be a powersupply problem, the powersupply blips and the computer is set to restart on a power shut off. That doesn't mean the psu is bad, it could mean that the power supplied to the computer is blipping - do you have the computer plugged into a surge protector?

Thanks Noo and CCt for responding. The one that is messed up is siting over on the other side of the room. This is a new tower that my son gave me at Christmas and I have never used. It's XP also. I'll plug it (old one) up and check the things that you told me to do. I just literally hate things that don't work. I'll hook the mouse up and plug it up and see what happens. Most of the time when it starts this you can't get it to do a complete boot so you can do anything to it. Soon as it starts to boot, it will then start to shut it's self off again. If I can get it to boot I'll try to do as you instructed. Thanks again. Have you known any one else that this has happened to???
YES I do have it connected to a surge protector.

**CCT** · October 6th, 2007, 06:43 PM

"I just literally hate things that don't work."

Careful there - many people here are RETIRED!

lol

**Platypus** · October 7th, 2007, 05:09 AM

I had a weird fault that kept turning a computer on & off - a blob of hot melt glue on the back of the start/shutoff switch was touching the wire terminals and had become conductive. Just depending on conditions the system might refuse to start, start but shut off in the middle of the POST or run for half an hour then shutoff.

There's also the possibility of faulty capacitors on the motherboard or in the PSU (or both). If it happened that faulty capacitors caused the first motherboard misbehaviour, an identical replacement board could develop the same problem. Bad capacitors are usually visible on the board as having cracks or bulges in the cans, and often brown or whitish fluid leakage.

**Biker Chick** · October 7th, 2007, 06:59 AM

Originally Posted by CCT

"I just literally hate things that don't work."

Careful there - many people here are RETIRED!

lol

I'm one of those RETIRED people. Praise the LORD everything is still in fairely good working order. My worst problems are "WANT TO and ENERGY". Bigest problem is the "want to", because, I know that I don't "have to" any more. I can put off till tomorrow or next week.

**blacksheep77** · July 14th, 2008, 01:18 PM

Sounds like it could be a few other things

1. its sounds most likely the CPU (are you sure they really changed out the board?) It could be as easy as when they changed out your board but they didnt put on thermal paste or they put on to much.

2. CPU Fan quit working. Some MOBO will give you the problems you are seeing when the CPU fan isnt working (computer may work sometimes because fans is working off and on)

3. Virus. Do you have Service pack 2 of higher? If not there was a virus that Anti virus wont fix and the only fix is service pack 2.

4. Power supply. I know you said that you had it tested but I had one that worked great tested fine but I had to much stuff in my computer drawing on it and it couldn't handle the load. As soon as i upgraded to a bigger PSU it fixed the problem.

and for you retired old farts... Good on you and keep up the good WORK!! I hope to be there one day

**NooNoo** · July 14th, 2008, 01:26 PM

Blacksheep, you may want to check out the post date before replying!

**blacksheep77** · July 14th, 2008, 01:45 PM

I did see the date but with a google search for this problem you may come accross this forum. Its sure nice when your looking for a problem people don't need to start a new post.

**Biker Chick** · July 20th, 2008, 05:40 PM

Thanks blacksheep for trying to solve my problem. My son gave me another tower and I just forgot about the one that was giving the problem. I don't know enough about fixing computer to know for sure if the tech's that worked on it did the things that they were suppose to do or not. I took it to 2 different techs and spent way to much money trying to find out what the problem was. I still have the tower, but have not touched it again since I got the new tower. The one that did not work was only about 1 1/2 years old. Trying to get it fixed cost me almost as much as it did to buy a new tower. If a person like me that does not know much about working on computers, we just have to trust the techs that we take it to to tell us the truth. No it was not the fan. No it was not a Virus. I had them to strip everything off and reload WinXP. I did have Service Pack 2 on the computer also plus all the updates from Microsoft too. There was not to much on my computer either. Still had loads of free space. I don't do games.
Sonjia-Biker Chick

**Artz** · August 14th, 2008, 05:29 AM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

Blacksheep, you may want to check out the post date before replying!

I have to congratulate Blacksheep and his excellent spirit. It's thanks to resolved quotes that a website gets more hits and becomes reputable and reliable. Nothing more frustrating than unanswered posts and unresolved problems. Thank you Blacksheep.

**Biker Chick** · August 14th, 2008, 07:33 AM

Originally Posted by Artz

I have to congratulate Blacksheep and his excellent spirit. It's thanks to resolved quotes that a website gets more hits and becomes reputable and reliable. Nothing more frustrating than unanswered posts and unresolved problems. Thank you Blacksheep.

I appreciate all the effort that every one here did in answering my post quickly and trying to help me find a solution. Nothing I did seemed to work. After I tried everything I could do, from the information that was given to me here, and 2 trips to different techs, I thought it was just wise to throw in the towel. I'ed already spent over $200.00, and nothing the tech's did in their shops fixed it. Eventually the same problem would occur again. After taking it to the tech's, it would work for several months and then it would start doing the same thing again. I honestly think it was just a LEMON like some of the cars that you get. My computer was an E-MACHINE and I contacted them and gave them permission to log into my computer and check this computer while we chated and they could not find the problem.
We have a after school program, in my county, that tech's work with high school kids teaching them to work on computers that have been donated. They fix them and then give to students that can't afford to buy a computer. I plan to donate it to this qroup. Maybe the techs there will be able to help the kids find out what is wrong with it.
Thanks to each and every one of you here that tried to help with my problem.
Biker Chick

**Platypus** · August 14th, 2008, 07:49 AM

That's a good thought Sonjia!

**Biker Chick** · August 14th, 2008, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by Platypus

That's a good thought Sonjia!

You guys are doing a great job here. A lot of information for FREE.

I tried to log into your website, and your still under CONSTRUCTION. Very disapointed. I assume you just gave the site as a teaser of things to come.
Sonjia-BikerChick