My computer has been acting in a weird way for some time, and I don't remember doing anything that could cause this hardware-wise. I'll try to describe it:
After some time powered on, the system suddenly *poof* shuts down in a harsh way. I press the Power button but it doesn't turn on. Then, I remove the power cable from it's back, wait for some hour(s) and turn it on ok, until it turns off again. I'd risk also to say that the 'uptime' I get after a shutdown is somehow proportional to the time I left the power cable off it.

Some would say it's overheating, but I don't think so, since it has a nice cooling and it didn't change from some time to now. I (just wonder, no clue) think it could be some voltage issue, some hard disk problem, power cable issue, possibly some wire overheating (!?!), maybe too many devices connected to the power socket. Could his be caused by any BIOS configuration? By the way, it's running with no memory or processor overclock.

Someone people give me a light, or suggest some expert forums I could post my issue on.
Until the next shutdown, see you.

ummm... can you post us your computer's specification, especially the voltage that your country's electricity grid uses (ex: 120V in North America and 220V in Hong Kong). Also, can you give us the voltage of your Power Supply Unit?

Furthermore, can you provide what operating system you're running on?

xboxrulz

I'm running Windows XP PRO Enterprise in US English

PC Specs.:
Pentium 4 - 2.8GHz
512Mb DDR Ram (No idea of brand)
Seagate 80Gb - 2 Partitions (C: - 30Gb Windows Install) + (D: - 50Gb Storage)
Geforce2 MX 100/200 64Mb
Common peripherals, like PS2 Optical mouse and Multimedia keyboard, USB Creative labs webcam, Epson printer...

Here in Brazil we use 110V voltage, and my Power supply is 110-127V 200W.

Today I'm running it for hours and had no power down (yet). Am I on drugs or is there a possibility of accessing some bad clusters on my HD for example, be causing the shutdown? Because it usually happens when I'm running several programs that run using my D: partition, like Winamp and musics, Photoshop files, games. Today I kept computer use basically on C: partition (Firefox, IM program, downloaded files, System files) and didn't happen. Would that be possible? I mean, damaged clusters would have the power to shut a computer down suddenly?

Thanks anyway for the interest, xboxrulz.

I've had this a few times but i just need to unplug the power cable and plug it back in again.
It sounds like a power supply issue, you might want to check if there is any visible problems with your power supply. When this was happening to my old computer it might have been because around the internal vents there was a burn (looks kind of like rust).
I doubt it is a software problem. If you can try another PSU and it still doesn't work it might be a motherboard or overheating problem.
Other than that i'm not sure

-HellFire

Try a suggestion .. Use a Voltage Regulator .. or a SpikeGuard ... If you connected many plugs into an extension try replacing it with what i mentioned .. Voltage ups and downs can also cause shutdowns.

Fans May / may not help .. but its always better to replace your CPU fan every year and add an extra at the back vent.

Now you mentioned you had a 80GB HDD .. is it like 40+40 or a full 80 .. Here is the scene, if you have 40+40 and 2 CDRom drives you need to increase your Powersupply to 420w .. but if you have 80 and 2 CDrom drives then its not necessary .. I might not be that good of an explainer but its something like this :

2 HDD + 2 CD Roms = Increase powersupply + Fans
1 HDD + 2 CD Roms = No Change
2 HDD + 1 CD Roms = No Change

Atleast thats how my problem of restarting solved. Hope this helped.

Regards
Dhanesh.

This post has been edited by dhanesh: Aug 16 2006, 07:15 AM

i guess about these:
1-maybe your fan problem ( it dosent work properly)
2-or maybe there is connection betwin your motherboard and case body ( if your pc crach for minutes this one is your problem surely)

do the computer beeps when it shutdown and open again?

sometimes a bad memory module is causing this and most people do the the worst case scenarion problem solving..

As far as I am concern, the programs that you said that runs in your drive C: are not memory intensive programs so you will mostly hit the bad memory location less. While using the more memory intensive programs on Drive D wil end you up hitting that location more often and the shutdown more often..

The one that wont allow you to open again is BIOS issuing a POST faillure response.. POST is the checking done by the BIOS to ensure that all devices are working properly before letting the system boot up..

POST - Power On Self Test .. yeeeiiiiii .. i remember .. i bet my proff would be happy to know this after the time a gave my viva in 10th saying POST was something to do with emails

Regards
Dhanesh.

I hope it was called PRE..
POST means only one thing here.. that is after..

Gives most of my old schoolmates why the word POST meaning after be use as term when you are actually opening the computer..

[Procedural Reliability Examination] PRE

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People with lots of time to waste a lot of time for nonsense..

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On the topic.. Please check the beeps..
If the unit beeps there was a problem..

My computer was doing the exact same thing. Thought it was a virus issue at first, but checked and couldn't find anything. I changed the power supply, and it did fine for a while, but sometimes it did anyway, then it shut down again. I never could figure out what was wrong with it. Now it is sitting in the back room collecting dust because it was about 4 years old, so I just bought a better computer.