computer suddenly turns off completely

My Computer Turns Off Without Warning : Troubleshoot

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Last updated on August 10th, at 03:23 pm

If your computer turns off without warning, it’s a sign that something is very wrong or maybe nothing but a loose connection.

This is a very common problem, which many users must have experienced. In the middle of your work, you find your computer suddenly turns off completely, without any warning signs.

The most common cause of a sudden power-off is due to overheating. The BIOS program on your computer’s motherboard is designed to power off your computer immediately if your computer gets too hot, typically higher than about 150C (300F). This helps protect your computer from heat damage.

A situation like this is very troublesome and a big headache. Especially if you have been working on some important projects. Because you lose all your unsaved work.

Before you call the repair guy, you can troubleshoot at home to find the fault.

Computer Turns Off Without Warning: Troubleshoot

Possibilities: The Main reasons for system suddenly turning off on its own can be due to

1. The Processor overheating.

2. Power supply unit faulty

3. Motherboard chipset overheating

1: Processor overheating:

    Computer Turns Off Without Warning                                      

Most of the time Processor overheating is the main cause when a computer suddenly turns off completely. This is a way to protect the Processor from getting permanently damaged.

To confirm and troubleshoot: Check the Processor fan if it’s running smoothly or not. Dust is the main cause that may accumulate over time and clog the CPU fan bearings.

Try to feel the heat of the processor heat sink to know if the temperature is too high. If the CPU fan is noisy or does not rotate freely, change it. There is no substitute for that.

The temperature can rise uncontrollably for want of proper airflow for sufficient cooling. Make sure that the processor fan is spinning properly and the heat sink is not clogged with dust.

If you know how to, then remove the fan and the heat sink and clean them thoroughly with a soft brush.

Apply a fresh coat of heat sink paste on the under-surface of the heat sink, then clamp the fan and the heat sink assembly properly on the processor.

Make sure that there is no play (gap) between the heat sink and the processor. Now check your system, if the problem persists, go for the next step to troubleshoot.

Check out: How to Monitor Laptop and PC Overheating And Fix It

2: Power Supply Unit Faulty

Many Home users tend to ignore this very important component of the computer. A faulty SMPS ( switched-mode power supply) may completely fry your whole system.

A faulty SMPS could be the root cause of a Computer not starting at all or a Computer suddenly turns off completely.

Since there are no user-serviceable parts inside. The best thing would be to check with a new power supply unit. If it solves the problem fine then you know the cause, if the problem persists then you should troubleshoot further.

3: Motherboard Chipset Overheating

Improper ventilation of the CPU cabinet can cause heat to rise inside thereby overheating mother board chipset.

Check all your CPU cabinet fans, if they are spinning properly or not. Normally a CPU cabinet should have at least two inlet fans to draw in cool air and one outlet which acts as an exhaust fan. Replace any faulty cabinet fan.

Additional Tip

Install a good antivirus software, make sure ,that the antivirus software is updated. Viruses and malware can also be a cause for system reboots and erratic shutdowns.

In case you missed: How To Remove Shortcut Virus From Pen drive And Recover Files

If all else fails, you will need to take it to a service center. But don’t get frustrated, you have done your part of troubleshooting at home.

And let me assure you on most of the case, these are the main cause if a computer suddenly turns off completely.

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