Windows XP problem

I have a win xp desktop. I know it's time I upgraded and I will but I really like XP. The problem is that my computer shuts down randomly. I don''t know what the cause may be. I've noticed that if I run a program that is CPU intensive, then most of the time it shuts down and at other times it shuts down even the system is idle, although not frequently. Any help would be appreciated.

 

You could be facing overheating issues, so maybe this has nothing to do with the operating system but with the hardware itself, since you say that it is running Windows XP I guess that it is safe to say that it is a very old machine. Check that all your fans are working properly and make sure that you clean the insides of the machine and remove any dust accumulation.

Depending on your hardware and motherboard configuration you could install a program to monitor your CPU's temperature to see if the thing is overheating.

Next, take a look at the Windows Event Viewer for any log entry reporting any problem right before your system went down: Start - Control Panel - Performance and Maintenance - Administrative Tools - Event Viewer, this could shed some lights into this issue.

 

Thanks for replying. My machine is about five years old. Alright I'll clean it up today. I'll also install CPU monitoring program if possible. I'll make a post if I manage to solve this problem.

 

Yes, I agree with fcuco, this is most likely an overheating problem. Dusting off vents normally solves the problem, but sometimes you have to replace the CPU thermal paste. If after doing all that, your computer still restarts, then the next best solution, though may not be the most efficient, is to reformat your laptop. The problem should be solved after that. Please do keep us updated and good luck!

 

Our home computer is running on Windows XP. Although our home computer's OS is okay now, I remember there was a time that it would not boot properly. What we did was to reinstall the OS. It was quite tedious and time-consuming to install again the OS but it's worth it. The diagnosis said that there was a part of the software that got corrupted somehow. I guess that would also be the solution in your case.

 

It is probably a dust and overheating problem, so check that first. However I encountered a similar problem twice last year on a desktop, and it had a very different cause.

If the software and overheating doesn't fix it, please check your PSU. There was a rather bad power supply released a few years back that couldn't handle bursts of power as it had no extra capacity. Every time the machine pulled more power, it shut it down. In the worst cases it was only supporting two thirds of its rated value before failure. Because it was cheap, a lot of places used it.

So far it has been the cause of two unexplained shutdowns on PCs of that age, one XP and one Vista. With swapped power supplies both machines are running fine. I'll see if I can find the make - they're in my junk box somewhere.

 

Well, I forgot to mention something that could be very important: backup all your data because if it is indeed a hardware problem your data is at risk, I actually had an old HP laptop basically melted on me because of the overheating problem, the heat actually melted or destroyed the connection between the monitor and the motherboard so I had no video at first, but then not even an external display saved me because the thing died anyway.

If you are going to download a CPU monitoring program I used to use one called "Real Temp". Consider buying a cheap cooling pad too because maybe your internal fans are damaged beyond repair... but 5 years is not that old though, Windows 7 was released 5 years ago!

 

Thanks for the extremely helpful replies guys. I know a computer repairman who works at my brother's office. If he has some free time, I'll ask him to help out. My PSU is a Corsair 450 which is not a bad PSU although like I said, it's been five years since I bought this desktop. I'm going to download Real Temp right away. I'll keep you guys posted.

 

This is another fantastic thread as I have encounter this problem with my Sony desk top before! Since I don't know much about anything when it comes to software, hardware, and drivers, I took it to a repair shop to have someone that specialized in this area to do the job. It lasted me another two years after the fix.

 

This have happened to me as well, in my old windows computer, not that it has anything to do with the OS. The thing is with this old computer I tend not to really do maintenance and the dust really saturates it at times. You gotta be careful with this as overheating might really burn your motherboard.

 

from what you've said bro, the problem could be a hardware problem and not because of the windows XP, do you get the famouse blue window when it shutdowns? or it completely shut down? if it doesn't show any thing it could be your alimentry box (if the name is correct we call it in French "boite d'alemntation)

 

Hi guys. I cleaned my PC using a vacuum cleaner yesterday. There was an impressive amount of dust but it's clean now. My desktop hasn't shut down randomly since. I used Real Temp when playing an HD video and the temperature on the two cores was 74 degree C and 70 degree C. I hope those are normal temperatures. SO it seems like the problem was dust accumulation after all.
@jamesbonner. No blue screen, just total shutdown.
Anyway thanks for the help guys.

 

I'm glad cleaning solved your heat issue, but please don't use a vacuum cleaner of any type in the future. Even the little ones sold for PC cleaning are not good to use. You can create a static build up and the discharge can ruin components in your computer. Use compressed air instead.

 

I had no idea vacuum cleaners ccould be so damaging. I will be more careful when cleaning my desktop from now on. Thanks for the tip.

 

You can still clean some parts with vacuum cleaners. I'm talking about fans and the heatsink, etc. I know this is common knowledge but make sure the fans don't spin in the wrong direction. But as nytegeek suggested it's not safe to clean the internal parts like the motherboard as it could build static. Anyway, yeah, congrats for solving the problem. Try replacing the thermal paste next time. Please do keep us posted!

 

If you're using your desktop... clean the dust. Overheating and dust are the 2 main problems of all desktops. Use your vacuum cleaner to solve the dust problem. It worked well for me when I used to have a desktop.

 

If you take a moment to read the previous replies you will find that a vacuum cleaner isn't the wise choice for cleaning a PC in most cases. I'm glad it worked for you, but compressed air is a safer solution.

 

I never tried that. However, I might try it If I find it here. It's not about being wise. It's about cleaning a PC.

 

I'm not sure what you meant by that. It isn't very wise to use a device that can cause a static discharge and ruin your computer. A clean computer wont do you much good if it doesn't work so I'm going to have to say it is about being wise. The safest method is to use compressed air. Be it an actual air compressor or the cans you can buy.

 

For those that are thinking of cleaning your computer it might be very tempting to grab the vacuum and clean it up, but compressed air is the tool of choice. Only if you can't get hold of a can of compressed air do I recommend using a vacuum to solve the job.