Computer turns off

spookyload · 12-09-2008, 08:09 PM

My daughters computer has started doing something very odd. She can be doing something very simple like uploading music to her Ipod, or anything for that matter, and it will turn off. No warning or anything, just goes full off in seconds like the power cord has been pulled. When she goes to turn it back on, it won't respond. I have to pull the battery and reset the cmos to get it to come back on. Is this her PSU dying or maybe the cmos battery?

PeterT · 12-09-2008, 09:58 PM

A bad CMOS battery shouldn't cause the symptom you described, but a bad PSU possibly could. I recently had a PSU go bad on my daughter's old PC and the symptoms were not the same, but similiar. See this thread:
http://www.abxzone.com/forums/f41/pr...lp-114221.html
You could start by replacing the battery, it's cheap and easy. If that's not it, you'll have to start replacing parts.

zsaz1029 · 12-09-2008, 10:33 PM

A bad CMOS shouldn't do that, you're right Peter. The CMOS should essentially not be in use while the PC is on. You'd just lose all settings when you powered off. I'd suspect the PSU, but then I always do. I've had so many die. Any chance you have a spare, or could use yours to test it? I guess that also depends on how often or quickly it dies.

spookyload · 12-13-2008, 06:07 PM

I replaced the PSU just to cut to the chase with the problem. It hasn't restarted again yet. The old PSU was very old I found out. It must have been six years old. It didn't have a 24 pin power connector, but rather a 20 pin connector. I assume that wouldn't do anything, but the new one is 24 pin. Rock solid performance so far. The only other thing I noticed was the front USB panel would spark if I tried to plug anything into it. I disconnected the motherboard header for it just to be safe.

DaveLessnau · 12-13-2008, 07:37 PM

Is the AC plug everything's plugged into properly grounded?

spookyload · 12-13-2008, 11:49 PM

Everything is good. When I looked inside the USB front panel, I saw some of the individual pins bent over and touch all the way across the inside of the USB plug. She must have forced something in there pretty good to do that. I am guessing that short is probably what was causing the computer to turn off, but the six year old power supply pushing a Prescott, three 120mm fans, and a 7800GT could very well have been a culprit too. I have Gigabytes system health tool installed, but it never warned me of low readings on the PSU like it should have. I know those programs arent the most reliable though.

*zapionics<alt>* · 12-14-2008, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spookyload

Everything is good. When I looked inside the USB front panel, I saw some of the individual pins bent over and touch all the way across the inside of the USB plug. She must have forced something in there pretty good to do that. I am guessing that short is probably what was causing the computer to turn off, ...

Absolutely flippin lucky it didnt kill the entire board! I had a bad USB socket short out the on board controller and then burn out the chipset on a top end 875P board once, and also killing a Sony handycam that was plugged in at the time

.

12-09-2008, 08:09 PM	#1
spookyload IN-n-Out Expert Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Probably stuck in Iraq! Posts: 2,935	Computer turns off My daughters computer has started doing something very odd. She can be doing something very simple like uploading music to her Ipod, or anything for that matter, and it will turn off. No warning or anything, just goes full off in seconds like the power cord has been pulled. When she goes to turn it back on, it won't respond. I have to pull the battery and reset the cmos to get it to come back on. Is this her PSU dying or maybe the cmos battery?
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12-09-2008, 09:58 PM	#2
PeterT CUSL2...GA-EP45-UD3P...? Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Sunny Florida, USA Posts: 2,688	Re: Computer turns off A bad CMOS battery shouldn't cause the symptom you described, but a bad PSU possibly could. I recently had a PSU go bad on my daughter's old PC and the symptoms were not the same, but similiar. See this thread: http://www.abxzone.com/forums/f41/pr...lp-114221.html You could start by replacing the battery, it's cheap and easy. If that's not it, you'll have to start replacing parts. __________________ Proud Member: Team-CUSL2 - 'The Old School Crew' Asus Eee PC 1000HE, 1x2GB Corsair DDR2 667 GA-EP45-UD3P, Q9550, 4x2GB Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800, EVGA 9800GTX+ 512MB GA-EP45-DS3L, E7200, 4x2GB Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800, Asus EAH4850 TOP 512MB GA-EP45-UD3P, E6600, 4x1GB Crucial Ballistix DDR2 1066, EVGA 8800GTS 512MB P5B-D in a box at the moment P4P800-D, P4 2.4C, 4x512MB Mushkin DDR 400, ATI AIW X800XT 256MB TUSL2C, P3-S 1.4, 2x256MB Corsair XMS150, ATI 9800PRO 128MB, TB Santa Cruz CUSL2, P3 1.0, 1x256MB & 2x128MB Corsair PC133, Asus V7700D 32MB, SB Live! * Please join ABXZone and participate *
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12-09-2008, 10:33 PM	#3
zsaz1029 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 2,200	Re: Computer turns off A bad CMOS shouldn't do that, you're right Peter. The CMOS should essentially not be in use while the PC is on. You'd just lose all settings when you powered off. I'd suspect the PSU, but then I always do. I've had so many die. Any chance you have a spare, or could use yours to test it? I guess that also depends on how often or quickly it dies. __________________ Spaz ----- ----- "A scar is never the same as good flesh, but it stops the bleeding." -- FitzChivalry Farseer (Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb) "Only my pain is more silent than my anger." -- Amber (The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb) -----
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12-13-2008, 06:07 PM	#4
spookyload IN-n-Out Expert Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Probably stuck in Iraq! Posts: 2,935	Re: Computer turns off I replaced the PSU just to cut to the chase with the problem. It hasn't restarted again yet. The old PSU was very old I found out. It must have been six years old. It didn't have a 24 pin power connector, but rather a 20 pin connector. I assume that wouldn't do anything, but the new one is 24 pin. Rock solid performance so far. The only other thing I noticed was the front USB panel would spark if I tried to plug anything into it. I disconnected the motherboard header for it just to be safe.
(Offline)

12-13-2008, 07:37 PM	#5
DaveLessnau Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 126	Re: Computer turns off Is the AC plug everything's plugged into properly grounded?
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12-13-2008, 11:49 PM	#6
spookyload IN-n-Out Expert Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Probably stuck in Iraq! Posts: 2,935	Re: Computer turns off Everything is good. When I looked inside the USB front panel, I saw some of the individual pins bent over and touch all the way across the inside of the USB plug. She must have forced something in there pretty good to do that. I am guessing that short is probably what was causing the computer to turn off, but the six year old power supply pushing a Prescott, three 120mm fans, and a 7800GT could very well have been a culprit too. I have Gigabytes system health tool installed, but it never warned me of low readings on the PSU like it should have. I know those programs arent the most reliable though.
(Offline)

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