Computer Shut Down Error - Does Your Computer Randomly Shut Itself Down?

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Have you recently had a computer shut down error, where your PC just randomly shuts down for no apparent reason? If so, then you need to read this article, because here I've put together some advice to help you. I'm going to be talking about overheating CPU, failing RAM, programs running in the background, and the registry.

Overheating CPU

One possible cause of the problem is that your computer's processor could be overheating. If you use a lot of music or video programs, they can end up using a lot of CPU power, and as a result your CPU can overheat.

Download a free program called Speedfan (search for it on Google), and use this to check the temperature of your CPU. If it is above 60 degrees then you're in trouble. You may want to open the case and clean dust from your CPU fan, and this collected dust can reduce the cooling effect of the fan.

Failing RAM

If you determine that the CPU temperature is not the cause of your problem, consider that your RAM chip(s) may be malfunctioning. One thing you can do to test this is to open your case and carefully remove one of your RAM modules, and see if the problem goes away. If it does, then you may need to replace the faulty RAM module.

Programs Running In The Background

Another option worth considering is that one of the programs running in the background may be causing the error. One method of disabling specific programs from running when Windows boots up is to use MSCONFIG. To run MSCONFIG, in Windows XP go to Start, Run, then type in "msconfig". For Windows Vista or Windows 7, Click the Windows button and then type "msconfig" into the search box.

In MSCONFIG, go to the Startup section, and de-select any software that you are sure that you definitely don't want to run at startup. Warning: Don't disable any software that you're unsure about.

Perform Registry Scan

Many Windows problems can be fixed simply by performing a registry scan. There are many registry fixing programs, and some are definitely better than others. For help in choosing the best registry scanner visit Registry Fixers now.