| automatic shutdown?
Posted: 6/29/2009 4:58:48 AM | | something is up with my computer. for the last two days if I am idle for more than 10 minutes, and even when I sign offline and the desktop is on, in about 10 minutes the thing restarts!...Im thinking there is an option somewhere that has been clicked, to do this????..If so, does anyone know where I can find that option?...seeing as how I didnt intentionally set it like this, I have no idea how to change it....geeze, I HOPE thats the problem :-( | |
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| automatic shutdown?
Posted: 6/29/2009 6:00:07 AM | ok in control panel there is a "Power Options" select it then make sure all the little boxes inside say NEVER.
Bob | |
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| automatic shutdown?
Posted: 6/29/2009 7:24:19 AM | | Are you sure ur pc actually does restarts or you monitor just goes black and when u move ur mouse it turns on and you are on log in screen? If so when you are on ur deckstop right click anywhere then go to properties it should open a window with 5 tabs I think, one of them will say screensaver click on that and change the screensaver time out time because by default it set to 10 mins change it 30 mins or something and see if it happens again? | |
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| automatic shutdown?
Posted: 6/29/2009 7:51:18 AM | I say u wrong about them all king.
If ram it would not boot up at all and she would be getting BSOD all the time. And randome lock ups and pc would be really slow.
If PSU pc would just shut down and not restart.
If Overheat, no way it would restart it would shut off till it cools off as BIOS wouldn't let it boot up cuz of the temp settings plus how can it overheat when it idles but not when she's using it?
Viruse well maybe but she said it happens only when pc is idle for 10 mins so most likely its just the screensaver. | |
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| automatic shutdown?
Posted: 6/29/2009 11:13:12 AM | Ppl clearly don't know what they talking about here.....
Could u please describe your problem in more details
as if pc makes weird cliking sounds, been slow, freezing up.
Have you installed any softwares before the problem? | |
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| automatic shutdown?
Posted: 6/29/2009 12:05:11 PM | | it used to happen on my server all the time, it was an overheat problem, take the computer apart and clean it out. i do it myself on all machines twice a year with compressed air. | |
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| automatic shutdown?
Posted: 6/29/2009 12:55:26 PM | | @ astock u not so bright r u ? Overheats when pc is idle but not when she's working on it bahahahha good one..... | |
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| automatic shutdown?
Posted: 6/29/2009 2:46:54 PM | | perhaps i replied without totally reading it. no need for name calling | |
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- don
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Joined: 4/23/2009
Msg: 9 | |
| automatic shutdown?
Posted: 6/29/2009 3:19:51 PM | (from desktop)
start > run > type shutdown -a in the box (this will keep it from shutting down)
Then I'm thinking it's either a 'Power Management' or a more serious issue (malware or registry or possibly hardware)
XP:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/russel_02march25.mspx
Vista:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms700612(VS.85).aspx
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If you adjust the power management options and are still having issues,
press [F8] at startup and select 'disable automatic restart'
http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html
(Free Antivirus: Schedule a boot scan after install)
http://download.cnet.com/1770-20_4-0.html?query=Free+Registry+Fix&searchtype=downloads
(registry fixing app)
______________________________
&
to manforrent:
If you are getting viruses on PoF, try an antivirus ;) | |
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| automatic shutdown?
Posted: 6/29/2009 4:11:11 PM | The typical user will VERY RARELY see Windows XP BSOD...the system by defaults just reboots without any indication there even was an error to begin with. I had a similar problem a few years ago when some memory went bad, although, it's rebooting was a bit more sporadic.
Power Management by default doesn't shut the system down from what I've seen, the only options are Stand By or Hibernate. Both have very specific behaviors when they come back online. Standby generally almost instantly comes back on to your desktop or XP Welcome screen...Hibernate will look EXACTLY like a reboot except rather than have the XP logo, you get a simple bar at the bottom of the screen that will say "Resuming Windows". The difference between standby and hibernation is basically STand By cuts everything in to a low-power state...pracically powering the system down except it keeps everything in memory, so when the system comes back up the session is still pretty much active. Hibernation basically saves the contents of system ram to the HDD, marks the boot record so the XP loader loads that file back in to RAM and at that point, brings the system back as it would a system in standby.
Someone mentioned avast...however, I will mention if you're unable to access websites that contain AV or malware programs...your system is most diffently infected...but run those tools and determine if your system is clean.
If by some chance your system comes back as clean...or if you're having problems after cleaning your system...the first thing you may want to do is update all your drivers...paying critical attention to your motherboard/chipset drivers. I've quite often seen issues where you'll update a driver or two, but other drivers cause something to break and cause the kind of issues that would cause problems.
Overheating GENERALLY doesn't cause a BSOD in a system...it CAN, but it's usally an unlikely scenario. When a CPU overheats it doesn't tend to scramble data in a way that would cause a BSOD, but it would simply stop functioning for a second or two or completely. Overheating can be a problem in pre-built systems and laptops. One thing I've noticed in the last few years computer manfactuers have started using what seems to be standard silicone grease thermal compound and even with proper ventilation...with excessive use this stuff will begin to bake and turn hard...at which it doesn't function as well anymore leaving the heatsink alone to do the work. It's a good idea to at least make sure the fan and heatsink and all ventalation areas are dust free and the airflow is good. While removing a CPU heatsink to replace it with compound is a REALLY good idea (as the aftermarket stuff is MUCH better) and is generally an easy task to do, it requires a lot of patience and attention to detail, otherwise you'll wind up doing it wrong and making it even less effective at removing heat or even break the CPU core.
Bad ram is a HUGE cause of BSOD...this is the most likely thing to cause a PC to go into this kind of error state. The problem with Windows BSOD Ram errors is that sometimes, even with the best of tools...the memory tests good. I had a 512MB stick of ram in my old desktop that for months was cusing BSOD's but tested good in every memory application I could find. I only deterined it was this after watching memory usage and noticing the system would reboot after using so much physical ram. It was then a process of removing the memory sticks and finding the bad one.
Don't entirely rule out a bad motherboard. These things do go bad with age and some are just doomed from the factory. When all else fails and not even reinstalling solves the problem, it's pretty much the only thing left in the chain...but don't suspect that untill you've figured out it's not a driver, RAM or other hardware issue. | |
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- don
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Joined: 4/23/2009
Msg: 11 | |
| automatic shutdown?
Posted: 6/29/2009 5:30:59 PM |
you never know what kind of bug you will catch on pof
Yeah, I'm more concerned about the ones that I can catch from the people I meet on PoF...lol 
But seriously, if you are running an antivirus program & antimalware program then you shouldn't have a problem w/general surfing
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Also, subtlecaffeine's post appears to be right on...all good info | |
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| automatic shutdown?
Posted: 6/29/2009 8:35:43 PM | Finally some who knows about pc here lol the thing is she said 10 mins when it idles.
She sound like a pc noob so most likely screen saver kicks in since by default it set to 10 mins and if screen saver set to blank its gonna look like restart to her you know what im saying?
i think u taking it too far with all hardware problems, plus its hard to say what really happens with pc when noob said it automatic shut down bt then she sas it restarts..... | |
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| automatic shutdown?
Posted: 6/29/2009 9:08:07 PM | | could be just the screen saver, but it might be other power management settings putting the comp into standby. she doesn't mention whether she still hears the fans and hard drive running high or low. Either way, OP, check your power management settings since you are specific about the computer being idle and 10 minutes. It's probably not rebooting at all but just standby. You think it's a reboot because you are hitting the mouse or keyboard, then it goes through a "wake-up" and then you get the screen savers login screen if you have your user profile passworded. | |
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| automatic shutdown?
Posted: 6/30/2009 5:28:36 PM | no, Im not a pc noob....i definitely know the difference in a screen saver kicking in and the whole thing restarting, which is exactly what it was doing..heres what I did and it seems so far to have fixed the problem....once when it restarted, I had the black screen come up with all the writing and it said that windows had failed to restart properly and to return the the last known time that windows started properly.. I had no idea what that meant except "system restore" so I went back a week ago, and restored it to that time....so far so good.
I appreciate all the help guys. | |
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