Resources

Why does my PC just shutdown itself?

Computers should not turn themselves off without a good reason. Oftentimes, when a computer does shutdown, it does have a valid reason - such as if the computer is protecting itself from danger (most often heat). Other reasons for random shutdowns are not for self-preservation but as a symptom of something else, such as a loose power connection or failing memory chips.

Heat and Dust

Your computer is put through the paces, day in and day out. It gets hot. And it’s often one of the most neglected pieces of equipment on your desk as far as cleaning and maintenance go. When a computer’s CPU gets too hot, it may be set to automatically shutdown in order to protect itself from damage.

To troubleshoot and clean an overheating computer, you’ll need to power down the PC, unplug it from the power source, ground yourself, and open the computer case. It’s dirty in there, isn’t it? Use a can of compressed air to gently blow the dust away.

Power Connections

While you have the computer case open, inspect the fans along with the power supply connections. Is the power supply’s connection to the motherboard properly connected? Does everything look okay? Later, once the computer is reassembled, you will check the power cord to be sure that it is firmly connected to the PC - make sure to wait until after you’ve reassembled your computer.

Failing RAM

Check the memory chips. Are they properly seated? Consider removing one chip and running the system on the other to rule out faulty RAM. Then swap chips and run the computer. If the PC doesn’t shutdown when one chip is removed, it’s a safe guess that the removed RAM is faulty and needs to be replaced.

Once you’re swapping RAM chips, reassemble your computer and place it in an area where air can flow freely around its vents.

Computer Viruses and Malware

Computer viruses and malware may be to blame as well. These nasty little programs run without your knowledge, putting your computer under pressure to carry out more tasks than you can imagine. These tasks hog memory and cause the computer to work hard, thus contributing to the overheating problem. Run a complete system scan for viruses and spyware to rule this out as a possibility.

Recently began experiencing random shut-downs, spent 5 days on phone w/MS, who added to my problems by adding a bogus Anti-Virus software through the ‘shared computer’ technique. Did a restore, cleaned up folders, ran malware scan, deleted all the bad stuff, and finally, I’m back to where I started with the annoying random shut-downs but with an added error that pops up upon start-up: “RUN DLL 32.EXE-Bad Image application or DLLC:PROGRA~1MYWEBS~1bar2.binM3PLUGIN.DLL is not a valid Windows image. Please check against installation diskette.” Gateway will not help me since my computer is out of warranty, and I’m out of money.

You mentioned Gateway - are you running an eMachine? If so, this is a common problem with eMachines. If you have another computer, most of this information will apply - just search for the specifics of your system.

A computer will shut off randomly for three basic reasons: a faulty power supply, an overheating problem or a bad motherboard. Unfortunately, eMachines are notorious for having all three problems, and it can be difficult to diagnose which issue is causing your problem.

Faulty Power Supply

Newer computers often have power supplies that don’t last all that long, and frequent rebooting is a symptom of this problem. Replacing the power supply is a relatively easy fix and will cost somewhere around $50. You can get a power supply tester for under $20, or have it tested at a repair shop. If you have an eMachine you can find eMachine Power Supply lists by clicking the link.

If you have another computer, look on the manufacturer’s website for their particulars. Replacing the power supply requires opening the machine and replacing the components - if you aren’t comfortable doing this yourself, you should get a tech savvy friend or take it to a local repair shop. Since you are out of warranty, you may want to tackle it yourself. There is a good step-by-step set of directions on Wikihow.

Overheating

Computers have fans inside that keep the temperature low - if they get dirty or dusty or just wear out, the temperature in your computer can cause power and shutdown problems. You can check the temperature by using a freeware download such as Everest or get into the BIOs by starting your machine and immediately pressing DEL. When you see the blue screen, go to Power at the bottom and then to Hardware Monitor. You will see the computer’s temperature listed. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 55 C is probably running hot. If your computer feels hot or you can hear the fan making a loud whirring noise, that could be an indicator that it is overheating. You can try to place it in a cooler location or putting an extra fan on the back, but if it is internal, you’re going to have to get help.

Bad Motherboard

Many eMachines have problems that eventually cause the motherboard to fail. You can get a new compatible motherboard and drop it into your machine, but it is probably something you don’t want to tackle if you are squeamish about opening your machine. Fonerbooks has a good illustrated example of how to remove and replace a motherboard if you want to try it yourself.

DLL Errors

The DLL errors you’re getting probably don’t have anything to do with the shutdown problem. They are remnants of the component file of MyWebSearch that were probably left behind when you cleaned up your machine. You need to uninstall anything related to the program by going to:

1. Start, then Settings and then Control Panel. Click on Add/Remove Programs.
2. Find MyWebSearch in programs and then click on Change/Remove Programs to uninstall. Uninstall anything that is related to it including MyWay and SmileyCentral.

You can also try a different Adware or SpyBot program and use a registry cleaner such as RegCure.

Since you’ve already tackled the spyware question and restored your system, I think it comes down to one of these three issues. Fix the one that is causing the problem and your shutdown issues should disappear.