Like the title said, my computer shuts down with no reason...
it started some months ago when i had a copy of windows XP, it shutted down when I was playing newer games like age of empires III, I thought it was overheating.
some weeks later it started to shut down every time i was playing newer games so i decieded to install windows ME.
it didn't help so I cleaned my pc, and added a new fan (a bigger one (i had a fan designed for 233 Mhz, while i had a 933 Mhz PC).
I also installed win98se I thought it was over...
but later it also shutted down while playing dos games, later even while interneting.
also my pc wasn't good working anymore so I installed linux ubuntu (wich is great by the way, its the best OS I ever saw)
but it shut down again everyday, just while browsing.
linux can't handle that and crashed so now I'm a windows victim again (not a paying one, but still... )

It just shuts down, like someone pressed the power button.
when I press the power button again nothing happens. I have to plug out my monitor, and when the little power light thing turns off I have to plug it in and then my computer works again I just lost my unsaved data...
my biggest problem with this is I can't run linux anymore because it has to be shut down on the regular way (on the shutdown-problem I killed ubuntu twice and freespire once ).
when I try to install ubuntu again, it shuts down somewhere at the end of the installation.
It doesn't shut down on the regular way like I said 100 time before, it shuts down like the elecrecity stops, and it only will go on again when I plug out my pc till the light of my monitor turns off, then I have to plug my pc in again, and turn it on

My specs:

Pentium III 933 MHz
Windows ME (when I solved this problem I will use Linux Ubuntu again)
Video card 128 mb ram (ATI RADEON 9200) (I don't think its important but still)
AC'97 Sound card or something (Not imorptant too)
HP Monitor 17 inch, (it says: HP hewlett packard, HP71, Le diamant #4450 Dainti)
Cdrom writer, QWERTY keyboard (compaq), and a scan mouse with wheel from Emprex)
Hard disk quantum fireball 9 GB (It has a 4GB and a 5GB partition now, but one doesn't work)

I think there's some irrelevant information here but I added it to be sure :P

My dad thinks its the memory of my pc (wich isn't really high (192 mb ram) and i have 3 different memory cards)
I'm sure its no software, if it was it wouldn't shut off on linux.
Can someone help me out?

sorry for my english it's still not good and i couldn't find for some words the translation but I hope its understandable ^^

PS. It's great to see some news finally, I was afraid CGN was dying, its still a great site, I wasn't here for a half year (or maybe more) and I haven't see any new stuff. I'm really happy CGN isn't dead
I hope the forums are still alive ^^


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SAY NO TO MONOPOLIES, BOYCOTT MICRO$OFT!

Power supply unit? Can you try another one ? Is your PSU heavy enough to feed your hardware ?
Check if your mobo can't touch the metal ( backside, can bend a bit when heating up).
Give the capacitors on your mobo a good look , aren't there any that looks strange ? Also the ones on your other cards (thinking about vidcard mostly here ) .

From what you describe, it will be something power related, works fine t'll temp rises.

BTW: it's ALWAYS a bad idea to mix different memory sticks, really.

And with only 192Mb you're much better off with W2K instead of Xp if you must stay on Windows. And don't underestimate the demands on hardware that Ubu has.

Try to find some other parts for your PC, eventually an older vidcard/soundcard/whatever so that you can narrow the search.

If you can't solve it, steal a new PC somewhere.

[EDIT]
Ow yeah, punk is fucking dead friend.


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Don't piss me off.

I use windows ME now because XP asks to much memory, and I don't like XP anyway (i had ME too when i posted the first post)
Ubuntu crashed because it shuts down, windows doesn't, I like linux better and I hate M$ but I killed Ubuntu twice and freespire once with this, its not really usefull when I have to reinstall my OS over time is it? ^^
I don't wanna stay on windows, I'm forced to stay on it.
I'd like a new PC (or even better, a mac) but I haven't got enough money.
And I know different memory sticks aren't good, but I have no other (well maybe my father have some), I will buy new hardware in July, then it is my Birthday so I'll finaly get some money.

I've got the problem first when playing AOEIII, that was somewhere around the time I had XP for the first time on my pc (First i had a 32mb videocard now 128m) but I don't think its the video card because when It happened the first time I had it a month.

Maybe you could be right about the PSU, but I don't see anything special on it.
It works fine indeed till the power rises, when I have my pc running for some hours without doing anything it happens faster.
Last days it also shuts down while browsing (just looking text files) or while watching youtube video's
Anyway my motherboard doesn't touch the metal.
When I cleaned my pc, I also opened my PSU and cleaned it.
I didn't saw anything special, but I'm not a specialist on this, I'm also not bad but it was the first time I opened it.

Maybe I'll have to look at an older video card...
I hope not I like the one I use now, I never had problems with it.

EDIT:
Maybe its the PSU indeed, its not overheating I'm sure and I don't think its my memory to.
My CPU reaches 80 degrees celcius when its 20 minutes turned on without doing anything except for looking in the bios, thats too high I guess, but its not the reason.
I cleaned my pc today again and my pc wasn't hot anymore (it was turned off for 1 hour), but when I turned it on again it turned off within 10 seconds.
I think your're right about the PSU but i'm still not sure

Edit (again):
I buyed some of that warmth gell stuff or something, anyway my CPU won't get warmer then 55 degrees ^^
But i still have the problem, i checked out and it seems i have a 250watt PSU so it's strong enough and it doens't seems damaged or strange at all.
Maybe it's the memory it's not very high, (192 mb) and my pc uses round 150 mb while logging on
I want new memory in july anyway...
Btw. I noticed my hard disks become really hot too I don't think its a problem but still


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SAY NO TO MONOPOLIES, BOYCOTT MICRO$OFT!

The problem is solved... for now.
I've got now 2 PSU's, my old one and an old one who just gives power to my hard disk...
The extra one (circa 25cm high) (the oldest) doesn't shut down when I shut my pc off and his fan is not working, but I have a small big fan or something (eerh what's the english name for it (ventilator in dutch)) wich I use to keep it cool ^^
Anyway it doesn't shut down anymore but I can't close my pc.
I will buy a new PSU soon
Thanks for the help Old_gamer ^^

The topic can be closed


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SAY NO TO MONOPOLIES, BOYCOTT MICRO$OFT!

And closing as requested.


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