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I am a problem where my computer will just shut off and turn back on (no blue screen, nothing) in the blink of an eye. I am inclined to think this to be a power issue, but just to be sure, is there any sort of logging mechanism in Windows that says why, the computer was last shut off?

I do not think it is a power supply issue because at home my computer will stay on for weeks without a problem. Also, through some thorough, but unscientific testing the longer I leave the computer off, the longer it will stay on the next time I boot. Also, my monitor maintains power.

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  • Remember: to have Windows at least log information when it can catch a shutdown, you need to enable it under System Preferences->Advanced->Startup/Recovery Jul 28, 2012 at 17:56

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If there was a software reason it might be in the event logs. You can view these by going to [start] and typing eventvwr.exe. Look for event 1074.

If it is due to hardware then it is unlikely that the OS will not get the time to do anything. This could be due to many reasons, but most often it is a case of a failing cooling or a failing PSU.

To diagnose this:

  • Is your house cooler than the other place?
  • Is there a limit to how long leaving it powered off helps the keep it up (e.g. it average period it stays up the same after it cooled down completely?
  • Are all the fans working?

If not, try a few of these:

  • Recheck all fans are connected an working (including the fan in the PSU).
  • Check if heatsinks are properly connected.
  • Test with some components removed (e.g. remove half the RAM. Test. Then test with the other RAM stick, etc. etc.)
  • Test with other components (e.g. another PSU might be a good place to begin with).

If all of these fail: Test your components in another computer and/or reinstall your OS to make sure it is not software related. If you want to keep your currently installed program then first make a backup, or use a different drive.

An alternative to re-installation is to boot a liveCD. Preferably one where you can use similar software which you normally use. (e.g. if it normally crashed while playing games then a liveCD with a graphical benmchmark or a graphical intense game to stress the same components).

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