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I have a Gateway notebook about two years old, running Windows 7 64-bit. About a month ago I booted to safe mode to run a virus scan and in the middle of the scan the system shut down, with no warnings at all. Just one second the system was on and running, and in the next second the system was completely off.

I can boot to Windows and leave it running for days at a time without any problem. When it shuts off in safe mode like this, some of the time it acts as if it was overheated and needed to be left alone for a little while before it would boot back up. I also tried running hardware diagnostics from UBCD and it shuts off while running these. However I can boot right back up without any issues or having to let it sit.

The appearance of overheating only will happen when the issue occurs in safe mode, and then it was only noticed about half of the time. A normal boot into Windows or Linux has no problems and can be left running for days at a time. If it was overheating the issue would not happen under specific conditions, as far as what I am running, and would happen even when booted to Windows normally.

I have also checked the Event Viewer and can't find anything of use. Does anyone have any suggestions? The machine is still under warranty with Best Buy. I currently have them looking at it, recently asked for an update and found out that their hardware diags all passed. Found out the information I was given by Best Buy was wrong and it kept shutting off in their diags and it was shipped out.

--Tom thanks for editing but some of the changes, changed what I was saying or made it sound like it, to which I adjusted those areas to be clearer.

-- Tom and Breakthrough : Don't assume overheating because I mention it, it is not consistent enough, in that it only shuts down in safe mode and while running diags, and only when the symptoms exhibit in safe mode when it has acted like it was overheated, and then not all of the time.

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  • If it acts like it's overheating, it probably is. Check your temperatures and then report back. Aug 25, 2011 at 13:16

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Check the event viewer under Administrative Tools for "Critical" events. That should give an idea of what may be happening to it.

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  • Quote from the question: > I have also checked the Event Viewer and can't find anything of use.
    – slhck
    Aug 25, 2011 at 14:56
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You can use Core Temp to check you CPU temperatures. The cooling fan often gets very dusty over time and needs some cleaning afer a few months. Reduced airflow will result in overheating.

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  • Turbo J, it is not overheating because it is only when I replicate the issue through safe mode that it will act like that and then not all the time. The majority of the time if I go straight into Normal Windows or boot to Linux the system will then be fine and stay running for days at a time. If it was overheating the problem would not be just in safe mode or while running diags but happen consistently.
    – RadG
    Aug 27, 2011 at 12:37

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