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  • #2173330

    Computer turning off and on, on its own….

    Locked

    by slayer_ ·

    Ok, so this is strange.

    It started off two days ago, I closed a cabinet in my room, and when I stood up, my computer turned off and restarted (my computer is set to stay off in a power outage). I figured, maybe it vibrated the video card, its happened before. Ok.
    So I wiggle the tower a little, no issues. Stand up, walk passed it from right to left across the front of it, and it restarts again, wtf?

    It didn’t occur to me yet, but ok, so I just turned it back off (held power button) and walk away. I came back to put the item back in the cabinet, walked passed the machine from right to left again and the computer started itself!
    So I waited for it, got to the login screen and it froze at the login….
    So I hard restarted it, froze immediately after login, hard restarted again and it was running, but suddenly now, it didn’t like resolutions under 1280 x 1024, anything less and it left about 50% black space on the screen on either side (25% on the left, 25% on the right). So I rebooted, I could see the windows logo and post was getting squished. Then it booted up again and 3 seconds after logging in, the screen turned black and white!
    I thought maybe my old monitor dying, so I turned on the second monitor and turned on duel view, black and white on both!

    So reboot again, same problem. So I go update the video drivers. Problem solved, but it still hates the resolutions. Ok, screw it, moving on.
    Last night, it shut down again while watching a movie, it would not beep at the post for the first few tries, then it fired up after I unplugged it for a bit.

    Now brings me to today, when I made the real connection.
    I fired it up, and walked out to change the TV channel, I came back to grab the stereo remote out of the cabinet, and when I walked passed the computer, from right to left, I heard it restart. So I stepped back, and repeated my walk, and sure enough, it restarted again the very moment I stepped on the carpet.

    So I tried standing there, lifting my foot up and down, etc, nothing. Only when I walked passed it. I made sure I did not rub the case, I even tried walking passed it naked, it still restarted! Then I closed the front door on my case (One of those cases that can cover the CD drives) and walked by it, it restarted one more time, so I tried again, on my last walk through, my monitor made a click sound and the video re snapped to the edges properly again. And it has stopped restarting when I walk passed it (for now anyways). I now take the long way around my computer to avoid walking in front of it.

    WTF????? Any thoughts?

    Edit-
    I double checked, all my games that suddenly had problems with the resolution are fine again.

    Edit-
    Here is a folder of images.
    The silver computer is the one with the problem. Its ventilation is on the front, left and rear, the right side is where the board is mounted, so no fans. So I can’t see there being any ventilation issues.
    http://trevorsarchives.homenet.org/temp/PC%20Pics/

    Edit-
    It has started doing it again. I have removed the filter on the power, its still doing it. But the monitor and display seem fine so far.

    Edit-
    Confirmed that the monitor is causing some problems, I can smack it and have the edges of the screen wiggle or even snap to the sides, to the top, etc.
    By keeping the door closed the restarting has stopped. I’m starting to wonder if static is affecting the reset button, the next time I am in the case I am going to unplug the reset button and see if that solves the problem.

All Answers

  • Author
    Replies
    • #2890192

      Clarifications

      by slayer_ ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Clarifications

    • #2890188

      Gremlin in the machine stopped liking you????????

      by oh smeg ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      However more likely a bad Power Connector somewhere so have you looked at the power lead s/Power Boards involved?

      Could also be something that is moving when you walk past that is resting on a power switch/plug or whatever and that ripple is causing the start stop process.

      Don’t rule out loose wires in things like Plugs/Sockets either. 😉

      Col

    • #2890174

      You don’t live in a house with knob-and-tube wiring, do you?

      by seanferd ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Or maybe you have an alien implant. But I’d check the wiring running to the socket to make sure that pressure on a spot in the floor isn’t disrupting a circuit. I bet running the mains through a UPS would keep the computer from behaving this way, but it will eventually kill that if it is a wiring problem.

      ed. – (Or a power cord under the carpet?)

      Or do you, even while naked, walk around wrapped in copper wire? Maybe while shaking an iron rod?

      • #2890144

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to You don’t live in a house with knob-and-tube wiring, do you?

        I live in a condo, the carpet effectively sits on top of cement, better not be wires under it. And I tried standing and jumping on the spot, no effect, Walking left to right didn’t bother it, just right to left.

      • #2890098

        Reponse To Answer

        by seanferd ·

        In reply to You don’t live in a house with knob-and-tube wiring, do you?

        OK – weird. Then no flexion in the floor, no old, bad wiring scheme…

        Does this thing have an active IR port that can wake it? Or any other wake (like WOL) enabled?

        And this doesn’t occur if you walk left-to-right? I’m just trying to imagine how you could be creating induction or a signal that this (otherwise oddly behaving) machine could interpret as a wake signal. Is there a fairly powerful RF signal permeating your condo?

        Truly odd.

      • #2890095

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to You don’t live in a house with knob-and-tube wiring, do you?

        There is a very high concentration of Wifi signals, maybe that’s it???

        I figure the auto turn on could have been a USB splitter I had hooked up, I noticed when the machine was off the light on it was still on, and I remember reading how that can trick a power supply into thinking its time to start up.

        But even unplugged, walking passed it was causing it to restart. If it was power related, I would expect the BIOS to keep the system off. I have seen a bad video card restart the system before, the black and white would indicate video card problems, but how can it be when I only walk passed it???

        Maybe it’s time just to replace some of the core components again, they are getting strange, time for a new mobo, video and power supply?

    • #2890139

      The first thing that comes to my mind is….

      by peconet tietokoneet ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Static from the carpet interfering with the monitor. Do a test and see (if at all possible), raise the computer above the floor and place on a woodwork table.

      If the issue comes back i would suggest another power supply unit.

      • #2890136

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to The first thing that comes to my mind is….

        It presently sits about 8 inches off the ground, on a metal rack, and in the metal rack, the tower sits on top of a wood platform with rubber legs.
        The monitor is on a solid wood desk. I proved the problem happened on the other monitor as well, which is run using HDMI, and is in the other room and is actually an HDTV.
        I can provide pictures if needed. It does sit side by side with another computer, they are both plugged into the same outlet, the other machine had no issues. Both are plugged into a power filter.

    • #2890114

      Oh Smeg’s Gremlins idea sounds right… they don’t like closed doors

      by cg it ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      keep the door open, keep the gremlins[ mogwai ] happy…

    • #2890106

      Sounds like ESD

      by oldbaritone ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Check the grounding on the cabinet, and make sure the electrical plug has a good ground. (PLEASE say they aren’t using a “cheater plug” adapter, or just snapped the 3rd prong off because it wouldn’t go into the 2-prong outlet in the old building…)

      Get some anti-static spray and spray the carpet around the cabinet.

      Get anti-static mats and put them around the cabinet. Be sure they are properly grounded. See #1 above…

      • #2890102

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Sounds like ESD

        I would assume the wood stand with the rubber legs would protect it from ESD should it not?
        It is not touching the cabinet, the cabinet is just my only reason to walk through that spot.
        It is grounded nicely using one of those dirty electricity filters. There are a lot of cables touching each other behind the machines, but all are in good condition, no exposed wiring.
        When I can get a picture and post it, I will, maybe that will explain the situation better.

      • #2890100

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Sounds like ESD

        Wait, do those filters maybe wear out? It has a lot of use on it, it used to be used in our body shop to keep our computers from blowing up, worked great too, before it, we were popping motherboards every 2 months. After we added it, the machines had no issues.

    • #2890074

      Depends on the filter

      by oh smeg ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Some are single use only and then they need replacing, others can take several hits before expiring and then others are used to just divert Surges through Capacitors to earth.

      Here it depends on what the filter gets hit with as to what happens but that may be a starting point to work from. 😉

      Col

    • #2890070

      I have added pictures to the original post

      by slayer_ ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      I have added pictures to the original post
      http://trevorsarchives.selfip.net/temp/PC%20Pics/

    • #2890063

      OK, a couple of points to try

      by deadly ernest ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      1. The picture labelled ‘Filter Box’ – the white plug at the top doesn’t seem to be fully seated. in the image the left hand side looks to be deeper in, as if the plug is on a slight angle. not sure if this will have much of an affect or not.

      2. The boxes are too close together, move them as far apart as you can on that stand. There appears to be some space between them and the uprights, well push them apart and right up against the uprights. That will maximise the ventilation around them, thus the cooling effect of the air while reducing the risk of electro magnetic interference between the two systems.

      3. The wiring, try to separate the data wires from the power wires, even if it means using some cable ties to run them in channels a few finger widths apart. this will minimise the risk of electromagnetic interference between the two as well. The power cables have a stronger and larger field around them to the rest and if close enough to the data cables, it can cause some troubles.

      4. Check the cables for fine breaks in the wire within the cable. This can be done by carefully running the cable through your fingers while looking at it closely. Some breaks can occur in the copper inside without having a break in the covering plastic.

      5. Apart from this an what the others have said, watch out for free radical electrons staging a revolution.

      • #2890057

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to OK, a couple of points to try

        The cases are about as far apart as possible now, I was only able to add about a 1.5 cm between them.

        I checked the plug, its seated against the wall flat.

        The power cables are separate from the ethernet lines, the USB and power and VGA cables are intermixed. Could that cause restarts and black and whites?

      • #2889999

        Reponse To Answer

        by deadly ernest ·

        In reply to OK, a couple of points to try

        The issue with the cables is that ALL of them have an electromagnetic field around the. If properly shielded and the shielding is working they should be OK. But I’ve learned from experience that the concept of proper shielding and it working well is rare. The field around the data, usb and vga cables isn’t that strong, but the one around the power leads is far stronger than the rest. I generally try to run the power cables well away from all other cables as much as possible. If I can separate the other cables any more, then I split off the video cables as they are the next highest in power levels. You may wish to try moving the power away from the other cables and see if that has any effect.

      • #2889998

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to OK, a couple of points to try

        But the power cables can be strapped together and moved away, is that correct?

        Also, should the power cables avoid contact with the case, cause presently, not sure if you can tell from the pictures, both power bars sit on top of the white machine, and the power lines are draped down between them. That would technically be the mother board side of the silver machine, the one with the problems.

      • #2890587

        Reponse To Answer

        by deadly ernest ·

        In reply to OK, a couple of points to try

        As a general rule it doesn’t hurt anything to have the power cables near each other as they aren’t carrying any signals that can be interfered with. The Electromagnetic field will only set up an echo current, as the worst possible damage – ie a current when that cable is not powered up. The power boards will also have an electromagnetic field around them, and these should also be separated or shielded from the data cables and the electronic components.

        In most cases a few finger widths is all that’s needed as the field is weak, but electronics are touchy things and you can never know for sure, as some components are more susceptible to interference than others.

        In most cases PC’s have their PSU at the top of the case and the motherboard is four or five inches lower down, thus a power board on the top of the case shouldn’t affect the motherboard, but may affect a hard drive that’s set right at the top of the case.

        A basic home made shield can be a couple of sheets of rubber, say some old thick rubber mouse pads, with a sheet of aluminium foil between them and the foil earthed to the steel frame on the shelf above the computer. If it is a EM force field issue from the power boards, that should redirect it away from the PC and protect the PC. But you really shouldn’t need to go to this extreme due to the note above re psu location.

    • #2890037

      Very nice

      by amitmaniar ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Thats an innovation.
      Just kidding !!!
      Check your RAM. Might be not plugged well.

      • #2890008

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Very nice

        I gave them a push and tug, it seems locked in.

    • #2890035

      Unplug

      by dogknees ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Remove all except the KB, mouse and screen from the PC. Plug the PC into a socket and disconnect ALL other equipment in the area from the power.

      Then try it and if the ghost goes away, start adding one device at a time until he(she) returns.

      Also look for the Wakeon settings in your bios and disable those you don’t need.

      • #2890010

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Unplug

        Each computer has its own power bar, so this is doable. Though I will have to wait for the ghost to return first :).

      • #2890007

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Unplug

        As for the wakeon settings, that could explain how it started itself, but not how it keeps restarting itself when I walk passed it from right to left.

    • #2890034

      You’re Not Alone

      by dogknees ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Many years ago we had a person who told us that their PC was turning itself off AT THE WALL!!! They swore that the switch on the outlet was being turned off when they weren’t looking. Not only that, they said they could hear something behind them when it happened, but couldn’t see anything when they turned and looked.

      We never did find out the real cause, but to this day he still believes it happened. As he’s now a Partner in the firm, we tend to keep it quiet.

      • #2890009

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to You’re Not Alone

        Maybe [b]I am[/b] a ghost? And I am causing the interference?

    • #2890006

      Maybe this is the result of all the masturbation?

      by slayer_ ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      The computer can’t bear to look at me when I walk passed, full leg spread, so it shuts down and restarts? And then I accidentally blinded it and it could only see in black and white?

    • #2890004

      Power Supply or Memory Problem

      by dugup46 ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Since you said tower, these problems are typically caused by one of two things. #1 the power supply is beginning to fail. It happens on new or old towers alike. When a computers power supply (400WT) begins to provide less power than the tower needs to, the computer will shut off and restart. That is one cause. The second cause could be faulty memory. The same will happen with memory when it starts to go bad, the PC will shut off and restart. Typically a power supply will not allow the user to restart the computer after it gets shut down for a short while; however, the power supply is typically always my first guess. Hope this helps.

      Cords touching one another, not being plugged in all the way, stuff like that is typically first response because it’s free; however, it very rarely will ever fix the problem. Keep us updated.

      • #2890003

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Power Supply or Memory Problem

        Interesting, it DID once not let me restart it till I unplugged it for a bit.

        Could a shortchange of power also cause the video card to turn black and white for a bit?

      • #2890708

        Reponse To Answer

        by cg it ·

        In reply to Power Supply or Memory Problem

        probably a power supply getting ready to fail if you have to unplug the power cord, plug it back in to get the thing to boot.

        If it boots, and your BIOS has a PC Health check, take a look at your voltages that the BIOS sees.

      • #2890707

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Power Supply or Memory Problem

        I did check the voltages and they seemed good. I suppose our bodies natural RF interference could cause it? And those other times when it just randomly shut down.

        Though oddly enough, the random shut downs during a movies would be when its barely working, I have never had it shutdown while gaming, even when on marathons, even last night I left Atlantica running on it for about 30 hours now, its still running.

      • #2890706

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Power Supply or Memory Problem

        I was looking at an earthwatts 750 Antec anyways, maybe I will just go and buy it. Was like 150 bucks last I saw.

    • #2890701

      ESD and electrical.

      by alpha_dog ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Check the ground on the outlet, the ground from the power supply to the motherboard (check from the solder pads on the back of the mobo) and check the power for dips and spikes. Repair as needed. Before you put the machine back in service, remove the cmos battery and short the cmos clear jumpers for a while. Set up the machine’s BIOS from scratch. If it persists, call a priest.

      • #2890698

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to ESD and electrical.

        Dips and spikes in what exactly, I am not very electrical engineering inclined.
        And you show me in a picture what to look for on the mother board?

      • #2890567

        Reponse To Answer

        by alpha_dog ·

        In reply to ESD and electrical.

        Dips and spikes in your AC voltage, and the possibility of an intermittent open or short. Your best bet, given a limited knowledge base, is to replace the power supply and reset the BIOS, sometimes called CMOS, as specified in your motherboard or computer manufacturer’s documentation.

    • #2890685

      processors, motherboards and memory are very particular about power

      by cg it ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      while the voltages might look fine to you, they don’t to the CPU or motherboard or memory,…

      a +5 voltage that actuals are +4. 999 to +5.005 when it’s supposed to be +5.148 is enough.. or the +12 that comes in on +11.814

      if you overclock, you could be at the edge of what’s stable… but my experience is, if the damn thing keeps randomly rebooting, a new power supply usually stops the problem.

    • #2890670

      Power Supply

      by nocjock ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      I’d almost bet money it’s the power supply. Don’t make it more complicated than it is.

      1. Reseat all boards and components, ie memory, cards, power connectors internally.
      2. Verify all cables are tight, no breaks, grounded, no frays, kinks
      3. Check for leaking capacitors on mainboard. If any replace mobo
      4. If new cards have been added make sure power supply is sufficient (+400W min)
      5. Replace power supply, my money’s here 🙂

      • #2890667

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Power Supply

        What does a leaking capacitor look like?

    • #2890662
    • #2890590

      What Latitude are you at?

      by snak ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      I note your message is dated 16th Feb. Since 14th Feb the sun has been blowing out unusually huge sunspots; such sunspots play havoc with elecronic equipment. China has already reported some radio communications have been affected. Today (17th), these sunspots are expected to give us a good lightshow at lattitudes much lower than normal.. Which means of course that there’s likely to be some wierditude happening ‘lower’ down the planet….

    • #2890566

      You are far enough North, I think ….

      by snak ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      … for it be a feasible area of investigation. Perhaps your neighbours are suffering similarly. Any patterns you have discerned may be entirely coincidental (which means you can out your clothes back on 🙂 )

    • #2891107

      Ok, It’s doing it again, so i removed the filter, the problem continues

      by slayer_ ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Its still the same, if I walk infront of it from right to left, the computer restarts.

      Need help, this is irritating.

    • #2812099

      Chg Power Supply and add chokes

      by cpusteve_wired ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      I feel the electricity in your room.. seen the pics 1. new power supply rated to 400 watts 2. clean up the cables behind the rack (velcro ties) 3. put rf chokes on all cables you can. 4. if still happens, then replace video card./ mobo. Good Luck

    • #2812085

      Mother Board

      by gario ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      I had a similiar with an machine and after replacing all the peripherals, it turned out thta my mother board was the culprit.

      Good luck!
      Garo

      • #2811975

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Mother Board

        It restarted when you walked in front of it?
        I guess I could replace the board, what was that command to XP so you could change the board without reinstalling?

    • #2811998

      definately a motherboard issue

      by rapzkilla ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      definately motherboard

      • #2811974

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to definately a motherboard issue

        Why do you think so? I haven’t had a hard look at the board and its capacitors yet but what could be going wrong when I walk in front of it?

    • #2811943

      Voodo or No Voodoo???

      by jpnagle59 ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Do you have a wood floor, or concrete? It really does not matter, all floor types will flex and move. I would remove all peripherals to the machine, and move all other electrical items- computers, TV’s – etc..away. BUT do not move your computer with the ‘ghosts’ in it at-all if you can. Do the ‘mystery’ walk again, (everyone has seen a TV picture flicker/fade out when someone walks near it before because of static or body galvanization) with only your machine on. If it does the ‘voodoo’ again, I bet you have some problem with the mother board. But before taking the machine apart, check the connection of all your cabling used to attach all your printers, USB, monitor’s , etc., into the back of the computer. Had a bent serial plug pin one time that drove me nuts… If that problem goes away when the peripherals un-attached, start adding them one by one to see if the problem returns with one of them. I you can, check your BIO’s on start up.The fact it is reboot, not rebooting problem, it could be the wiring in the wall, or plugs, sockets, and such, —plug it in to a different plug socket, with a good ground, some where else- out of the room- you are using the machine in. I just fixed my brother’s house where a plug was bad, and badly installed 18 years ago, and his stove would come and go. Check for blue tooth items- in other words, eliminate all that you can, add them back in, and do the one by one test. If all else fails, take the computer to a pre-build state- in other words take it and ‘re-build it’ all over again- One of my favorite test’s to do also, is to give the wires and components the ‘finger flick’…Take your middle finger, and ‘flick’ it on the offending device, wires, cords and all. You know the finger I am referring too…a little tap will do you at times…

      • #2811870

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Voodo or No Voodoo???

        I plan to move the computer out this weekend, so I will give it a try.

        But first, Dragon Age 2 demo downloaded last night, must try it :).

    • #2811807

      So have you actually checked the Power Point for

      by oh smeg ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Loose Wires at it’s back where they screw in or the switch being faulty?

      Both of those issues could be causing the erratic behavior of you computer. 😉

      Col

      • #2811799

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to So have you actually checked the Power Point for

        Well I of course haven’t pulled the plug from the wall. But erratic doesn’t really explain why it restarts when I walked passed it. if it was a power issue, the board is set to keep the computer off in the event of an AC failure. Also, the second computer is plugged into the same outlet and is not having any issues.
        But come to think of it, one day I came home and the breaker for that plug was mysteriously tripped. If it happened again (Which it hasn’t) I was going to replace the breaker.

    • #2811793

      It can’t be the circuit breaker

      by jotek_atlanta ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      The CPU could be overheating, or Motherboard has a short, inspect the board to see if any of the capacitors are bloated, if they are the board is bad, Check the CPU fan and the temperture. If it keeps rebooting it has a virus.

      • #2810319

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to It can’t be the circuit breaker

        CPU temp is good, between 40 and 50C, GPU temp is good, between 50 and 60 at idle.
        Definitely no viruses, and has nothing to do with the OS, as I can walk in front of it while it is performing POST and cause it to restart again.

    • #2811773

      What I have learned …. and found out …

      by lani osi ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      First of all – you did not indicate what OS System you were operating in; if it was a x86 (32 bit); for it is a known issue in some cases that Windows Update had installed WOW64 (which is for 64 bit OS. I have been in rapport with Microsoft Team and we have seen this but not until I had found out why and then bringing forth the manifestation and resolution to them. However, there is another indication of the fact; what specifically is your graphic card are you running on? I am on the latest nVidia with its own slot and I recommend folks to have their own PCI cards – each having their own memory in reserved for their own purposes. Without the sufficient information provided; I am not able to elaborate in specs to narrow down to the field of scope of what causes it might be. If your security system is working and you had ran it; I strongly recommend to download (you can uninstall it after you are done with it) Malwarebytes just to be on the safe side; for so many viruses, trojans, and worms are out there including variants and mutants can also be a trigger where it can actually disable and “hide” in your own security system (I actually have 4 – Win 7 Firewall, Extension Firewall, MSC (or aka MSE), CA Security Plus). Having experienced the same issue yet with a brand new mainboard and everything else et al. While the above poster is correct pertaining to possibilities of Wi-Fi, but if yours is disabled; then check with your DNS/IP Provider or Host Provider if you run on a Modem/WideBand/HDMI – sometimes hacks can manage to creep into those equipments and leech into those and manipulate your OS via the modems (for indeed they are a computer itself) so this is another avenue to look into if your OS is coming up clear regardless of what OS computer one is using Win, Mac, et al – even a Server … sometimes it can be the “middle man” that is infested that is actually leeching or breech into your OS via your own DNS/IP via a hack which is why nothing may not necessarily show up or manifest anywhere in your OS from registry to what-not. So if all else comes up clear – check the modem, but I also agree with everyone – computers needs to “breathe” for even my OS has a powerful fan – in fact I have installed 4 fans not just the Master fan itself. In addition to the ‘overclocking’, one can actually do this configuration in the BIOS (if you know what you are doing) and put the limitations on it; for you do not want to want to end up having a “southern fried crispy motherboard” (or mainboard); in addition whatever graphic card you have, regardless it is, make sure it is up-to-date per your graphic card; and do not be tempted to leave it running on ‘overclocking’ all the time for it brings wear and tear on the graphic card itself, even if the manufacturer says wise and otherwise; it is not necessary. For why would one want to run their OS on overclocking on a forum? Turn it off when you are not using it or in development. Just my own humble opinion here. For those on 64 bit OS – there have been complaints on the overclocking and freezing up or locking up which in turn they have to reboot or the OS reboots itself. Whether x86 or 32 bit or 64 bit OS – if everything is cleared and good as go, and it is the overclocking, then I would strongly recommend that you are pushing it too far; turn it down a little bit. Honestly, like with “muscle cars” of old days, the temptations of revving up the engines and pedal to the metal constantly including burning up the rubber (tires), would always end up with overheated radiators to burnt valves … think about it for it is a fact there. One can’t truly keep running at that pace all the time as tempting as it is, whether if you have 500 GB or 1 TB in your graphic card if you installed it; however this is not the case for those with OS that comes with built-in graphic card pre-installed; that’s a different story … Hope everything here sums it up as blunt as possible…. (getting off the soap box)

      • #2810318

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to What I have learned …. and found out …

        Wow, long post. Saddly you missed a key part, I can walk infront of the computer to restart it, even before it finishes POST. I can run back and forth and just keep restarting it.

        But the info you wanted. ITs XP Pro 32 bit, running nVidia 9600 GT, 650 Core, 900 Memory, not overclocked though I know I can safely overclock it to 725 core and 1100 memory without any heat or power issues. The card uses a PCI Express 2 16. And that’s what my board provides.

      • #2810315

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to What I have learned …. and found out …

        Ambient temperature according to the board is 24C. HDD1 temp is 28, HDD2 temp is 29, HDD3 temp is 28. HDD4 temp is 32. I touched the RAM, its room temperature, no heat, the air coming out the back of the machine is cool and all the fans are clear.
        my CPU is currently doings its automatic overclock, I could turn that off but the CPU temp and voltages look good. It OC’s itself from 2.4 to 2.5 ghz, and I can use the Asus AI boost to have it safely go to 2.7 GHZ without any power or heat issues. I could definitely try it but I don’t see the connection between that and my computer restarting when I walk passed it. Also, strangely, I have never had it restart when I am actively using the machine and working it hard, such as playing games. It has only ever died when watching a movie.

        Perhaps if it is still restarting itself Friday night, I will quickly hop into the BIOS and change the setting, its worth a try.

    • #2811765

      Front panel pushbuttons

      by techrepublic ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Does your computer have frontpanel pushbuttons that are linked to the motherboard via slide-on printconnectors ?

      Does your computer have any kind of infrared eye like for a remote control ?

      What you need to look at is if the lines to the RESET button are connected to the proper printconnector pins, and you need to check if the reset button smoothly glides into the surrounding frame of the cabinet. If it sticks or sits cramped in, it could generate false contacts.

      This reset signal being at the TTL logic level in terms of current and voltage, could also be triggered if an infrared detector eye would receive any IR light.

      • #2810317

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Front panel pushbuttons

        No IR but I could check on that reset button, that’s a good point, I forgot about it. I can probably just unplug it from the board right?

    • #2810287

      I hate to say this but..

      by patb071 ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Shut it down, unplug the power and give it a nice kick. I had a crt way back in the day and it had a loose wire or something. I would be working and then all of a sudden it would go black. I tap the side it would come on. One day i got pissed enough wacked it good and never had a problem with it again.

      • #2810286

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to I hate to say this but..

        The computer is restarting, not the CRT :).

        Though the CRT is starting to have problems, I am not made of money, it will have to limp on.

      • #2810154

        Reponse To Answer

        by patb071 ·

        In reply to I hate to say this but..

        I wasn’t saying give the monitor the boot. Kick the tower. what else you have to lose. I don’t know how you have the patients to keep tring to figre it out.

      • #2810150

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to I hate to say this but..

        Patience comes when you can’t afford to replace things. But I did give the tower a minor shake while it was running POST, no issues. I of course don’t want to shock the HDD’s, they are ancient, my C drive is from 2003!

    • #2810274

      would that system be located . . .

      by who am i really ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      in such a fashion that when you walk past in one the direction
      that you are actually facing South

      in that case yer system is acknowledging yer current direction of travel saying

      “I’m going south too”

      time for some new components

    • #2810195

      E.D.

      by slapfire ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      How old is your computer? I ask because at a certain age they can sometimes experience electrile disk function. Maybe your hard drive has gone floppy. And, perhaps the computer is not actually getting turned off, but is using that as a coping mechanism because it is embarrassed. Did it ever have issues with it’s Motherboard?

      • #2810182

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to E.D.

        When it was new it did, it refused to even start POST unless the CMOS jumper was in the reset position, after a few hundred tries it suddenly became happy and started working properly, has been every since. Its about 2.5 years old now.

    • #2810145

      not enough juice in the wall

      by terajay2 ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      I once had a computer that would shut off at random times and for no apparent reason. After I spent a lot of money replacing different things, I realized that I had too many computers and other electrical things, plugged into a 15 amp circuit. Just an idea…

      • #2810141

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to not enough juice in the wall

        Its possible, though in my last house, the main floor, basement, and all electronic devices, everything, was run from a single 15 amp. I’d think a 15 amp should be enough for 2 computers. I guess its possible the HDTV on the other side of the wall, the outlet shares the same line. That would explain why the shutdowns have happened while watching movies. Doesn’t explain why it would restart when I walked passed it from right to left.

    • #2810093

      Left to Right

      by ntmann ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Carpet has nap that lays down in one direction, and stands up in the other (when pushed against). You are causing more static in one direction than the other, when you walk.You are prob. generating static that is causing a reboot. You strip is not of high quality at this point, as you stated it corrected some harsh problem before. It is prob. at the end of its useful life. They do not last for ever. Buy a good one or a good ups. Your pics of the rack show it is not isolated from the carpet. Put some wood under those wheels, (an extra shelf that is not needed would work). Verify your ground is actually working, (testers are about $6.00). It only takes 10 volts to cause a video card or mother board to fail, or cause an upset failure (works but not like it should). If you were to hear static snap that would be 1500 volts. So you can image what just walking by would cause.

      • #2811538

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Left to Right

        Replace bar and filter, got it.

        Wait, didn’t I already remove the filter… Anyways, I will try replacing the bar as well, and the reset button sounded like a good idea.

        As for grounding, that case itself, is sitting on top of a piece of wood with rubber legs. It’s black so it may not be visible from the pictures. You can kind of see it in this picture.
        http://trevorsarchives.selfip.net/temp/PC%20Pics/IMG00082.jpg
        Notice the silver computer’s height is far higher than the white one. The silver one is the one with the problems.

        I wish they would hurry up with making AMD 8 core motherboards, then I would just upgrade :).

    • #2810075

      When was the last servicing done?

      by snabibax ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      When was the last time you had your PC serviced? When dust builds up on components like capacitors, this may cause those component to fail in the long run.Use a can of compressed air to carefully blow around circuit components like capacitors especially those located within the power supply unit.
      Please do not touch any internal components unless of course you are wearing an ESD wrist strap.
      If this does not help, then you might consider replacing the power supply unit.
      At this point the automatic restart issue should be a thing of the past.

      • #2811539

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to When was the last servicing done?

        I last blew it out about 2 years ago. Visual inspection shows it to be pretty clean. I didn’t know dust in the capacitors could cause problems, when I think back to my first computer, with the huge clump of dust stuck in the fan slowly spinning…

    • #2810015

      Just a thought here

      by oh smeg ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Is the Monitor and Computer Case plugged into the Same Power Strip?

      If it is try swapping the leads over the One to the Monitor plugged into the one where the computer is plugged in and the one from the computer plugged into the socket where the Monitor was.

      Now if the Monitor starts turning on and off you know you have a Bad Socket on the Power Strip.

      Could also work if they are on different Power Strips but it could just as easily be a faulty Power Strip as well. 😉

      Col

      • #2811540

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Just a thought here

        That’s a good idea, I might have another power bar lying around I could try.

    • #2809481

      Update to problem

      by slayer_ ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      I first noticed it in Dragon age, but thought nothing of it as an upgrade I did said I could run out of video memory and cause funky artifacts, but just playing oblivion, this happened, it has never happened before.
      http://trevorsarchives.selfip.net/temp/oblivion001.png (1.9mb)
      This isn’t the only one I saw, it was just the funniest :).

      So its looking like my video card is dying, do you guys agree? Unsure how this could cause the computer to restart when I walk passed it, but it would explain the shutdowns when watching movies.

      • #2809410

        Reponse To Answer

        by who am i really ·

        In reply to Update to problem

        moving one direction versus another changes the airflow in the room
        going one way may move cooler air
        and moving another direction may move warmer air

        if yer video card is gunked up, overheating and ready to go pop moving warmer air may just put it over the edge and the system shuts down

        does your card have monitoring software?
        ie.
        the ASUS card I have uses Smart Doctor to monitor
        – fan speed,
        – memory and GPU temps,
        – memory and GPU clock speeds

      • #2809378

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Update to problem

        Yeah, video card reports its running cool, 60-70C under load.

      • #2809359

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Update to problem

        Under the extreme burn test, it reached about 90c, still within operating range. (Though barely 🙂 )
        http://www.ozone3d.net/benchmarks/fur/#techdata

    • #2809452

      Hello SinisterSlay. I have a spare video card if you need one..

      by peconet tietokoneet ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      It is a:
      NVidia GeForce 9800 GT
      * 600MHz core clock
      * 112 stream processors
      * 1,500MHz
      * 512MB GDDR3 RAM
      * 256-bit memory interface
      * 1.8GHz memory clock

      Similar to this one:
      http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_geforce_9800gt_us.html

      Like i said it is a spare to me just laying around and fully working.
      PM me and see if we can come up with a price unless you have a spare/new one already. Need to know about the postage weight first though but if you need it we can sort that out also.

    • #2809358

      Re: spare video card….

      by peconet tietokoneet ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      This card is not new, just second hand but working.
      It only cost me 10 euro (About $13 Canadian dollars) so with postage packing say around 40 euro ($54 Canadian dollars). I can get nearly any second hand video card (given time). We have a recycling center here in Oulu in Finland that handles every component you can think of from memory, motherboards, power supplys, old servers and processors. If you are still interested i can send you my email. The price of packaging and postage might be cheaper, i just pulled the prices from my head so to speak. 🙂 If you have a bank account you just need to do a bank to bank transfer. I can give you the details that is no problem.

      • #2809335

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Re: spare video card….

        If you reply to your own message, it stacks it under the replies to the original answer, put simply, click reply on your own post.

        I have never done a bank to bank transfer before. I use a credit union, I don’t know if that would throw a wrench into it either.
        I am thinking of buying one of these anyways.
        http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX31479(ME).aspx
        (Copy and paste the link, the brackets mess up TR clickable links)

      • #2809327

        Reponse To Answer

        by peconet tietokoneet ·

        In reply to Re: spare video card….

        Well that graphic card is even cheaper than mine. 🙂
        Joking of course. Nice card. Bank to bank transfer is easy, the banks do it on your behalf while you are in the bank so that you can check to see if ALL of the information that you gave the bank is ok so that they can forward it over here, sometimes it is free to do a bank to bank transfer sometimes there’s a fee.

      • #2809324

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Re: spare video card….

        I don’t want to drop the money on a 580 when benchmarks on the Asus 570 are so close anyways, but nearly half the price.

      • #2810635

        Reponse To Answer

        by peconet tietokoneet ·

        In reply to Re: spare video card….

        You decide what you need/want. If you need a cheaper one then let me know. I know money is tight now-a-days so if you can get something at a lower price then that is better for you.
        All of my componants are tested and cleaned, so no fluff or guff on these. If any componant does not pass my testing crunching/burnin then it goes right back and gets stripped down into smaller componants for recycling.

      • #2810414

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Re: spare video card….

        Thanks for the offer, but I think I will just go for the massive upgrade and get some new blindingly fast speed out of my machine again.

    • #2809347

      Very interesting problem.

      by kevin ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      As a 30+ yr systems technician I find this problem and the sugestions very interesting.
      My first suggestion is to go back to square one in your troubleshooting flow chart.
      So, IS IT ENVIRONMENTAL? In other words does it have to do with the placement of the tower where slight changes in the position caused by walking past it in one direction is causing the reboot?
      To test that, remove the computer from the current location. Take it to a table in your garage or your kitchen and set it up there. Does the system still reboot randomly? YES/NO
      If it does the problem is following the computer and not the location.
      There are many good suggestions made concerning your power connections and some not so good about other cables etc. These other cables should not interfere in any way. Loose or worn out outlets on a power strip could cause this to occur. Since it can occur when the MOBO is still posting, I would rule out the OS and virus related issues since a system has not even booted yet.
      I do question the power supply and the fact that you have 4 HDDs in this system. A 400w supply may not be enough, but then again, that doesn’t explain why it happens walking past it in only one direction. Or why you can sit in front of it for long periods with no problems.
      My first take is that something with the mobo is flexing just enough as you walk past.
      Try putting the tower on it’s side, which will change or eliminate the way the case is able to flex. Modern cases are built with much thinner materials.
      Check that all the screws that hold the mobo down are properly tightened. Most of those connections are grounded to the chassis and if even one relaxes when flexed it could cause this sort of problem.
      Two things you can try regarding the power supply unit.
      First, try disconnecting HDDs that are not required or even all of them and the CD/DVD, floppy etc. Anything that has a power cord going to it. Be sure to pull the data cables loose too.
      If the power supply is being overworked, even the slightest amount of stray inductance can cause it to ‘crowbar’ the system and cause a reboot.
      Stray inductance could be introduced simply by walking past the computer. Also when a tower is in an upright position there is a double layer of the case protecting the mobo on just one side and not the other.
      Second thing might be to try swapping the power supply out with your other computer.

      • #2809341

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Very interesting problem.

        Some good suggestions.
        The machine did live in a different spot for awhile, it wasn’t restarting but to be fair, I had little reason to walk in front of it :). It used to be located behind the big screen TV just out of site.
        It is a 550 Watt Antec, about 3 years old, so it should have more than enough juice I would think. The other computer has a 120Watt PSU, so that’s not gonna work :p . Where I used to live, had pretty dirty power, so I am not ruling out the power supply yet. I plan to buy one of these 🙂 http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX24742(ME).aspx

        Come to think of it, the newest hardware in it is a new DVD recorder, I could try unplugging that, I am not presently using it anyways. I have 2 DVD drives anyways.

        Tightening the mother board screws, good idea, it HAS moved around a lot in the last half year. Its a real pain to move that computer off that stand, so I am lining up tasks I plan to do while its out, I’ll add that to the list.

        I don’t see how it could really flex though. The metal shelving is in solid metal baskets, and the tower sites on a wood base with plastic legs and rubber feet, you can wiggle the tower a touch, but flexing it? Wiggling it a bit doesn’t seem to bother it, not that I get violent with it.

        I could disconnect the floppy drive too, its useless these days.

        I forgot to change the power strip last night, if I remember I will do it tonight.

        Thanks for the suggestions.

    • #2809331

      Static electricity is clearly one of the culprits here.

      by varseller ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      I’m certain of that from everything you’ve said and the pictures. Someone else mentioned bulging capacitors. If a capacitor is burst or leaking, strong ESD can overload the capacitor (remember, it stores electricity) and produce exactly the results you’re getting. Moving right to left from that bed on a carpet is producing a very strong charge. The PC may be well grounded but you’re carrying that charge through the air and it is going to look for the path of least resistance (any exposed metal). There may be other things going on, but that issue needs to be ruled out, period.

      Did you check the capacitors? Can you disconnect the entire PC and connect it somewhere else and see if the problem still exists? If it goes away, the problem is ESD. If it still exists and your capacitors are OK, the problem is hardware or cable related. Swap the cables with the other PC to rule that out.

      • #2809328

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Static electricity is clearly one of the culprits here.

        Yeah, I think I really got to pull it out and examine it.

        Unsure how I can check the capacitors on the power supply, but the board should be easy.
        As I said above, its just a pain to pull out, so I am getting together a list of things to check before I do.

      • #2809319

        Reponse To Answer

        by oh smeg ·

        In reply to Static electricity is clearly one of the culprits here.

        The way to check the capacitors in the PS is to unplug it and press the on Button for about 10 seconds.

        Then plug it back in and try turning on. If it turns on straight away the Capacitors in the PS are failing.

        Col

      • #2809247

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Static electricity is clearly one of the culprits here.

        I unplug it every night, so I already know you gotta give it a second or its like it ignores the power button press. The mobo light only comes on about 1.5 seconds after I plug it back in. I just assumed this is normal.

    • #2809277

      Have you ever made sure that Wake-On-LAN is off?

      by seanferd ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      In your network card properties.

      Sorry to ask again, but between the new forum formatting and all of the responses which clearly do not address “turning on by itself”, this is becoming a tl;dr exercise, unfortunately. (OK, even though I did try to re-read it all.)

      I ask because since this may involve you somehow creating induction when moving past the system, it is one place to stop a wake signal if it isn’t in the power button assembly or the PSU itself.

      Still an awesome mystery, this. (BTW, the 256 color-style purple house was really cool. 😀 )

    • #2810575

      Microwaves?

      by bsharpe37 ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Have you tried putting it in your microwave? If you haven’t you should, Once it’s all cooked good, you should go to Newegg.com and buy another PC. Either that or Re-install you OS and see what happens.

      Take it apart. Take every piece of your computer apart, then put it back together. Make sure everythign fits good. Make sure you have you RAM in the correct positions.

      Would it be possible to get an entire hardware list of your system and installed OS version.

      The BIG Question I didn’t see anyone ask ( I may be wrong there were a few wall of text posts i skimmed), What Changed? Obviously it wasn’t like this from day 1? New hardware – you mentioned you installed a USB hub, did it hagve a driver that faults when under powered by a board causing a short in a wire?

      Maybe just maybe if you have another computer around, change out that computer with this one for testing purposes. Does it Restart when you walk by it?

      If no then we can rule out a power supply issue, I think the gremlins would have given up by now also.

      OK, saying it doesn’t restart after moving you 2nd machine into the same location of this machine does moving the faulting machine to another location solve the issue?

      Saying NO, it still has the same issue in another location, lets try changing some components. Take the faulty machine and throw it out your window ( Not really) get your good machine and thiis one change out each component one at a time. Start the system and Test.
      Yes this is a lot of run around work to find a solution but seeing that there is such an a large amount of replies it’s time for some real troubleshooting. That right PCMechanic.com fix’s all issues LOL JK.

      Change out you hardwarte with the unit in question with known good. If you have changed out every pice of hardware except the motherboard, then Try changint hat out too.
      Still having the same issue? after changing out the hardware? 100%
      Look in the case, is the board correctly grounded to it’s case or did someone forget to put some spacers in it?
      All the wires from case plugged into mainboard in correct locations as per diagrammed when you got the board?

      Lets say it’s all correctly grounded in the case, 100% of the hardware was changed out and even the HDD and OS were changed with all cables correctly connected. SO theres no External sensors built into you case such a IR ect?

      Lets say No there’s nothing special about this desktop. So whats that leave us with? Well if its not a internal issues with the desktop lets move external.

      Cabling I know there were several people posting about it. So you moved your desktop and it still has the same issue. Well. Lets start Unplugging all the extra crap you have plugged in. Even that nifty surpe protector. Yes we are going to use the standard wall socket! “WHHAAA!” Thats right, plug 1 monitor in and the desktop into the wall. Nothing else. Plug just your monitor and PC in to eachother ( VGA I assume) – Do not plug you your Mouse Printer Portable Cellphoen charger or keybaaord into your computer at this point. Then Walk by it.
      Still rebooting?
      Ok so its not a mouse or keyboard issue, GREAT – Well i figured it wasn’t but couldn’t hurt to test. Also you were able to test if the system was getting under powered or Circuit overloading.

      So lets say it is still doing it, you have friends right? Well lets say you do, take the PC to their house with your monitor and keyboard and mouse. Thats right box it all up.

      Say you arrive at their house, Install your PC at their house, walk by it, does it still reboot? This will test is the wifi signal theory someone suggested was causing an issue. ( That is assume your friend doesn’t live next door or near a super mall of wifi’s)

      Lets say the issue still happens, you even hooked it up on his kitchen counter so that it’s not touching the floor and is correctly grounded. You even left your gremlin at your house. Hum, at this point it’;s looking fairly strange…

      So lets take another approach, take all your hardware out and out it in your other computer case, YES Change cases. We probably could have done this sooner but I didnt think of it till now. Luckily you can arrange these in any order you want.

      So we changed out the hardware into your other case and the issue still happens, well at this point we just ruled out the case, all the hardware all the software independently. SO Something much be conflicting with each other. Time to look into compatibility. Lets check each piece of hardware. You had mentioned you video card had some trouble seeting correctly. well lets swap it out and test with one that is approved.

      Do the same for each hardware.

      So you issue still persists. I believe you have gained super powers to restart your PC by walking in-front of it, a task I could only hope to achieve as my users forget to restart their computers before they call me. That or there’s something wrong as I ran out of IF-Then statements. 🙂

      • #2810561

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Microwaves?

        Ok, go over these 1 at a time…
        Can’t be OS cause it can reboot during POST.

        I can give you a rough list, not by model number

        AMD 4800+ Duel core
        Asus board with nForce chips
        nVidia 9600 GT
        Antec 550 Watt PSU
        Soundblaster Live 24Bit sound card + onboard sound, both are active and in use.
        4 Seagate HDD’s of different sizes
        2 DVD drives, one reader only, one is reader/writer. Reader/writer is new.
        Standard floppy drive.
        RAID controller for extra IDE plugs.
        It has 3gb of RAM (3 chips out of 4 slots)

        The only significant changes I can see is that DVD drive. I intend to unplug it to test if it is the problem. I unplug that USB hub when I turn the computer off to prevent damage to the PSU from the low draw of electricity.

        The computer sitting next to it is not restarting when I walk passed it.

        Computer parts are expensive, even the cheapest pieces, if I need to buy new parts for the computer, every part to test it, why am I bothering, I’ll have enough parts for another computer. Otherwise, I have no other computers that are within 13 years of that computers hardware.

        The board has been in use for about 2 years before I moved, it is possible something got shuffled in the move, when I take it out to open it up and re-hook up my video cards HDMI audio cables, I will check that (Or when I get a new video card and power supply, whichever happens first)

        Lord knows if they are all in the correct locations :). I was thinking recently, the HDD activity lights have been broken for ages, the wires to them are broken. The wires run to the door, and then inside the door. But right at the hinge, the wires are bent each time you close the door, resulting in them breaking. Could it be possible that my walking by sent just enough electricity down one of those lines to freak out the mother board and cause a restart? Could this explain why the problem seemed to stop happening when I closed that door?

        Of course there are no IR sensors, would be pretty useless on a desktop, especially pointing forwards at a user.

        Surge protector is gone, still had the problem.
        I can try unplugging some devices, but do those devices even draw full power during POST?

        My condo is only slightly bigger than my friends bedroom, no way in heck could he have room to try that, though it would be cool if we could :).

        My gremlin always travels with me, he sits in my car and play swith the ABS and check engine lights.

        My video card has no trouble “seeting” correctly, it seats perfectly. Randomly the computer will restart if you jiggle the video cables. This has happened for awhile now. Leads me to believe this is all related to some failure of the video card.

        To restart a computer remotely, use the shutdown command with the appropriate switches.

      • #2810474

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Microwaves?

        Forgot to mention, this was happening when I had nothing hooked up via USB. While investigating it the first time, I figured while I was back there, I’d finish hooking up all my toys 🙂 .

    • #2810508

      One MORE thing to try out….

      by peconet tietokoneet ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Place the computer on its side and then restart it and then do a walk past it and see if reboots by itself. If it does not then something is loose.
      Other than that i will say your computer is asking for for your help the only way it knows how by rebooting to grab your attention.
      Very weird situation you have. I have not heard or seen this happen before, only beeps to say either the video card is not slotted in properly or missing memory. Take it apart completely and give everything a good clean including your processor and heatsink, i do this every six months with every one of my computers (five altogether). It takes me about four to five hours on each one then i do a test to find out if i missed anything out. Your issue is very weird, i would put it in the town museum for being the only computer with a ghost attacted to it. 🙂
      Hope you find out what is causing the issue.

      • #2810479

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to One MORE thing to try out….

        Sadly it stopped restarting again, will have to wait for it to break again before I can try putting it on its side.

        Maybe the gremlin is on vacation?

        I had an idea though, maybe I should just re-overclock my video card, if it can run stable at the clocks it used to run a year ago, its probably fine, if its now unstable, its probably dying.

      • #2810419

        Reponse To Answer

        by seanferd ·

        In reply to One MORE thing to try out….

        You know, I’ve never seen a computer do this, but plenty of other electronics (stereos, TVs, etc.) turn on by themselves. Because most stuff is never really off, but on standby. Half the people I know who have also seen this will insist that it is caused by visitations from “the” spirit world.

    • #2810491

      overheat?

      by nick_bear ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      I believe your computer can overheat. Check Bios settings you’ll find the answer there.

      • #2810478

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to overheat?

        Its running nice and cool according to speedfan and the bios temps.

    • #2810489

      Earthing Problem

      by meghal.shah ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      check for the proper power connection in the Room. Have a proper Electrical

      • #2810477

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Earthing Problem

        I could always run an extension cord from another outlet and try that…
        I don’t think I have a thick enough cord available that is long enough to escape that breaker circuit.

    • #2810401

      Power fluxuation influences

      by alatech ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Computers are so much fun when they do something weird until it is absolutely irritating. I have read for the most part the conversation and find that some people don’t read the previous posts :). I Thought many of the similar considerations and if indeed this machine is still acting consistently in this manner; there is one other thing I have not seen mentioned yet.

      I could indeed have missed this but what got me thinking of this possibility is that someone mentioned electric contacts like in stereos, we have such a stereo if plugged in it will mysteriously come on. This problem is dusty contacts in the (drum roll) POWER SWITCH. It may indeed that with all the reasonable solutions which I would have thought too; that the real culprit here is possibly the simple power switch at the front of your machine. Changing the way it lays may possibly shift the minuet weight of the switch to ‘solve’ the problem for now; and yet the problem may still exist tho dormant for now.

      Given what sounds like so minor rough treatment of the machine, there may be wear or dust inside the power switch that the slightly different motion is just enough to activate ‘the ghost’. This is also evidenced by that while you are not walking by it works normally; maybe even have someone else walk by while YOU are sitting at the machine as you normally would; have them walk the ‘offending’ path.

      Possible solution: Replace the power switch.

      Let me know. I am eager to know the final solution.

      • #2810393

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Power fluxuation influences

        I’m thinking reset button, but yeah, its definitely possible. How do you disconnect those to find out?

    • #2810389

      Switch connections

      by alatech ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      It varies between vendors. Some of the switches if you look will have slide connectors on those, some unfortunately soldier them in thus you would need to trace those wires to the Motherboard connection and unplug at the motherboard. It should be a simple slide plug. Of course use a ground strap so that you do not fry any of the components.

      The reliability of these switches is very good, but they can of course get damaged. Your machine does not sound old enough for wear issues. I have some antiques that still work fine in that area. Which means in one of your moves you may have had excess pressure on one of the switches that may have given the circumstance for the current problem.

      Someone else may have to answer this part tho…The reset switch might not have to be connected for the machine to work, and then again might be in the POST check and may be required. If it allows no reset button that would mean you don’t have the reset control. A minor inconvience by comparison. Either switch could still be the problem; but I think it will only be one. I would possibly take a picture of both switches and head to the local tech store that sells parts. The switches should not be expensive, they are for the most part simple relays with a spring release toggle built in.

      The Power Switch must be used…I am not to comfortable with ‘hot wiring’ the power switch as a bypass.

      It explains other things you described too; if the power cycles in mid POST then it can give some rather weird problems like the monitor issues you mentioned that is usually ‘solved’ by a clean problem free boot. If power fluxuates in operation it can have odd acting results too; that was a reason to suspect the power supply.

      • #2809933

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Switch connections

        I forgot to mention, the case is from 2003, I upgraded the contents recently, but kept the old case.

    • #2809930

      Well time for a new case…

      by peconet tietokoneet ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      It will certainly get rid of the Ghost in your computer for ever. 🙂

    • #2809902

      right to left misery/mystery

      by jdeerobins ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Ever thought of putting the box against a wall so you can’t walk past it from right to left? Might help you get a good nights sleep.

      • #2809898

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to right to left misery/mystery

        As you can see from my photos, not many walls available 🙂 . I have a very small condo.

    • #2809880

      try a different location

      by i_tiberius ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      is there a different power outlet in your place? if not, pack it all up and take it to a friend’s place and try there.

    • #2809840

      Winter+ heated house =>low humidity =>ESD

      by Anonymous ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      This is very familiar here in Scandinavia. You may easily develop 100 000 Volts just by passing nearby, meaning a few meters away. I have measured, it is true. Do not use artifical fabrics like nylon …xlon made clothes. Do not use anything plastic or woollen. Ground your equipment properly. Use shielded cables. Do not use open or windowed computer cases. It is sad but the manufacturers in Taiwan, China or California know nothing about static electricity and all the problems it causes. If they knew they would not pack hard drives into EPS which is one of the worst materials in ESD sense.

      Mane

    • #2809835

      Hello mauno.aho… So, if you are correct…..

      by peconet tietokoneet ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Then why does the computer only reboot when walked passed in one direction and not the other?
      If it was ESD then the computer in question would also reboot when walked by in both direstions would it not.

    • #2809800

      Extremely tight space with high fabric content

      by varseller ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Looking at the picture, he’s going right to left from the cabinet and passing by the bed in a very tight space while walking on a carpet. It looks almost impossible to pass through there without his clothing rubbing against the bedspread. That’s generating one heck of a static charge. Not so in the other direction.

    • #2810977

      TRY THIS ….

      by lani osi ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      I would like for you to try this: click on Start – Run (or if you have the Search feature, you can use that) – type in this word: command – and it will come up. Now right click on the command prompt; “RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR” – the Command Prompt box will pop up, and I want you to type in or just copy and paste (or cut and paste): sfc/scannow

      This way your computer will automatically scan without having you to be offline or anything to do this and repair any damage and/or corrupted files and/or duplicated files and even fix registry keys or duplication or replication, et al.

      Since from reading everything above; NOTE: This scan may take time the first time you run this but do not turn your computer off while it runs the first time – it will work on XP, VISTA and 7. (Everyone, if you didn’t know this, you might want to make a note of that; it comes in handy! Trust me! Doing this without having to roll-back or anything is absolutely wonderful, even more so if you’re on Win 7)

      After the Scan is completed – the log files is found in C Drive in LOGS in CBS – you will need to run under Administrator to view it (the report that is); if everything is cleared – it will indicate that everything is cleared. If there were errors, it will indicate that it was logged –> Just so that you would know in advance.

    • #2810804

      A slight correction in my above statement

      by lani osi ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      The correction in my last paragraph of where the file is located:

      C Drive – Windows – System32 – Logs – CBS

      I apologize for this slight oversight for those who are wanting to review the entire format. And in addition; it does make it easier to read via Notepad in “Word-Wrap” format than any other options (for your info) for easier reading.

    • #2882133

      Update

      by slayer_ ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Today it let me walk passed it, but died when i vacuum in front of it. lost display and hung. picture went out, audio stopped, but the computer appeared to still be running, at least the lights were still on, it was just dead?

      So I decided, since I am cleaning anyways, lets rip this thing out and have a look.

      it is almost perfectly clean, a tiny bit of dust near the back of the case where the CPu fan blows passed.
      None of the caps appear to be bulging.
      Everything appears to be plugged in tight, I took out my RAM and examined it. It is 3 chips of 3 different makes, 1 of them is slower than the other two.
      Its spring now, so humidity is back up.
      This latest [breakdown] was with the front door closed.
      No funny smells in the case.

      Using a flash light, I looked into the power supply, I see nothing obvious.
      The temperatures at the time of freezup (I had speedfan open checking portable drive SMART data) 45 CPU 38 GPU, HDD1 was at 25C, HDD2 was at 28C.

    • #2882122

      Time to invest in a new motherboard…

      by peconet tietokoneet ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      A new motherboard plus a new graphic card would be a good investment for the future, minus one ghost. 🙂

      • #2882109

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Time to invest in a new motherboard…

        Perhaps I should, I just dont like the current crop of boards and processors. Its impossible now to get an AMD processor with nForce chips or nVidia graphics because, obviously, AMD owns ATI. And Intel processors always seem so slow. It frequently requires 30% more speed from an Intel processor o match the real speed of an AMD processor.
        I am hoping if I wait, nVidia will start making their own processors like they already do in their phones. I suspect they will be the first to come out with the consumer 500+ core processor. They already have on in their video cards…

    • #2882017

      Computer turning off and on, on its own

      by bzabor19 ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      Many folks use a wireless mouse, keyboard, printer etal, which operate on infrared light (IR)

      Is it possible that the IR sense is detecting a normal level of IR light, which is interrupted by your passage by the thing? Do you have wireless stuff on it, or are you using wireless connection? Many, many, many devices* operate on 900 mHz and 2.4 gHz these days (routers and more)…. perhaps you’re interrupting a constant signal on one of these bands, that’s coming from a device in your home, or somebody else’s (the condominium).

      *Routers, cordless phones, remote control ANYTHING, garage door triggers, etc… Even an un-used wireless keyboard that’s stored in a closet with the batteries still inside.

    • #2881957

      I have now replaced all 3 mismatching RAM modules

      by slayer_ ·

      In reply to Computer turning off and on, on its own….

      With 2 matching ones. I will see if the problem continues…

      • #2887831

        Reponse To Answer

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to I have now replaced all 3 mismatching RAM modules

        This actually made it worse, apparently the board doesn’t like running in dual channel mode, putting back the 3 mismatched ram improved stability.

        However, the restarting seems to have fixed itself.

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