Need some help: PC keeps shutting down

Matthew Cook · 02-12-2005, 11:36 AM

I have a compaq presario 900 it has the amd athon 1700 processor. Heres the deal about 2 or 3 weeks ago it would just shut off for no reason. So I just stopped using it well I want to get it working again so I turned it on ran for 8 hours then started it shutting off for no reason again. So contacted HP they said that it sounded like the BIOS needed reset so I did what they said restarted it got a blue screen that said that windows was shutting down to save the system. Now when I hit the power buttin the light comes on but I dont hear the fans of the processor or anything working. Please help me out

Chris · 02-12-2005, 12:07 PM

This sounds like a heat related issue. Open up the case and watch what happens with the CPU fan when you power on. If the CPU fan doesn't turn, or turns very slow, then you have your answer.. it runs until heat causes it to shut down.. doing this repeatedly will absolutely kill the CPU.

SethH · 02-12-2005, 01:20 PM

Yep. I agree that it's a heat issue. Do what is mentioned above. You'll most likely end up replacing the CPU heatsink/fan (or maybe just the fan if possible).

Matthew Cook · 02-13-2005, 11:22 AM

My laptop used to get pretty hot on the bottom. I opened it up and the fan for the processor wouldn't even move. When I hit the power button nothing I have a blank screen, no fans, the green power light comes on but nothing else. Does that help narrow it down to the processor

Matthew Cook · 02-13-2005, 11:45 AM

could buring up the processor kill the mother board?

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DaveNel · 02-13-2005, 12:49 PM

It could.. Just depends on how hot the processor gets and
if the chip shorts out. But it can happen..

Matthew Cook · 02-13-2005, 12:52 PM

what should I do should I take it to a tech have them check it out I can put a processor in so I dont need the tech to do it

Chris · 02-13-2005, 05:13 PM

Yep. It largely depends on how hot the processor was before the thing went down; a processor way too hot (like some of the Intel Prescotts and some AMD XPs) can cause very bad things to happen to boards, including losing capacitors, etc. which "cook" from the heat. (I've seen a Prescott melt a socket..)

I'd get it checked

But, at this point, in my mind, you've narrowed it down to a processor.

Matthew Cook · 02-13-2005, 07:34 PM

would there be any visiable damage to the motherboard?

Chris · 02-13-2005, 11:58 PM

All capacitors on the board should be flush or concave. If they are bowed out, then that's a bad sign

Other bad signs include black marks on the board, melted sockets, etc.