Computer completely shuts down and restarts

Hi

This is not Trainz-related at all, but maybe someone has a suggestion. Occasionally my computer completely shuts down and restarts. No damage is done, except that what was immediately in memory is lost.

I wonder if anyone has an idea as to what might cause this. I'm thinking an intermittent fault in the power supply. Computer is Windows 10 Home, AMD AM3 Mobo/CPU and RX470 GPU. PSU is 750 watts.

Thanks,

Mick

This has a article that specifically calls the problem to WIN10 and not prior Win Versions......

https://windowsreport.com/random-shutdown-windows-10/

Another Link shows other culprits that could cause the issues.

https://superuser.com/questions/1021267/my-windows-10-computer-randomly-shuts-down

Here is a YouTube on another way to attack the problem......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LMaZspKtbo


Hopefully one of these will help you solve your issue............

blueodessey said:

This has a article that specifically calls the problem to WIN10 and not prior Win Versions......

https://windowsreport.com/random-shutdown-windows-10/

Another Link shows other culprits that could cause the issues.

https://superuser.com/questions/1021267/my-windows-10-computer-randomly-shuts-down

Here is a YouTube on another way to attack the problem......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LMaZspKtbo


Hopefully one of these will help you solve your issue............

Click to expand...

Thanks. Will definitely take a look. I didn't know that other people were experiencing the problem.
Mick

A question as well - have you got an Intel processor? From memory there was a faulty fix for a Spectre issue that caused restart problems.

Shane

Mick_Berg - Check out the records and technical details shown in Windows Event Viewer and in your Maintenance logs in Control Panel, Security & Maintenance, 'View reliability history...'
Also, spontaneous shutdowns are frequently associated with thermal issues afflicting one or more system components. What system temperatures are prevailing immediately prior to the blackout?
Are you getting BSODs (Blue screens of death) with these? If so, write down the error message reported.
On the other hand, as you say, it might be simply that your PSU is on the way out, and your motherboard - or Windows OS - is shutting you down to protect themselves from dangerous spikes or power surges/ dropouts.

A couple of computer rebuilds ago I had a MoBo that had an intermittent fault that would cause a reset. It was unpredictable so I'm guessing a "dry joint" fault or maybe a crack somewhere in the board. Eventually, I gave up and replaced it.

It was an expensive board as well!

On a related note, one of the recent NVidia drivers was causing problems with programs such as Substance Painter and other high GPU usage programs. I think it only affected the Titan boards but am not sure. A new driver came out today that probably solved that issue.

Open the case and check for any dust/dirt anywhere inside. Any dust in the various fans in the CPU, GPU, case and power supply maybe blocked and causing overheating. That would cause the machine to shutdown to protect itself.

Also check that the video card is still fitting properly. Might be a good idea to remove and reinsert the card as the big heavy video cards can move slightly under their own weight and gravity. I had 1 machine where the card had to be reseated every 6 months due to its weight or it would just shut down randomly.

Install CPUID HWMonitor and keep an eye on the temperatures it is reporting. It's free and always worth having https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

Mick_Berg said:

Hi

This is not Trainz-related at all, but maybe someone has a suggestion. Occasionally my computer completely shuts down and restarts. No damage is done, except that what was immediately in memory is lost.

I wonder if anyone has an idea as to what might cause this. I'm thinking an intermittent fault in the power supply. Computer is Windows 10 Home, AMD AM3 Mobo/CPU and RX470 GPU. PSU is 750 watts.

Thanks,

Mick

Click to expand...

I had that problem ... particularly when running T:ANE ...
and then one morning it happened five times in a row. On simple Win 8.1

suspected the power supply, the computer shop told me the 600 watt psu was not delivering enough power.
Tossed it out and now I have a 450 psu doing the same job.
No crashes to black and restart.

Event Viewer showed this as a Critical Error. There were many of these and, by looking at the date and time, I suspect that they relate to the restarts I am experiencing. Still doesn't tell me exactly what happened. Maybe someone can interpret the Windows-speak.

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BTW Now using PostImage for the images. Seems to work fine.

Thanks,
Mick

Mick_Berg said:

Event Viewer showed this as a Critical Error. There were many of these and, by looking at the date and time, I suspect that they relate to the restarts I am experiencing.

Click to expand...

If the only information in the Windows logs is the restart, then that tells you that Windows did not detect anything prior to shutdown. That makes it very unlikely that it was an application and somewhat unlikely that it was a driver. It was also probably not overheating or a PSU overload problem, as these are generally monitored and some sort of warning would be provided (depending on the Mobo and Mobo drivers). Similarly for an accessory such as a disk drive. A PSU critical failure, or a Mobo component failure seems most likely.

Mick_Berg said:

Hi

This is not Trainz-related at all, but maybe someone has a suggestion. Occasionally my computer completely shuts down and restarts. No damage is done, except that what was immediately in memory is lost.

I wonder if anyone has an idea as to what might cause this. I'm thinking an intermittent fault in the power supply. Computer is Windows 10 Home, AMD AM3 Mobo/CPU and RX470 GPU. PSU is 750 watts.

Thanks,

Mick

Click to expand...

One of the Microsoft patches was causing reboots on AMD systems as was one of the AMD graphics drivers, make sure your cumulative updates are 100% up to date and your graphics driver hasn't been "updated" by Microsoft.

If not that Run the Reliability Monitor and just check you haven't got a software issue. Type Reliability into search or Cortana if you haven't killed that off.

Event viewer? look for warnings not just errors, the one you posted you can get if you just pull the plug out of the wall socket or get a power cut so isn't really a foolproof indication that there is a problem, just that something or someone caused the PC to shutdown / reboot.

With an AMD board, ensure that you have the AMD AHCI drivers installed (Mobo Driver disk or website) and not the generic Microsoft ones.

Worth checking your wall socket and plugs, believe it or not over time the screws can work loose, just a slight bit of arcing can trigger a reboot of the PSU also try a different power lead as they can sometimes cause problems, replaced one here a few months ago that was causing an intermittant connection.

Unlikely to be a motherboard problem as that would occur far more frequently unless you are in the habit of moving the PC around and something isn't making a tight connection which you should check anyway.
One thing to check is fans, if one gets stuck that can trigger a PSU shutdown.

If non of that suggest you visit Ten Forums the BSOD section, where they will walk you through full diagnostics to find out what is causing it, be prepared to provide a lot of logs and screenshots! Usually the resident experts can find out whats causing problems with BSODS and reboots etc.

Mick_Berg:- Event 41 - Kernel power - There's a good chance that whitburncolliery (above) has nailed it when he said:

Also check that the video card is still fitting properly. Might be a good idea to remove and reinsert the card as the big heavy video cards can move slightly under their own weight and gravity. I had 1 machine where the card had to be reseated every 6 months due to its weight or it would just shut down randomly.​

Click to expand...

I had a similar episode of spontaneous reboots with my GTX 1070 for a while until I worked out that it had become slightly unseated in the PCIe slot. Seated it properly again (until it clicked) and no more reboots.
This card only just fits into the limited space afforded by my HTPC desktop case. Barely a millimeter to spare, so it needs to be checked if ever the case is moved about.

Thanks guys. I will try all the suggestions. I am suspecting the PSU even more now, as it has had issues with the fan not running, and it did have quite a few negative reviews, but it was a very good deal so I bought it. It has served me well for a long time, but I might just go ahead and replace it.

Cheers,
Mick

What make and model is the PSU? Fan not working isn't a good sign, may of course be bunged up with fluff.