Why does my computer

keep turning itself off? Sometimes I have to push the start button several times before it will boot, then it will just randomly shutoff

Could be a lot of things, but random shutdowns usually have me looking for overheating components first. Do you have any temperature monitors running? If not, try something like Speccy to get some basic numbers.

Does it slow down before dying or just die?

Just dies, "entering power save" black screen. Windoze Vista

Because you touch yourself at night.

Then why does my computer still work?

mndsm wrote: Because you touch yourself at night.

+1 I'm not a doctor (although I did watch the last 7 seasons) ... this seems like the most logical answer.

Keep your filthy dickbeaters off the man parts and it ought to be fine.

Wally wrote: Then why does my computer still work?

Because you wash after.

Got an air compressor? Take the CPU down to the garage, pop the cover and blow it out.

Can't hurt and it might solve your problem, though I'm leaning towards something else.

Overheating? That's usually the cause. My laptop will spontaneously shut down if it gets too hot. I run it on a stand that keeps it off the desk so the fan gets adequate air flow.

Entering power save? Hmm...

Will it start or behave differently if the battery is removed?

If you go into power management and set the actions for closing your laptop lid and pressing the power button to either "ask me" or "do nothing" do things change?

How long will it run before it shuts off? Does it need to sit before you can turn it back on?

Mike wrote: Entering power save? Hmm... battery laptop lid

"Entering power save" is typically something on a desktop monitor, not a laptop. The monitor is losing signal from the video card when the computer shuts off.

Need more specifics on the computer. Desk top lap top age etc.

are you hearing the fan really whineing loudly? from what little you said it could well be overheating... air compressor or air in a can and blowing out the case and specifically the heat sink is a good start

If you do the compressed air, stick a pencil in the cooling fans. If you don't, they spin way too fast and destroy the tiny bearings.

Verify fans operate, then use a thermometer to monitor cpu temps when it shuts off.

sounds thermal.

bc stuxnet

The capacitors on the motherboard or power supply are berkeleyed. Google "bulged capacitor" and click on images. If your caps look bulged then problem found.

Dell desktop,not really on long enough to heat up? Sometimes runs for an hour or only a few seconds.

relevant hotlink

I'd guess a bad power supply.

fujioko wrote: The capacitors on the motherboard or power supply are berkeleyed. Google "bulged capacitor" and click on images. If your caps look bulged then problem found.

^^^This. For me, it's usually the power supply. But, I have replaced at least four motherboards with swollen and/or leaking caps with that very symptom at work in the last 18 months.

In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker: My dickbeaters are not filthy, your mom licks them reasonably clean.

+1 for bad PSU, although bad caps is another strong possibility. Anything that happens before the POST completes and the boot sequence begins can't be a software problem.

BTW, cleaning the PC isn't a bad idea on a semi-routine basis:

Plus popping the cover and making sure nothing's gone awry:

(That would be the cooling fan and heatsink for the CPU)

Most CPU's or motherboards have thermal shutdown capability and will trigger a shut down if they overheat or there is another detected issue, like the power supply is providing the incorrect voltage (too high/too low, etc.)