Computer keep shutting down

[iluvperl]

I have a laptop that has recently begun shutting down CONSTANTLY. Any time I hear the processor working hard for a few minutes it will shut down and I won't be able to reboot it successfully for about 5-10 minutes.

My first guess was it was overheating because the casing was getting warm, so I went out and bought a USB laptop cooling pad and put that under there, too. It still crashes if I install anything that takes more than 5 minutes or do any sort of semi-heavy image processing or play flash games for 5+ minutes and it doesn't feel like it's getting warm enough to crash. It seems to me like it crashes more when the processor is busy.

Reformatting isn't the problem, I've done that about 6 times now and most of the time the computer turns itself off half way through the OS install! I do not believe I can reformat this computer again.

Any suggestions on what it might be?

 

[maxthedork]

Check in the System Bios, see if the computer is set to shut down when a certain temperature is reached. Make a note of any system events and temperature thresholds marked to shut down the laptop. Boot into Windows and go to the following link:

http://www.almico.com/sfdownload.php

This is an application called Speedfan. It monitors your system temperature in Windows. Install it and leave it running, but configure alarms to go off when your system temperatures (CPU, Motherboard, etc) are about 2ºC below where the threshold is set in BIOS. That way you can know if your system is overheating, and you can take appropriate action. If you can, try blowing out the fan vents by the CPU (located on the back of the laptop in most cases) with compressed air, to provide better ventilation.

Just a few things to try before checking the manufacturer's website.

 

[dglienna]

Take a can of air and blow into all openings. You probably have a lot of dust build up. Hopefully it hasn't burned out the fan. Do you hear/feel the fan running?

-David
2006 Microsoft Most Valueable Professional (MVP)
2006 Dell Certified System Professional (CSP)

 

[BadFrog]

I second dglienna's suggestion. Cooloing vents getting clogged and causing overheating is common for laptops.

"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy"
Albert Einstein