what causes my computer to lock up then shut down by itself when nobody is on it?
338432
i dunno about the lock-up thing.. but the shutdown thing MIGHT BE the infamous remote procedure call error (RPC) (that is.. if u r using XP).. It would give a countdown before shutting down the pc. It is becos of a goddamned worm. Try running an antivirus scan to flush out the worm.
511395
Because you have too many programs running\n\nstart -> msconfig -> startup\n\ngo there and disable the ones you dont need. After clicking shutdown click ctrl+alt+delete and order by ram and CPU see which prog is locking up your computer.\n\n\ncheck out this vid\nhttp://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5003767578142823730&q=Jimmy+Ruska+startup
628770
couple of ways to see if it is a hardware or a software fault\n\nfirstly boot into safe mode - restart your pc and keep on tapping the f5 or f8 key then select safemode\n\nleave it in this mode for a while - does it shut down ?\n\ncheck your event viewer for any system errors (in the control panel - administrative - then event viewer) click on the system \n\nsee if this gives you any clues\n\nalso try getting into the bios or cmos setup - again leave it in this mode - does it shut down - if so then you definately have a overheating problem\n\nalso check you in you bios to see if you have a hardware monitor option - if so check the cpu, system temp and fan speeds\n\ncome back to us with your results
979221
There may be several reasons why this would happen, I have a laptop and it does this when it heats up. I had a server running in my office which did this because of a bad hard disk. So the bottom line is you'll have to check for all the following: \n\n1. Heating Problem,\n2. Bad HDD,\n3. RAM Issues,\n4. Software Issues,\n5. Viruses.\n\nBy the way if you have done any new upgrades to the HW or software then that might also be a cause for such a problem.\n\nBest regards
358781
What are you doing when it freezes?  Is it randomly, no matter what you're doing or even if the computer is idle?  If so, then I'd start suspecting a power supply.  A power supply that is getting flaky will supply inconsistent power, often causing a computer to freeze.\n\nIf it's during heavy usage, then I'd suspect RAM or lack of RAM.  \n\nAlso, make sure you defrag your hard drive, run a Disk check on the drive to make sure it's running properly.\n\nScan for Virus, and spyware..  Many of these types of items will cause freezes.\n\nCheck the interior of your PC to make sure your CPU fan and other fans are working, and that the heat sink is not full of dirt and lint.  An overheating processor will cause freezes, also.\n\nWant me to keep going?  Freezing up can be caused by so many factors that it's just not an easy thing to just say "This is it".\n\nStart with this list and the suggestions of the others, and you'll find it in time.\n\nGood Luck.
283804
I had that problem with Yahoo messenger when I had another program that uses the camera on also. If you have something like ActiveWebCam or perhaps a utility program from the manufacturer of the camera, that will cause the whole computer to lock up. A camera can only be used by one program at a time in my experience.
257161
I heard that happening with some anti virus software.\nTry shutting down after deactivating the software.\n\nIf that doesnt help try finding out if its a hardware problem.\nGet a program called "end it all" which will close down all running applications and your computer should shut down, if it doesnt then its a hardware thing.
756312
I think you computer went into stand-by mode. To disable standby, Go to Start>Control Panel>Power Options.\n\nUnder Power Options properties, set power schemes to 'Always On'. You shouldn't have anymore problem after doing this.
582394
Having your PC lock up every time you get on the Internet points to a problem with your TCP/IP stack or software that uses it. My guess would be that you've downloaded some malware of some sort. Could be a virus or spyware or adware... I bet some malware is activated when Internet Explorer starts and it is causing the lock up. \n\nYou get this stuff loaded onto your PC by accepting all the 'free' stuff that you see on many pages. Free search bars. Free downloads. Free screensavers, etc. Avoid that kind of stuff.\n\nYou can get a free scan with any of these products, but if bad stuff is found, you'll actually have to purchase it to enable the 'clean my PC' functions. \n\nGood luck!\n\nhttp://watersaffl.NOADWARE.hop.clickbank.net/\nhttp://watersaffl.TREKBLUE8.hop.clickbank.net/
243706
you have a lot of "stuff" running in the background or something like drivers or programs are conflicting and XP has to deal with them before shutting down. Also if you have restore points activated it could be saving a restore point
90594
Couple of reasons can be there\n\n1. You are running out of Hard Disk space, and this causes the OS to hang. Check your available disk space and if low then do something.\n\n2. Your RAM is corrupt, that causes system lock ups and hangs the system frequntly. If you can open your computer and if there are more than one SIMM of memory then replace one at a time and see if it fixes your problem. \n\n3. If still issue call your hardware guy!
1157596
check for viruses (specially when your system booting after connect to internet ) \ncheck power voltage \ncheck  cpu fan \nreinstall win xp \nif cpu fan is good
384082
There are many things that may be wrong.\n-- It may be a virus, Restart your PC in secure mode (press F8 when starting windows) and run your antivirus\n-- It may be a program that doesn't finish and windows is waiting. If you still can use the PC when shutdown, right click the clock, chose task manager, then process tab. There you can see what is runnig on your computer. Try to kill one by one, if after you have killed one of them your computer shutdowns thats the bad guy. Visit the program's website.\n-- Some update messed up your windows. Sometimes when you update there are problems  (usually with other programs). You may look for a new update (windowsupdate or your program update) or to restore your XP.\n\nBTW: if you press the CPU button to shutdown the PC you could mess the hard disk, but it is unlikely. Just don't shake the computer after this. You may restart the computer and turn it off again to reduce the chances of this.
1090584
This could be a cooling issue, check your fans and dust out your system. I saw one system the other day that did this because of the massive amount of dust, even though the fans were still turning. \nAlso try starting the computer in safe mode and see if it works then or locks up without restarting. A bad XP install will cause this sort of action. Sometimes there is a bios option that tells the system to restart on error, you can turn this off to help diagnose the problem.
1149016
Good information to help you resolve this would be:  new or used computer?  It could be shutting down for a multitude of reasons...  The first to come to mind is temperature.  Most motherboards shut down a few degrees before the processor's thermal breakdown point.  You may want to see that your heatsink is seated on the processor properly, and that any and all fans are functioning.\n\nAnother common culprit would be a virus.  Look for a free program that will let you do a boot time scan of your system.
956653
Freezes and Crashes \n\nAll computer users must deal with the occasional aggravating freeze or crash. A freeze is a totally unresponsive computer. With a freeze, nothing responds, including the mouse. A crash occurs when a hard drive stops operating and the computer shuts down. Sometimes a crash causes a spontaneous reboot. These problems can be triggered by malfunctions such as resource conflicts, power glitches, hardware problems, software conflicts, and outdated or buggy drivers for various devices that are installed on the computer system. \n\nTroubleshooting Freezes and Crashes Checklist \n\nWhen a freeze or crash occurs, on a PC, hit the keystroke combination Ctrl + Alt + Delete. If a dialog box appears, select Task Manager and then End Task for the application that is not responding. (On a Macintosh, hit the keystroke combination Ctrl + Command + Esc to force quit the application that is not responding.) \nIf Ctrl+Alt+Del doesn't work, restart the computer. Use the reset button to do this, if the computer has one, or the power switch if it doesn't. \nIf the mouse responds when it is moved, minimize a window or select the application on the task bar. The computer is not frozen, it is not responding to the selected application. In this case either End Task on a PC or Force Quit on a Macintosh. \nIf the computer is frozen, restart the computer to see if that will solve the problem. \nRun a virus check on the computer to look for a possible virus. \nPossible Causes and Fixes for Freezes and Crashes \n\nFreezes and crashes are generally caused by some sort of instability in the computer system. The following is a list of specific problems that can cause instability along with what to check when troubleshooting each. \n\nViruses can cause instability. \nRun a virus check on the computer to look for a possible virus. \nConflicts can cause instability. \nCheck the Windows Device Manager to see if there are any yellow exclamation marks or red Xs beside the listings for device classifications. If there are, contact Tech Support. \nBuggy or damaged software applications can cause instability. \nIf the system is less stable when certain software programs are running, shut down those programs and see if the problem continues to occur. If the problems stop, chances are that those software programs are causing the problems. \nBuggy, outdated, or conflicting drivers can cause instability. \nCheck manufacturer web sites for updated device drivers for the various devices installed on the computer system, such as: printer drivers, modem drivers, video drivers, sound drivers, USB device drivers, etc. \nUpdate one driver at a time and see if the system stabilizes. If this doesn't work, it may be a hardware problem, so contact Tech Support. \nAC problems can cause instability. \nCheck to see if the computer system is plugged into an overloaded outlet. \nMake sure the computer system is plugged into a surge suppressor. \nThe installation of new devices can cause instability. \nThere are three typical symptoms that point to this problem: \nThe computer system fails to boot, freezes during a boot, or freezes during an operation for no apparent reason. \nThe system fails to recognize the newly installed device. \nOne or more software applications fail to function as expected after an upgrade. \nSome Tips for Dealing with Freezes and Crashes \n\nKeep track of the hardware and software that is added to a computer. The addition of new hardware and software can often cause problems to occur. \nResearch the compatibility of new hardware and software with the existing computer system before purchase and installation. \nThe older a PC, the more likely it is to crash. \nWhen a computer freezes or crashes, chances are that changes made after the last save and when the freeze or crash occurred will be lost.
43910
Uo oh...Sounds like a virus to me. If you don't have anti-virus, get it. Two good freeware programs are Avast & AVG. Your anti-virus must be up to date too, new viruses as created every day, your software has to know how to recognize these viruses. I agree with the last fellow too, it could be an overheat issue, but I've never seen a PC recover from an overheat lock-up.