PC unexpectedly shuts down

[maccool111]

My PC has recently developed a very unusual fault and one that I am at a total loss to explain so any serious help/advice would be greatly appreciated.
For all intents and purposes my PC is running fine and performs all that is asked of it quickly and with no problems except one and that is when encoding avi files to mpeg2 files.
It is fine when I encode one file at a time but when I attempt to either batch encode or merge two files that is when the problem occurs, my PC shuts down without warning and goes into a kind of permanent standby. The PC is still running, the HDD busy light goes solid but the monitor is blank and the PC is dead. The only way to restart is to remove and then restore mains power and then start as normal.
This is a list of possible causes I have been able to eliminate. 1. Memory (changed stick and slot ) 2. IDE ribbons (swapped ribbons) 3. IDE slots on motherboard (bought IDE/RAID controller) 4. software (same thing occurs with 4 different incarnations of TMPGEnc, 2 incarnations of WinAvi, Canopus ProCoder and Main Concept) and 5. A virus (reformatted and reinstalled XP).
I am running a P4 3Gb with 512MB RAM with a 120GB HDD and a 160GB HDD with XP Pro SP2 but this has not altered in the last 12 months and the fault is recent.
As stated earlier any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

[RabidDog]

Corrupted Disc?
Corrupt file?
Overheating?
Memory leak problems ?
Corrupt codecs?
What files ? how big? same files? other memory resident programs? 512mb is enough normally but is not great.
P4's always run hot.
Codecs for files can sometimes cause a system shutdown.
Give the files to someone else and let them have a go at manipulating them.
Windows up to date ?.
Right .. I am getting double glazing installed today, so I will not be able to hear the crys of the street urchins and the other footpads, nor the screech and noise of passing police cars, just soz you know.

[gadgetguy]

Whenever I have a PC that shuts down for no apparent reason I always suspect overheating. Make sure all of your fans are clean and running. Also make sure the heatsink fins and fan on the CPU are clean and running. If it's dust packed, I recommend disassembling it from the CPU, cleaning the fins, fan, and CPU and applying fresh heatsink compound.

[mats.hogberg]

Please use a subject that describes you question.
I've changed it for you, and you can change it again by editing your first post in this thread.
On topic, I'm with gadgetguy on this. Most likely your CPU running hot.

/Mats

[SLK001]

Well, encoding AVI to MPEG is a 100% processor utilization operation. Nothing else that you have listed comes even close to stressing your CPU. Since you haven't taken the time to correctly fill in your computer details, everything from here on is just a guess.

Your processor will run the hottest while encoding. Most MBs come with a utility to monitor the core temp of the processor. Load that utility and watch for temps above 70-80C (P4s have the temp sensor on the chip). Most BIOS setups give options on what to do when temps get to certain values. Yours might be set to "shutdown".

It is also possible that memory could be having issues. Obtain a memory test utility and run that.

[Heywould3]

very likely overheating. but could also be a faulty power supply. strange things happen when they start to go. monitor your cpu heat and PSW voltages pay close attention to the +12v side and see if there is a problem.

[dphirschler]

Definitely sounds like overheating. I've had similar issues. One time all I had to do was spray some compressed air into the heat sink and get all that dust out of it.


Darryl

[Krispy Kritter]

While the obvious choice would be over heating, the fact that the pc doesn't appear to be completely shutting down leads me to believe it is something else. CPU overheating typically causes a complete system shutdown.

I would suspect a driver, codec, or application issue.

I would start by ensuring all of your drivers are up to date, MB and video specifically. Use a program such as codec sniper to clean your system of old/unused/corrupt codecs. You can also take a look in Event Viewer to see if XP is logging any issues during the event.

It would also be helpful to know which application(s) you are using for your conversion.

And just an FYI, but 512MB of RAM is the minimum for XP. Only having 512 usually forces XP to use the Swap file frequently. 1GB is recommended and you will see a decent increase in system responsivenes.

[mats.hogberg]

512MB of RAM is the minimum for XP. Only having 512 usually forces XP to use the Swap file frequently. 1GB is recommended and you will see a decent increase in system responsivenes.

Amen to that! Just a couple of days ago, I upgraded from 512 MB to 1.5 GB - And I can't understand how I lived with just 512 MB for soooo long. Everything is much more responsive, startup time much less.

/Mats

[Krispy Kritter]

A lot of people recommend 2GB, but it isn't needed for normal everyday use. And you won't see any noticable speed increase as you do going from 512 to 1GB. And with current memory prices, now is a good time to upgrade.

[filmboss80]

I had the very same problem with AVI-to-MPEG2 encodings always halting in the same spot (990 MB). I ruled out overheating, bad AVI clip, bad hard drive sector, faulty RAM, etc. Then I found out that version 1.2 of the AC3ACM audio codec for VirtualDub often conflicted with AVI-to-MPEG2 conversions. You didn't mention if you had AC3ACM, but if you do, be sure to remove it from sound and video drivers under your device manager.

If that is not your problem, it still may be a driver conflict somewhere.

[Nelson37]

Eliminate one hard drive and test.

Don't like the HD busy light and PC staying on, could be several other things, though.

In addition to CPU usage, the other commonality in the failure scenario is heavy HD usage. Do a chkdsk and defrag on both, note any problems.

When you say it fails on a batch encode or a file merge, by merge do you mean encoding two joined AVI files as one MPG or do you mean a muxing or adding-on process without the encoding? When it fails under these specific conditions, does it fail AFTER the period during which the first file is processed?

The question here is does the simple act of lining up a batch job cause failure, or is it the extended running time? Have you processed one file, and then immediately processed a second one, in order to get the extended running time without the batch job?

Have you tried two very short files in batch mode and one very long file as a single job?

What changes have been made to the PC recently? ANY CHANGES AT ALL?

ISOLATE and IDENTIFY.

[thevoelk]

We had a whole batch of Dell's at work that did the same thing. Turned out to be the capacitors on the mainboard were underrated, and leaked or exploded leaving a rust color all over the caps. It kind of threw us for a loop for a while, since we could still remote control to the machine. Might be worth taking a close look at your board to check.

[oldfart13]

Using Ultra RM Convertor (very good for doing RMVB to DVD conversions) I have found that it overtaxes my computer to the extent that if I set the job priority to 100% of CPU cycles, it will always cause an overheat/reboot problem. Setting it to 85%, it never happens....

[mats.hogberg]

If your CPU can't work flat out for extended periods, there's something wrong.
What's the use of high clock speeds, if the CPU can't cope wit 'em?

/Mats

[oldfart13]

Open window with cold air running on the comp. But old chips as well (P4 2.6 GHz) are good for non intensive gaming, surfing the web and the odd video editing job. If you want intense, go blow a couple grand on a custom machine that will work for you. Do I need such a thing? No! Never have to this point....

[maccool111]

Many thanks for all your replies. Gold stars go to those that thought the cpu over heating was the problem.
I "finally" got around to checking and the heat sink looked like one of those huge fur balls you saw when emptying an old vacuum cleaner bag.
Again many thanks to all.

[redwudz]

Sort of like this?:



There's good reason to check the internals of your computer on occasion.
(And thanks to the member that posted that picture. )

Youv'e probably already cleaned it out, but I would do it outdoors and wear a dust mask. You don't really want to breath that stuff.

[Nitro89]

I have the exact same problem, I bought my PC brand new from PC world, I've been having the same problem for about 2 years, they can't see a fault in the machine and I have 5 years warranty, they even said to me it was a software problem! I am getting another engineer to come to my house and inspect my PC, and if he can't fix it, I get a new one finally! My CPU overheats to 80-90oc and the motherboard goes around 50-60oc, but PC World can't find a problem with me PC, idiots. And yes, I've used the air duster to dust out my machine, all my components are working. The fan speed is 2700RPM, do I need a faster fan, oh, I have a Intel Pentium 4 Processor.

[redwudz]

You may have one of the Prescott CPUs that runs warmer than similar processors, along with poor cooling. Those temps are way too high, especially the case temps. Does that computer have a case fan?

The speed of the CPU fan seems sufficient. But it sounds like you need a better quality CPU cooler and some added case fans. If it's under warranty, I would opt for a replacement as they seem to be reluctant to fix it.

If those temps happen all the time, it's not likely to last too long.

[Nitro89]

I know, but they keep refusing to exchange my PC, I think theres only one fan in the there, and its the one next to the CPU. I had my Uncle, a Computer dude tell PC World the problem because they wouldn't of found out. But PC World keep knocking me around giving me excuse after excuse!

[Nelson37]

Simple proof for the warranty clowns, I deal with similar all the time.

Unplug ALL drives, data and power, boot to the BIOS, and do absolutely nothing. Run it till it freezes or reboots, do it three times, tell them it is broken. PERIOD.

IF it freezes or reboots while in the BIOS, with no drives connected, then it HAS to be hardware.

On second thought, leave the drives alone. They may complain that doing this violates your warranty, I'm certified so I don't have to worry about that.

Same applies to the evidence, though, any error happening while sitting in the BIOS is hardware, case closed.

And yes those temperature numbers are WAY too high, demand replacement.

Take the box to the store and do not leave until issue is resolved. Be polite, but firm, and loud.

I would tell you exactly how to get this done but the last time I mentioned this in jest, my customer was on the evening news and almost got arrested. But he DID walk out of the store with a brand-new PC. Something about high explosives. Post-911, I wouldn't even joke about it.

[Nitro89]

lol, oh comon, tell me please

[Nelson37]

Re-read my next-to-last sentence.

He suggested it, my comment was "that might just work".

I am in no way suggesting or recommending this course of action. This man almost went to jail for threatening to blow up the store. He was on both 6:00 and 11:00 news.

He did, however, get a new PC.

Again, let it freeze in the BIOS. When you take it to the store, insist that they simply hook it up and turn it on. State very clearly that you know for an absolute fact that if it freezes in the BIOS setup screen, there is a hardware problem. Offer to stand there and wait for it to freeze. Take them names, addresses, and phone numbers of people who saw it freeze in the BIOS. Mention that you will get an evaluation from a professional technician that it freezes in the BIOS, if they continue to deny service (use that phrase) you will demand that they pay the bill, for getting a pro to tell you in one afternoon what they have failed to determine in two years.

Do NOT be quiet. Be polite, but make sure everybody within 50 feet knows exactly what the issue is. Give them an opportunity to resolve first, ask for a supervisor, explain in clear terms, then get loud. Remain Polite, but get LOUD.

I've done this more than once. When they see me coming, I can lip-read the "Oh shit", while someone goes for the Manager. BUT, the problem now gets resolved in a very short time. I should emphasize that FIRST, I determine that there is indeed a true hardware defect, and not just a virus or some user error. In the store's defense, this happens over half the time.

Another note is that if you use the system restore disks from the factory, ADDING ABSOLUTELY NO OTHER SOFTWARE AND NO INTERNET CONNECTION, a malfunction of almost any type becomes a warranty issue. This is their company protocol, which is first to deny any problem at all, second to force the use of the Restore disks, and then and only then if the problem re-occurs to allow Warranty Service.