major problem

[Antitrust19]

Ok, this is the problem that just started occurring for some reason. I'll be on the computer and everything will be running smooth and then when i start opening up more programs or watching videos the computer will just shut down by itself. If i turn it back on it was say overclocking failed as far as i know i havent touched with that. so i need some ideas to why this may be happening. thanks Scott

[IKnowNothing]

Couple of things that spring immediately to mind are :-

Virus -
CPU fan -
Faulty Memory -
Faulty Power Supply -

Fisrt 2 are easy to check - run a full scan using your AV software and take the cover off your machine, power it up and check all the fans are spinning and shifting a sensible volume of air. With the machine powered off it might even be worth cleaning the dust out of there (using a plastic nozzle).

Faulty Memory is much harder to test - I found this http://www.majorgeeks.com/Microsoft_Windows_Memory_Diagnostic_d3955.html which may be able to help

Failing power supplies have so symptoms that I tend to change the PSU when I've eliminated other causes.
If you have a PC Health monitor you could run that and see if it shows any problems just before failure - such as the line voltages dropping which would indicate a PSU which is underpowered or failing.

Anyone got any other ideas?

[Antitrust19]

Hey I installed a Probe software that test my computers performance. It states that my CPU temp is 2 high. so i cleaned my cpu fan out, (had lots of dust in in) and keep my computer off a while to cool it down. restarted and still saying its 2 hot.

[jagabo]

Is the CPU fan running?

[IKnowNothing]

If the CPU is running hot then it's odds on the fan is not shifting enough air

Simple job to replace - although you'll almost certainly need to replace the heat exchanger and fan as a single unit.

[budz]

time for a new coat of thermal paste on that cpu and maybe a new heatsink fan.

[ahhaa]

just fyi, sounds like the power supply may need cleaning as well

did you buy this machine new?

the emergency cutoff is Russian roulette- you may lose a HD or the mobo itself if it keeps happening...