My computer keeps randomly shutting off

[giantsloth1267]

I will be going along normally and then all of a sudden the computer will shut off as if it has lost power... the power light on the button to turn it on will blink yellow, if i either unplug the computer or hold the yellow button down until it goes off i can try and it turn it back on, somtimes it will boot back up without a problem and other times it will turn on get to windows and then shut off again...i have called dell they dont know what they are talking about and it is a waste of two hours. WTF!

Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks in advance

 

[mammikoura]

Have u checked for viruses. Though usually they just restart the computer, don't turn it off. Also what are the temperatures of ur parts?
And what parts have u got?

 

[jac006]

It could be a faulty psu...

 

[wozelbeak]

you could be overheating!
can you tell what temp your cpu is running at?
try taking off the side panel and re-booting next time, the extra air flow around it might cool it down.
if it works, you will know that you have a overheating problem.
woz

 

[Opteronix]

1). Overheating (as said above)
2). Faulty PSU (as said above)
3). Bad drivers (in other words, corrupted)
4). Faulty video card with instability
5). Damaged chipset or CPU
6). IRQ MASSIVE CONFLICT (I am talking at least 5 or more... which doesn't give you the old BSOD)

 

[giantsloth1267]

Ok thanks for the info, yeah i do believe it was overheating... Now that i keep my room a little cooler it hasnt been happening as frequently.. i also talked to a friend and he said his computer was having the same type of problems and it was a gateway...he went to walmart and bought a ten dollar fan and hasn't had a problem since... I think it's safe to say it was probably just over heating...also their is a ton of dust collection around the air flow currently inside it..so thanks a bunch for the info it's been pissing me off all summer im glad im finally understanding why it has been doing this.