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Resolved Question

Computer randomly shuts down

by Apr 25, 2014 9:09AM PDT

So I have an HP 64bit desktop with Windows 8.1, completely fabulous machine!

But the back story behind my question. I'll leave my computer on when I go to class or generally go out. I leave it up for my parents to use and just have it ready to go.

Sometimes, this has happened in the last week, but the screen will be completely off, where if I press the power button on the screen, it won't turn on. I'll hit the sleep button on the keyboard, nothing. The power button on the tower itself is on and usually it sounds like the fan is running pretty fast. Which is again, weird because she barely makes a sound.
I've had this computer for a good solid month and a few days now. No issues what so ever, but this one perplexes me. I usually force shut down because, I really can't do much when the screen won't turn on. The screen has crapped out on me one other time when I plugged my camera (not a webcam an actual camera) into it, for some reason the screen just turned off.

Everything is plugged in, all updates are up to date. Everything is fine, but this one stumps me.
Any help? I don't think it's do or die, but I'd like to maybe know what's going on if anything.

Discussion is locked

rockessmonster has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer
4 Posts
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Best Answer

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Look at the BIOS maker.
by Forum moderator Apr 25, 2014 11:45AM PDT

For me my last HP (literally) had an "InSyde" BIOS which would fail just like that. It would lock up on boot if a smart phone, printer or other USB device was plugged in and while HP did take the laptop back for repair they broke it even more in their repair center. So at 3 months it went to their service center, 6 months later it was still broke and with no end in sight I wrote it off. Over time I found others with this defective BIOS and the lesson was when you find this, you do not let HP service it. You go for a refund.
Bob

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Answer
It sounds like it could be hibernating.
by Apr 25, 2014 9:37AM PDT

When I first installed Windows 8 on one of my PCs, it would go into hibernation. I had to go into the Power Options applet of the Control Panel to turn that feature off. You might want to check that if you haven't already.

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reply
by rockessmonster Apr 25, 2014 11:36AM PDT

It's not that at all. I've already turned all those features off. I know how to get a computer of of hibernation, that's not the issue. It has no power saver on what so ever.

It's easy to wake a computer up, what's going on with my computer is it not waking up for some odd reason and it has zero power saving options on right now.

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similar in Linux
by James Denison Apr 25, 2014 10:13PM PDT

happens when the swap file/partition (for windows the pagefile) is smaller than the RAM on the computer, or the swapfile can't be found. Obviously if the pagefile is too small then it may not hold all that's in the RAM when it attempts to write to it for Sleep or Hibernate. Make sure the pagefile hasn't accidentally been marked "read only" or put in a folder that is "read only". In Linux the problem is solved by making sure any change in the UUID (GUID for windows) for the swapfile is recorded in several files which unfortunately isn't done automatically, hopefully is in windows. The other is by expanding the size of the swap area, or for windows you could set the pagefile to a static size at least as large as the RAM installed, preferably larger.

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