- When the battery in your notebook computer is critically low, Windows should display a warning message and give you enough time to save your work before the computer shuts down. However, Windows may fail to display the warning if the capacity of the battery has decreased to the point where it is no longer able to power the computer. If your computer shuts down unexpectedly only when running on battery power, it is probably time to replace the battery.
- When the components in a computer overheat, you may see a variety of symptoms -- slow performance, crashes and random shutdowns. If your computer feels hot to the touch or if the fans constantly remain at full speed, these may be symptoms of a heat issue. Clicking and grinding noises may indicate fan failure, which can also cause overheating. Many computers have internal temperature sensors that you can read by installing system monitoring software. If your computer is able to run long enough before shutting down that you can install and run software, this can help you identify a heat issue without opening the computer chassis and examining parts.
- If your computer has begun to power off unexpectedly after you installed new hardware, the power demands of the hardware may exceed the capabilities of your computer's power supply. This is particularly likely to occur after a video card upgrade, as high-end video cards often draw hundreds of watts of power when under a full load. Many power supplies have variable-speed fans, and if your power supply's fan emits a constant whining noise, the power supply may be overloaded. If the fan remains at full speed and you have not installed new hardware, the computer may be overheating or the power supply could be failing.
- Windows has the ability to restart the computer automatically if it crashes. When this happens, it may appear that the computer has powered off, because the error message may flash on the screen too quickly for you to read it. Open the Start menu, right-click the "Computer" icon, and select "Properties." Click the "Advanced System Settings" link, and then click the "Advanced" tab in the new window. Click the "Settings" button under "Startup and Recovery," and then remove the check from the "Automatically Restart" box. Although this will not resolve the issue that is causing your computer to crash, it will cause the error message to remain on the screen until you restart the computer manually. This can help you determine the problem's source. A crashing operating system can be difficult to diagnose, but failing hardware, heat and viruses are common causes.
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