Help My Computer Runs For A Few Seconds And Shuts Off By Itself

  I don't know how many times someone brings in a computer and says it runs for a few moments and then it shuts off by itself. There are a few things to check first. Most of the time this happens because something is stopping the system from being cooled properly. The first step is to remove the side cover and inspect the inside of the computer. There are a couple of things I look for first. The most common problem is a build up of too much dust, cobwebs and bugs. Look at the microprocessor fan and heat sink. If they are packed with dust the heat sink can not dissipate the heat from the microprocessor. This will result in the motherboard shutting off the system to protect it from damage. You can use some computer air spray or it is better known as canned air to blow out the dust or you can use an air compressor. I myself use the air compressor, because the canned air does not always last. Just make sure to hold the cpu fan so it does not spin. If it spins too fast it could damage the fan and you will have to replace it. These are the best ways to clean dust from the computer. If you are not comfortable with doing the work yourself I would recommend taking the computer to a computer repair service. Some computer repair shops have an in shop fee as well as an on site service fee.

  The other fans to inspect are the fans in the power supply and any front, rear, side or top case fans. Sometimes you may have to remove the fans to clean the dust and dirt off the blades. I use a dampened q-tip to do this. You can use some cleaner like fantastic to clean off the blades. The second thing with any fan is to make sure it is spinning properly. If it spins too slowly or make a groaning noise it is time to replace it. Fans are not expensive and usually easy to replace. Front case fans may require removing the front case cover. Be careful because the plastic catches can be easy to break. If the the power supply fan is not spinning or making noise, the power supply will have to be replaced. Make sure to buy a new power supply with the same wattage or more wattage. Nowadays 500 Watts or more is normal.
  Another problem with fans not spinning are cables that are getting stuck in the fan blades. Just use some tie wraps and move the cables or wires away from the fans. A good system has good air flow to keep it cool and running properly. Removal of power supplies can be easy most of the time to replace. I have had some computer cases that required taking off the top cover and then the power supply can be taken out from the top. You can find good power supplies at your local computer store or pc service repair shop and prices are not usually too bad. I would recommend buying off the internet through Amazon or Ebay. One place on the internet I like is Newegg. They have always had good parts and good prices. I know of some computer store that buy from them at retail prices and then mark up the price again to make a profit. My advise is buy it yourself, replace it yourself, learn something and pass it on to someone else. Avoid the crooked people trying to get your money. I do have to say that there are some very good computer repair shops around that do provide very good computer repair services.
  If all the above repairs are not solving your problem, then something else is causing it. I would look at the motherboard and make sure the cpu heatsink is not loose or broken. Check the motherboard for any damaged components such as a capacitor that may be bulging or leaking. Make sure the sticks of memory are installed properly. Try removing them and reinstalling them. If none of them are causing the problem, then the hard drive may be defective or you may have gotten a virus, malware, spyware or adware. I have seen some infections lately that are causing problems like this. I would recommend download the hirens program. It is a zip file that can be installed on another computer. It will then create a file with an iso extension. Burn this image program to a cdr or dvd disk. You can also put it on a usb flash drive. Either way see if you can boot off of it. There are many programs to scan the hard drive for problems with the hard drive. You can scan and test the memory. I also copy the various programs for scanning for viruses such as malwarebytes, spybot, eset online scanner as well as others. Just copy to the root and run the program. Just remember to connect to the internet first, so you can update the programs. Hirens download zip file can be found at this link http://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/  . There are other programs as well to scan and repair for technicians. There is the windows 7 PE or the Windows 8 PE disks that have good programs on them. Here is a link to a website with lots of information on them http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn293200.aspx or http://windowsmatters.com/2013/04/30/windows-8-based-pe-boot-disk-with-explorer-shell-and-all-my-favorite-apps/ .
  If all these troubleshooting methods do not solve the problem or the infection has gone to deep it may be time to replace the system depending on its age. You may have to clean the infections, save the data, wipe out the system and reinstall the operating system, drivers, updates and then move the data back in place. A lot depends on what virus or infection has gotten in the system. If it is one of the encrypting infections you may have lost the data. Some data from ransom encryption viruses can be saved by different programs. Check out bleeping.com for various solutions.
  Thank You for reading and I hope this information helps. Always remember to educate yourself in any way possible so you can save your money and buy more computers or hardware. Also keep you virus cleaning software up to date.