[SOLVED] Computer shuts down on its own

Abdul_46

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Sep 16, 2016
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I had a Dell OptiPlex with i5 4590. I had to get tmotherboard because it went faulty. And since the old motherboard was replaced the original power supply with that desktop was not compatible with the new one so I bought a cheap power supply (big mistake) and cabinet. Been using for months now no problem, but now recently the computer started shutting down on it’s own. So with my previous experience I reset the cmos, replaced memory sticks, cleaned, checked cables and tried to reset the PC. However, it now shuts down even more quicker. I have found a tattern to it, it shuts down when i try to access the hard disk (install windows from uefi usb setup, or boot up the old hard disk which has os installed) i started the desktop with no hard disks connected and only the uefi setup and left it idle and its not shut down for half an hour now. But I’m confused because both the hard disks lead to shut down? So am I right if I say the power supply killed my hard disks? Or there can be some other reasons like motherboard problems?
 
Solution
There is no way to know before you replace it if that is exactly the part that failed. Not likely the disk at all, could be motherboard or some other part. It's all how likely the part is to cause the issue based on the symptoms and parts used. Since you have a low quality power supply and the computer acts like the power supply may be bad, that is the first thing to rule out.
Hey, I found the solution and it's now working. It seems the problem was my cabinet's switch, or maybe the thin pins that connect the cabinet to the motherboard. Now I short the start pins to run my computer. Thanks.

Lutfij

Titan
Moderator
Make and model of the new parts? How old is the PSU you replaced it with? Most likely your PSU is failing to power the entire system, might want to see if a donor PSU that is reliably built with more wattage than you need for the entire system, averts the issue.

Also, please include/list your specs like so:
CPU:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
 

Abdul_46

Honorable
Sep 16, 2016
12
0
10,520
Make and model of the new parts? How old is the PSU you replaced it with? Most likely your PSU is failing to power the entire system, might want to see if a donor PSU that is reliably built with more wattage than you need for the entire system, averts the issue.

Also, please include/list your specs like so:
CPU:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:

I have i5 4590, two sticks of DDR3 ram sticks clocked at 1333 mhz(samsung and kingston), two seagate hard disk drives (500gb 3.5” and 1tb 2.5”), I run on integrated graphics, the motherboard and power supply are of the same local company (Indian), it’s an H81 chipset motherboard but the power supply was very cheap, although I got 2 years warranty on both. I’ll go and consult them under warranty. Also, the company name (of the motherboard and psu) is Zebronics, not very special but it’s just a small desktop I had for some use if the need arises. I can load bios but whenever I try to use a hard disk it just shuts down. As of now, it won’t even load bios sometimes it’s really annoying.. the fan spins then stops then after a lot of cmos resets and trial it loads bios but again if i try to install windows and connect a hard disk it wont open. :/
 

Abdul_46

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Sep 16, 2016
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Most likely issue is the power supply. Usually, when trying to buy low quality hardware to save money it ends up costing double in time and money, buying the original bad part then replacing it with a good quality one.
Okay. If I replace the power supply it's supposed to work right? Or the hard disk must be permanently damager or something? I will take it to where I bought and ask them to try and run it with another power supply, hard disk, and see if it works. Thanks.
 
Okay. If I replace the power supply it's supposed to work right? Or the hard disk must be permanently damager or something? I will take it to where I bought and ask them to try and run it with another power supply, hard disk, and see if it works. Thanks.

There is no way to know before you replace it if that is exactly the part that failed. Not likely the disk at all, could be motherboard or some other part. It's all how likely the part is to cause the issue based on the symptoms and parts used. Since you have a low quality power supply and the computer acts like the power supply may be bad, that is the first thing to rule out.
 
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animekenji

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Dec 31, 2010
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You have to be careful swapping power supplies into prebuilts. Some of them use proprietary connectors that may not be found on a standard ATX PSU. Even if the connectors are physically compatible, they may not be electrically compatible. Plugging in a standard ATX without knowing what you are doing could damage the motherboard. You can sometimes find adapters for certain motherboards that let you use a standard ATX PSU, but not all of them. They do it on purpose so you can't upgrade. They want you to buy a new one instead. The BIOS may also be locked so you can't make changes and the CPU's supported may be limited to only those that were available as options on machines using that motherboard. Later CPU's may fit in the socket, and may even be compatible with the chipset on the board, but if the manufacturer locks it out as an upgrade option, you won't be able to use it.
 
Last edited:

Abdul_46

Honorable
Sep 16, 2016
12
0
10,520
There is no way to know before you replace it if that is exactly the part that failed. Not likely the disk at all, could be motherboard or some other part. It's all how likely the part is to cause the issue based on the symptoms and parts used. Since you have a low quality power supply and the computer acts like the power supply may be bad, that is the first thing to rule out.
Hey, I found the solution and it's now working. It seems the problem was my cabinet's switch, or maybe the thin pins that connect the cabinet to the motherboard. Now I short the start pins to run my computer. Thanks.
 
Solution

Abdul_46

Honorable
Sep 16, 2016
12
0
10,520
You have to be careful swapping power supplies into prebuilts. Some of them use proprietary connectors that may not be found on a standard ATX PSU. Even if the connectors are physically compatible, they may not be electrically compatible. Plugging in a standard ATX without knowing what you are doing could damage the motherboard. You can sometimes find adapters for certain motherboards that let you use a standard ATX PSU, but not all of them. They do it on purpose so you can't upgrade. They want you to buy a new one instead. The BIOS may also be locked so you can't make changes and the CPU's supported may be limited to only those that were available as options on machines using that motherboard. Later CPU's may fit in the socket, and may even be compatible with the chipset on the board, but if the manufacturer locks it out as an upgrade option, you won't be able to use it.
Of course, you're right. Maybe you didn't get me here. I bought a new power supply and motherboard to replace the Dell's motherboard and power supply since they're not compatible. Also, I solved the problem, it was the freaking cabinet! Maybe the switch or the cable headers have loose connection or something so I short the connections to run my desktop.
 
Aug 22, 2020
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Check your CPU temps and Graphics card installation. Too hot of a cpu can cause the board to turn off so it doesnt burn up. And a loose installed gpu can cause it to turn off to prevent an electrical short.