MFT courrupt, fixed with chkdsk /f, now computer randomly restarts.

[Tezliov]

Hello,
I'm not sure if this is the right section, but a couple of weeks ago I got an error saying something along the lines of "WINDOWS HAS ENCOUNTERED A FATAL ERROR AND WILL RESTART IN ONE MINUTE". I restarted into safe mode and ran chkdsk, and it gave me this error:
"The master file table's (MFT) BITMAP attribute is incorrect.
The Volume Bitmap is incorrect.
WIndows found problems with the file system.
It asked me to run CHKDSK /F, which I did, and the computer has been running fine since. Except today, which is why I'm making this thread.

I went AFK for a few minutes and came back to my computer off. Just randomly. There was no error so I can't be sure what it is, but I'm guessing it's related to the MFT. Is this a serious issue? How can I fix it?
My specs:
CPU: AMD FX 8150
RAM: 10.0GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 1333MHz (9-9-9-24)
Motherboard: Gigabyte 2AC8
GPU: 3072MB ATI AMD Radeon HD 7900 Series (HP)
Hard drive: 1863GB Hitachi HDS723020BLA642 SCSI Disk Device (SATA)
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit
PSU: SeaSonic M12II 620w
Case: NZXT Phantom 630
I just upgraded to the case late last year, and I noticed the SATA cables were a bit short. Could this be an issue?

 

[lonewolf7]

Yes the SATA cables can be the issue, but what SATA ? Data or Power ? Both can give you trouble. So check for any loose connections if any.

Check the HDD/SSD with vendors diagnostics tool for health. If that turns to be healthy, then try to format and clean install OS. Remember to backup before formatting.

If the problem persists, then it could be other hardware issues.

 

[Tezliov]

Yes the SATA cables can be the issue, but what SATA ? Data or Power ? Both can give you trouble. So check for any loose connections if any.

Check the HDD/SSD with vendors diagnostics tool for health. If that turns to be healthy, then try to format and clean install OS. Remember to backup before formatting.

If the problem persists, then it could be other hardware issues.

The data plug. It was slightly tight.
I don't think that would cause the MFT to get corrupt though.

 

[lonewolf7]

I think you got me wrong ! I didn't tell that a SATA (power or data) cable causes the MFT corruption. What I meant a loose SATA power cable can turn off the PC suddenly, that might be the cause on your side, though not sure, so I was asking. And do not over tighten any connections.

And to clear things up, MFT corruption doesn't cause a PC to shut down on its own, so the problem may be related to a hardware failure. But time hasn't come yet to tell so obviously.

 

[Tezliov]

I think you got me wrong ! I didn't tell that a SATA (power or data) cable causes the MFT corruption. What I meant a loose SATA power cable can turn off the PC suddenly, that might be the cause on your side, though not sure, so I was asking. And do not over tighten any connections.

Can't computers start without hard drives?

And to clear things up, MFT corruption doesn't cause a PC to shut down on its own, so the problem may be related to a hardware failure. But time hasn't come yet to tell so obviously.

Could something which causes the corruption cause the shutting off also?

Edit: Random buzzing on my speakers and headphones (so it's not the audio device or front panel ports), motherboard dying possibly?

 

[Tezliov]

Forgot to mention, when I was removing all the plugs from the motherboard, (I followed HP's instructions on this, it was an HP prebuilt, they said to pry it off with a screwdriver) the socket broke off the motherboard instead of the plug coming out. It was the front panel hard drive read LED. Did I kill my motherboard? If I did, best AM3+ motherboard under $150?

 

[lonewolf7]

Yes PC can start without HDD/SSD, but you can only access BIOS, not more than that.

In a way you made that MB somewhat unusable, but you can carry with it without the front panel hard drive LED.

Yes it looks like the MB is dying.

Here is a decent MB AM3+ :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Motherboard: Asus M5A97 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($84.99 @ Microcenter)
Total: $84.99
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-27 09:15 EST-0500)

 

[Tezliov]

Alright, I just ran CHKDSK again. The Volume Bitmap is corrupt.
CHKDSK /F fixed it, but what's causing all this corruption?
One thing to note is that the computer didn't restart normally (usually it waits a second before starting again and the case LEDs shut off in that time), it just went to the boot screen instantly.

 

[lonewolf7]

As I said earlier, I think the MB is the culprit here.