what causes random power down then power up?

[GratefullySaved]

My computer died a couple of weeks ago (dead mobo), so I replaced it with an Asus A7N8 Deluxe.

Now the computer has all the same component as the dead mobo computer, but it shuts off and starts up on it's own about three to five times a day. Yesterday was five times. Today none so far.

WHAT is causing this ... lol.... can this be a virus attack? Or is it the new mobo...it IS a refurb...

I tried a clean install onto another partition of my 120 GB HD...and while surfing it DID go down and then power up again...so I know it's not my Win XP Pro.

I don't get an error message or any warning at all...just an intanst whammy-dark-crashamatic power loss.

Anyone go through this?

GS

PS - other components are all quality pieces...1 GB Crucial (two sticks 512), Western Digi 120GB HD, DVD-RW Drive, and an Athlon 2200+ not OCed at all.

 

[mobobuff]

That could be due to a whole crap load of things. Anything from cpu/video overheating to someone remotely restarting your computer. Take a looksee and make sure everything is pressed down nice and snug on the motherboard, make sure you don't have any spyware, and do a netstat in DOS every 5 minutes to make sure there aren't any seedy connections. What is the cooling like in your PC? What kind of power supply do you have?

 

[GratefullySaved]

Thanks for the help...

PSU is an Antec 300W that has been flawless for over a year.

Heatsink/Fan is....I forget...but it was bought from newegg seperately as it was known for being a quality unit then, and to finish it off I added a Panaflo fan to it so it would be nice and quiet. It works flawlessly too, and has been fine on the last mobo it used to sit on. (an Epox 8RDA+)

How do I check for internet-junk? I don't know anything about spy ware or checking the net stats or whatever it was you recommended (sorry..I'm just bone ignorant on that issue heh).

The Antec PSU was used on the Epox system also, and has been fine with it...so I figure it has to be the mobo or one of the options you suggested? But how do I narrow it down?

I've only got about a week to troubleshoot this before I get close to running out of time to return the mobo, and more importantly...I NEEEEED this system back up and stable asap.

Thanks again for the help, truly,

GS

 

[GratefullySaved]

OK...figured out how to do a net stat....pretty obvious lol...but...what should i be looking for?

How do I know what's up to no good?

I'm only connected to anandtech right now and I got a list of about twelve or so seperate lines of data? EAch line has different categories of CLOSE-WAIT, ESTABLISHED, TIME-WAIT...

What's all this mean?

GS

 

[Super6]

Check out your memory. I've RMA'd Crucial before which solved similar problems.

Super6

 

[matrix2]

it might be your power supply, replace it.

 

[GratefullySaved]

How could it be my power supply when it's the same one that has worked fine for over a year and a half on the older mobo....it has ONLY done this with the new mobo.

Doesn't that mean it's the mobo most likely?

GS

 

[mobobuff]

Hmmmmm... I doubt it's the PSU. I'd say it's most likely the refurbed mobo. RMA it. This problem could take weeks to troubleshoot when it's most likely something that can't be easily fixed. I doubt it's anyone remotely shutting you off, after re-reading your post. You'd at least see the normal symptoms of a shutdown. RMA the mobo.

 

[GratefullySaved]

The one oddity is that three times, two nights ago, this happened ONLY when I was surfing the net...

however, it has shut itself off right out of sleep mode too....with no programs open, running, sleeping, etc...just the XP desktop at sleep...then whammo....it off and then on again...

mobo for sure right even with the internet scenario?...guess that was just coincidence.

GS