OT: Laptop powering down

[Wulf2k]

I leave my laptop running at home for me to connect to via remote desktop during the day, and leave ICQ/MSN/etc running on it so as to have it all accessible, yet separate from my work stuff.

Ever since last Friday, it's been powering itself down at random. I check the event viewer and it's doing it gracefully, all the services shut down and whatnot before it loses power.

I have all the power settings set to not power down, so I'm not sure what's doing it. It's never done it with me at the keyboard, but it just kicked me off of Remote Desktop and I can't reconnect, so I assume it shut itself down again. Anybody familiar with any laptop-related quirks that could be doing this?

Also, if you've ICQ'd me since Friday and I didn't respond, I didn't get it.

 

[Skylark SP]

Only time I have seen this occur was when I had software installed that communicated with the battery backup, and was configured to gracefully shut down when either the battery reserve reached a certain level or the voltage fluctuated by a certain amount. At a location that had "dirty" power, it was fun! (Not really, but I now know how to push users to the brink of insanity in a new way ).

-Skylark

 

[T'Challa]

At a location that had "dirty" power, it was fun!

Voltage regulation can be a pancake. I once had a 18 foot chunk of aluminum launched at my head because some yahoo hooked up my Eisele saw to the wrong leg at our new building location.

 

[Critical Gaming]

If you leave it on all the time it could be getting dusty/overheating. Google speedfan to check temps. Core0 (cpu) should run no higher than 55.

 

[Wulf2k]

It's not temperature related. Like I say, it's shutting down gracefully.

 

[LittleSkyWalker]

It's not temperature related. Like I say, it's shutting down gracefully.

Windows update enable? if yes, by default the update may shutdown the computer at 3AM

A few other quick check is to make sure you disable the power saving feature.. Under control panel, power option. disable system standby and system hibernates

 

[Wulf2k]

Windows update is set to notify me, but not automatically install.

Standy and hibernate are disabled. Apparently it did it again some time after 1 AM last night. I dunno, maybe it's time to figure out some way to play UO on my blackberry. Can't be much worse than a laptop.

 

[Critical Gaming]

@Wulf

Did you ever find out what the problem was?

 

[Ole Cheapy]

Make sure you don't have a shortage in your power adapter or anything like that. Or it may be shutting itself down to prevent from damaging something major.

This is a free diagnostic program that may find what the problem is.

http://download.cnet.com/SiSoftware-Sandra/3000-2086_4-10556571.html

 

[Wulf2k]

@Wulf

Did you ever find out what the problem was?

I never quite found out what the problem was, but discovered that it wouldn't shut down if I didn't close the laptop.

It wouldn't shut down immediately after closing, so it wasn't the hibernate/sleep or anything, but it would shut down at random a few hours later.

I just leave it open now, and consider the problem close enough to solved =]

 

[insanepete]

Is it a Toshiba? Ive went through 3 of the power supplies due to poor connection to the DC jack before physically re soldering a new one onto mother board (solving 2 year ongoing problem just like yours).

 

[Essence of Siege]

Is it a Toshiba? Ive went through 3 of the power supplies due to poor connection to the DC jack before physically re soldering a new one onto mother board (solving 2 year ongoing problem just like yours).

Funny that you mentioned that. I had a client that I had to resolder the DC jack back on the mobo on a toshiba laptop as well. It was like my 2nd time soldering, I was pretty pleased with myself.

 

[insanepete]

Me too especially since the tech guys (if you can call them that) at Future Shop (Part of Best Buy in Canada). Had done it under warranty and within a month of warranty ending I pried it apart and saw the sad mess they did (and piles of dust they said they had cleaned out), was easy to fix but they made a horrible mess with the solder. Lesson learned never trust tech guys in a big box retail store (hmm think I learned this already) no offense to those who work in electronics retail Im sure not everyone employed as such is a 17 year old pimply know it all with shaky soldering hands.

 

[Ole Cheapy]

Is it a Toshiba? Ive went through 3 of the power supplies due to poor connection to the DC jack before physically re soldering a new one onto mother board (solving 2 year ongoing problem just like yours).

Funny that you mentioned that. I had a client that I had to resolder the DC jack back on the mobo on a toshiba laptop as well. It was like my 2nd time soldering, I was pretty pleased with myself.

Not funny...my laptop is a toshiba and I'm on my 2nd power supply and it has to be held very still or it stops charging!