Date: 09/05/06 (Computer Help)    Keywords: virus, web, spyware

Ok.

I offically CAN'T take it anymore. I've tried to deal with it, it just keeps getting worse.

It's been happening more and more, when i'm trying to do normal, simple things online, like checking email, typing emails, surfing websites. Before, it only shut off while virus scanning and spyware checking, but it seems to happen more and more for what seems for no reason.

What is it doing?

It CONSTANTLY keeps shutting itself off. And when it does, just pressing the on/off switch doesn't work, you need to go to the outlet and switch the plugs for the computer and the monitor into different sockets, and then it will turn back on when you press the button. I have to do this sometimes 2 or 3 times before it powers back on. Sometimes I give it time to rest, but I can't always do that when I have important things to do on it.

I have a 8-year old HP pavillion #6630. It's running windows 98 SE, and has 64mbs of RAM (it came with that much.) Usually it runs fine, but this has been happening more and more and really annoying me. I've opened the computer to suck dust out of the insides, my dad and I had to buy a new fan and install it because my dad thought it could be overheating .. and I even removed the power strip w/ mulitple sockets on it because I thought it was causing the problem. It wasn't, because even after I removed it, it still kept happening.

Also, one time, I thought reformatting would work. Even after reformatting, it still happened, so that makes me think it could be something internal rather then with the harddrive itself.

I can't virus scan, it shuts off before it finshes the scan. I also can't use spybot to scan for spyware, that makes it shut off too.

I don't have any unnessary or unknown programs running at startup, and I try not to have too much stuff open at one time to save memory .. but i'm a multi-tasker, so sometimes that's hard.

When i'm doing something small or the computer is left alone and is just idle, it's fine. It only seems to happen when i'm doing something important .. you know, typing up a big document (i've learned the art of saving VERY often), creating graphics in PSP, chatting, or surfing. Sometimes i'll merely click on a link, and -- kaboom. No warning message, it's just as if someone pulled the plug. Then I have to get up and try 2~3 times to get it to turn on again. It's really fustrating, since i've tried basically everything to fix it.

Yes, I KNOW I need a new computer right now .. but i'm a college student and cannot afford it, (this is my only computer) so i'm trying to do the best with what I have.

I don't know what it could be .. a bad power supply? even since I moved to a new place, it kept happening, so it's not with the main wall power supply .. I tried replacing the fan (I bought a new one and my dad installed it), and it seemed to be working fine, but either it stops or just doesn't work right anymore .. or memory? even though the computer has a low amount of memory compared to most computers, i've never had that problem before. I used to be able to open about 10 IE windows without a problem, and I used to be able to use spybot before too.

I think it's a over heating problem though .. it only seems to be when i'm doing something very intensive, which would make it overheat alot faster, I think.

Anyways, does anyone have any suggestions to fix it? I really need help, since I use this computer for school .. I can't keep having it shut off on me ;(

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computer_help/683198.html