I have a computer that when you turn it on it shuts back down in a few seconds. The first time you turn it on it gets to windows starting up then shutsoff. The next time it does not get that far before it shuts off. Please help me. Thanks for your time.When was the last time that you cleaned out the computer case and re-applied thermal paste?It sounds like a "heat" issue.  The CPU may be overheating and shutting down.  Heat "kills" electronics, so you should not continuously restart it until you eliminate "overheading" as the potential cause.

Clean out the dust using "canned" air (well it's not really air), natural bristle brush (small HIGH quality paint brush), or bellows).  Do not use a vacuum cleaner.

Ensure all the fans work (especially the CPU fan).  Use wood pencil to keep fan from spinning wildly as you blow out dust.  (Fun to WATCH but hard on its bearings).

Clean off the surface between the CPU and heatsink and reapply thermal paste if needed.

And of course, power off the computer and unplug it before beginning work on the inside.  Obey all Electro-Static Discharge (ESD) precautions.  Use a grounding wrist strap if you have one; otherwise ground yourself to an unpainted part of the case periodically.  Don't work on a carpeted floor.  Don't hurry, don't work on it when you're tired, and especially when you're not in a good mood.  It's an adventure, not a chore! Quote from: dahlarbear on August 07, 2009, 10:14:46 PM

It sounds like a "heat" issue.  The CPU may be overheating and shutting down.  Heat "kills" electronics, so you should not continuously restart it until you eliminate "overheading" as the potential cause.

Clean out the dust using "canned" air (well it's not really air), natural bristle brush (small high quality paint brush), or bellows).  Do not use a vacuum cleaner.

Ensure all the fans work (especially the CPU fan).  Use wood pencil to keep fan from spinning wildly as you blow out dust.  (Fun to watch but hard on its bearings).

Clean off the surface between the CPU and heatsink and reapply thermal paste if needed.

And of course, power off the computer and unplug it before beginning work on the inside.  Obey all Electro-Static Discharge (ESD) precautions.  Use a grounding wrist strap if you have one; otherwise ground yourself to an unpainted part of the case periodically.  Don't work on a carpeted floor.  Don't hurry, don't work on it when you're tired, and especially when you're not in a good mood.  It's an adventure, not a chore!