Many users prefer a laptop over a personal desktop computer. Its superiority over a PC is explained by its mobility, lightness, the ability to always take it with you, and not necessarily depend on a power source in the form of a 220V outlet.
Portable computers, that is, laptops, can run on battery power for several hours and do not take very long to recharge.
Laptops use the same operating systems and software as PCs. Yes, in terms of technical characteristics, they can be inferior to desktop computers, since they are limited due to their design features and sizes. But even very powerful gaming models are always available for sale.
But sometimes it happens that during operation the laptop spontaneously turns off for some unknown reason. This is definitely not the norm, and therefore you need to find the source of the problem and try to eliminate it. It will be possible to do this with your own hands, or you will have to contact the specialists – the question is of secondary importance.
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Overheating processor
One of the most common reasons why the laptop itself suddenly turns off during operation. Most interestingly, this is a common occurrence in many Asus notebooks that use AMD processors. But this does not mean at all that all other laptops do not face this problem.
The BIOS has built-in protection that activates when overheated and reboots the computer device. This happens when the temperature rises to the maximum limit. These protective measures help prevent possible burnout of the processor.
Intel has developed new processors that have their own security features. But at the same time, it does not send the computer to reboot, but simply reduces the frequency parameters.
You can check the current temperature readings using special utilities. In this case, overheating does not just happen. This is possible if the laptop is very old and the load on it is very high. But basically the reason lies in the thermal paste that has lost its characteristics and in the contamination of the device. Therefore, to eliminate this problem, you will need to clean the laptop of debris, as well as replace the thermal paste. Some can do it with their own hands. Others turn to specialized specialists for help.
If the user noticed that when starting the game and after a short time, his laptop shuts down spontaneously, it makes sense to check the performance of the cooling system.
This is especially necessary in the case when cold air comes from the cooler when the device is loaded, and the temperature rises rapidly. There is probably a problem with the cooling system. It will have to be changed or repaired, if possible in a particular situation.
Knowing what to do when a laptop overheats, or rather its processor, and because of this it turns off, you can further try to minimize such situations.
Overheating of the video card
Another possible reason why the laptop turns on, but also turns off immediately after that. It is possible that the problem lies with the video card.
The situation is in many respects similar to the previous one. That is, the video card overheats and turns off due to the protection operation. But the question now is what to do so that the laptop can function normally again.
Not always the reason lies in the problem of the video card itself. Sometimes the user does not follow the operating rules. For example, it runs powerful programs or games, but leaves the computer on a soft surface like a carpet or sofa. Lint particles seep into the laptop grilles, clog the ventilation holes, and the cooling system fails. The temperature inside the equipment rises, the laptop gets very hot and, as expected, turns off.
The soft surface of the laptop can get very hot
If we talk about what to do when the video card overheats and the laptop turns off because of this, then the measures will be similar. That is, you must first move the device to a normal solid surface. If the situation does not change, then it is recommended to open the back cover and clean the ventilation holes, remove debris from the cooling system.
In the most extreme cases, when the cooling system fails, repair is required, or a complete replacement.
But this is far from the only reason a laptop turns on and then immediately turns off. There are other potential issues to consider.
Problems from the motherboard
The motherboard is virtually the basis of any computer or laptop, since it is on it that all the main components are located.
If you notice that for some reason your laptop turns off by itself, and even without overheating, you should check the condition of the motherboard. There are several major breakdowns associated with this component:
- the input and output ports such as USB, headphone jacks, etc. are out of order;
- problems with the video card (built-in or discrete);
- damaged integrated components, such as a network card, sound card, modem, etc.
- the operation of the cooling system is disrupted;
- the laptop was exposed to poor power supply (connectors burn out,
- power controllers break down, power surges);
- water or other liquid has spilled on the laptop;
- the user incorrectly assembled or disassembled the laptop with his own hands.
In fact, problems on the side of the motherboard are a potentially wide list of possible causes of malfunctions when the laptop heats up and at the same time turns off abruptly during operation. This includes the same video card, cooling system, etc.
Here it is hardly possible to do without professional diagnostics, and not every user is able to cope with this problem with his own hands.
Battery
In some cases, you may notice how the laptop for some reason spontaneously turns off, but this happens precisely during operation on battery. When the connection is made through an outlet, that is, the computer is operating from the network, nothing like this is observed.
If in your case everything happens exactly like this, then you need to check the status of the battery, or deal with the charge level controller.
Alternatively, you can remove the battery, clean its contacts, wipe it with alcohol, dry it and put it back in place. It’s also worth checking the charger itself.
But practice shows that in most cases it is the battery itself that is to blame. Even in fairly expensive laptops, the battery life is literally 2-3 years. There are also more tenacious models, but this is a rarity.
Therefore, the only correct solution is to contact a service center. It is not always possible to restore an old battery. And often it just doesn’t make sense. For the price, it will come out almost the same as buying a new battery.
Hard disk malfunctions
Considering the common reasons due to which the laptop itself turns off during operation, the problem of the hard drive cannot be ignored.
If your laptop periodically shuts down spontaneously, and at the same time you hear strange sounds from under the keyboard, some clicks, then there is a high probability that the hard drive has already worked out. It’s time for him to go to the junkyard.
While the hard drive is still partially functional, and the laptop can be started at least for a while, try to find a spacious external hard drive or USB flash drive and transfer all important and valuable information there.
Alas, you can hardly count on HDD recovery. Even if he is brought back to life, it will be a temporary measure. And soon the situation will repeat itself. Moreover, this time the computer may turn off and not turn on again.
Therefore, in such a situation, the only solution would be to replace the hard drive.
Most often, these are the same restored, or have been working for a long time. Having saved on the purchase, in the future such a HDD will not be able to function for a long time, or it will confront the user with constant problems. It is better to immediately take a new, high-quality hard drive from a trusted manufacturer.
Pollution
Users who do not know what to do when the laptop heats up and turns off at the same time should be aware of a fairly common reason for this phenomenon. This is a commonplace pollution of a computer device.
It happens that the laptop starts up normally, but after a while it suddenly turns off. Probably, its inner space is clogged with dust and various debris, due to which the operation of a completely serviceable cooling system is disrupted, and the screen goes out. Then, when the temperature drops, the device turns on normally again. And the situation repeats itself cyclically.
It is not difficult to guess in such a situation what to do if the laptop heats up and turns off soon after. The main thing here is to understand why this is happening. This is the reason for the dust, then you will need to disassemble the back cover, blow everything with compressed air, treat it with soft brushes, trying not to damage or touch anything.
As you can clearly see, the laptop in different situations during operation for some reason by itself turns off and after a while starts to work normally again, after which the problem repeats. It is necessary to find out the cause, and then eliminate it by appropriate methods.
If you do not know why the device spontaneously goes to reboot, or turns off completely, it is better to seek help from specialists. And to the proven ones. They will diagnose, find out the exact reasons, and then help in eliminating them. But only for money.
Possible consequences
Often, users simply underestimate the severity of this situation.
In reality, this can lead to rather dangerous and undesirable consequences. Namely:
- If the reason for the spontaneous shutdown is in the processor, it may fail, permanently break down. And this promises the corresponding financial costs for the restoration of working capacity.
- The same applies to situations where the shutdown is due to overheating or malfunctioning of the video card. A good discrete graphics card is not cheap. And if it is built into the processor, then you have to change it. Separately, it will not be possible to bring the schedule back to life.
- Overheating due to debris entering the laptop can even provoke a wide variety of breakdowns. This applies to the cooling system, which operates at its own limits, the processor, video card, all components of the motherboard, etc.
- If the shutdowns occur randomly, and the user has no control over them, the next time they start, a blue or black screen of death may appear.
- Sudden shutdown and spontaneous reboot can lead to a number of software errors. Drivers fly off, the operation of the operating system is disrupted, the connected equipment is no longer recognized by the laptop.
The situation is really serious, and when it is identified, you need to quickly find the cause and try to fix the problems. Will the user do this on his own or seek help from qualified specialists, it does not matter of fundamental importance.
In no case can you ignore such phenomena with a laptop. In some situations, this happens very rarely, literally once a week or even less often. And the user thinks that nothing serious, you can be patient, wait for the next reboot. But practice shows that even rare spontaneous shutdowns appear more and more often over time, and this usually ends in the failure of important laptop components. If at the first symptoms they could still be repaired and restored, now only a complete replacement will help.
And when several key components of a laptop fail at once, sometimes replacing them is no cheaper than buying a new laptop. It is worth thinking about this, ignoring the next sudden shutdown of the device.
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