PC Problem - Help Me Out!

Its extremely unlikely unless there's a major problem with your power supply (as in supplying way too much juice) that you're hitting the temperature threshold in 10 seconds.

Your computer should beep when it turns on. Its a diagnostic tool called POST and should work unless the PC is completely dead (or I guess your mobo speakers could blow but I've never seen that). Next time you boot it pay close attention to any beeps coming from the case. If the PC is enclosed in a desk, take it out to hear the beeps more clearly. POST codes vary by manufacturer.

Another way to test and see if its a thermal issue is to enter your BIOS (which you access pre-operating system) and just kind of sit there for a while. Some BIOS even have a thermometer included. If the PC cuts off after a short time, as before, then you can safely conclude its an overheating issue. Most BIOS can be accessed by tapping F2 as you're turning on your computer. If you do it too quickly your system will think you have a defective keyboard, so keep it about once per second or so.

Either way, if you've got a noisy fan I'd suggest replacing it. You can get a new CPU fan dirt cheap. There are also some excellent CPU cooling options out there if you want to pay a little more. www.newegg.com is a good spot to check, or www.pricewatch.com. As was suggested by a previous poster, if you decide to replace your heat sink (the metal thingie the fan was attatched to) you'll probably want to grab a tube of thermal paste to go with it.

If your computer doesn't shut down while sitting around in BIOS, I'd suggest downloading, burning and popping in an Ubuntu Live CD. Ubuntu is a version of Linux, totally free operating system (no illegal piracy involved). You can use the Ubuntu Live CD to boot to a sort of virtual operating system hosted in your RAM. You can surf the web and even install programs into the virtual OS and everything (though note that since it is a virtual OS, it'll go away when you reboot). It will make no changes to your computer unless you manually mount your hard drive. If that works, then you may simply have a problem with Vista or (as other posters have suggested) a faulty hard drive. If it is the hard drive, POST should be able to communicate that to you.

If you decide you like Ubuntu you can install it along side Vista without formatting your computer using the partition editor (included on the disk) after defragmenting your hard drive in Windows.

Have you installed any new hardware or software lately? Any updates to Vista? Any new drivers for existing hardware? Finally, did the fan start getting noisey when this happened or was it already loud?

also should mention its nearly impossible to find JUST the fans with out the heatsinc.. so dont bother trying, you wouldnt save much anyway if you did find em.

It may seem weird, but the thing that fixed my computer when I had a similar problem, was just disconnecting the main fan and taking it out. I left my computer's case open during boot, and it ran fine.

To this day, I still didn't reconnect the fan or close the case again. Which probably isn't good for my computer. Regardless, it still works and I'm getting a new laptop soon so, idk.

Thank you, I can't see the CPU getting that hot within boot up time unless his PSU is severely ***.

Also nice slide in with Ubuntu there :P

Its extremely unlikely unless there's a major problem with your power supply (as in supplying way too much juice) that you're hitting the temperature threshold in 10 seconds.

Your computer should beep when it turns on. Its a diagnostic tool called POST and should work unless the PC is completely dead (or I guess your mobo speakers could blow but I've never seen that). Next time you boot it pay close attention to any beeps coming from the case. If the PC is enclosed in a desk, take it out to hear the beeps more clearly. POST codes vary by manufacturer.

Another way to test and see if its a thermal issue is to enter your BIOS (which you access pre-operating system) and just kind of sit there for a while. Some BIOS even have a thermometer included. If the PC cuts off after a short time, as before, then you can safely conclude its an overheating issue. Most BIOS can be accessed by tapping F2 as you're turning on your computer. If you do it too quickly your system will think you have a defective keyboard, so keep it about once per second or so.

Either way, if you've got a noisy fan I'd suggest replacing it. You can get a new CPU fan dirt cheap. There are also some excellent CPU cooling options out there if you want to pay a little more. www.newegg.com is a good spot to check, or www.pricewatch.com. As was suggested by a previous poster, if you decide to replace your heat sink (the metal thingie the fan was attatched to) you'll probably want to grab a tube of thermal paste to go with it.

If your computer doesn't shut down while sitting around in BIOS, I'd suggest downloading, burning and popping in an Ubuntu Live CD. Ubuntu is a version of Linux, totally free operating system (no illegal piracy involved). You can use the Ubuntu Live CD to boot to a sort of virtual operating system hosted in your RAM. You can surf the web and even install programs into the virtual OS and everything (though note that since it is a virtual OS, it'll go away when you reboot). It will make no changes to your computer unless you manually mount your hard drive. If that works, then you may simply have a problem with Vista or (as other posters have suggested) a faulty hard drive. If it is the hard drive, POST should be able to communicate that to you.

If you decide you like Ubuntu you can install it along side Vista without formatting your computer using the partition editor (included on the disk) after defragmenting your hard drive in Windows.

Have you installed any new hardware or software lately? Any updates to Vista? Any new drivers for existing hardware? Finally, did the fan start getting noisey when this happened or was it already loud?

It may seem weird, but the thing that fixed my computer when I had a similar problem, was just disconnecting the main fan and taking it out. I left my computer's case open during boot, and it ran fine.

To this day, I still didn't reconnect the fan or close the case again. Which probably isn't good for my computer. Regardless, it still works and I'm getting a new laptop soon so, idk.

it does definitely sound like the processor heatsink/fan. your best bet would be to pick one up @ a local fry's electronics, microcenter, or best buy. install it and just see if any difference. unfortunately there just is no equipment to strap onto a cpu fan and test.. mostly all computer hardware problems will come down to a process of elimination of basic troubleshooting, which is usually just testing parts with known working parts.

you can pick up after market heatsinks/fans anywhere between 20-150 depending on A what kind of processor socket it is being fitted on, and B how much your willing to spend. you can also usually pick up stock fans FROM the company too (or ebay i recommend for price), but that will be time for shipping of course. people can argue all they want, but for an average computer user an aftermarket budget fan will be the same exact thing as a stock.

basically youll just go to the store, find a sales associate in the computer/electronics department, and say your looking for a computer processor heatsinc/fan. fortunately the heatsincfan combos are so universal now you wont have to worry about the model/socket much, just figure out if its intel or amd at least. follow the instructions popping it in of course, and fire her up. if your still getting same problems as before you at least know its not the heatsinc/fan, and if it works.. well you self taught yourself a lil bit about diagnosing/troubleshooting computer hardware first hand, and it worked.. so win win

most places have ok return policies on anything other than actual cpus too.. so, if its NOT the fan/heatsinc, just return it <.>.

also should mention its nearly impossible to find JUST the fans with out the heatsinc.. so dont bother trying, you wouldnt save much anyway if you did find em.

It's also ok to log out & open and clean your pc every now and then. :D