When you experience a random shutdown, give your computer some rest. After a few minutes, you can solve the problem using one of the following troubleshooting tips.
1. Overheating
Overheating is one of the biggest factors behind a computer’s shutdown problems. It can be due to dust collecting near the fan, CPU overclocking or when you accidentally place your laptop near a damp surface. To know how hot your laptop is, run your fingers around its edges until you can locate the exhaust vents. If they’re simply warm, you have nothing to worry about. However, if these vents are hot enough to cause a burning sensation, then we’re looking at a bit of engine trouble. You must immediately shut down your PC and disconnect it from any charging cables. Turn the laptop facing bottom and locate the fan. The CPU is connected to it. You can usually notice a buildup of dust in this region which has to be removed. Open the screws. Remove the fan by gently disengaging a small connector pin that connects it to the rest of the machine. You can clean it using a rag, or better still, a computer vacuum cleaner. These useful gadgets are perfectly designed to suck up dust from any device with tiny holes. You don’t even have to open your the bottom of your laptop every time you want to clean your device. It saves a lot of time and future trouble. One more reason behind a laptop’s overheating is the heat sink which needs to be replaced if you find it damaged. Also, make sure you didn’t expose your computer to direct sunlight. If your computer fan is too loud, it’s a warning sign that should not be ignored.
2. Hardware failures
If overheating is not an issue, then you’d be looking at possible hardware failures. On a Windows 10 PC, go to the search bar and type “Device Manager.” You should see a list of hardware devices that your laptop uses. The main components that must work well include RAM, CPU, motherboard, camera, disk drives, keyboard, processors and USB controllers. You should see the device status as “this device is working properly.” If you recently added any new hardware, it is perhaps time to remove it and check if that is not what is causing the shutdowns. If there are any issues with the CPU or motherboard, take your laptop to a service center. Never attempt to fix it on your own, especially if it’s a new model. If there is a corrupt USB port, you need a new PCI slot compatible USB card.
3. Driver Update Issues
Are your drivers failing to update on their own? They, too, can cause random shutdowns in Windows 10 PCs. These drivers are necessary to ensure that the PC hardware components work properly. Driver Talent is a very easy to use driver update software that can fix almost any driver issue. It’s been around for a very long time. You only need to identify the required driver which is outdated and download its latest version.
4. Out-of-date BIOS
The BIOS is the computer’s firmware that is primarily responsible for its booting. Typically, it does not have to be replaced, but sometimes an outdated BIOS can cause shutdown issues. To find out, locate “system information” in the search bar. Here, you can find the BIOS version/date for the computer. Next, you need to check the manufacturer’s BIOS version/date on its website. Here is an article that explains in detail how you can locate your updated BIOS. Download the relevant file and install it on your computer.
5. Computer Malware
Malware issues are significantly behind your Windows PC’s slowdowns and shutdowns. To address this, you should try to diagnose the problems with a reliable anti-virus software like Avira or Malwarebytes. Windows Defender is not good enough to get rid of these problems.
Conclusion
Unexpected PC shutdowns can try the patience of anyone who doesn’t fancy tinkering with their systems everyday. They always portend to be more than a few issues under the hood. Have you faced any unexpected laptop shutdowns recently? Please let us know in the comments, as we may be able to help.
