I have a new (3 month old) Acer laptop, factory installed with Vista Home
Premium. Since the day I bought it, the computer keeps shutting down at
random - power off, black screen, no auto restart. It's rarely online, and I
do not download stuff off the net, not even music. This highly frustrating
event is random - sometimes after 10 minutes of use, sometimes after a couple
of weeks without problem.

Have added a couple of legit programs (Photoshop, MSN Messenger), but this
has been happening since day one, well before I added any software.

To get it to restart, I have to use safe mode, do a system restore, then
when it restarts and gets to the desktop - blam, shuts down again. Wait at
least two hours, then cross my fingers and try again.

I called Microsoft and their not-too-helpful answer was to restore factory
settings. Not much use when the problem has been happening since the day I
bought the computer.

So - does anyone have any suggestions? I see a Mac on my not-too-distant
horizon, but figured I'd give this forum a shot first.

Thank you.

Hi,

At a guess, I'd say you're overheating. Either the internal fans aren't
working properly or the vents are being blocked. The waiting period is a
pretty good symptom of this. You're still under warranty, use it and have
Acer check the machine out.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"Sandra" wrote in message
...
I have a new (3 month old) Acer laptop, factory installed with Vista Home
Premium. Since the day I bought it, the computer keeps shutting down at
random - power off, black screen, no auto restart. It's rarely online, and
I
do not download stuff off the net, not even music. This highly frustrating
event is random - sometimes after 10 minutes of use, sometimes after a
couple
of weeks without problem.

Have added a couple of legit programs (Photoshop, MSN Messenger), but this
has been happening since day one, well before I added any software.

To get it to restart, I have to use safe mode, do a system restore, then
when it restarts and gets to the desktop - blam, shuts down again. Wait at
least two hours, then cross my fingers and try again.

I called Microsoft and their not-too-helpful answer was to restore factory
settings. Not much use when the problem has been happening since the day I
bought the computer.

So - does anyone have any suggestions? I see a Mac on my not-too-distant
horizon, but figured I'd give this forum a shot first.

Thank you.

Hi Rick,

Thanks for the suggestion. Overheating seems to be a common problem, but
quite often (tonight, for instance), the laptop shuts down after being on
less than 10 minutes. I opened it up, started reading some Photoshop help
directions, and off it went. Barely had time to warm up. At this point, I'm
ready to pitch it out the window - but then I'd be without my shiny new
coaster, which is about the only thing I can rely on it for.

I think it boils down to Vista just being a crappy, unstable OS. My husband
mentioned to a co-worker that I was frustrated with it, and the guy just
smiled and said "Shuts her computer down, doesn't it?" Seems I'm not the only
one.

Thanks, though!


"Rick Rogers" wrote:

Hi,

At a guess, I'd say you're overheating. Either the internal fans aren't
working properly or the vents are being blocked. The waiting period is a
pretty good symptom of this. You're still under warranty, use it and have
Acer check the machine out.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"Sandra" wrote in message
...
I have a new (3 month old) Acer laptop, factory installed with Vista Home
Premium. Since the day I bought it, the computer keeps shutting down at
random - power off, black screen, no auto restart. It's rarely online, and
I
do not download stuff off the net, not even music. This highly frustrating
event is random - sometimes after 10 minutes of use, sometimes after a
couple
of weeks without problem.

Have added a couple of legit programs (Photoshop, MSN Messenger), but this
has been happening since day one, well before I added any software.

To get it to restart, I have to use safe mode, do a system restore, then
when it restarts and gets to the desktop - blam, shuts down again. Wait at
least two hours, then cross my fingers and try again.

I called Microsoft and their not-too-helpful answer was to restore factory
settings. Not much use when the problem has been happening since the day I
bought the computer.

So - does anyone have any suggestions? I see a Mac on my not-too-distant
horizon, but figured I'd give this forum a shot first.

Thank you.

I have a local client who is happy as all hell with her Acer/Vista laptop.

Instead of blaming Vista, take the thing back to where you bought it and get
it checked out..

--
Mike Hall - MVP
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx




"Sandra" wrote in message
...
Hi Rick,

Thanks for the suggestion. Overheating seems to be a common problem, but
quite often (tonight, for instance), the laptop shuts down after being on
less than 10 minutes. I opened it up, started reading some Photoshop help
directions, and off it went. Barely had time to warm up. At this point,
I'm
ready to pitch it out the window - but then I'd be without my shiny new
coaster, which is about the only thing I can rely on it for.

I think it boils down to Vista just being a crappy, unstable OS. My
husband
mentioned to a co-worker that I was frustrated with it, and the guy just
smiled and said "Shuts her computer down, doesn't it?" Seems I'm not the
only
one.

Thanks, though!


"Rick Rogers" wrote:

Hi,

At a guess, I'd say you're overheating. Either the internal fans aren't
working properly or the vents are being blocked. The waiting period is a
pretty good symptom of this. You're still under warranty, use it and have
Acer check the machine out.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"Sandra" wrote in message
...
I have a new (3 month old) Acer laptop, factory installed with Vista
Home
Premium. Since the day I bought it, the computer keeps shutting down at
random - power off, black screen, no auto restart. It's rarely online,
and
I
do not download stuff off the net, not even music. This highly
frustrating
event is random - sometimes after 10 minutes of use, sometimes after a
couple
of weeks without problem.

Have added a couple of legit programs (Photoshop, MSN Messenger), but
this
has been happening since day one, well before I added any software.

To get it to restart, I have to use safe mode, do a system restore,
then
when it restarts and gets to the desktop - blam, shuts down again. Wait
at
least two hours, then cross my fingers and try again.

I called Microsoft and their not-too-helpful answer was to restore
factory
settings. Not much use when the problem has been happening since the
day I
bought the computer.

So - does anyone have any suggestions? I see a Mac on my
not-too-distant
horizon, but figured I'd give this forum a shot first.

Thank you.

Hi Sandra,

I doubt it's the operating system (Vista), as the symptoms are screaming
"hardware failure". FWIW, I've got three systems in my house running various
versions of Vista, all very stable including an HP laptop (from which I am
remoting to my x64 Vista machine where this message originates right now)
and two custom builds. None of my systems shut down unless I initiate it,
and that's pretty rare as I run all my systems 24/7. Most (actually
virtually all) of the systems that have crossed my workbench with
spontaneous shutdown issues have been heat-related.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"Sandra" wrote in message
...
Hi Rick,

Thanks for the suggestion. Overheating seems to be a common problem, but
quite often (tonight, for instance), the laptop shuts down after being on
less than 10 minutes. I opened it up, started reading some Photoshop help
directions, and off it went. Barely had time to warm up. At this point,
I'm
ready to pitch it out the window - but then I'd be without my shiny new
coaster, which is about the only thing I can rely on it for.

I think it boils down to Vista just being a crappy, unstable OS. My
husband
mentioned to a co-worker that I was frustrated with it, and the guy just
smiled and said "Shuts her computer down, doesn't it?" Seems I'm not the
only
one.

Thanks, though!


"Rick Rogers" wrote:

Hi,

At a guess, I'd say you're overheating. Either the internal fans aren't
working properly or the vents are being blocked. The waiting period is a
pretty good symptom of this. You're still under warranty, use it and have
Acer check the machine out.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"Sandra" wrote in message
...
I have a new (3 month old) Acer laptop, factory installed with Vista
Home
Premium. Since the day I bought it, the computer keeps shutting down at
random - power off, black screen, no auto restart. It's rarely online,
and
I
do not download stuff off the net, not even music. This highly
frustrating
event is random - sometimes after 10 minutes of use, sometimes after a
couple
of weeks without problem.

Have added a couple of legit programs (Photoshop, MSN Messenger), but
this
has been happening since day one, well before I added any software.

To get it to restart, I have to use safe mode, do a system restore,
then
when it restarts and gets to the desktop - blam, shuts down again. Wait
at
least two hours, then cross my fingers and try again.

I called Microsoft and their not-too-helpful answer was to restore
factory
settings. Not much use when the problem has been happening since the
day I
bought the computer.

So - does anyone have any suggestions? I see a Mac on my
not-too-distant
horizon, but figured I'd give this forum a shot first.

Thank you.

Mike, that would normally be a good suggestion, but for the next 7 months
we're on contract in a remote fly-in community. Only way in or out is by
plane, and shipping the laptop out for service isn't worth the cost of the
machine.

I bought it right before we left home and flew up here, otherwise you can
bet I'd be in that store tomorrow. Until then, trying to find a solution
online is the next best thing.


"Mike Hall - MVP" wrote:

I have a local client who is happy as all hell with her Acer/Vista laptop.

Instead of blaming Vista, take the thing back to where you bought it and get
it checked out..

--
Mike Hall - MVP
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx




"Sandra" wrote in message
...
Hi Rick,

Thanks for the suggestion. Overheating seems to be a common problem, but
quite often (tonight, for instance), the laptop shuts down after being on
less than 10 minutes. I opened it up, started reading some Photoshop help
directions, and off it went. Barely had time to warm up. At this point,
I'm
ready to pitch it out the window - but then I'd be without my shiny new
coaster, which is about the only thing I can rely on it for.

I think it boils down to Vista just being a crappy, unstable OS. My
husband
mentioned to a co-worker that I was frustrated with it, and the guy just
smiled and said "Shuts her computer down, doesn't it?" Seems I'm not the
only
one.

Thanks, though!


"Rick Rogers" wrote:

Hi,

At a guess, I'd say you're overheating. Either the internal fans aren't
working properly or the vents are being blocked. The waiting period is a
pretty good symptom of this. You're still under warranty, use it and have
Acer check the machine out.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"Sandra" wrote in message
...
I have a new (3 month old) Acer laptop, factory installed with Vista
Home
Premium. Since the day I bought it, the computer keeps shutting down at
random - power off, black screen, no auto restart. It's rarely online,
and
I
do not download stuff off the net, not even music. This highly
frustrating
event is random - sometimes after 10 minutes of use, sometimes after a
couple
of weeks without problem.

Have added a couple of legit programs (Photoshop, MSN Messenger), but
this
has been happening since day one, well before I added any software.

To get it to restart, I have to use safe mode, do a system restore,
then
when it restarts and gets to the desktop - blam, shuts down again. Wait
at
least two hours, then cross my fingers and try again.

I called Microsoft and their not-too-helpful answer was to restore
factory
settings. Not much use when the problem has been happening since the
day I
bought the computer.

So - does anyone have any suggestions? I see a Mac on my
not-too-distant
horizon, but figured I'd give this forum a shot first.

Thank you.

Sandra wrote:
Mike, that would normally be a good suggestion, but for the next 7 months
we're on contract in a remote fly-in community. Only way in or out is by
plane, and shipping the laptop out for service isn't worth the cost of the
machine.

I bought it right before we left home and flew up here, otherwise you can
bet I'd be in that store tomorrow. Until then, trying to find a solution
online is the next best thing.

Sandra - While I sympathize with your predicament, as the others have
told you your symptoms are normally caused by hardware issues. Naturally
since none of us can see your computer this is not a definitive
diagnosis, but the conclusion that the others (and I) have come to is
based on many years of doing professional tech support. So of course you
need to take the advice you receive as a "best guess" by people who
don't have hands-on with the machine.

You cannot fix hardware problems with software and there is no getting
around it. Since you obviously can get to the Internet if you have a
fast connection you can download Knoppix, a Linux distro that runs from
CD. Create your bootable Knoppix CD (may need third-party burning
software in Vista - you do in XP) and boot your machine with it. If the
machine exhibits the same symptoms in Linux, then you know for sure the
issues are caused by hardware.

Or restore the computer to factory condition by whichever method Acer
has provided. If the problems are solved, be very cautious about the
things you install. Install only one thing at a time and test after each
installation. If the problems are not solved, this also lets you know
that there is faulty hardware.


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

Hi Rick,

Do you really think it's possible for a laptop to overheat after 10 minutes?
I ask that question in all sincerity because I just don't have that much
experience with them. I know that if there's a lot dust or pet hair around
it's easy to clog vents and intakes, but the laptop hasn't been exposed to
either. When not in use, it's tucked away in a computer bag. We also have a
7-year-old PC in the same room running XP - have never had a moment's problem.

It's also odd that, on a good day, I can run it for 5 or 6 hours without a
problem. The fan comes on as needed and works fine. If it's actually an
overheating problem, wouldn't it be more consistent than that (i.e., always
shutting down after a short period of time)?

The reason I'm leaning toward a software problem is that I'm encountering
more and more people (as I begin asking questions) that have the same problem
with Vista. Not all have laptops.

I would take it in for service, but as I mentioned to Mike, we're living in
a fly-in community (no roads and 1 store) until June. Until then, my only
hope is to try and find a solution online.

Thanks for your help!



"Rick Rogers" wrote:

Hi Sandra,

I doubt it's the operating system (Vista), as the symptoms are screaming
"hardware failure". FWIW, I've got three systems in my house running various
versions of Vista, all very stable including an HP laptop (from which I am
remoting to my x64 Vista machine where this message originates right now)
and two custom builds. None of my systems shut down unless I initiate it,
and that's pretty rare as I run all my systems 24/7. Most (actually
virtually all) of the systems that have crossed my workbench with
spontaneous shutdown issues have been heat-related.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"Sandra" wrote in message
...
Hi Rick,

Thanks for the suggestion. Overheating seems to be a common problem, but
quite often (tonight, for instance), the laptop shuts down after being on
less than 10 minutes. I opened it up, started reading some Photoshop help
directions, and off it went. Barely had time to warm up. At this point,
I'm
ready to pitch it out the window - but then I'd be without my shiny new
coaster, which is about the only thing I can rely on it for.

I think it boils down to Vista just being a crappy, unstable OS. My
husband
mentioned to a co-worker that I was frustrated with it, and the guy just
smiled and said "Shuts her computer down, doesn't it?" Seems I'm not the
only
one.

Thanks, though!


"Rick Rogers" wrote:

Hi,

At a guess, I'd say you're overheating. Either the internal fans aren't
working properly or the vents are being blocked. The waiting period is a
pretty good symptom of this. You're still under warranty, use it and have
Acer check the machine out.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"Sandra" wrote in message
...
I have a new (3 month old) Acer laptop, factory installed with Vista
Home
Premium. Since the day I bought it, the computer keeps shutting down at
random - power off, black screen, no auto restart. It's rarely online,
and
I
do not download stuff off the net, not even music. This highly
frustrating
event is random - sometimes after 10 minutes of use, sometimes after a
couple
of weeks without problem.

Have added a couple of legit programs (Photoshop, MSN Messenger), but
this
has been happening since day one, well before I added any software.

To get it to restart, I have to use safe mode, do a system restore,
then
when it restarts and gets to the desktop - blam, shuts down again. Wait
at
least two hours, then cross my fingers and try again.

I called Microsoft and their not-too-helpful answer was to restore
factory
settings. Not much use when the problem has been happening since the
day I
bought the computer.

So - does anyone have any suggestions? I see a Mac on my
not-too-distant
horizon, but figured I'd give this forum a shot first.

Thank you.

Hi Sandra,

If it's an intermittent electrical short or open, then the cpu fan will
sometimes operate for a time, sometimes not at all. Most modern motherboards
have a failsafe switch built in that shuts the system off if an overheating
condition exists. This is to prevent damage to the very heat-sensitive
processors commonly used. Laptops, to conserve power, generally only run the
fans when heat nears the limit, and it doesn't take long for the cpu to
reach this point. Yours may be failing to kick on when needed, it could be a
sensor, capacitor, crack in the solder trace, etc. In any case, if this is
what is happening, it's a hardware issue.

If Vista is indeed shutting the system down intentionally, it should show
something in the Event Viewer's system log. There are scattered reports of
Vista being the cause of shutdowns, but keep in mind that users generally
blame the operating system regardless of what the problem really is. The
only time I've seen the operating system (any, not just Vista but any flavor
of Windows or Linux) intentionally causing a shutdown of the system is when
it is infected with a virus that does it by design.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"Sandra" wrote in message
...
Hi Rick,

Do you really think it's possible for a laptop to overheat after 10
minutes?
I ask that question in all sincerity because I just don't have that much
experience with them. I know that if there's a lot dust or pet hair around
it's easy to clog vents and intakes, but the laptop hasn't been exposed to
either. When not in use, it's tucked away in a computer bag. We also have
a
7-year-old PC in the same room running XP - have never had a moment's
problem.

It's also odd that, on a good day, I can run it for 5 or 6 hours without a
problem. The fan comes on as needed and works fine. If it's actually an
overheating problem, wouldn't it be more consistent than that (i.e.,
always
shutting down after a short period of time)?

The reason I'm leaning toward a software problem is that I'm encountering
more and more people (as I begin asking questions) that have the same
problem
with Vista. Not all have laptops.

I would take it in for service, but as I mentioned to Mike, we're living
in
a fly-in community (no roads and 1 store) until June. Until then, my only
hope is to try and find a solution online.

Thanks for your help!



"Rick Rogers" wrote:

Hi Sandra,

I doubt it's the operating system (Vista), as the symptoms are screaming
"hardware failure". FWIW, I've got three systems in my house running
various
versions of Vista, all very stable including an HP laptop (from which I
am
remoting to my x64 Vista machine where this message originates right now)
and two custom builds. None of my systems shut down unless I initiate it,
and that's pretty rare as I run all my systems 24/7. Most (actually
virtually all) of the systems that have crossed my workbench with
spontaneous shutdown issues have been heat-related.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"Sandra" wrote in message
...
Hi Rick,

Thanks for the suggestion. Overheating seems to be a common problem,
but
quite often (tonight, for instance), the laptop shuts down after being
on
less than 10 minutes. I opened it up, started reading some Photoshop
help
directions, and off it went. Barely had time to warm up. At this point,
I'm
ready to pitch it out the window - but then I'd be without my shiny new
coaster, which is about the only thing I can rely on it for.

I think it boils down to Vista just being a crappy, unstable OS. My
husband
mentioned to a co-worker that I was frustrated with it, and the guy
just
smiled and said "Shuts her computer down, doesn't it?" Seems I'm not
the
only
one.

Thanks, though!


"Rick Rogers" wrote:

Hi,

At a guess, I'd say you're overheating. Either the internal fans
aren't
working properly or the vents are being blocked. The waiting period is
a
pretty good symptom of this. You're still under warranty, use it and
have
Acer check the machine out.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"Sandra" wrote in message
...
I have a new (3 month old) Acer laptop, factory installed with Vista
Home
Premium. Since the day I bought it, the computer keeps shutting down
at
random - power off, black screen, no auto restart. It's rarely
online,
and
I
do not download stuff off the net, not even music. This highly
frustrating
event is random - sometimes after 10 minutes of use, sometimes after
a
couple
of weeks without problem.

Have added a couple of legit programs (Photoshop, MSN Messenger),
but
this
has been happening since day one, well before I added any software.

To get it to restart, I have to use safe mode, do a system restore,
then
when it restarts and gets to the desktop - blam, shuts down again.
Wait
at
least two hours, then cross my fingers and try again.

I called Microsoft and their not-too-helpful answer was to restore
factory
settings. Not much use when the problem has been happening since the
day I
bought the computer.

So - does anyone have any suggestions? I see a Mac on my
not-too-distant
horizon, but figured I'd give this forum a shot first.

Thank you.

Sandra wrote:
I have a new (3 month old) Acer laptop, factory installed with Vista Home
Premium. Since the day I bought it, the computer keeps shutting down at
random - power off, black screen, no auto restart. It's rarely online, and I
do not download stuff off the net, not even music. This highly frustrating
event is random - sometimes after 10 minutes of use, sometimes after a couple
of weeks without problem.

Have added a couple of legit programs (Photoshop, MSN Messenger), but this
has been happening since day one, well before I added any software.

To get it to restart, I have to use safe mode, do a system restore, then
when it restarts and gets to the desktop - blam, shuts down again. Wait at
least two hours, then cross my fingers and try again.

I called Microsoft and their not-too-helpful answer was to restore factory
settings. Not much use when the problem has been happening since the day I
bought the computer.

So - does anyone have any suggestions? I see a Mac on my not-too-distant
horizon, but figured I'd give this forum a shot first.

Thank you.

Hmmmm, sounds like the problem my wife was having. Late in
the evening she would be using her laptop while propped up
in bed and frequently her computer would shut down at odd
intervals. When she finally told me she was having problems
I discovered that it was overheating because the air events
under it (a Dell) were being blocked part of the time
because it was laying against a blanket. Made her a small
light weight tray to sit the computer on and the problem was
solved.

I think you have a random overheating problem as well.

Hobo