My does my computer (desktop, Windows XP Media Center Edition) keep randomly shutting down? I have no viruses (I think, my virusscan may be corrupt) yet still the computer shuts off without notice.

Comments

• EEP! Don't ever use a vacuum cleaner on the inside of your computer. Vacuum cleaners can produce electrostatic discharge which could completely fry all of the circuit boards. You can get cans of compressed air at just about any office supply or wal-mart type store to spray the dust out of the inside of your machine SAFELY.

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  by Anonymous on July 17th, 2007

• No touching is required. The suction is more than sufficient to lift light dust out of the case.
  
  I've been doing this for the last 17 years and have never fried anything. Your own skin is more likely to carry a charge that would fry a circuit board, over incidental contect with a rubber vacuum cleaner hose.

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  by inconsequential on July 17th, 2007

• You don't have to touch the circuit board for it to be fried. Static electricity can jump pretty far between objects. I wouldn't take the risk with my computer, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. If you ground yourself, then your "own skin" isn't going to cause any problems. A can of compressed air costs about $6, versus the cost of replacing the circuit boards in your computer. Just because you've been lucky, doesn't mean it isn't a risky practice.

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  by Anonymous on July 17th, 2007

• 17 years is quite a string of good luck. ;) Listen, I've built and repaired enough PCs to know what's risky and what's practical. Your approach is textbook perfect; can't fault you for that. Like anything else I write on here, people are free to ignore it, disgaree, vote it down, whatever. It's free advice, based on experience, not given lightly. But, anyone truly concerned about getting professional assistance with their PC should take it to a shop, and not be seeking advice online. :)

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  by inconsequential on July 17th, 2007

• Well, I had unprotected sex for 8 years without getting pregnant or catching an STD. Quite a string of good luck, there, too, but it doesn't mean that everyone else will have the same luck. I agree, if you don't know enough to fix a computer problem yourself - you probably shouldn't be trying. That's why I think it's important to give precise information to people when they ask for it. I mean, if you took your computer to the shop to be fixed, do you think they are going to vacuum it out? I hope not.

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  by Anonymous on July 17th, 2007

• Knowing the sad level of professional competence at some of these shops, where diagnosis is mostly guesswork with involves a costly hardware upgrade ("Uh, you need more RAM."), I wouldn't bring any of my PCs into a shop. :) Hypothetically, if I did, I would hope that they wouldn't be blowing dust into my power supply with a can of compressed air, but yes, I'm certain that's exactly what they do. It leaves it nice and shiny on the outside, while choking the interior parts. (I'm also certain they'll be happy to sell me another power supply.)

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  by inconsequential on July 17th, 2007

• Number one reason why I'm afraid to get a job at any of those places. I don't want to be categorized with the rest of the imbeciles who don't know their RAM from a hole in the ground. If I had a problem I absolutely couldn't fix myself, and I had to resort to taking my machine to the shop... I'd end up standing over their shoulder the entire time, because I'm sure they would end up doing *something* stupid, whether it be (sorry) vacuuming my motherboard or blowing dust into the power supply.

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  by Anonymous on July 17th, 2007

• Vacing is a definite no no. You don't need contact to set up the ESD, just proximity. Yours truly found that out before he took his A+ and is out of pocket for a mobo.

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  by scubabob on July 18th, 2007