Laptop computer shutdowns after use

[anthony79usa]

My HP 17" screen laptop computer shuts down or powers down after it has been on for a half hour. What can cause this problem? Sometimes it shutdown several times after I power it back up? Any suggestions would help. Thanks

[Mike]

I would say Heat is the problem, at least without looking at it. Generally a shutdown is either a heat problem or a power issues, such as your power settings or sleep/hibernate settings. Most people do not touch these, so that is unlikely.

Kind of depends on what is happenig or what you are doing. I will assume nothing. So, other issues can be memory or hard drive, but usually with Laptops it is harder to diagnose because we cannot open it as freely as a desktop and try as many things.

But, here is my assesment of laptop issues and how to tell what is what. This is a general idea however.

*Memory/Hard drive/Motherboard Issues: freezing, blue screens and random reboots

*Power supply/power cord/heat issues: Shut Downs randomly. No reboots or blue screens.

I would get you drive and memory tested first. Also, check the Temp. Usually this can be done my entering the Setup menu. Most have a temp reading. Manufacturers recommend normal working temperature of 95-104F But 120 F is probably aceptable. Higher than 120 is suspect.

If heat is an issue, try getting a can of air and blowing out the vents to maximize airflow.

[James]

If heat is an issue, try getting a can of air and blowing out the vents to maximize airflow.

This happened to me with my compaq laptop. All it needed was a nice dust cleaning. I just grabbed a can of compressed air and blew it out. A large cloud of dust came out... so do it outside!