Ok, I feel really stupid...

[Emc2]

I don't get it. I turn my tower upright, the computer shuts off. Lay the tower on its side, the thing boots up and stays on fine

It's been happening over the last few days. Don't laugh. It's really frustrating. I just recently hooked it up to a UPS that's about 4 years old, but I doubt that'd affect much. Although it could be the power supply.

I'll boot it while it's upright, and it's go into its normal spill of detections and WinXP launching. Then, around midway thru XP's startup, sometimes earlier or later, it shuts off again. If I turn the computer on while it's on its side, let WinXP startup, it gets up just fine. But while it's running, if I try to turn it back upright, WinXP starts to shutdown, which tells me it's getting a shut-down request, but from what? It could even be as simple as the power button or some crap like that. And don't say it's gremlins, or that the Earth's magnetic field is constantly changing, or solar flares...my friends are currently laughing at me, teasing me with such things.

This is getting really annoying. I mean, I want to burn a CD, but I don't know if I can with the drive on its side.

[Gomer]

Sounds like something is loose and p'raps shorting or not making good contact. Pull and reseat cards... if something unplugs unplug it and reseat it. It has to be something along those lines.

[thekingofpain]

HDD failing? Maybe try running the diagnostic tools from the HDD manufacturers site and see if anything odd turns up---

Flaky power connections to the mobo, maybe? Might be the ps is on the fritz, with a flaky capcitor connection in it. Try another ps if you can ans see if it still happens.

Could be ghosts, too!



Cheers
Mick

[Emc2]

can u burn cd's while it's on its side? (not a temp fix, I know, but it'll satisfy me until I figure it out)

[PresterJohn]

sounds like maybe something is loose in the ps and when the case is tilted, it's making contact with something else...

Quote:

Originally posted by Emc2
can u burn cd's while it's on its side? (not a temp fix, I know, but it'll satisfy me until I figure it out)

If it's a tray load, I'd be wary... could stuff up a CD in the tray, and then you're in bother. If it's caddy load, no problems.

BUT - I wouldn't be burning CD's if ya have a probable PS problem. I'd fix it first,. Don't wanna stuff up the CD-R drive, do ya?

Cheers
Mick

[Emc2]

reseated the cards, took off the front bezel, even tilted the hsf on the processor a little to simulate the small amount of weight it has. Same thing...

Time for a new power supply, IMO.

Cheers
Mick

[Emc2]

I took the psu out and kept it on its side while the comp. booted (the tower's on its side too). Then I turned the p/s like it would be if it was upright in the tower. It's still running...

edited for clarity