Laptop keeps shutting down

[Jilly1949]

My Acer laptop is just over one year old. In the last few days it has developed a mind of its own and started shutting down for no apparent reason. This afternoon it got worse and has shut down 6 times since 3pm. Can anyone suggest a reason and a solution to remedy this problem please.

[Ethel]

How are you powering it, mains or battery?

[factor-fiction]

It may be overheating.

[Jilly1949]

Mostly mains. I keep the battery plugged in so it always full.

[Aji]

Ahhhh... therein may lie the answer Jilly... the battery really needs to be discharged and recharged fully to work properly - are you letting the battery discharge (ie drop in power) ?

[Jilly1949]

No, I have always kept it topped up. If I remove the battery and just use it on mains might this solve the poblem? Or would it be better to discharge the battery and then in future only charge it when it needs it.

[Jilly1949]

Where do I find log files?

[Jilly1949]

Thanks everyone for your help. I will try using the mains only and will try to find a manual on line to find out where the log files are. Thanks again

[ACtheTROLL]

jilly

don't fully remove the battery - it's part of the case ... and if you remove it the whole thing is prone to flex ... not good

you can't over charge or discharge the battery thanks to the power management - however ... give it about an hour on batt only a few times a month

two things it's most likely to be

overheating - use the hoover - give the fan slot a good sucking

faulty battery
what exactly happens when ot goes off
just goes off
warns first

what happens when you switch back on

does the charge indicator flash

[dot.haukes]

when it shuts down does a blue screen flash on with lots of whgite writing on it just for a split second?

[Jilly1949]

Hi, when the computer goes off, it just goes off, no warning or anything. I can turn it back on again in the normal way, with no problem. I will try using the hoover, and also using it for a few times a month without the battery, as suggested. Thanks for your help with this one. Will post it back on if the problem continues.

[romko]

this sounds like the cpu temperature is excessive. many PCs detect this and shut off as a safety feature.

most laptops cram far too much into a tiny space and ventilation is barely adequate at the best of times. add a bit of dust in the vents into the picture, and things tend to get erratic. check the internal fans work, their blades and the vent slots are perfectly clean. You would be well advised to get it to a tech who will have the disassembly instructuions - laptops are far trickier to work on than desktops.

To ensure reliable operation, they should always be used on a flat surface - ironically, not on your lap! - and you can even buy 'docking stations' with extra fans fitted, to use on your desk. Never tried one so can't say how effective they are.