...the hell?

[shirenomad]

My computer spontaneously powered down this afternoon and wouldn't start back up again. It powered up normally when I tried again an hour later.

Possible factors:
- The computer had been on for about five hours at the time, although the most intensive program it ran during that period was an anti-virus scan.
- It's a moderately warm day, though I've had warmer.
- I'd just plugged in my cell phone to recharge when the power-down occurred. The phone recharger goes into the same socket.
- The surge protector had NOT shut down, at least not for more than a second. It's possible I jostled a plug somewhere when I plugged in the cell phone, but my monitor and speakers were showing power afterward.

Anyone have an idea what hit me?

Comments

[tomax.livejournal.com]

Personally, I'm a fan of vacuum cleaners rather than canned air. But, yeah, overheating sounds like a highly possible culprit, so cleanliness is always a good thing. Also, unless you have reason to worry about physical damage, leaving the cover off the case is a good idea. Less dust-suckage, and easier to get at whenever you're vacuuming the room.

[chubbypanda.livejournal.com]

Difficult to get into the cpu fan and other hard-to-reach areas with the vacuum, but I agree. A vacuum cleaner with a wand attachment is another excellent tool for this purpose.

[tomax.livejournal.com]

Also cheaper. And nice if you happen to get irritated by dust in the air. Some light-gauge sheet aluminum and duct tape make some real handy custom attachments.