Hi all

My PC Keeps crashing. The screen goes blank, and the Hard drive stopps. CTRL+ALT+DEL doest work and i have to restart it using the reset button.

What can i do?

At what point does it do this?

While starting?

When in windows?

After it's been on for the same amount of time?

When you run a particular program?

Without know the answers to the question Steev asked it sounds like faulty Power Supply or another component over heating (CPU, or HD).

I've had this problem a few times. Twice it has been solved by swapping the case and PSU for a new one. Can't guarantee that will solve your prob, but if you have a spare case, it's worth just trying it out.

Sorry, should have said.

It seems to do it randomly without any particular program running or me doing anyhing specific, and the time it does it varies too. Ive had it do it at 3AM and at 10PM, so there doesnt seem to be any discernable pattern.

The CPU fan and PSU fan are both spinning but BIOS reports the CPU temp at 47 deg.

i had this problem too if was down to my memory replaced it and works fine now... but i agree with the psu too

agree with garlicbread, initially i just had to reseat them but eventually 1 chip failed.ms do a download that allows you to check you memory sticks.

After that lot have another vote for PSU or memory, with an off-chance of some freaky CPU or mobo problem as a chaser...

If you can't find the MS memory checker (didn't know they did one!) try memtest (http://www.memtest.org/#downiso), you'll want either the pre-compiled package for a floppy (if you have a floppy drive), the USB key one (if your PC can boot from USB) or the CD iso (if you want to waste a CD for about 1MB of data!)

You can set it off & leave it running, it'll tell you if there's anything wrong with the installed memory.

If you leave it overnight & it's still running error & restart free then it may suggest that Windows is borked rather than any hardware problem too...

mine did this, it would power off anytime at all but did it more when USB was running anything. It turned out to be PSU and i double checked by putting the old PSU into a working PC and that PC then has the same issues.

My PC would hang on booting or reboot on booting.
Games would crash
When printer was turned on the PC would crash
Random high CPU usage crashing

I replaced the CPU
I also replaced the memory wich sorted the problem for around a week and the issue returned.
I replaced the PSU ( which was a 550Wtts dual fan gold plated ) with another 550Wts silent fan thing, it then worked perfect and 3 months later still not crashed once. before the PC would crach upto 4 times a day without notice.

memory replacement sorted mine too

I had a virus that used to crash my machine randomly. I reinstalled XP and it worked fine after that.

Might be the cooling on the graphics card I used to get the BSOD untill I changed the fan on the card