My computer has started to shut down randomly, could it be the fan?

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Case in point: I make it a habit to regularly dust the inside of my computer--once every maybe 3 to 6 months. This past Saturday, I did just this. And, through a temperature monitoring software I use, I noticed the temperature drop almost 15 degrees (F). You might not get this drastic of a difference, though. I actually take my video card out, take my heat sink off, re-add thermal gel to the processor. All in all, I think it's worth it though.

I had this problem. It would have never occurred to me that it could be bad RAM, but I was lucky enough to find an article about it and, sure enough, after I replaced the memory all was fine. It was an inexpensive and instantaneous fix.

"My computer has started to shut down randomly, could it be the fan?":

Another way of preventing dust build up is use your vacume cleaner nozzle ( Plastic ) I must add to clean and suck out all air holes in Pc Case also inside too this keeps most fans runing smoothly. From Danny

About my comment above about bad RAM... in my case, I was not getting "over temperature" notification , so it is more likely dust buildup.

You know, we all to often take our computers for granted, they are like anything else, ... if you look after them, "they" will look after you!! Thanks for pointing out how important it is , to keep our computers"clean"!

Did you know, the dust in your computer is like 85% dead skin. Think about it.... :)

It's always a joy for me to fix and clean other people's old, mothball filled systems. You would think they never knew how to use a vacuum. Compressed cans of air ftw!

Two things: 1. The dust can cause a lot of noise, too, depending on how the fan is structured. 2. You forgot to mention that one doesn't have to "lose all" when the computer shuts down. Any old hand will tell you he saves what he is doing every few minutes, and sometimes every few seconds. I automatically do a CTRL-S after virtually every editing change, and every paragraph input. After "losing all" once, there's really no excuse for getting caught a second time. Whatever the program you're using, just think, "Would I want to have to type all this in again?" When you do that, you'll automatically do a "save" often.

I've found that improper cleaning can cause more harm than good. Regarding using a vacuum to clean the interior of your PC, this can be dangerous since static electricity can be generated by the vacuum and cause damage to PC components. A bit more troublesome but safer way to clean the interior of a PC is with short bursts of compressed air making sure that the can is not shaken or that moisture is expelled from the can while cleaning.

But what if the whole dust bunnies thing does not apply and there are no messages? The fan(s) seem OK and temperature does not seem to be the issue due to the randomness of the problem. Could it be software related?

Leo.. I'm glad that you presented this article on "Dust Bunnies" There are many out there that will benefit from the info. Any time I do a major clean up of my PC I open the power supply and clean it. I uncouple all my connections inside my PC and reconnect them back. (this creates a good connection)(do one connection then reconnect, then go on to the next connection, this way there are no errors).. I clean out the heat-sink using a small brush and a piece of cardboard. I remove my audio and video cards and wipe off the contacts on them with a soft lint free cloth and brush out the slot where they came from. Remove the memory sticks (RAM) and wipe of the contacts with a soft cloth. It is also essential to buy a couple of cans of compressed air to blow out the dust from the inside of the PC.. Ensure that the components on the motherboard are free of dust as well. Note.. BE very careful of static electricity that may come off you when handling any of these components... it could damage what you are handling. I perform these tasks at a slow and thoughtful pace. I'd suggest that you do a (Google search) on How to clean the inside of a computer. Thank you Leo for all the articles I receive from you each week and the comments from your readers.

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