What to do when your computer shuts down by itself more than just once!

Microsoft Windows users are familiar with the dreaded ‘blue screen of death’ or BSOD – when Windows just shuts down for some inscrutable reason. Besides this, there are also times when your system crashes and you get a black screen with white text that mentions ‘crash dump‘. By the way, Apple Mac users will be familiar with the “SPOD” aka Spinning Pinwheel of Death – that’s the same as the BSOD, and often with the same causes.

In either case, the problem may be vexing, but fairly simple to fix. This problem is most prevalent in laptops, but can also happen with desktop PCs – especially if the household has pets. The problem is dust. The solution is very simple – clear out the dust!

Most office supply stores sell cans of compressed air for a couple of dollars – just go buy one. Attach the tube nozzle, hold the can upright always, and (go outside for this), blow compressed air first in one direction, then in the opposite direction of the airflow for your CPU fan. When you do this, the computer should be shut down and/or unplugged.

In laptops, the intake is usually on the bottom, and the outtake is usually on the back or side of the laptop base. Direct a stream of air first from the intake on the bottom – you’ll likely see a cloud of dust come come like the Lone Ranger! Keep spraying (in short bursts) till there’s no more dust coming out. Then spray air into the outtake vents on the side or back of the laptop. That’s all there is to it!

For desktop PC’s and in very dusty environments (homes with pets for example), you may want to unplug the CPU, take it outside, and remove one of the side panels. Then blow air all over the place to get rid of dust. Be sure to keep the can upright at all times, and it’s best to use short blasts – that reduces the tendency of the can to get very cold.

The reason this happens is that Windows and all computers have special circuitry to protect the CPU from overheating – they shut down the computer before heat can damage it. And yes, this happens to Apple Macs as well as Microsoft Windows computers. Virtually all computers use air-cooling to keep the CPU from overheating. So with air-cooling, the fans are drawing fresh air in and through the inside of the computer. Along with that air comes dust, which accumulates over time.

It’s a good idea to blow the dust out of your computer at least once a year – even if the CPU doesn’t overheat to the point of shutdown, running hotter than normal will shorten its life.

Oh and for Macbook and Macbook Air laptops, the ventilation ports are hidden in the hinge area between the keyboard and screen, so direct your shot of compressed air along the hinge.