An abrupt shutdown, with no message and no blue screen, is almost always physical : heat or electricity.
The distinction matters. A shutdown with an error message is a software matter. A clean cut, as if the plug had been pulled, means the hardware shut down - either to protect itself, or because it stopped receiving power.
Beyond a critical temperature, the processor cuts the power instantly to avoid destroying itself. The signs all point the same way :
The cause is mechanical : a clogged heatsink, blocked vents, dried-out thermal paste on a machine more than five years old. A laptop sitting on a bed or a sofa blocks its air intakes - a summer classic.
An ageing power supply no longer holds under load : the machine cuts out as soon as demand spikes, typically when a game launches. It then restarts normally, which often misleads people. The shutdowns gradually become more frequent.
A worn battery can cut out suddenly despite a comfortable percentage on screen - that figure is calculated, not measured. The test is simple : leave the charger plugged in permanently for a few days. If the shutdowns stop, the battery is the cause : see battery no longer holding.
A tired power strip, a charger whose cable is hanging by a thread, a loose power connector on a laptop. Move the cable gently while the machine is running : if it reacts, you have found it.
Rarer, but painless to check : a power-saving setting can put the machine into hibernation in a way that looks like a shutdown. If the computer comes back exactly where you left off, it was sleep - not a fault.
Clean the vents with dry air, do not rest the laptop on fabric, and watch whether the shutdown always comes after the same length of time. A repeatable shutdown after twenty minutes points to heat almost without fail. A random shutdown, including from cold, points more towards the power supply.
A thorough dust removal with new thermal paste settles the great majority of overheating cases, at modest cost, and clearly extends the life of the machine. A power supply is easily replaced on a desktop. So is a laptop battery, on most models.
Temperatures measured under load say immediately whether heat is to blame. We work across Lyon and the Rhone, at your home or through a workshop drop-off when dismantling is needed.
That is the typical picture of overheating or an underpowered supply. It is not beyond repair, but letting it continue damages components over time.
Often yes on a machine under five years old. Beyond that, the thermal paste has generally dried out and needs replacing for the cleaning to have its full effect.
It helps, especially in summer and on a thin model. It is only a palliative though : if the internal vents are clogged, no external fan will make up for it.
Would you rather we took care of it ? See our power supply and charging port service, in Lyon and across the Rhone.
Temperature readings and a free diagnosis, in Lyon and across the Rhone.
Automatic assistant: it can make mistakes. Never share a password or a card number.
