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computer dies when I restart

Name: Anonymous 2006-05-17 10:19

I have a windows xp pc.
Usually I leave my computer on, downloading things off BT and the like.  For months there were no problems.  Tonight, twice in a matter of hours, I restarted my computer and when it boots up again it dies abruptly.  Mind you, the computer is working perfectly fine before the restart.
The first time I just hit the power again, thinking I hit "Shut Down" instead of restart.  It dies again before any text can load on screen. 

I open it up, take a look at the parts (I have intermediate experience at best) everything seems to be in order.  I feel the power box, the thing that the power goes into, and its hot.  I'm guessing its hotter than usual and I think this is my problem and its happening because I live in the desert (Las Vegas) and I think the heat is getting to it.  Although this didn't happen last year, this is my only guess.

I leave it off for over an hour, and have a large fan blow into it to cool it off the entire time.

When I turn it back on again its fine, completly normal.  At one point I'm using a program and it dies on me twice, I'm guessing I was multi-tasking too much and using too much memory.  I restart the computer and have the same problem again.  Its off right now and I haven't touched it since (this is a different pc I'm using to write this message).  I don't know what the problem is that's preventing it from booting up.  I worry its a bad power supply thing, that bugs me b/c I just installed a new one last year, also replaced the processor.

What can I do to fix it?  Thank you

Name: Anonymous 2006-05-17 12:59

hmm.. I feared as much about the Power supply thing dying.  Now about the capacitor rot issue, they'd be visibly leaking as soon as I open up the PC's case or would I have to do something further like wiggle the capicotors themselves to see if they leak?  Right now there's no brown liquid and I don't want to touch anything unless I know what I'm doing.  Is there a way to test if the PSU is dying?

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