Computer randomly Turns off Windows 10 – What to do?

Every Windows user might have experienced the sudden restart or shutdown of computer due to various reasons like update installation, system crash, etc. It is not a major concern and can happen to every system.

However, if it is repeatedly happening, then there is undoubtedly an abnormality with the system. This periodic turn-off of the Windows system can be very frustrating for the users, especially if they are doing an essential task or attending an important online meeting.

There could be several reasons for this problem. In this guide, we would discuss some major reasons for the computer randomly turns-off issue and how to fix it.

System Overheating

For the best performance of computer machines, they must always be kept cool. Modern computers are made in such a way that if the system gets overheated, it automatically turns off itself to save the motherboard and other internal components from burning. It might be possible that your computer is randomly turning off because of the persistent overheating problem.

There could be several reasons for the overheating issue.

1. CPU Fans got Damaged

You might be aware that there are several fans attached over the different components of the device CPU to keep them cool, for example, video card fan, processor fan, and exhaust fan.

The overheating problem can be because one or more of these fans might be malfunction. If you have the computer system, you can quickly check and fix that. However, fixing the fan issue on the laptop is quite tricky. If you don’t have much idea, getting it checked and repaired through the service center is better.

2. Using an Extensive App

On your computer, you might be continuously using power-consuming apps such as playing 4K video or playing the games that demand continuous involvement of the graphics card. Continuously running such apps can generate so much heat that even the fans could not control, and thus computer turns itself off to save its components.

3. Dust and Dirt

When a computer system is exposed to dirt or dust, the air circulation can be affected, causing the overheat. Dirt and dust can also block the fan and make them slow.

4. Careless Usage

Many users use their computer systems in a very irresponsible way and do not think about the consequences. To avoid the overheating problem, it is advised to use the computer system with the utmost care.

• Avoid exposing your system to direct sunlight.
• Keep the device out of any hot place.
• Regularly clean your system to avoid any blockage to air circulation.
• If you regularly use the power-consuming apps on your laptop that release the enormous heat, it is recommended to use the cooling pad.

Outdated Drivers

The outdated drivers on your system might be consuming much power and also causing the hardware malfunction. This can further lead to the computer randomly turning off. Also, it is experienced by many users that outdated drivers cause BSODs. Therefore drivers must be updated as early as possible.

For updating the drivers, you can get the third-party driver updater software that would automatically detect and update the outdated or corrupt drivers. Or else you can do that manually, too, by following these steps.

Windows Sleep Mode

Sleep Mode is a great option to save energy while taking a break without turning off the laptop. With the Sleep Mode enabled, you can also resume your work where you left. However, sometimes the Sleep Mode can be disastrous for the PC and can cause a random shutdown.

Here is how you can disable it.

1. From the Windows search box, open the Windows 10 Settings.
2. Select System settings
3. In the next window, choose Power & sleep from the left pane.
4. Now set both Screen and Sleep to never.

Windows Fast Startup

Windows 10 fast startup is a quite handy option for the quicker system startup. However, it can also cause many issues in Windows 10; one of those is the computer randomly turns off. Here is how you can turn it off.

1. Open Control Panel by searching it on the windows search bar.
2. Navigate to Hardware and Sound 
3. From the right pane, click on Power options.
4. Click on “Choose what the power buttons do.”
5. Now click on “Change settings that are currently unavailable” to activate the settings.
6. Now under Shutdown settings, uncheck Turn on fast startup to disable the Fast Startup.

Advanced Power Settings

You can solve the problem of the computer randomly turns off in Windows 10 by making some amendments in the Advanced Power Settings.

1. Open Control Panel from the windows search box.
2. Choose System and Security.
3. On the next window, select Power Options.
4. Click on Change plan settings next to your default Power Plan.
5. Next, click on Advanced power settings.
6. Scroll down and expand Processor power management. Set Minimum processor state as 0, both on battery and plugged in.
7. Now expand the Hard disk, and reduce the value to Turn off hard disk value to Never. Apply the setting both on battery and plugged in.
8. Exit the control panel.

Unverified Apps

It might be possible that some recently installed apps are causing this trouble. You can remove those apps and check if the issue is resolved. This is how you can do that:

1. Open Control Panel and click on Uninstall a program.
2. Arrange the apps in order of the installed date. Choose the app that may be responsible for the problem and Uninstall it.
3. There might be multiple apps causing the trouble; you can remove them all one by one.

Malware Attack

A malware attack could also be the reason for the system failure and, thereby, the random shutdown of the computer. It might have entered in your system, corrupted many files, and disabled many functions. 

If your system is not equipped with an antimalware, it is recommended to get a robust security solution like MalwareFox and perform a full system scan.

Latest Windows Updates

Sometime Windows updates may get wrongly installed and thus can be a reason for the computer randomly turns off. The solution is to uninstall the latest updates. For that, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Windows Settings->Update & Security.
2. Click on the View Update History.
3. On the next window, click on Uninstall updates.
4. Look for the latest updates, after which the trouble begins on your system. Select it and click on Uninstall.
5. If there are multiple updates that are causing the trouble, you can one by one uninstall each of them and then reinstall.

Reset Windows 10

If the problem persists, try resetting Windows to the last restore point where everything was fine. Windows has a great feature in the form of the system restore point. In this, users are allowed to restore the system to the last restore point if the system is not working correctly. The restore points are automatically created by the OS whenever a new update or application is installed. Restoring Windows to the previous point would not affect your personal files and data. For resetting Windows, follow these steps:

1. Search for “rstrui” in the windows search bar and click on its icon to open it.
2. Click on Next to continue.
3. Choose the restore point where your system was working properly and click next.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to restore the system to your desired point.

Bottom Line

These are the top possible problems for the computer randomly turns off in Windows 10 and their fixes. If, even after applying all these fixes, the issue remains on your system, then, unfortunately, there is no option left other than freshly installing the Windows. Or else you can take the help of experts because it can also be because of the hardware fault.

Peter Brown

Peter is an Electrical Engineer whose primary interest is tinkering with his computer. He is passionate about Windows 10 Platform and enjoys writing tips and tutorials about it.