PC stops working if it is unintentionally struck from the front.
PC stops working if it is unintentionally struck from the front.
Hello
Right now I don’t have the budget to build or purchase a new PC myself, thank you for that.
The issue is that my computer is placed under the desk on the floor and occasionally gets nudged, which causes it to shut down—sometimes fully, sometimes it loops between shutting off and trying to restart again. Everything seems tightly secured, all cables are checked, and nothing appears faulty. The only solution so far has been to power off the PSU and leave it idle for at least an hour.
After waiting a while (at least an hour or more), the PC displays an overclock failure message. When I tried to reset my mild overclock to factory settings, it worked once, but now every time this happens I just restart it through the setup and save changes.
I have a system with Windows 8.1, 4790K processor, Noctua ND-14 cooling fan, Asus Maximus VII Hero graphics card, GTX 1080 graphics, Samsung SSD, Creative Sound Card, an EVGA 850 watt PSU (some gold variant), 16 GB RAM (still unsure which model), and six HDDs for storage—all NAS and enterprise-grade.
This machine just turned its 10th birthday last month, but it won’t be changed anytime soon.
Could you help me understand what might be causing the shutdown when it’s nudged from the front? I can move the PC back and forth while it works, and it usually doesn’t vibrate, though sometimes it does during those movements.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Ensure the wall power cable is securely connected to the PC. If the device powers on, gently move the connector and observe if it turns off or emits a spark.
The only situation I've encountered like this was due to faulty wiring (power or data). After checking all connections, did you remove them and then plug everything back in? Not ideal, but if you're considering that approach, try disconnecting all the HDDs—just unplugging power—and see if the issue persists.
Bashing hard drives while they're active is extremely risky and could lead to serious damage. Keep your PC in a safe place where it won’t be damaged. It’s wise to run CHKDSK /F /R on each disk and hope for the best. Also, examine the SMART data using Hard Disk Sentinel with a test copy.
https://www.hdsentinel.com/download.php
Don’t depend solely on NAS or enterprise drives lasting indefinitely. I experienced a 6TB Toshiba NAS drive in a TrueNAS Core RAID-Z2 system failing after just six days of intermittent use. Other ex-server Seagate drives still function properly after over five years (1,982 days) with no SMART issues.
Of course, your crucial data should be stored elsewhere—on different machines—don’t you think? Drives can fail unexpectedly at any moment.
1. relocate the damaged computer
2. any electronic component, no matter how much effort, can lead to significant problems.
3. moving a PC in this manner may result in parts shifting, especially on the graphics card PCB, which is quite tight and could break.
4. even with a heavy heatsink in place, it can still vibrate and exert pressure on the CPU, leading to instability and possible harm to the motherboard traces.
5. removing memory might seem secure, but it can gradually loosen over time, even under normal shipping conditions.
6. damaging a hard drive during operation can cause needle skipping and scratching of the platters, rendering them unusable.
7. pulling power supply cables from certain parts may result in a short circuit.
8. an overlooked stand-off during assembly—lacking proper contact with the motherboard—can cause a short if it touches during handling. (I’ve experienced this firsthand.)
9. improper angles when installing components can harm the kettle lead or power lead, causing prongs to be forcefully ejected and bent.
10. case defects are common in cheaper cases, where edges may touch the motherboard, leading to contact issues.
Thanks to everyone's ideas.
Because of unexpected health problems, I can't perform the "severe" fix by changing the CMOS battery. I still hope my PC has some power left since it was running nonstop for over a year. I think there might be an issue with the motherboard connection or a failing capacitor—my PC only starts after about two hours without power. It could be that something needs to cool down, or electricity is being drained, or GREMLINS decided to leave.
About my HDDs: all of them are for data storage and belong to WD NAS PRO, Gold, Seagate NAS, and Helium models. I understand they eventually fail, but I haven’t used them much because they were built for tougher conditions. I’m keeping them below 40°C at all times, using extra fans whenever possible.
Once my health improves, I’ll replace the CMOS battery then.
As above: move the PC. Consider each kick as adding damage together....
= = = =
Ask a family member or friend to assist with changing the CMOS battery.
Adhere to the instructions in the motherboard's User Guide/Manual.
Also: are backups being executed? Ensure all crucial data is being saved at least twice to separate locations away from the computer. Confirm the backups can be recovered and read properly.
Continuing this process will likely cause even greater issues.
Here is a revised version of your text:
A minor update was made. The sudden shutdowns seemed linked to the GPU dropping out, which caused my 1080 graphics card to fail completely—screen tearing and then going blue. Fortunately, I hadn’t damaged my first card for this PC yet; it’s now working properly again.
In recent days, something unusual happened when I removed one of my DATA HDDs. When I started the PC without that drive, it struggled to boot, likely because the drive contained all my portable devices and game shortcuts. This was probably the reason for the "changing configuration" error. After reinstalling the drive, the computer functioned normally again.
I also encountered another odd issue—my search for a solution didn’t yield any clear answers. The boot time is extremely long, sometimes taking 30 to 50 seconds or even longer. Once it finally started, everything worked fine. Still, it’s just an inconvenience at the moment.