Windows 7 Shuts Down Randomly Without Notice

[pathumx]

I have Windows 7 Pro installed on my MBP and its started shutting down randomly and without warning.

I havn't done a lot of testing so far, but heres what i've noticed.

It started happening after I installed an OptiBay (http://www.mcetech.com/optibay/) and it mainly happens when i'm using battery power. The Win 7 is installed on the default harddrive, not the OptiBay. The latest time I was playing Age of Empires 2 and all of a sudden the computer just shuts down like I had held down the power button. And another time I was installing updates, but I was on a plug. It corrupted the partition and i had to restore it.

My battery capacity is only about half of what it used to be, but I didn't run out of battery. Could it be a heat issue since i'm playing games? Or is it related to the OptiBay and the lack of an optical drive now?

 

[balamw]

Could you have pinched a cable when you installed your optibay? Did it all go back together easily?

B

 

[snberk103]

I have Windows 7 Pro installed on my MBP and its started shutting down randomly and without warning.
...

Are you bragging or looking for help?

(Sorry Sorry Sorry - Couldn't resist. Sometimes a good straight line is just too good to pass up.... )

I can't help, but I wish you luck. I'm sure you will get it sorted.

 

[pathumx]

Could you have pinched a cable when you installed your optibay? Did it all go back together easily?

B

The only cable i had to move out of the way was the power cable for the optical drive/optibay. So i don't think I could have. It went in pretty easily, the only pain was putting the tiny screws back.

Im fairly certain it has to do with windows, because OSX isn't shutting down randomly. It could be related to the 9600 graphics card i suppose, since i believe windows forces that and i use the 9400 when i'm OSX. It could be that the issue existed before the optibay install, because I havn't used the windows partition in a long time and i've just started using it again recently. I could try turning on the 9600 and then putting it under pressure and see if anything happens under OSX. another idea i had was running windows under vmware to see if it crashes randomly and suddenly when its virtualized to see if its just the installation of this particular copy.

 

[pathumx]

Are you bragging or looking for help?

(Sorry Sorry Sorry - Couldn't resist. Sometimes a good straight line is just too good to pass up.... )

I can't help, but I wish you luck. I'm sure you will get it sorted.

yeah... that wasn't even that great of a joke... better luck next time...

 

[balamw]

It could be that the issue existed before the optibay install, because I havn't used the windows partition in a long time and i've just started using it again recently.

Yeah, I think you need to retreat to a known software configuration (OS X) and see if thing are behaving the way they usually did. The other tests you suggest are good, but you want to make sure that under OS X with the 9400 on everything is stable.

It may just be a combination of the 9600 and new drive in the Opitbay creating too much heat for the fan to remove. You may have to use one of the fan tools to turn it up a bit.

EDIT: Is the drive in the OptiBay used equally under OS X and Windows? Or is it used more under Windows?

B

 

[snberk103]

yeah... that wasn't even that great of a joke... better luck next time...

Well, I liked it. I don't actually have anything against Windows, either.

Looking at your post again, I have some (real) thoughts.

You say your computer shuts down like the pushing the power button. Seems to me that this is HW related, not SW. If Windows had an issue you should have seen a BSOD, or whatever Win7 uses now. However, just in case - can you check the Win7 logs so see if it crashed that hard? You were speculating that perhaps it's graphics card related - there should be some notations about the graphic card. (I am assuming that there are diagnostic logs for Win7, I don't use Windows so can't go rooting around for locations).

The rule of thumb is that random issues are HW connected, and predictable problems are SW. Your issues appear to be random.

I wonder if the Optibay is pulling too much power. Perhaps there is a "circuit breaker" (or equivalent of) in the power supply that is tripping? You say you are running Win7 from from the default drive. Is there anything on the Optibay that is needed by Windows? Can't you just disconnect it from the power supply to see if the problem reoccurs? If it does, then you know it's not the Optibay. If it doesn't... well, that's the problem with random issues. If it doesn't it could be the Optibay, or it could just be the timing.

Good Luck.

 

[pathumx]

Yeah, I think you need to retreat to a known software configuration (OS X) and see if thing are behaving the way they usually did. The other tests you suggest are good, but you want to make sure that under OS X with the 9400 on everything is stable.

It may just be a combination of the 9600 and new drive in the Opitbay creating too much heat for the fan to remove. You may have to use one of the fan tools to turn it up a bit.

EDIT: Is the drive in the OptiBay used equally under OS X and Windows? Or is it used more under Windows?

B

It is much more used under OSX, i don't see a reason for windows to be touching it. It stores my iphoto and aperture libraries.

9400 under OSX is completely stable. The last time i used the 9600 it was stable, but that was on power and i have a cooling pad. and pre optibay.

Well, I liked it. I don't actually have anything against Windows, either.

Looking at your post again, I have some (real) thoughts.

You say your computer shuts down like the pushing the power button. Seems to me that this is HW related, not SW. If Windows had an issue you should have seen a BSOD, or whatever Win7 uses now. However, just in case - can you check the Win7 logs so see if it crashed that hard? You were speculating that perhaps it's graphics card related - there should be some notations about the graphic card. (I am assuming that there are diagnostic logs for Win7, I don't use Windows so can't go rooting around for locations).

The rule of thumb is that random issues are HW connected, and predictable problems are SW. Your issues appear to be random.

I wonder if the Optibay is pulling too much power. Perhaps there is a "circuit breaker" (or equivalent of) in the power supply that is tripping? You say you are running Win7 from from the default drive. Is there anything on the Optibay that is needed by Windows? Can't you just disconnect it from the power supply to see if the problem reoccurs? If it does, then you know it's not the Optibay. If it doesn't... well, that's the problem with random issues. If it doesn't it could be the Optibay, or it could just be the timing.

Good Luck.

i'll see if i can find log files.

thats a good suggestion, i might try that when i have time to do testing. It would be a pain to open it up just for a bit.

 

[pathumx]

Test 1

I ran Portal from steam on Mac using the 9600 on my battery and it did shut off randomly, but i havn't replicated it while on power yet. So it could be a battery issue/heat issue... my battery sucks. and the fans were going crazy while i did this. i'm guessing battery since it didn't crash while plugged in.

 

[pathumx]

Test 1

So looks like the battery is to blame. I put the 9600 on under OSX and launched portal. It crashed randomly as well. I havn't had the same problem while plugged in, but i haven't done that scientifically.

 

[snberk103]

There's a free widget for Dashboard called iStat Nano. It monitors severals things in your system, including temps. You could at least get a sense if the system was overheating. Of course OS X only. I suspect there are Win7 equivalents.

If you know this stuff, please say so. It's hard communicating by text 'cause you can't see the body language.

There are several battery monitors. Search these boards for a name. I don't use one, so the name escapes me.... but there is one that is quite popular here. Might help you pin down whether it's the battery.

I suspect that once you put the Optibay in, that Apple will not be interested in supporting the system, so no help there. However, MCE may have some suggestions. It's likely that their tech support have seen similar issues. It's rare that someone has a unique problem. So, contact MCE and see what they say.