Computer Shutting Down - Very Strange!!!

[andyriach]

Pupils have their own profiles, I have tried a standalone pc with local login and the same thing happens.

I let her use my pc for 5 minutes logged on as myself and the same happened, I have also tried her with a static wrist band to no avail.

Alien implant is becoming more believable.

Andy Riach
Network Manager

[DMcCoy]

I guess there are a few things it could be:

Profile
Policy
Login script
Autorun.inf in users folders
AV (maybe a corrupt file in users folder / ntfs issue).

Does the machine log any shutdown requests? Does it just reboot? If it just reboots then turn off the auto reboot for blue screens.

[sparkeh]

Experienced exact same thing a few years ago. One kid just couldn't use a computer as it kept shutting down. Tried all kinds of things but never solved it before she left.

As you have tried standalone PC with local login I think we can rule out it being some form network issue. The common factor is her.
Have you tried to actually ground her to try and rule out the static thing?
Does she have any problems with other electrical equipment?

[tmcd35]

Is it always within or at the same time. Ie, alway 5min after logon? What about work, is the student always in the same program - or have the same document open? As Sparkeh as said, any autorun.inf's lying around in the users profile/documents? Could the user (or another user) have crreated a batch file and either placed it in the students startup folder or set it as a scheduled task?

[tmcd35]

if all else fails just get the kid exorcised

10 laps around the fiels should do it (sorry couldn't resist the pun)

[andyriach]

I have just spoken to her and apparently just before she left primary school it started happening there however she says her home PC does not shutdown.

I think she may have a stronger magnetic field than most of us - the only explanation i can think of.

I am going to give her parents a call to see if she has an effect on any electronic equipment!

Andy Riach
Network Manager

PS. Thanks for the link chrbb, at least I know I'm not going mad and it does happen to others!!!

[ricki]

Hi

I have seen this with broken usb ports and sticks where it would short out the computer.

Richard

[p858snake]

I have just spoken to her and apparently just before she left primary school it started happening there however she says her home PC does not shutdown.

I think she may have a stronger magnetic field than most of us - the only explanation i can think of.

I am going to give her parents a call to see if she has an effect on any electronic equipment!

Andy Riach
Network Manager

PS. Thanks for the link chrbb, at least I know I'm not going mad and it does happen to others!!!

Ohh... a "does anything weird happen with your kid/children?" phone call should be interesting.....

[chrbb]

I have just spoken to her and apparently just before she left primary school it started happening there however she says her home PC does not shutdown.

She's at a very sensitive age so tread carefully! Anything that makes her feel different, odd, more noticable than the other pupils may shatter her self confidence.

(Just a thought from a female point of view!)

[andyriach]

I have took all of this on-board and I am dealing with this in conjunction with my vice-principal, she will make the phone call and discuss the issue with her parents.

I understand the situation this could create amongst her fellow students.

Andy Riach
Network Manager

[leon999uk]

Have you tried looking in the log files to see if there maybe something in them?

[andyriach]

Have you tried looking in the log files to see if there maybe something in them?

I have check all the logs possible, there is no indication of what causes the shutdown, the longest time she has managed is about 45 minutes but the average is 5-10 minutes.

Andy Riach
Network Manager

[enjay]

This may seem like a stupid suggestion, but given the nature of the topic, anything is worth a go...

Ask if she is able to bring her home computer into school - I would be interested to see if she continues to be able to use that okay in school like she can at home. My thought process behind this is one room in school here where DVDs don't play in the PC, and low-energy PCs can't run; something to do with a funny electricity supply is the best we've come up with.

Also try her on a school-owned PC but with an extension cable or three between her and the PC, so that she is using it but from a "safe distance".

As others suggested, trying grounding her (by which I mean electrically, rather than telling her she can't go out!!).

[EvLPhenom]

i know you said you gave them a new account but did you give them a new profile as well if you are using roaming profiles. May be worth recreating their profile as well, assuming you are using roaming and not mandatory. Just a shot in the dark as this is weird...

Keep us posted

[mossj]

Sigh some people epic fail at reading, there is several posts about network problems and mempens/usb sticks AFTER andy has stated he let her use a standalone machine, with a local login. No memory pens or old profiles or network involved. He also stated that she used his own machine using his own logon. Thus it cannot be a network related user problem or a USB problem.

It can only be something she is doing, or something about her that is causing equipment to malfunction.


I would suggest using a wireless keyboard/mouse to keep her away from the physical machine see if that makes a difference. Also you could maybe try removing the powerbutton from the front of the computer, and placing it away from the front.

Also are all the machines at table height?

I.E At home she has a tower on the floor, whilst at school she could have all the towers/desktops/laptops raised to around her waist height thus causing the diffrence?

Also maybe she has a high desk at home and the tower on floor, maybe the diffrence in distance is very sensitive?

p.s My boss suggested it might be worth asking her parents if she swollowed alot of magnets as a baby?