Why does my laptop keep on switching off?

Computer randomly shuts down in Windows 10 [FIXED]

All of us have experienced one or two spontaneous shutdowns or restarts from time to time. Sometimes the culprit is hardware, sometimes software.

Either way, its an isolated event. However, what happens your computer keeps shutting down? On a daily or even hourly basis?

That is just the case with the problem we are addressing today. Namely, the IT forums are full of people asking for thesolution.

Youll hear a lot of generic solutions from Windows 10 technicians, but that is, with all due respect, a lot of apologeticnonsense.

So we prepared our list of workarounds for both tower and laptop computers.

We wont tell you this troubleshoots will repair your computer definitely, but it may help you eliminate usual suspects.

Additionally, youll learn a thing or two about standard steps you should take in similar situations.

How can I fix computer random shutdowns in Windows 10?

1. Update your drivers
2. Turn off the Sleep mode
3. Turn off Fast Startup
4. Tweak advanced power settings
5. Use Windows Shutdown Assistant
6. Check CPU temperature
7. Update BIOS
8. Check HDD state
9. Perform clean reinstall

1. Update your drivers

1. Right-click Start and run
2. In the Details tab, open HardwareId and copy the first line to your clipboard.
3. Now, move on to Drivers tab and Uninstall driver.
4. Paste the first line and search.
5. You should see theexact name and details about the GPU youre using.
6. Navigate to an official drivers provider site and download proper, latest drivers.
7. Install drivers and restart PC.

Note: If you are using dual-GPU with Intel [integrated] and AMD/nVidia [dedicated] graphic cards, make sure to update drivers for both.

The first steps you should take are related to drivers. In previous Windows releases, they often caused BSODs [Blue Screen of Death] and shutdowns. So, what youre going to do is check your GPU drivers firstly.

The majority of generic drivers that you received through the Windows Update can be used, but thats not the case with GPU drivers. Youll need the latest drivers provided by theofficial manufacturer.

Update your drivers automatically

If youre tired of manually searching up drivers for all of your components, youll be happy to know that there is a third-party app that can do that for you.

This awesome software will not only scan your computer for compatible drivers, but it will also automatically install them for you as well, saving you a lot of time and effort.

2. Turn off the Sleep mode

1. Open Start.
2. Click on Settings.
3. Open System.
   
4. Go to Power & sleep.
   
5. Set both Screen and Sleep to Never.

Sleep mode is great in scenarios when your PC/Laptop is idle for a long period of time.

It preserves energy while enabling you to continue with the use in a few seconds. Until it became a problem in Windows 10. Namely, some users, instead of standard sleep, experienced complete shutdowns.

To be precise, it seems that Safe Mode equals Hibernation in some cases. Because of that, your next step would be to disable sleep mode. Well continue from there.

You can also try and set it on 5 hours timeout. That way some other possible interference should be prevented. If the shutdowns repeat, move on to the next steps.

• Windows 10 shuts down unexpectedly after hibernation? Find out how to fix it.

3. Turn off Fast Startup

1. Right-click Start and run Power Options.
2. In Power Options click Choose what the power buttons do.
3. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable.
4. Uncheck the Turn on fast startup [recommended] within the Shutdown settings.
5. Click OK to confirm and you are done.

With the newly added Fast Startup, Microsoft tried to speed things up while maintaining stability. But, since it affects the way your PC is shutting down, it may summon a lot of errors.

Luckily, you can disable it, check the PC behavior, and move on to the next steps if the workaround failed.

• Fast Startup couldnt be disabled? Fix it with our dedicated guide.

4. Tweak the advanced power settings

1. Right-click on Start and open Power Settings.
   
2. Choose your default power plan and click on Change plan settings.
3. Click on Change advanced power settings.
   
4. Navigate to Processor power management.
5. Change the value from 100 to 0 in the Minimum processor state.
6. Now, navigate to Hard Disk, then Turn off hard disk after and reduce the value until it shows Never.
7. It goes both for plugged in and on battery for laptops.
8. Save changes and exit.

It seems that a lot of issues are related to power settings in Windows 10. Random shutdowns may be on the list. We have a few tweaks for advanced power settings that are worth trying.

Have in mind that youll need the administrative permissions in order to perform them.

5. Use this dedicated tool we recommend

The Windows Shutdown Assistant is a dedicated tool that will stop your computer from randomly shutting down. With an easy-to-useinterface and automated tasks.

It enables you to shut down the computer at a desired set time automatically.

Additionally, you can set it to shut down the computer in other situations such as system idle, excessive CPU usage, or low battery. The software also allows you to log off, restart, and lock the computer automatically.

This tool supports all Windows Operating Systems and comes with the following features:

• Turn off the computer automatically in various situations
• Schedule to Run a Program or Open a File
• Multiple Functions to Manage Windows Tasks
• Secure Computer Files and Data
• A Visual Break Reminder
• Create a reminder and set it to auto-display on the desktop at a set time.

Feel free to download the trial version now and give it a shot. Besides fixing the random shutdowns, its also a great tool to organize your tasks effortlessly.

Download the Windows Shutdown Assistant

6. Check the CPU temperature

In some cases, your CPU or GPU may overheat and that will lead to shutdowns. Namely, your motherboard is programmed to shut down everything in order to prevent serious damage to your CPU.

This especially goes for laptops that are most of the time lacking an adequate cooling system for intensive gaming.

You can check system temperatures with 3rd-party tools or just casually touch the backside of the laptop.

If the temperatures are alarmingly high, youll need to take some action.

• Clean fan bay on laptops or CPU cooler on adesktop.
• Change the thermal paste.
• Use the cooling pad of some kind to reduce heating.
• Change overclock settings to default.

In case your notebook/PC is in warranty, we advise you to take it to your supplier and let the professionals do the cleanup.

7. Update BIOS

Even though BIOS updating is not advisable, especially for beginners, sometimes its required. If misused, Bios update can cause a lot of problems and most of them are fatal to your PC.

Some motherboards offer special update tool featured in BIOS settings. If you have a new motherboard, youll have an easy time updating.

However, those of you with the older configurations have a much harder task.

Make sure you gather all the information before performing the process. Moreover, if your motherboard is up to date, dont upgrade it.

• Update your BIOS like an expert with our comprehensive guide!

8. Check HDD state

1. Right-click on Start and run

Another thing worth checking is your HDD. If your HDD is corrupted or it has damaged sectors, youll probably encounter alarge variety of problems.

Most of the time the system wont boot, but it may as well be related to sudden shutdowns. For that purpose, you can use 3rd-party tools and scan the disk [like HDDScan], or use the built-in tool and do it internally.

For starters, the built-in tool will serve you right and here is how to use it. On the other hand, if you are seeing Unknown, Caution, or Bad, your hard disk has some issues.

Of course, you can always scan your HDD with one of the best tools from this great list!

9. Perform a clean reinstall

At the end of the day, the clean reinstallation of Windows is the most viable solution. Of course, if the hardware isnt the instigator of the uncalled shutdowns.

You can use Media Creation Tool to easily obtain installation setup for either ISO DVD or bootable USB.

Have in mind to back up your data from the system partition before the process commences. Moreover, take good care of your license key.

The process is not as hard as it was on some of the previous systems so youll be able to finish in two hours.

That should wrap it up. We hope youll find these workarounds appropriate for the issue.

Finally, all you can do is try since Microsoft is the one that should address this issue with more enthusiasm. In case you have any suggestions, alternative solutions, or questions, dont forget to tell us in the comments.