# Laptop switching off problem

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-switching-off-problem/457316>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 21, 2008, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-switching-off-problem/457316 "2008-07-21T23:03:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-switching-off-problem/457316/21 "2008-10-11T03:14:50Z")

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> [@ivan\_astikov](#):
>
> I hope this isn’t classed as reviving a zombie thread?
> 
> My laptop is still switching itself off despite me having bought a laptop cooler, and this is really bugging me. When I restart my laptop after one of these shutdowns, I get an XP message saying the disk needs to be checked for consistency. Then, scanning around the 30+ % mark, I get a message saying "Program Files\ Norton\ Savr waffle waffle\ NAV~.TMP file size is invalid ", or some such message. What the hell is going on? Please, help me, before I resort to my grandad’s method of dealing with electrical equipment, and give it a bloody good whack!

Start - my computer - R click on C: - select properties - select tools tab - click on checkdisk or check for errors. It will probably want to schedule it for next boot, do so and reboot, let the checkdisk run.

A hard drive on the way out or having some kind of file system corruption can also manifest as you have described.

If its a file system issue this will help. If its a drive problem, get on with the backing up now.

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**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-switching-off-problem/457316/22 "2008-10-12T03:34:00Z")

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There are a couple of ways to diagnose if it is a heat related problem.  
First, run a high activity app like a virus scan or a game. I have some Star Wars games that killed it in minutes.  
Second, set your power options to power save mode. If it is a cooling issue, that should prolong its life.

I was positive my problem was a heatsink one, but I seemed to have fixed it without going that far. I am ready, just in case, though. Quite a few people have found dirty heatsinks.

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