WMC shutting down computer

[EmeraldTuna]

When I watch anything using WMC after a few minutes is shuts down the computer. No BSOD just turns it off like the plug was pulled. I have to go and hit the power button to restart it.
I can let it run in the background recording shows for days with no problem.
I can watch anything that is recorded using VLC for hours at a time.
But as soon as I try to watch something in Media Center it shuts down.
Any Ideas?

Here is my system info:
OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate
Version 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601
Other OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name
System Manufacturer Hewlett-Packard
System Model h8-1214
System Type x64-based PC
Processor AMD FX(tm)-6100 Six-Core Processor, 3300 Mhz, 3 Core(s), 6 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date AMI Ang_716, 4/5/2012
SMBIOS Version 2.7
Windows Directory C:\Windows
System Directory C:\Windows\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.1.7601.17514"
User Name
Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 10.0 GB
Total Physical Memory 9.97 GB
Available Physical Memory 7.87 GB
Total Virtual Memory 19.9 GB
Available Virtual Memory 17.3 GB
Page File Space 9.97 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys

[richard1980]

Sounds like a thermal issue to me.

[DavidinCT]

Is anything in the event log ? I would check the system event log, it should show it shutting down and we hope a reason for it.

This is where I would start, Windows should show the reason why it's shutting down. I've setup tons of WMC machines, I have never seen one showing your issue.

[T Rush]

.... No BSOD just turns it off like the plug was pulled...

What video card and power supply?
...the loss of power might make me think that your PSU might not have enough amps on the +12v rail to fully run a more powerful video card that could have been upgraded in your system?
...I also think that memory errors might instantly cause a computer to blink out..maybe?...you could try pulling out some of the RAM sticks, even try just one installed

But those types of hardware problems should also cause the shutdown with other heavier tasks, like running a game

[edit]I'll also add that I've had some strange issues with my AMD 8 core FX-8150 gaming system and lots of RAM...still haven't solved it....but Windows Media Center doesn't need nearly that much computer to run well[/edit]

[EmeraldTuna]

I have been using this computer without any changes for over 3 years with no real problems
The computer is an HP Pavillion
Here are the specs.
Processor: AMD FX-6100 Zambezi (3.3GHz)
Processor Core: Hexa-Core
Memory: 10GB DDR3 (PC3-10600)
Max Memory: 16GB
Memory Slots: 4 (3 occupied)
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 7450 (1GB dedicated)
Video Ports: HDMI, DVI
Hard Drive: 1.5TB SATA (5400rpm)
Optical Drive: SuperMulti DVD±RW
Audio Chipset: Integrated IDT 92HD89E
Sound: HD 7.1 Surround Sound
Network: 10/100/1000 Base-T
Wireless: 802.11b/g/n
Bluetooth: 3.0

Everything is factory standard except for the Ceton tuner card I added and I added a 130GB SSD as my C: drive the 1.5TB is now my D: drive
This has been running For years no problem. I thought I might have gotten a virus so I formatted both drives and did a new install of win7
Still have the same issue.
Don't see how it can be a heat issue since I can watch stuff on VLC for hours and be online on a second monitor without a problem. It only happens while watching on WMC. I leave WMC running in the background and it records everything fine. Just can't watch anything.

I only saw 2 critical event logs and they both said the same thing. That the machine shutdown for an unknown reason

[EmeraldTuna]

Also I can play Call of Duty - Ghosts without a problem

[DavidinCT]

Also I can play Call of Duty - Ghosts without a problem

That alone will rule out power supply and video card (unless it's driver related). Also it cant be a CPU heat problem, as playing a modern game like COD would give the video card, CPU and PS a workout. It would do the same thing if it was one of those.

You said you formatted the system and started again ? When you did this, did you just try to run WMC with out anything else installed, what was the result ? What codecs do you have installed ?

Has it always been like this, or did this just start happening ? If it just started, what changes have you done before this started ?

I'm just wondering, on a clean system, nothing else besides drivers for devices(no codecs, no anti-virus, nothing else), does it do the same thing ?

Now you say, that this happens when your watching video, is this, live TV, Recorded TV or a video file ? If this happens on Live TV (for example), what happens try to watch one of other type ?

When you look at the event logs, there is a Media Center event log, anything funky in there ?

[Mountainbreeze]

I had the nearly exact same thing happen on my HTPC system. Long story short - it was the power supply. It will probably start happening more frequently as time goes on.

[DavidinCT]

I had the nearly exact same thing happen on my HTPC system. Long story short - it was the power supply. It will probably start happening more frequently as time goes on.

Yea but, it only happens in WMC, not when playing a pretty CPU/Video Card/PW intense game like COD ghosts ?

Besides the trial things I suggested above and pending results, the next part would be swapping out the tuner, then PS, then video card. trying step by step.

If everything else is working fine on the system but, only WMC is causing the problem, then the items it touches could be causing it.

[richard1980]

Don't see how it can be a heat issue since I can watch stuff on VLC for hours and be online on a second monitor without a problem.

VLC has a different playback pipeline than WMC. Depending on your VLC settings, it is possible that decoding in VLC occurs in the CPU, while decoding in WMC occurs in the GPU. My initial idea was that the GPU was overheating, but that doesn't make much sense after seeing your reply.

Also, you shouldn't see a shutdown event in the event log if it "just turns it off like the plug was pulled". When you pull the plug, power is immediately lost. No shutdown, no event log...the system just dies. On reboot, you should get the boot options menu, and the event log should show an error about the system not being shut down properly.

So can you clarify whether the system "just turns it off like the plug was pulled" or does it actually perform a clean shutdown?

[Crash2009]

I know you said you are not seeing BSOD's, but still, the more info you get, the closer to a fix you will be.

Confirm that windows is creating Dump files on BSOD. http://blog.nirsoft.net/2010/07/27/how- ... s-on-bsod/

Then download and run BlueScreenView http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/blue_screen_view.html

The next ting I would suggest is to test the power supply. You don't have to pull it from the case, just disconnect all the cables. https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0 ... t-710&fp=1

[EmeraldTuna]

I can't try a different tuner card since I don't have a spare.
I could not find any shutdown logs which follows what was said about not properly shutting down
Since this is only happening with WMC what other programs could I use with the infinity card to watch live TV?
I figure if another tuner program works then it's most likely not a hardware problem.

[Mike88]

Initially my HTPC using WMC7 would shut down & sometimes reboot about once a month. Sometimes I'd be greeted with a black screen & sometimes with a blue one. I don't know if this would have happened with other programs because WMC7 was the main application. The only thing the logs would say is that there was an unexpected shutdown which of course did not help find the source of the problem.

Did a couple different HDD tests & it was OK. Then did a RAM test & it showed errors. Running one stick was OK but not both, and it didn't matter which slot the sticks were in. I swapped RAM & it fixed the problem.

Try one of the free RAM test and HDD programs & see if they show any problems.

[richard1980]

I figure if another tuner program works then it's most likely not a hardware problem.

Other tuner programs can use different hardware to play the video than WMC does. For example, WMC relies heavily on the GPU to process video, whereas other applications may process video in the CPU instead of the GPU. So even if you get some other application to work, it doesn't rule out a hardware issue.

[EmeraldTuna]

What's also odd is that I have a Ceton Echo ( media extender) attached to this comp through the network and it can run WMC no problem

[Crash2009]

Maybe the Geek Squad can try the 8 suggestions you have received.

[jec6613]

I figure if another tuner program works then it's most likely not a hardware problem.

Other tuner programs can use different hardware to play the video than WMC does. For example, WMC relies heavily on the GPU to process video, whereas other applications may process video in the CPU instead of the GPU. So even if you get some other application to work, it doesn't rule out a hardware issue.

I had these exact symptoms once, it turned out to be a bad video card, and WMC was using parts of the hardware acceleration than even games wouldn't touch. I suspect this is your issue as well, as my time was not the first time I'd seen it.

Also, put new thermal paste on your CPU while you're in there. Stock HP consumer stuff doesn't like to last much longer than three years.

[EmeraldTuna]

ran a video card memory tester, no problems
But it is looking like the video card is the problem. I hooked up a vga monitor to the second output of the card ( dvi adapted to vga) and it ran for half an hour no problem. 2 minutes after I switched WMC back to the tv it shut down.
Will have to wait for next paycheck before I can get a new card

[EmeraldTuna]

It was the video card. Changed it and haven't had a problem since.

Thanks to everyone who tried to help.