My desktop has recently started powering off while idle. When I return, it may shut down again a few seconds after startup at the ASRock logo, or it may enter the BitLocker recovery screen. After I enter the recovery key, it sometimes shuts down at the logo again, but other times boots normally and runs for hours, including during gaming, without crashing. The system uses a Ryzen 5 3600 and a roughly five-year-old Corsair SF850 power supply. One motherboard RAM slot is also faulty, so I currently run a single 16 GB stick. What could be causing this, and what should I check or replace first?
4 Answers
BitLocker recovery can appear when the TPM detects a change in the boot environment, firmware settings, or hardware state. Save and verify your recovery key first, then investigate the underlying shutdowns. I wouldn’t simply disable BitLocker as the first fix; make sure you have a working backup and recovery key before changing TPM, BIOS, or BitLocker settings.
Back up anything important immediately, ideally to another drive or cloud storage. Repeated power loss or a failing motherboard or power supply can eventually prevent the system from booting, so protect your data before troubleshooting further.
After the next unexpected shutdown, check Event Viewer under Windows Logs > System for critical events around the time it happened. Kernel-Power errors can confirm an unexpected loss of power, although they usually won’t identify whether the PSU, motherboard, outlet, or power switch caused it. You can also check Reliability Monitor for a simpler timeline of crashes and failed boots.
The main suspects are the power supply, motherboard, CMOS battery, or a firmware/TPM state change. Since the PC is stable for hours under gaming, the PSU is not proven faulty, but an aging PSU can still behave unpredictably. Check whether the BIOS date and time reset after a shutdown; if they do, replace the CR2032 battery and inspect the motherboard. Also reseat the RAM and power connectors, and test with only the known-good memory slot.
The CPU is a Ryzen 5 3600 and the PSU is a Corsair SF850 that is about five years old. I’m not sure how to check the BIOS clock yet.