Computer shutting off randomly

[Tristan44]

I'm running Windows 7 on my laptop, and for some reason it keeps shutting down at random. I went to the Windows event viewer to see if I could find anything, and this is what I've come up with:

The system was shut down due to a critical thermal event.             
Shutdown Time = ‎2012‎-‎10‎-‎26T13:07:17.874446600Z             
ACPI Thermal Zone = ACPI\ThermalZone\TZS1             
_CRT = 383K

I'm guessing this is due to a piece of hardware overheating, but I'm not sure what part. Wondering if anybody can decipher this for me or let me know if there is software out there that will regulate this. The computer will shut off without seemingly getting hot, whether I'm on it or not. Let me know if more information is needed for this.

[truenorth]

What the computer is telling you is that to protect it's continued existence as a usable device it is protecting itself due to an excessive heat situation by shutting down. It is absolutely essential that you find out the cause and correct it. Some things that can cause overheating are a dirty interior of the computer/stopped or malfunctioning fans/in the case of laptops using the computer on inappropriate surfaces (soft as opposed to hard surfaces)/without knowing your brand and model of laptop it may also be a product that is known to have heat issues. If the computer is still under warranty i would suggest looking into that aspect.truenorth
P.S. there are free programs available that can tell you the actual operating temps if you so desire.

[Tristan44]

I've had this for a couple of years ( the computer, not the issue ) and I'm using it on a wood desk, so hard surface. It had an issue with the graphics card previously, and was down for quite a while, I had a friend install a new board/new ram/disc drive for me recently, and it's only been since then that this problem has happened. Is there any way to pinpoint what part is overheating by chance?

[truenorth]

By the nature of their construction laptops are very difficult for the average user to work on. You can make certain attempts yourself such as by using compressed air try to remove any accumulated dust from the interior. Have you noticed any change in the sounds or frequency of the operation of the fans? You can also use a laptop cooler pad to try and diminish the heat. The latter solution is given with the caution that it not be used as an alternative to dealing with dirt or malfunctioning fans. Certain laptops which are known to produce excessive heat can benefit from the use of a cooling pad. Presuming that these heat issues arose as a result of the installation of these changed components then something may not have been installed correctly (may be blocking fan circulation for instance) or were inappropriate components for that computer.truenorth