HP desktop Windows XP, doesnt stay on

[shashgo]

Got an HP desktop , which does turn on, boot up, works great, but turns itself off every so  often. 

Why does it do  that, and what should I need to do to fix it

[patio]

Go to Control Panel/System/Advanced/Startup and Recovery and uncheck "auto-restart on errors"...
You will now get blue screen errors...post everything it says next time it happens...

[shashgo]

patio,

I did that , I unchecked the box, but I dont think that that was the reason for the intermittent shutdowns.

I think the problem is the power supply, I have tried a number of power cords with it, and for some reason the cord doesnt make good contact when I plug it into the back.  My guess is that the prongs on the power supply are either too short, or have shifted back into the power supply  case.  Maybe thats why they dont make a good contact with the metal in the cord slots.  (I am assuming the elements in the cord slots are all the way to the back and that the prongs need to extend all the way to make contact with them, dunno if this is the case).

The reason i think its faulty connection is  cause when i wiggle the power cord a certain way, the computer comes on.  Problem is the cord doesnt stay in that position.  So is it possible to pull the prongs out further?

[patio]

I would simply replace the PSU...an older machine shouldn't have huge power needs so it wouldn't be that much of a layout of cash.

[shashgo]

ya i coulda done that, but actually it was just a matter of slightly bending the prongs of the power supply outward, so that they could hold the plug better.  It works fine now, but youre right, if that didnt work i would just have gotten a new psu