WHY COMPUTER TURNS IT SELF ON???

[VSP305]

ANY ONE KNOW THE ANSWER AS TO WHY IT WOULD TURN ON BY ITSELF EVEN AFTER SETTING BIOS TO NO WAKE. ONLY WAY TO KEEP IT FROM COMING ON IS TO UNPLUG IT??

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

Are you sure the computer is off? (not on stand-by or hibernation)

We need more information. Please look here: http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php/topic,33586.html

[VSP305]

YES COMPUTER IS SHUT DOWN. AND THERE IS NO TIME FRAME AS TO WHEN IT HAPPENS?

[VSP305]

SORRY, IT IS A DELL XPS 410  1 GB RAM INTEL CORE 2 (NOT SURE OF SPEED) WINDOWS xP

[VSP305]

WASNT SURE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT, THOUGHT IT WAS A VIRUS IN THE BIOS SO, FORMATED HARD DRIVE, REINSTALLED OS AND PROGRAMS AS WELL AS RE-FLASHED THE BIOS WITH UPDATED VERISON, DID NOT HELP AT ALL.

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

Why post in CAPS? Please stop.

Has this always happened? When did it start? Does the computer turn back on at the same time every time?

Try unplugging the internet cable and turning off the computer.

[VSP305]

no usual time, and have tried unpluging internet, still happens

[VSP305]

started a month ago, but no new programs or no new anything anywhere near its start

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

So the time taken for it to turn back on by itself is always different?

When you turn off the computer, unplug it for a few minutes and plug it back in and see if it still happens.

[VSP305]

seems to be random, haven't noticed any pattern but any ideas on that?

[VSP305]

when it turns on, it will boot to the windows screen then stop, reboot and continue over and over until it is unplugged. but this isn't always the cause, sometimes it will boot right up.  Update: i now have a hard drive issue. it will not boot in any mode and the self diagnostic says there is hard drive read problem......

[Karnac]

I would be inclined to follow the guidelines here ..... http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php/topic,46313.0.html and post the three logs for a specialist to review...if you're on an "always on" connection something may be trying to communicate with its source......if everything works out OK with the logs, then I'd swap out the power supply for a known good unit to eliminate that as a source of the problem.

[VSP305]

what would make the power supply cause the problem? and how can i check to see if is?

[Karnac]

Power supplys can go bad when their DC voltage start to fluctuate and symptoms are notoriously intermittent....capacitors in the power supply retain power for "instant on" operation, and so there could be some leakage of power......to check it , get a PS you know is good of same or greater wattage and swap it in.....but do the malware check first.

Edit...just saw your edit re. harddrive.....check your cables if you'e been in the case.

[VSP305]

thanks karnac, i will give it a look, anything else you can think of??somebody somewhere said something about the cmos battery?