Anyone good with computer errors?

So, on Monday, I got a phone call from my mom while at the Food Bank, accusing me of messing with the computer, because it wont stop entering power save mode, I told her I didn't touch it, and I got home, was good for about a hour, then BOOM power save mode. Now I can't enter it for more than a few minutes before the computer essentially shuts off and enters a power save mode I can't take off.

Unfortunately, I do not have the money to A. Get a new computer or B. Get some help from a professional.

So I was wondering if anyone might know of anything that might cause the computer to do something like this. Everything I've read online states check to make sure that the cords are all plugged in and the dust is cleared out of the tower, did both. (Sister also accused me of vacuuming out the inside... does she think I'm stupid? -.-)

Neither worked, at all. Stated check the performance settings and change everything to Take No Action, rather than shut down, did that, didn't work. The site also states it might be a virus, so next step is a virus scan I will run overnight, but I VERY much doubt it, as I've been extremely safe with any downloads since my reformat about 2 months ago. Then the final step was a reformat, which I will probably do either way, just to make sure (unless the virus scan happens to catch something)

Another site said that the power supply is most likely dead/dying, so that when the computer tries to run something intensive, the power supply tries to switch on, fails, and enters power save mode. Now, this computer has 44,583 hours of on time, according to the computer itself (which is a little over 5 years of time). Now, from what I'm reading, the power supply on a 2003 HP Pavillion Desktop PC is about 5 years, so to be honest, that seems a bit plausible.

However, I'm posting here in hopes someone might know of another reason this may be happening, if not, my sister will be ordering a new power supply, and we shall have fun trying to figure out how to install it. (What I'm referring to is the metal square thingie inside the tower XD, the one with a fan on the back <_<)

I'm running the computer in safe mode currently, which has no issues at all, which is why my mom is confused as to why the computer is acting odd. I mean, I can have safe mode open for hours with no issues. I don't, because I know it's dangerous to use safe mode while browsing internet, but atm, this is the only way I have to access the net XD

 

Just reformatted the computer, again -.- Still doesn't work, but still runs in safe mode.

Safe mode prevents the computer from running anything too intensive for the computer, it will instantly shut down the PROGRAM, not the computer if it tries to access the power supply, which is leading me to believe it is in fact the Power Supply.

My sister is trying to find one that will work with our computer, and she'll order it. ._. Now, if only there were a way to get sound in safe mode, and I'd have no problems XD (Yes, I know it's not the best thing to run it in safe mode, but I have all protection up, even in safe mode, XD)

 

I'm assuming it's not that. I've tested it essentially by trying to use all the RAM in safe mode (Gogo being stupid), and nothing happened. XD

 

I didn't use the Quick Format

A full reformat only takes about a hour, lol. The quick one is about 20 minutes.

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Well, considering I only have 512 MB ram, and it's one stick, I can't really do that. And RAM sticks compatible with this computer are about 5x the cost of a new power supply for said computer. >_>

HP is a butt when it comes to keeping things manufactured.

 

After spending $30 on a new power supply, it still had the issues. Cue sister pissed she just spent $30 on a power supply we didn't need. (But we kinda did either way, the old one's fan wasnt even working anymore, XD)

Then she noticed that when the mouse was unplugged and not working, it wasnt shutting off. Strange.

So we kept it unplugged, everything was fine. Internet said most likely a short somewhere in the mouse/mouse cord was causing a mini power surge or something like that. Cue $15 replacement mouse. (Ironically, I went to plug in old mouse after all this, to return new one, and it no longer works)

Still resets. Hmmm...

Then it occurs to me: Maybe it's the mouse jack. So I plug the mouse into the USB port on the front where the keyboard was, and voila, no problems.

So, $45 later, and the issue was that the mouse, keyboard, and 2 of our USB ports have somehow been corrupted. No idea how to go about fixing that though. -.- But everything works fine, so meh. (Have 4 USB ports in the back of the computer, 2 are the issues, other 2 have printer and mouse in now, keyboard is in frontal USB port)

The computer is kinda slow after installing the new power supply though... same make, some model, etc, only diff is it's a newer version of the same model, so it has a power switch, but that's all. Strange.

 

Wow.

Yea, I'll tape over em when I have some electrical tape.

Anyway, any idea why a new power supply would be causing slight computer lag? (Not unbearable, but it's very annoying having the computer freeze for ~5 seconds every few minutes if trying to open up another website, etc).

 

Ah, joy, it's still entering power save mode randomly...

Only this time, it's happening after HOURS... like, after 9 hours of computer use, after doing nothing, it reset. Second time, after about 3 hours of computer use, happened randomly.

I'm assuming it MAY have to do with where the printer is plugged in (another USB port), so I unplugged the printer, and we'll see.

 

I did a full reformat, and the issues were still there,

Atm, only have AVG, haven't had time to install Ad-Aware.