How do you know when it's time for a new laptop? 7 years old machine

[mr_lebowski]

12. Also really simple test ... check your task manager ...

Make sure some task isn't constantly hogging 50-99% of CPU time (CPU usage = heat, and anything that uses more than a few % should be something you KNOW should, like a video running, transcoding video files, etc) ... so high CPU plus a really dirty ventilation system inside can cause overheating ... (high cpu usage might be a virus even)

A PC just up and shutting off (unless the battery dies) is like 90% of the time a sign of overheating, which is nearly always a maintenance issue (esp. if the fan is actually running meaning it's not dead ... that can a big problem w/old lappies in some cases as they could be proprietary/hard to replace).

Do you know ANY comp nerds? Kid? Nephew? SOMEONE to help? Cause these symptoms don't remind of 'dying' laptop.

If you can get it running again make sure to back up first thing. Then shut down, take out screws, open up back, blow w/canned air, when you restart, check task manager for zombie processes hogging tons of CPU time. Kill them. Does the fan slow down after a bit? Then you've found the culprit. Many laptops aren't REALLY designed to run the CPU flat-out, long periods of time.

Also get a hardware monitor app like HWInfo64 (its clean, safe, trusted by nerds the world over) and install and run it so you can see temps on CPU, mobo, etc. Any temps approaching 75C or above are likely causes for sudden shutdown.

After the sudden shutdown, after cooling down, were you able to restart, or no?