Vulcan, I can help you with some of these things. There are lots of free or cheap file backup software solutions available. I use something called Free File Sync (download here). It's safe and easy to use and it will work with your USB external drive. That was also going to be a suggestion, but it appears you figured that out by yourself. You can run backups manually or set up a periodic automatic backup. I'm pessimistic about computers and have several external hard drives for backups, backups of backups and so on.
I'm curious how old your computer is and what OS you are using because this can often determine your options. The symptom you described (PC shutting off and restarting) could be several things, but not likely your power supply. It could indicate that your processor is overheating. There's a sensor that detects this and it will shut off your pc before the processor fries. This could indicate a fan going bad or a bad sensor. You can download some free software that will show you temperatures of components on your motherboard if the pc isn't too old. If you find that the processor is getting too hot, then you have to do some troubleshooting to figure out why and that can often lead you down a rabbit hole that results in a new motherboard, or a new pc, whichever is less painful.
If your power supply goes bad, it will usually just stop and never come back on. You can test it's output with a multimeter if you have one, but be very careful with this is you aren't familiar with working with electricity. There are videos online that explain how to do this SAFELY. If you happen to be pulling more juice than your power supply can supply, that can result in a number of unpredictable outcomes, including components shutting down, the power supply failing, or the whole system shutting down. It depends on the power supply and how it's designed but if you over do it, you will certainly find out quickly. The good news is that power supplies are not expensive, easy to install and you can install one with plenty of extra power if you determine that you it is in fact bad. I've only had one go bad on me but I've had to upgrade because I've added more components and needed more power.
I'm curious how old your computer is and what OS you are using because this can often determine your options. The symptom you described (PC shutting off and restarting) could be several things, but not likely your power supply. It could indicate that your processor is overheating. There's a sensor that detects this and it will shut off your pc before the processor fries. This could indicate a fan going bad or a bad sensor. You can download some free software that will show you temperatures of components on your motherboard if the pc isn't too old. If you find that the processor is getting too hot, then you have to do some troubleshooting to figure out why and that can often lead you down a rabbit hole that results in a new motherboard, or a new pc, whichever is less painful.
If your power supply goes bad, it will usually just stop and never come back on. You can test it's output with a multimeter if you have one, but be very careful with this is you aren't familiar with working with electricity. There are videos online that explain how to do this SAFELY. If you happen to be pulling more juice than your power supply can supply, that can result in a number of unpredictable outcomes, including components shutting down, the power supply failing, or the whole system shutting down. It depends on the power supply and how it's designed but if you over do it, you will certainly find out quickly. The good news is that power supplies are not expensive, easy to install and you can install one with plenty of extra power if you determine that you it is in fact bad. I've only had one go bad on me but I've had to upgrade because I've added more components and needed more power.
Why is it so?
~Julius Sumner Miller
~Julius Sumner Miller
