Hi Guy's,

The question is "IS there a Malware that will shut off a computer.. that clean off / like pulling the plug?"

Was helping a friend with their computer last night here is the problem we started with..

Sloooow operation, When using IE some websites are not accessable.. and when attempting to DL some programms (like Spybot, or even doing a AV update) the system switches off..
When I was told about this the switch of was described as "crashes" .. so I only turned up with software tools.. system is unable to complete a NAV scan..
This history is from memory.. left my notes with the machine

1/ Installed Spybot SnD:
Couldn't update.. Disabled a family of sus exe's that were running, and some known ok exe's.. still couldn't update.. Managed to start a scan picked up a few sus entries then Click Off.. the bloody system just clean switched off..
2/ Restarted in safe mode:
did a quick HJT scan.. manualy removed some Blaze media crap. Now started the Spybot scan. got passed the inital few hundred items scanned.. had a small list of 6 or so I stopped the scan and removed components of what I had just removed.. restarted the scan.. and kept doing this until I had 200 or so items removed.. BUT Spybot scan could only reach 70% or so and the system would die.
3/ REstsrted in normal mode: Installed Adaware..
Was able to update it (oh and could now update Spybot and NAV) Scann by Adaware went full course.. removed another 30 items (mainly Cookies and more parts of what Spybot had removed)..
Tried Spybot.. fouund a couple more items .. but dies at about 70% (that is computer shut off)
4/ Defraged HDD restart clean TIF, Win Temp, Win Prefetch, empty recycle Bin.. Defrag, restart defrag
5/ spybot failed again at 70% (not this is on or about 10500 item of 15500, it could be 10200 or as late as 10600 but always about the 10500 mark)
6/ the cleaner.: good old moosoft..
Tried a scan in normal and in safe Mode.. System shuts of at around the 70% mark.. first time removed more crap, adware "trojans"all related to the earlier stuff..
7/ Checked the temp of the HDD and cpu temps.. (It is winter and the room temp was 15deg Celcius) none of the gear was even warm..

I didn't have a Meter with so I couldn't check the status of the PSU, The tone of the HDD changes just before the shut off, so I intend running a HDD test , as well as a full PSU test on the weekend..No visable funnies on the Mobo.. so a full hardware test may still be in order.. even a swap out of the RAM.. Oh and I failed to mention .. I will do a External scan of the HDD..ie test it in another system.. scan it from another OS..

As the problem is consistent with a point of operation in a program rather a thermal point.. I do consider a Malware problem as very likley, but not rulled out Hardware..

Any comments welcome..

Cheers