My IBM Thinkpad A31 laptop turns off after a notice shows up.

[kayisme4]

I do not know much about computers. My netbook stays on until I get to the login screen. Then after about three-five minutes two notices appear and then it turns off every time I try to use it.

The notices are-

System Shutdown
This system is shutting down. Please save all work in progress and log off. Any unsaved changes will be lost. This shutdown was initiated by NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM.

Time before shutdown: 00:01:00
(*it countdowns before it turns off)

...And this appears a few seconds after the first one.

Message
Windows must now restart because the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) service terminated unexpectedly.


I am not using a computer. I will be thankful for any type of help.

[kayisme4]

Before this started happening. The computer downloaded a few softwares on its own and changed the browser homepage. It downloaded a YouTube video converter, a web browser, and one other thing.

[RealBlackStuff]

Sounds like you got hit with failed XP update

See if this fixes it for you: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/ ... try2676394

[Pokrzept]

Which revision of service pack for WinXP you have currently installed on your A31 ? If your system is not fully updated the whole situation might be caused by an virus which randomly shuts down RPC service. Its pretty long shot since M$ dealt with this virus over 13 years ago in 2003 - the name of the virus was Blaster/LovSan.

[axur-delmeria]

Sounds like a virus or some other malware as well. I've encountered this issue long ago, on client's computers, and it's most definitely a virus.

I've forgotten the procedure I did to remove it (it's been ~10 years), but my current go-to procedure involves rkill, combofix, adwcleaner, and a standalone cleaner like Avira PC Cleaner, in that order. The first three can be downloaded from bleeping-computer.com

An alternative is to use a bootable CD/DVD ISO like Avira Rescue System, though I haven't used this particular software in a long while.

You can also try isolating the malicious program itself by using Autoruns and Process Explorer from Microsoft Technet. Autoruns will list all programs that run on startup. Since Microsoft entries are automatically hidden, suspicious-looking software is easier to spot. Process Explorer is basically Task Manager on steroids, and shows processes/programs that can hide from Task Manager. Once you terminate the suspicious program, you can run a virus scanning program.

I use a write-protected USB flash drive (hard to find these days) to make sure that my software tools are safe from infection, though you can burn them to a CD/DVD to get the same effect.

Important Note: disconnect from the Internet if possible. If your Windows is not at SP3 (Service Pack 3), update immediately.

[WojciechW]

You got Trojan Downloader... or adware...

[TPFanatic]

If I recall you can also program a .bat file to abort that type of shutdown timer.