Laptop Shuts Off

5 year old laptop. might be time to start looking for a new one.

Thanks all. That gives me place to start.

Check to see if the CPU fan is blowing
This could be an Over temp problem

Also remove the battery and power it only from the power supply as a test

Might it be installing some updates? Machines will often shut itself down and restart a couple of times while installing updates

I would always go after a drivers issue first and most likely the display adapter drivers.

click the start button
type in "Device Manager"
In device manager click on "Display Adapter"
Right click on the listed adapter and select "Properties".
Click on the drivers tab and then click on update drivers

Let it update and then reboot it and see if it's better.

Try START> HP Help and Support> HP Support Assistant

It contains several good diagnostic/repair programs that will help locate the problem with your PC. If that fails go to the HP Support Website and try the Support Assistant for troubleshooting.