Why does my iMac turn off unexpectedly?

I have had my iMac for over two years and never had this problem. It has just started about two weeks ago. About 30 minutes or so, maybe shorter or longer, after I turn it on, this gray bar goes over the screen and then a message appears. It says to please turn off or restart the computer. What can I do to stop this. I've heard that it might be an overheating problem, but I'm not sure.

Hello Fredrick. Welcome to Apple Discussions.
If the screen is in multiple languages as per the following link, then you are experiencing a kernel panic.
What is a Kernel panic?
It is difficult to pin down but is often a hardware related matter. Sometime failing RAM can lead to this problem as well.
Consider the exploration of this topic in the following link.
Resolving Kernel Panic's by Dr Smoke

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