Computer Restarts Itself
"My PC running on Windows XP frequently restarts it self for no apparent reason. Any files or internet pages I have been working on are lost. The PC reboots to the desktop and I have to redo all my work. Any ideas please?"
Baby, It's Hot in There
Sometimes this can be caused by an overheating situation. Itunes, RealPlayer, Windows Media player, etc. require a lot of processing power to decompress and decode music files, which can cause the processor or hard drive to get hot.
If your CPU is running at over 60 degrees (C) you might be at risk of burning it out. Some systems shut down automatically when the temperature reaches an unsafe level. Every few weeks I open my system unit and clean the fins on the heat sink that sits under the CPU. When they collect dust it restricts the airflow and prevents proper cooling. You can use a can of compressed air (look at your local office supply store) or an old toothbrush. I just did that on my system and the CPU temperature dropped by ten degrees!
Download the free Speedfan utility and it will tell you the temperature at which your CPU and hard drives are running.
Memory Fails Me...
If you determine that overheating is not the problem, the most likely suspect is bad memory. Trying to access a bad spot in your system memory (RAM) can cause the computer to freak out and restart. The best way to find the culprit is to pop open the system unit, remove (or replace) one RAM stick and see if the problem is solved. Run your system for a while and if the problem goes away, you win! If not... lather, rinse and repeat for each RAM stick until you find the one that's misbehaving.
Don't Do Me Any Favors
There's a setting buried in Windows XP that tells your computer to restart when a system error occurs. If you turn off that option, you may solve your automatic reboot problem.
Note that this may prevent the system from restarting, but it can also mask the true problem. As an alternative to this measure, consider what has recently changed on your system. If you have installed new hardware or software, remove it and see if the annoying restart persists. Sometimes downloading the latest driver software from the manufacturer's website will fix hardware incompatibility problems that cause restarts.
Computer Restarts After Download?
Some folks have written to me complaining that their computer automatically restarts itself after every download. And interestingly, most (if not all) mentioned they were using the Firefox browser. If you are using a download manager or download accelerator, this could be causing the problem. Check all the settings in the download manager and tweak if necessary. Or get rid of the download manager and see if the problem remains.
This can also be a virus or spyware problem. I suggest you go through your Control Panel / Add or Remove Programs list and remove any programs you don't need, then run thorough anti-virus and anti-spyware scans. It could even be your anti-virus program fighting with the browser or download manager. Switching to a new anti-virus might help also. See my recommendations for the best free anti-virus software for help with that.
Other Things to Consider
Failing or under-rated power supplies can also cause your computer to restart at seemingly random intervals. Switching out a power supply is really not too hard. Turn off the computer, open the case, disconnect the power cable from the power supply to the motherboard. Unscrew the power supply from the case, and reverse the process to install a new power supply. A 300-watt power supply will be fine in most computers.
And as one reader kindly pointed out, bad capacitors on the motherboard can also cause random reboots. But unless you're kinda geeky and handy with a soldering iron, it's tough to identify and fix this problem. You can find lots more helpful info on bad capacitors at badcaps.net. For most mere mortals, replacing the motherboard as a last resort will be easier than replacing a capacitor.
I also encourage you to read ALL of the comments below, before you rip your hair out, or rip your computer to shreds. It boils down to this... most restart problems are caused by overheating, bad ram, malware, or some other failing component. It can be difficult and time-consuming to identify WHICH of those things is the culprit. The only good solution is to test each one, in sequence (removing and replacing components if necessary), to identify the problem.
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Posted by Bob Rankin on February 21, 2006 10:21 PM
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Article information: AskBobRankin -- Computer Restarts Itself (Posted: February 21, 2006 10:21 PM)
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Copyright © 2005 - Bob Rankin - All Rights Reserved
Most recent comments on "Computer Restarts Itself"
(See all 193 comments for this article.)Posted by:
sam
23 Dec 2009
recently i had a problem which makes my pc restart when i try to download with IDM. but after uninstalling IDM it seems ok. :) butwhat would be the reason for that???
EDITOR'S NOTE: Sounds like a bug in the IDM code, or something about it that interacts poorly with your browser.
Posted by:
Jacob
26 Dec 2009
I have a Dell destop computer. After I had logged out of my sisters profile, I tried to log into mine and after I hit enter the computer froze the loading and a message popped up. I'm not sure exactly what it said but it basically said that my computer profile is corrupted. I couldn't click on anything so I powered it off by the power button. Then I turned it on and it went to the menu where it asks if you want to restart it normally or in safe mode. Which ever one I click it starts to load but it powers of then back on to the same menu. It does it over and over and thats it. Please help.
Posted by:
PSK
19 Jan 2010
hey bob, what about pcwizard software?
i have that one.also what to do in laptops if the temperature is around 70C??
ps.my laptop doesnt restart but my temperature is around 72C and i cant open up my laptop like a PC.also i have hardly any knowledge of laptop hardware.
Posted by:
praveen
21 Jan 2010
the problem could be even in restart button also.. so check it..
Posted by:
PSK
22 Jan 2010
oops,let me rephrase my message,my laptop doesnt automatically restart without my permission(yay!) but the temperature is easily over 60C after 1 hr use or sumthing,so what should i do.....the thing is i cant open a laptop just like a pc and i need help on alternatives/step be step method to open and clean laptops.
Posted by:
James
24 Jan 2010
Thank you so much Bob! A thousand thanks. I cleaned out my computer a little and the temp dropped 15c. I didn't realize how dirty it was in there and would cause such an overheating problem. You are the man!
Posted by:
troubleantivirusdude
26 Jan 2010
my computer restarts when i try to run a antivirus scan…i tried downloading other antivirus, antimalware, and antispyware but the computer restarts immediatly without giving a chance to download them…i recently downloaded combofix but that did very little…what i mean by that is because the computer restart when i run combofix…i have no trouble downloading other stuff beside the antiviruses
Posted by:
Martin Apostolovski
01 Feb 2010
Hi i have been facing Pc self restarts for almost a week now and i tried formatting and reinstalling windows but it didn't helped the restarts occurs mostly whenever i try playing Warcraft and other games sometimes when browsing the internet but when browsing its rare after i formatted my pc it was fine for few hours after that i got restarted and the blue screen of death and each time the screen poped out the message was different the last time it was something like this System/System32/Windows/Software (i think) what should i do?
Posted by:
Martin
01 Feb 2010
Hi my pc got self restart few days from now every time i play a game i formatted reinstalled windows none of that helped downloaded speedfan temperature is fine dunno what to do plz help
Posted by:
prakash
01 Feb 2010
hi guys...
plz help me..
my pc restart often..
i have checked my ram n hard disk cables..
all thing are working very well..
but my problem still not solve...