Computer Randomly Restarts Please Help!!!!

Marek · #1 10-13-2003, 07:08 PM

Hello everyone. Over the past couple months I've been having problems with my computer randomly restarting. I thought it was random but its seems to do it more often when I'm download. I start downloading and the next day I see my computer has restarted and is at the login screen. Well I guess I will start off with my setup:

Windows XP Proffesional
Amd Athlon XP 2000+
Soltek Motherboard
512MB PC 2700 Memory
ATI Radeon 9700 Pro
400 Watt Power Supply

I don't know what the problem is but I have swapped out the power supply with a new one and tested the memory with simmtester. It usually resets while I'm downloading. Currently I have these components in an aluminum case which is supposed to keep the computer cooler. But the only way it will run stable is if I take one side of the case off. I noticed this during a recent LAN party when the computer would reset like every 5 minutes. But then when I took off one of the sides of the case off, it would only reset like every hour or so. So I don't think its any of the components but possibly a heat problem. I notice the Radeon 9700 card getting extremely hot even when system is idle (I can touch the side of the case and feel the heat). When I last checked my CPU temperature in the BIOS it was around 80 degrees. Can someone please help me with this problem. I'm at my wits end. If anyone has had any similar problems and can offer some suggestions they would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again

Marek · #2 10-13-2003, 07:18 PM

I read through the threads and people say to go to system properties and uncheck the "automatically restart" setting upon system failure. But I never get the "blue screen of death" when it restarts. And when I go to check out the problem in event viewer I don't see any errors logged (am I looking in the wrong place? I looked through application, security, and system and I see logs of events but never anything that corresponds to the system restarting). I would also like to say that a couple of friends of mine are having the same restarting problems.
Thanks in advance.

jmatt · #3 10-13-2003, 08:08 PM

1) Hot Chips, Cool Replies

http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-03-15.htm

rjack22 · #4 10-14-2003, 07:29 AM

It does sound like a heat problem of some sort.

I recently had a new system built for me by a friend who is very knowledgble about computers. It would reboot several times a day. Then one day, like you, I noticed that the frequency of the reboots dropped dramatically when the cover was left off the case. I suspected a heat issue too.

To make a long story short, I ended up taking it in the the place where we had bought most of the components and a technician there took a look at it. Know what it turned out to be? The jumper settings on the motherboard were set incorrectly. The result of that was making it run hotter somehow. Now it runs perfectly.

Did you build your system yourself? I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to locate the problem and fix it. It took us 8 weeks to find it. Good luck. Look for the source of the heat.

milomorai · #5 10-14-2003, 01:59 PM

if the side of the case near the graphics card is hot to the touch you have a problem with the cooling fan on the card. check that and/or put on a larger fan. the 80 degrees-was that F or C. if it is C you are in danger of losing your cpu-should not be over 60 degrees C. might need a new cpu cooling fan.

Play · #6 12-31-2006, 01:22 PM

I am also having this issue, But at first i was getting a blue screen that was telling me to update windows and it was dumping memory.

Now that I have updated my windows I don't seem to be having that issue now it's more of a random restart issue, BUT I can say for sure it's an over heating issue but i'm not sure from where.

I hate waiting Hehe, Anyways alot of the time what happens when my computer restarts is i open a game normaly "world of warcraf" in itself takes alot of memory to run, Then run windows media player, Open Ventrilo "online voice chat program" then open a "music shareing program"
and sometimes i even have "fraps" a video captureing program.

Now i understand that IS in fact alot of things to be running at one time and to be honest i deserve to crash like i do, BUT i never used to do it before it's just started happening about 1 month ago, It used to be once or twice a day now lastnight it restarted over 5 times in 10 mins ><

Now, I am only running on 712mb ram now becuase i blow a 1g stick of ram so this more then likely has alot to do with the crashing issue im haveing, Now has anyone else come up with something other then takeing the side of the case off i CAN do that but it's annoying because i have a fan on the side the comes off the other side of the computer doesnt come off, Now its easy to unhook the fan but then that would be defeat the purpose of trying to cool down the computer.

More then often it only crashes when i'm downloading "videos" or "music"
thats with doing everything else that i always normaly do, Now i understand everything i said is alot but it's not always ALL of that at the same time.

ANYWAYS, Any ideas as to what i could do to fix this other then takeing off the side case?

jmatt · #7 12-31-2006, 05:53 PM

Here is some stuff to try.

Advanced WindowsCare
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/S...dowsCare.shtml
http://www.iobit.com/WindowsCare.htm

RogueRemover
http://www.malwarebytes.org/rogueremover.php
http://www.2-spyware.com/corrupt-anti-spyware
http://netrn.net/spywareblog/archives/2004/05/30/
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/lesgrotte/map.htm#scum

Here is a very good free online scan from world leaders in security.
It will let you know what needs securing ( updating ) & what needs removing ( security risk )
Secunia Software Inspector
http://secunia.com/software_inspector