Dell Dimension 2300 Keeps Restarting

[Dinsdale]

I just brought home a used Dell Dimension 2300 and added RAM, a spare
physical drive, a PCI video card, and a DVD burner. I used my Windows
XP installer to load Windows after nuking the drive. The machine has
been working fine for the most part, until this last week when it
restarts all by itself, over and over. Even Safe Mode restarts.

The OS isn't crashing, but something is telling the machine to
restart. The monitor goes black, I get the No Signal Detected message
from the ViewSonic LCD monitor, and then it keeps restarting.

What could be causing this? A loose connection? A broken wire from
the switch on the front bezel?

Thanks!

 

[kony]

I just brought home a used Dell Dimension 2300 and added RAM, a spare
physical drive, a PCI video card, and a DVD burner. I used my Windows
XP installer to load Windows after nuking the drive. The machine has
been working fine for the most part, until this last week when it
restarts all by itself, over and over. Even Safe Mode restarts.

The OS isn't crashing, but something is telling the machine to
restart. The monitor goes black, I get the No Signal Detected message
from the ViewSonic LCD monitor, and then it keeps restarting.

So does the monitor go black first, or after it has seemed
to reset is it black because it fails to initialize and POST
next?

What could be causing this? A loose connection?

Loose connection is possible, pull out cards and inspect
contacts (including memory), unplug power and data cables
(also inspecting contacts as much as possible).

When reinserting cards, use a flashlight to look at the
contact edge to be sure they're seating far enough into the
slots.

A broken wire from
the switch on the front bezel?

That is not likely to cause this, unless in the unlikely
case the wire was floating around in the system and shorting
out on something else.

If you have a multimeter, monitor voltage levels. Had you
used the system much or at all before performing the upgrade
and if so, did it exhibit the problem at all ever?

I doubt you'll find anything but check Event Viewer logs.

Examine the board for failed capacitors.
If all else fails, unplug the PSU from AC for a few minutes
then open and inspect it for failed caps (or anything else
you might notice). It appears to use a std. ATX PSU, if you
have a spare that's known good/working you might swap it in.
It would need be new enough to have ample 12V current
capacity, perhaps at least 14-16A but even more would be
typical.

Check for failed fails. If you have a spare video card try
it.

Pull out all things you have added (especially the memory)
and retry system.

 

[kony]

Check for failed fails.

LOL

Failed fans.

 

[CBFalconer]

I just brought home a used Dell Dimension 2300 and added RAM, a
spare physical drive, a PCI video card, and a DVD burner. I used
my Windows XP installer to load Windows after nuking the drive.
The machine has been working fine for the most part, until this
last week when it restarts all by itself, over and over. Even
Safe Mode restarts.

The OS isn't crashing, but something is telling the machine to
restart. The monitor goes black, I get the No Signal Detected
message from the ViewSonic LCD monitor, and then it keeps
restarting.

What could be causing this? A loose connection? A broken wire
from the switch on the front bezel?

Or bad memory. Unless you have ECC memory.

 

[Dinsdale]

LOL

Failed fans.

Thanks for all of these tips. Every thing is fine for the moment, but
I noticed all I have to do is move the case and it restarts. Very
touchy.

It's got to be a loose connection of something shorting out. I'll go
over your notes again and see what I can find.

Thanks again.

 

[Dinsdale]

Or bad memory. Unless you have ECC memory.

It tends to restart when I have to move the box (occasionally, since
it sits on the floor), which lends me to believe that something is
loose or shorting out inside.

Thanks again.