spontaneous rebooting

[Bill H.]

On a fresh reinstall of winxp, including the sp2, some strange things.

Several times now when I've clicked on the link to do Office updates, and
sometimes windows updates, the computer suddenly reboots!

Will have to try some other sites, but this is pretty bad!

Any ideas? It's a dell 8300, with the latest bios.

Thanks.

 

[Bill H.]

OK, now it reboots (sometimes) just when starting MSIE!

ARGHH!!!

 

[Alan Smith]

Bill--

My PC does this as well. I am using Windows XP Pro SP2, and every driver,
my
bios, and all windows components are up to date as well. I have had my
system
randomly rebooting. I have replaced my power supply, but no change. I have
run an error check on my ram for 3 days and had 1 error. My CPU is
overclocked, but stable and error free. All my hardware checks out, but it
still reboots, even after reinstallation of Windows.

SOMEBODY HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

You say:

My CPU is overclocked, but stable and error free

You can't say that- your machine is rebooting. Turn it down to the rated
speed.

You don't even say what the processor is, temperature you are running at, or
how much you have it clocked. Remember the BUS speeds increase too, and that
the peripheral componentry can cause problems even if it isn't the
processor. Go to standard- see if it works properly first.

 

[Guest]

Bill--

My PC does this as well. I am using Windows XP Pro SP2, and every driver, my
bios, and all windows components are up to date as well. I have had my system
randomly rebooting. I have replaced my power supply, but no change. I have
run an error check on my ram for 3 days and had 1 error. My CPU is
overclocked, but stable and error free. All my hardware checks out, but it
still reboots, even after reinstallation of Windows.

SOMEBODY HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Guest]

I am running an Intel P4, 3.0ghz 800mhz fsb. The entire system is liquid
cooled and refrigerated. The cpu is clocked to 3.3ghz. The maximum temps are
as follows--

CPU-- 35 degrees c
Northbridge-- 30 degrees c
Hard drive--30 degrees c
RAM-- 31 degrees c

These are maximum, 100% loaded temps. I have never been over them. This is a
software issue. When I installed windows again the other day I had to leave
for 7 hours in the middle of the install. Not once did it reboot. Now it does
it at least once every 4 hours, if not sooner.

 

[Alan Smith]

I am running an Intel P4, 3.0ghz 800mhz fsb. The entire system is liquid
cooled and refrigerated. The cpu is clocked to 3.3ghz. The maximum temps
are
as follows--

CPU-- 35 degrees c
Northbridge-- 30 degrees c
Hard drive--30 degrees c
RAM-- 31 degrees c

These are maximum, 100% loaded temps. I have never been over them. This is
a
software issue. When I installed windows again the other day I had to
leave
for 7 hours in the middle of the install. Not once did it reboot. Now it
does
it at least once every 4 hours, if not sooner.

And you still don't know if it will work properly at the rated speed.

There was an effect of overclocking in my posting you have not addressed in
your response- it's not all about temperature. Try it. If there is no
problem it points at the possible cause. If it still occurs you can have a
little more confidence that it may not be the clocking. But no matter how
many numbers you post they don't prove it's not the clocking at the root of
the problem.

That said 10% is not massive overclocking- this machine is overclocked by
more with normal aircooling and I have another clocked by the same with
normal air cooling- at around the temperatures you quote. Pentiums can work
at far higher temperatures with no problems and have thermal protection
built in.

 

[Guest]

You are right, there is more to this than thermal specs and cooling. I have
run a CPU stability check for 48 hours both overclocked and not. I have run
it on both threads independently, and bot threads simulataneously. All test
results show no errors. Also, I have tested my RAM for errors, and have found
none.

The system still reboots at random, whether I overclock or not. I have the
same result whether it is at standard clock, 5%, 10%, or even 25% overclock.
Is it possible for this to be a software issue?