spontaneous restart

[steve]

My computer spontaneously restarts while I'm in the middle of checking email,
or drafting a Word document, or whatever. For a split second a blue screen
appears with words on it and disappears so quickly I can't read it. THen the
computer restarts. I've lost whatever I'm working on but everything else is
fine. Does anybody know what's going on?

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

My computer spontaneously restarts while I'm in the middle of checking email,
or drafting a Word document, or whatever. For a split second a blue screen
appears with words on it and disappears so quickly I can't read it. THen the
computer restarts. I've lost whatever I'm working on but everything else is
fine. Does anybody know what's going on?

Two points:

1. If your computer is restarting spontaneously, you are presumably
blue-screening, and you are set to the default of rebooting whenever
that happens. It's a poor default setting and you should change it.
Right-click My Computer, and choose Properties. On the Advanced tab,
click Settings under Startup and Recovery. Under System failure,
uncheck the box "Automatically restart.

Now when the problem occurs again, instead of restarting, you will get
the blue screen with diagnostic information. Post back with those
details for more help.


2. Much more likely than a software problem, this is a hardware
problem.

 

[nass]

My computer spontaneously restarts while I'm in the middle of checking email,
or drafting a Word document, or whatever. For a split second a blue screen
appears with words on it and disappears so quickly I can't read it. THen the
computer restarts. I've lost whatever I'm working on but everything else is
fine. Does anybody know what's going on?

It is most likely an overheating issue or a flakky Power supply (Hardware).
Make sure the Power ON button not pressed all way in causing a rebbot/restart.

Open a Notepad, customize or minimize to the taskbar as you will need it
later for this step to copy the error message on it.
Open a run command and type in:
eventvwr.msc click [OK] you will get the Event viewer control Panel.
click on each of these:
Application
System
Security
Look in the right Pane/window for error message with red (X) or Yellow
exclamation mark /!\ , double click each one to get more info about the
causer.
On the Event error properties message you will see:
Up Arrow
Down arrow
Two pages
Click on the two pages to copy the error message then bring up the Notepad
you opened earlier and right click on the first line and select Paste from
the list, this will paste the error message on a Notepad.
Please don't duplicate the error message one of each kind will be sufficient.
HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308427/en-us

Please we need just the error messages with Red (X) and don't repeat the
error, just one of each kind and post them back in your next post.

HTH,
nass

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Is it really hot where you live and is the computer in an un-air conditioned
room and are you a lousy housekeeper and/or smoker?

 

[steve]

Many thaks Ken. very helpful. i'll do what you say.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Many thaks Ken. very helpful. i'll do what you say.

You're welcome. Glad to help.

 

[Twayne]

My computer spontaneously restarts while I'm in the middle of
checking email, or drafting a Word document, or whatever. For a
split second a blue screen appears with words on it and disappears
so quickly I can't read it. THen the computer restarts. I've lost
whatever I'm working on but everything else is fine. Does anybody
know what's going on?

Two points:

1. If your computer is restarting spontaneously, you are presumably
blue-screening, and you are set to the default of rebooting whenever
that happens. It's a poor default setting and you should change it.
Right-click My Computer, and choose Properties. On the Advanced tab,
click Settings under Startup and Recovery. Under System failure,
uncheck the box "Automatically restart.

Now when the problem occurs again, instead of restarting, you will get
the blue screen with diagnostic information. Post back with those
details for more help.


2. Much more likely than a software problem, this is a hardware
problem.[/QUOTE]

FWIW, I've had malware cause that same symptom twice in the last year or
two. And whoever came up with that Startup and REcovery REstart should
be shot!

Cheers,

Twayne