Hi,
You can resolve the issue by following the steps in the articles given
below:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320299&Product=winxp
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;318018&Product=winxp
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;311466&Product=winxp
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;311806&Product=winxp
or
Windows XP restarts unexpectedly or restarts when you shut down the computer
View products that this article applies to.
This article was previously published under Q320299
SYMPTOMS
If you shut down your Windows XP-based computer, your computer may restart
instead of shutting down. The computer may also restart unexpectedly while
you are using the computer to perform certain tasks. An error message may
appear on a blue screen when the computer restarts.
CAUSE
This behavior may occur if Windows stops responding during a typical
operation or during the shutdown process. By default, the computer is
configured to automatically restart when Windows stops responding. To view
this setting, follow these steps:
Click the Start button, right-click My Computer, click Properties, click
the Advanced tab, and then click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
Under System Failure, view the Automatically restart check box. If the
Automatically restart check box is selected, Windows automatically restarts
if the computer stops unexpectedly.
RESOLUTION
If your computer constantly restarts while you are using it, or if you are
trying to shut down the computer after it has stopped unexpectedly, click
to clear the Automatically restart check box. If you clear this check box,
you receive an error message when the computer stops responding. This error
message may describe the cause of the problem. You can also review the
system log in Event Viewer to view the critical stop error that occurs when
the computer restarts. For additional information, click the following
article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
308427 HOW TO: View and manage event logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP
To configure the way that Windows responds when the computer stops
unexpectedly, follow these steps.
Note: You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the
Administrators group to complete this procedure. If your computer is
connected to a network, network policy settings may prevent you from
completing this procedure.
Log on to the host computer as either an administrator or the owner.
Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
Under Pick a category, click Performance and Maintenance.
Under the or pick a Control Panel icon section, click System.
Click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
Click to select any one of the following check boxes under System Failure:
Write an event to the system log
Send an administrative alert
Automatically restart
STATUS
This behavior is by design.
MORE INFORMATION
By default, the Automatically restart check box is selected so that you can
continue to use the computer if a critical stop error occurs. Microsoft
Services starts during the startup process before you log on. Therefore,
the computer is functional after it restarts. If the computer stops because
of a critical stop error, you lose all functionality, including the remote
access functionality. After the computer restarts, you can investigate the
reason for the stop error.
The stop error message only displays information about the possible cause
of the critical stop error. In most situations, the error is logged in the
system log.
Configure Windows to perform the following actions if a severe error such
as a stop error or fatal system error occurs:
Write an event to the system log.
Notify administrators.
Automatically restart the computer.
Dump system memory to a file that advanced users can use for debugging.
You must have at least a 2-megabyte (MB) paging file on the computer's boot
volume if you want to configure the computer to either write an event to
the system log or notify an administrator. If you configure Windows to
create a dump file that contains the system memory data, you can use the
dump file to debug the cause of the stop error.
To configure Windows to create a dump file, follow these steps:
Log on to the host computer as either an administrator or the owner.
Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
Under Pick a category, click Performance and Maintenance.
Under the or pick a Control Panel icon section, click System.
Click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
Under Write Debugging Information, click one of the following entries:
Small Memory Dump: If you click this setting, the smallest amount of
information that helps you identify the problem is recorded. This setting
requires that you have at least 2 MB available for a paging file on the
boot volume of your computer. If you click this setting, Windows creates a
new file every time that the computer stops unexpectedly. A history of
these files is stored in the folder that is listed in the Dump File box.
Kernel Memory Dump: If you click this setting, only kernel memory is
recorded. This speeds up the process of recording information in a log when
the computer stops unexpectedly. Depending on the random-access memory
(RAM) in your computer, you must have 50 MB to 800 MB available for the
paging file on the boot volume. The file is stored in the folder that is
listed in the Dump File box.
Complete Memory Dump: If you click this setting, the contents of the system
memory are recorded when the computer stops unexpectedly. If you use this
setting, you must have a paging file on the boot volume that is sufficient
to hold all of the physical RAM plus one MB. The file is stored in the
folder that is listed in the Dump File box.
Windows always writes to the same file name. To save individual dump files,
click to clear the Overwrite any existing file check box, and change the
file name after each stop error.
To save memory, click to clear both the Write an event to the system log
check box and the Send an administrative alert check box. The memory that
is saved depends on the computer. Typically, these debugging features
require about 60 kilobytes (KB) to 70 KB of RAM.
Hope this helps.
S.Vijay
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
