Aaron said:
It doesnt happen too often but every once in a while i'll
be on my computer, minding my own business and suddenly
the whole computer reboots without a warning. Im not sure
if its something in Windows thats causing this but if
someone knows how to fix this, please, let me know.
Hi, Aaron. There can be a lot of reasons for reboots, and they can be
software or hardware related. To start with, turn off the automatic
restarting so you can get the Stop Error (Blue Screen of Death). Here's
how to do that: System>Advanced>Startup and Recovery>Settings and under
System Failure uncheck "Automatically Restart".
Now you should get a Stop Error that can be researched. Random reboots
are often caused by hardware, but it just isn't possible to give you a
more specific answer from the information in your post. Here are
generic troubleshooting steps for both software and hardware:
A. For software issues - 1) scan with current antivirus ("current" means
a version not earlier than 2002 but using updated virus definitions);
2) remove spyware with Spybot Search & Destroy (
www.security.kolla.de)
and Ad-aware (
www.lavasoftusa.com). Be sure to update these programs
before running, and it is a good idea to do virus/spyware scans in Safe
Mode; 3) delete temporary and Temporary Internet Files; 4) stop
unnecessary services/programs from starting with Windows - see
www.blackviper.com for services info and
www.pacs-portal.co.uk
startup_index.htm for programs info - 5) look in Event Viewer for
clues.
B. For hardware issues - 1) open the computer and run it open, cleaning
out all dust bunnies and observing all fans (overheating will cause
system freezing); 2) test the RAM - I like Memtest86 from
www.memtest86.com - let the test run for an extended (like overnight)
period of time - unless errors are seen immediately; 3) test the hard
drive with a diagnostic utility from the mftr.; 4) the power supply may
be going bad or be inadequate for the devices you have in the system;
5) test the motherboard with something like TuffTest from
www.tufftest.com. Testing hardware failures often involves swapping out
suspected parts with known-good parts. If you can't do the testing
yourself and/or are uncomfortable opening your computer, take the
machine to a good local computer repair shop (not a CompUSA or Best Buy
type of store).
HTH,
Malke
