Windows XP machine keeps restarting without warning.
What could the issues be and what steps do i need to take to solve it without formatting
Thanks in advance
For your computer to keep restarting without warning can be a number of problems.
First of all you want to try and eliminate the many possibilities it can be, by changing your computers default settings so that we can see what type of error you are having.
Right click on "My Computer", choose Properties, Advanced.
Under "Startup and Recovery Click the "Settings" button.
You should see a checkbox saying "Automatically Restart" If this box is checked then uncheck it now and click ok.
From doing this your computer should now when restarting show the windows error blue screen (Sometimes referred to as Blue Screen Of Death) and it will have an error code, this is the vital bit of information you want, so write it down and you can do a Google search on the code to see what is causing the problem.
You can also check why your system had a failure by checking the Events log for error messages.
Go to "Run" and type "eventvwr."
Another explanation is that your processor may be getting too hot. To check this:
On startup you want to enter the computers bios, Del, F10, or F1 are the usual keys to press. Under "PC Health" you can view the temperature. You will be able to see what the emergency shutdown temperature is. Raise the temperature or shut it down completely.
However if this is the problem you may damage your computer by shutting it off and you should get a better cooling system.
Check Any programs you have recently installed, do a system restore if you think that is the problem.
Check firewall settings, antivirus settings.
There are a number, I mean a LOT of reasons why your computer restarts by itself with you not doing anything to it, I have had a similar issue like this before as well.
Well from experience Id like to share what I did to solve the problem. First things first, you need to do is to do basic troubleshooting, this is "standard protocol" for PC issues as mentioned in the earlier post, tick the check mark on the "Automatically Restart" settings of your PC(check previous post on how to get to this setting) .
If this does not work, did you ever have any other errors aside from your PC restarting? Next is try to check the event log for any errors you have had before (again check the post above on how to get to this setting).
The next things is, you can also try doing a "SYSTEM RESTORE" on your PC, go to START,PROGRAMS,ACCESSORIES,SYSTEM TOOLS, SYSTEM RESTORE. If the PC had any problems encountered right after it was formatted, this should restore it to its most BASIC settings, usually this solves the trick if the problem was a SOFTWARE ISSUE, if not, assuming you know how to reformat your PC, then by all means reformat it, assuming you still have the installers and the licenses for these. If this does not work, now try to check the internal components of your system. Dust will affect the connections of the circuits, so a good cleaning with a simple brush or two might solve this, it might even up your CPU's performance by 20%,it is recommended to do this once every 3 months.
Just take your CPU apart & clean the whole thing with a brush or a standard blower, then put it back together this shouldn't be hard since most components of CPU's nowadays fit only to the specified parts. Also while doing this try to check the:
1. COOLING SYSTEM of your PC aka the fans,
2. THE PROCESSOR
3. VIDEO CARD of your CPU. The stock cooling system might be slow or off so try to replace or add at least one fan to the unit. Check your PROCESSOR, it might have been damaged due to overheating, any scratches or dents in the processor affects the whole circuitry, also be careful when cleaning it.
Next would be to check your VIDEO CARD. This was the problem in my case, my VIDEO CARD was MALFUNCTIONING. It got damaged due to overheating caused by the dust accumulating on the unit, (I was lazy to clean it before) Once I had this checked, (the sides actually melted..:D), I bought a new VIDEO CARD,
I reformatted my unit, installed the necessary software and my PC was back in perfect condition. Oh by the way to avoid any problems caused by unwanted programs, I would suggest installing a DEEP FREEZE software, it saves your PC in a frozen state and protects your files from being eaten or destroyed by unwanted programs, then just have your unit updated around once every few weeks. Save your files (documents,pictures,movies,etc.)
In a flash disk or portable Hard Disk. This would save you of the hassle of having to reformat your PC from a worm/virus that you might catch while downloading or browsing, and ensures you that your PC would perform at its best without the "drag". Well then, Good luck my friend and give me an update after you have done all of these steps.
Hope this post helps.:)
Jom
No One Can Help Us if We don't Help Ourselves
To stop the auto restart system
Right click on My Computer
click Properties
select Advanced tab.
Click the Settings button in the Startup and Recovery section.
Remove the checkmark from Automatically Restart in System Failure section.
Now restart your system for particular attention to see messages as they may
provide valuable clues to shutdown issues.
