AARRGGHH!! Computer re-starts by itself!!

I've been paying attention to this thread because it is similar to my own issue: PC screen will go blank, but with NO processing load, and then reboot. Sometimes when it goes blank I can move the mouse and it recovers. It is not a screen saver timout, as I have been working.

Called tech support for my PC (within 1st year warranty) and after the phone jail button parade, I did get through (Systemax PC from Tiger Direct).

Technician, after hearing of my symptoms and looking up my PC serial number installation, said that batch of power supplies have been getting returned. Mine sounded bad.

Sending me a fresh power supply no charge for me to install. (That's fine with me.)

I would not have known about the power supply issue had it not been for reading this and other's threads concerning this.

Coop
 
Update:

Here's the wierd thing about all this... I went into my Norton program and disabled the automatic updates. Basically this puppy was updating the program everytime I dailed up.

I also emptied my recycle bin. I had several programs deleted there that I no longer used. I've gone almost 48 hours without a sudden restart, and the system has been running faster, too.

Maybe its all in my head, eh?

steve
 
My Opinion dump Norton there are plenty of Free programs out there that do the same thing and do them better. Norton seems to cause more problems than it fixes. I had it hated replaced it with something else.
 
I will second getting rid of Norton. I hate the program with a vengeance. One of the best ways to pay to have your computer downgraded performance wise.
I use antivir, never had a problem with it! :thumbup:

David
 
Third for getting rid of Norton... I use AVG antivirus. Free, with free updates. Norton is a system hog.
 
First thing to do, if you're plagued by unextected reboots, is to check the cooling system. Do this before any uninstalls or 'hard remedies'. Clear your processor cooler and fan, and if it's badly clogged by dust and such that's probably your problem. Most motherboards cut power when the processor tray reaches a preset high temperature. Increased cpu workload i.e. more programs running will highlight the problem. So if the boots occur more frequently when you're running heavy programs like games/video/image-editing or a lot of programs at once, that can be a symptom of this problem.
 
There are many free and useful progs that allow us to dump the problematic ones we paid for (read Norton):

Anti-Spyware: Ad-aware, superantispyware,windows defender,spybot search and destroy 1.4 (http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm)

Anti-Virus: I just use AVG 7.5 without problems...any other good free ones?

Firewalls: ZoneAlarm, Comodo (pc magazine said Comodo was best, followed by ZoneAlarm http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1969207,00.asp)

Note: I had issues with ZoneAlarm as its vsmon.exe was hogging all my cpu cycles. I disabled its virus scan for email feature and everything was good again. Lots of people having issues with vsmon.exe via a google search and saying ZA was a bad proggie, but I think it's fine and you just need to work the features if you have a problem. And if you don't want ZA then Comodo is there for you.
 
Thanks for the many, many replies. I intend to invest in a new computer within a few weeks. This info is very helpful.

steve
 
Number 1 culprit is overheating. Clean out all the airholes in the case, the back of the PSU, the CPU cooling fan and heatsink.

Number 2 culprit is a faulty PSU.

Number 3 culprit is a faulty connection on the motherboard itself where the PSU gets is shut down information. But this is very unlikely.
 
CitizenQ said:
Try doing a system restore to a restore point that dates prior to when the issue started. This might determine if it is software related. You also might try checking the HD for bad sectors. $.02
Click to expand...

Man 'o man. I should never have opened my big mouth. A week after this post my 6 year old Thinkpad A21P starts to shutdown after running for 10 minutes or so. No warning, just, "click," and it turn off (not a system Shutdown...just powers off). Did a system restore. Scanned several times. Did a chkdisk for bad sectors. Uninstalled un-needed SW. Swapped out the memory. Put on a Polynesian headress and did the JuJu Dance around the last full moon. No joy. I have convinced myself that the internal fan has stopped functioning and when it overheats it shuts down. I blew out the fan with compressed air and we'll see if that frees the fan up. In the meantime I'm looking on eBay for another A21P or A22. If I can find one I'll swap out the HD and use the old one for parts. I really don't want to reinstall the OS...that would suQ. This machine is older than dirt, but it meets my needs nicely and I've accomplished a lot on her...it'd be a shame to put her down. :thumbdn:
 
Otay...it's not the fan. When WinXP is booted normally, the machine inexplicably shuts down in (approximately) 10 minutes. When booted in Safe Mode the machine does not shutdown. As a result, Sherlock Holmes concludes this is OS erata as a gentleman suggested previously. :rolleyes:
 
ubuntu.com :thumbup: 6.10 is the latest stable one, though 7.04 should be public release in a month.

linux that has as much power in the GUI as a winblows user needs, and yet all the toys for the rest of us.
 
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