Gaming XP Ramdom Restarts

[Keeley]

Hey as the title says my XP restarts radomly alot, no exaggeration, sometimes thought it never does for awhile so i googled some solutions and none of them seem to work really,

I've tried:

1. Booting in safe mode to see if there's a software problem, still restarts
2. Booting up in "Disable Automatically Restarts on System Failure", restarts anyway

And probably tried alot more, but this never happened before, but I did a fresh install before this happened, but I did another fresh install but it still happens anyone got suggestions?

Specs: ( I know they are really bad )

Windows XP Pro
Service Pack 2

Pentium 4 2.60GHz 2.59GHz
768MB of RAM

Radeon 9200SE

For some reason the GHz appear as two different ones, but there are two different RAM "cards" Could that be the problem? Thanx for all your suggestions and help!

 

[kobykaan]

have you checked that all fans on PSU/CPU/GFX CARD are clear from dirt and dust and turn freely!?

it could be overheating!

 

[Maktub]

Yes, most probably overheating. The "random" being the time it takes to heat up. Use http://www.almico.com/sfdownload.php

 

[acoustic.digital]

Random restarts means your pc is overheating. check fans, inside the computer. if its dusty and everything, get a can of compressed air and get rid of the dust. if you're ide/sata/psu cables are all over the place, try and put them all together to leave as much space for air to flow in and out of the chassis.

 

[Crass]

Quit browsing thoes shady t****** and germanpoop porn websites and you wont have as many viruses!

 

[Keeley]

@kobykaan, Maktub, and acoustic.digital, I'll try that thou usually when it overheats it tells me with a couple annoying beeps so I doubt it but you never know

@Crass, I can't help myself its an addiction lol

EDIT: I leave the side of my "tower" off but it has a "funnel" on the side that connects to the fan so should i put it back on? Cuz i dunno if my fan supposed to suck air or blow air

 

[Splych]

Update XP to SP3?

 

[Keeley]

I would like to but it shuts down by then ususally =(

 

[acoustic.digital]

your fan should suck the air in. pc chassis' usually have an entrance and and exit for air. Air usually comes in on the side, and gets blown back out and the rear.

 

[p1ngpong]

When a PC overheats it does not usually restart, it usually shuts down completely guys. So its probably not that, but worth checking anyway just to be sure.

It could be an issue with RAM or another component. Check your RAM with MemTest, its free.

Also it could be due to viruses, so make sure you run a scan on that.

And it could also be a faulty PS unit. PS faults are hard to diagnose though, as you usually have to replace your original one.

 

[UltraMagnus]

problems like this are a bitch to diagnose, you should disable automatic restarting on an error though in control panel. XP by default restarts if it gets a BSOD, its microsoft's way of reducing the number of complaints about BSODs.

Update XP to SP3?
You have no idea how many computers I have seen completely shafted by SP3

QUOTE(p1ngpong @ Jul 2 2009, 07:37 AM) When a PC overheats it does not usually restart, it usually shuts down completely guys. So its probably not that, but worth checking anyway just to be sure.

It could be an issue with RAM or another component. Check your RAM with MemTest, its free.

Also it could be due to viruses, so make sure you run a scan on that.

And it could also be a faulty PS unit. PS faults are hard to diagnose though, as you usually have to replace your original one.

a noisy PSU could definately cause the problem. if the power rails vary too much the motherboard will shut itself down to protect itself

 

[Splych]

Update XP to SP3?

You have no idea how many computers I have seen completely shafted by SP3

Shafted...? Does that mean SP3 isn't good . Cause I updated mine just recently... (Yesterday)

 

[Keeley]

OMG thanx for all the help guys, I'm gonna try the Memtest, and the heat test, but p1ngpong has a point when mine overheats it shuts down completly but maybe it is the power since so many things get plugged into the outlet, time to unplug somethings I guess

, but the main culprit I bet is the RAM, I don't even got 1GB lol

 

[Strider]

You have no idea how many computers I have seen completely shafted by SP3

...I agree, mostly due to modifications of internal stuff the owners should've kept the hands off when they're not knowing what the hell they're doing.

In that sense, I've very very seldom seen a functional, clean system being screwed by a service pack.

Back to the topic: I'd rather suspect viruses etc. Are you surfing ... dubious sites? Using the Internet Explorer? Or are you using Firefox with noscript?

Edit: spelling

 

[Keeley]

Yeah I don't think its the power supply problem, and when I go to the BIOS it doesn't restart randomly, so I think its most likely a virus or software related problem.

@Strider, I use Chrome while my Dad uses Firefox, rarely does anyone uses Internet Explorer and dubios sites? I dunno what that means gonna google that and get back to you on that one

EDIT: Oh dubious sites, no not that I know of, I usually just go to GBATemp.net, Yahoo.ca, and Serebii.net, those are usually the only things I go to, maybe I should reinstall XP again and see what happens?

I'll try to scan the computer but I doubt it'll make it to the desktop

 

[ddp127]

may be a bad power supply, faulty video card/video card driver, a problem with your ram, and you can try cleaning your pc with canned air

 

[Maz7006]

Check if your RAM is in properly.

Check your temps, i looks like the actually CPU is overheating, and then the bios just tells the PC to reset.

 

[Keeley]

I don't think its over heating as p1ingpong said,

When a PC overheats it does not usually restart, it usually shuts down completely...

But of course I'm gonna check that again, but mine does shut down completely when it overheats, but as mentioned in my other post I now think its either a virus or software related problem since it doesn't' shut down in the BIOS.

Oh I would love to test my RAM but the computer restarts by then =( but I'm gonna check if its in properly but I'm pretty sure it is.

If I don't get this fixed by later today I think I'm gonna do a fresh install and see what comes of it.

 

[Strider]

I was just making sure you're not using, say, Internet Explorer for porn surfing or something, that doesn't go well

-- it might be obvious, but not to everyone.

Before trying a reinstall, you could download a Linux distribution (try http://www.ubuntu.com/) and boot it from cd and use your pc for surfing etc... and see if it still reboots/powers down.

That might give a hint if it's hardware related. If not, you could clean up Windows, but reinstalling might be faster.

Oh and earlier I read you keep your pc open? Or did I misread that. Keeping your pc open stops the air from flowing through your pc and cooling everything like it should.

Another thing: does the windows system log tell you anything useful for the times it shut down (my computer (right click) -> manage -> look at the logs)? If it's well behaved, there might be something, on the other hand in windows logs there rarely is something useful.

 

[bubbalv29]

most likely a virus, unless someone is messing with your computer and you don't know about it, scheduling it to shut down from outside your house or something???????
just a though, it could happen, i kno many people who do it as pranks