Hey all, um, I'm really clueless about computers in general, so I'm hoping one of you can help me with this problem? My computer randomly shuts down and restarts on a regular basis, sometimes as soon as I log into windows, sometimes after 5~10 minutes, but whats weird is if I don't run ANY programs at all, it doesn't restart. My friends told me that its a motherboard problem ( Whatever that is = =) and I would need to get something replaced Are there any other solutions? >_> btw I typed up this thread with fingers crossed that it won't restart XDXD
maybe ur fan is broken... so computer can only stay on for a while till it overheats and shuts itself down...
This is lickely to be cause by a short somewhere, first of all try replacing the power supply and see if that helps, otherwise send it in to a computer repare shop. If your pc is alright(can run vista) then get it fixed otherwise I would personally replace it and then put the hard drive in your new pc and back up the data from there
Well I've tried switching power plug ports, and it still ain't doing anything. I've also twiddled around with the BIOS start setup a bit, and none of them seems to have any effect whatsoever. My PC is above average I guess, with 1g RAM and a decent graphics card =/ So do you think I should try to replace the hardware myself or send it in to a computer repairs shop? :S
Yea I've tried that, and its nothing virus related I think, its got like .DLL errors popping up and yea confuses me >_>
Doesn't restart when you don't run any programs? Sounds like a software problem, or OS problem. Try throwing your xp disk in the drive, boot from the CD drive and do a repair.
Guys you are just confusing him. You need to single out the cause. Unless you are lucky this will most likely take a few days. First off you need to figure out if it is hardware of software. Do you have a "OEM Operating System Disc" or "Manufacturer System Install Disc" basically it's a disc that will say XP Home for an example of the OEM OS Disc, or Dell Backup/Install Disc for the MSID. I may not have it exactly right but try to find something similar. Once you have that disc what you want to do is revert your system back to the last known stable configuration. This assumes that at some point your system worked. Unfortunately this may DELETE ALL YOUR PERSONAL DATA. So if you can keep your system stable long enough try to back that stuff up. My suggestion is to buy a Jump Drive, they hold up to 8gigs now for a reasonable price. You simply plug the drive into your USB port...the square port you most likely plug your mouse into. I suggest this because it's pretty thoughtless and fast...nice for when your system is unstable. Once you get past this point simply put the disc in your drive. If you have multiple CD/DvD drives find the one that is checked during boot. You can tell this because the activation light will come on the drive before you load to Windows for example. You may have more then one, that's fine pick either. If you don't have a optical drive in your boot chain you are going to have to go into your "BIOS Config" you can do this by pressing the "DEL" key when the system first starts up. It may not be the del key in which case it will most likely say on screen, though it may only last 3 to 5 seconds. If you miss it the first time just restart your computer and keep pressing whatever key it is. Look for something in there that talks about "BOOT ORDER" make sure the drive you want to use is in there before "SYSTEM DISK / Hard Disk" etc. but make sure that you don't remove anything in that chain...you can move it around but you need to book from your hard disk eventually to load Windows. Ok now pop the disc in and follow the directions. Yes you do want to format...do the long format to make sure you catch any bad spots on your hard disk drive. Ok then simply use your computer. If it's still unstable it may still be software. In this case it would be what we call drivers most likely. Drivers tell your OS how the hardware behaves. You should run windows updater and do ALL the updates. This is generally beneficial, especially in your case. If your computer is still unstable it is most likely hardware. I say most likely because at this point I usually have to see the computer to know what's going on and even then I've been wrong. I've had weird video card driver conflicts with my OS...stupid windows. Anyway so it's mostly likely hardware. At this point since you know so little about computers either find a buddy who can help you swap and test your hardware or just buy a new computer. You can try learning how to test your own hardware but it's really hard, and can be expensive on your own. Anyway: http://www.zipzoomfly.com http://www.newegg.com both have cheap but usable computers for sale. Most likely it is software related 9/10 so hopefully you fall in the majority, good luck.
do you clean your pc? there could be lots of things causing this. try reformatting it. my comp frequently gets the bsod and it gets annoying. i have no idea which program i installed that caused it. x]