Computer randomly shuts off and/or restarts...

[idNut]

I don't know what it is but I'll be doing something than BOOM, it'll restart or just shut off. Any ideas? Isn't there a setting inside XP that will do this if a critical error occurs? I checked my BIOS but I didn't see an option. Help!

 

[KentuckyBlue]

Are u sure you do not have the worm that has been going around?

 

[MDE]

Does a blue screen flash before it reboots?

 

[Slappy00]

sometimes when you come back to windows after a restart ther will be a dialogue window that says "<whatever> has caused a serious error...." when my video card crashes and or restarts my computer I usually get this message.

I would also check your voltages and keep a mental note as to what you are doing when it restarts, it might not be so random.

if your computer restarts when it is idle that might very well be your power supply but thats what everyone says....

 

[HalfCrazy]

Yes there is a setting within Windows XP that make it reboot if a critical error occurs. Goto Control Panel->System->Advanced (Tab). Once you are there look under the 'Startup and Recovery' hit the settings button.

Then look under 'System Failure' just uncheck the box where it says 'Automatically Restart'. The next time that windows does a critical error you will just a BSOD.


I just post this just in case you wanted to know how.

 

[Kalisperas]

Another thing to check: this was recently happening to me, and it turned out that I was overheating. My processer was idling at 75c, so I cleaned out the HSF, and haven't had a reboot since.

As was suggested, first try to determine whether there's any sort of pattern or consistency to the reboots. After all, something has to cause it, and in terms of computers, very little is truly random. If there is truly no rhyme or reason to the problem, look for causes more likely to be random, such as heat or voltage problems.