Computer Restarts

[mostrows]

This is a secondary project for me, just trying to resurect an older system for the sake of learning. I've got everything working, where it'll boot into windows, but then it randomly restarts. I mean the screen goes black and it starts booting up again - almost like it's shorting? I've made sure it's clean so I don't think that dust or metal shavings or something like that are a problem. Could it be overheating? cuz it seems like the more I try to start it up the sooner it restarts, but that's kind of sporradic. How would I check if it's overheating? (Total newbie...)

 

[DaveSimmons]

The motherboard BIOS may have temperature readings, sometimes under "health."

Aside from a short or a loose CPU heatsink / dead fan, it could also be a bad power supply. A newer BIOS will let you check that too.

 

[mostrows]

sweet

I'll give that a shot.

Thanks!

 

[slpaulson]

If you're running windows xp make sure it isn't set to auto reboot on a blue screen.

Also make sure you have the latest drivers for everything. I had a problem with sound card drivers one time that would always cause my computer to blue screen, which caused an automatic reboot.

 

[hugobomber]

u could have bad memory. u could try relaxing the timings.

 

[mostrows]

sorry, but i'm don't follow...

<<<total newbie... :-(

how do I relax the timings?

 

[mostrows]

Originally posted by: cRazYdood
If you're running windows xp make sure it isn't set to auto reboot on a blue screen.

Also make sure you have the latest drivers for everything. I had a problem with sound card drivers one time that would always cause my computer to blue screen, which caused an automatic reboot.

I don't think that's the problem - the blue screen doesn't even flash, and half the time it reboots before XP is even loaded

 

[Harvey]

Did you install SP-2, and what's your CPU and motherboard? There's a known bug in SP-2 that causes your symptoms with Athlon 64 bit CPU's.

 

[x2ThorsHammer2x]

it could be a heat issue. you could d/l motherboard monitor 5 to see

http://mbm.livewiredev.com/

go there download it, read the info on how to set it up and go from there. most amd proc. are rated for like 80 deg C

 

[mechBgon]

Post your complete system specs, please. Harvey, I don't think his old leftover computer is an A64

 

[Matt155]

Ok guys, I just went through this with my computer, it would randomly reboot and go on and off real quick or sometime reboot after sometime. I traced it down to the main power button malfuctioning. You can test by these 2 ways, as soon as your computer starts, unplug the Power button connection(2 pin) to the motherboard. When I did that, the computer stayed on and had no more reboots. Second, to make sure it's the power button that is bad, disconnect the reset button connection to the motherboard and connect it to the Power on connection, and use the reset button to see if you can turn on and off your computer.

Anyway, that's what was my reboot problem, I went into checking power supply, motherboard, ram, virus, short somewhere but it was my power button malfunctioning. Its hard to detect because the Power button itself, did not stick or sound different than before. Oh yeh, my case it the old Antec SX830 midtower case. I bet lots of guys bought new power supplies or motherboards from not being able to fix this problem.

Hope this helps some of u guys

 

[mostrows]

the power switch didn't seem to do it - still restarted with it unpluged, but I think I did catch a glimpse of a blue screen just as the windows load screen was to come on.

Duro 400W Power supply
GA-7ZX motherboard
700MHz Thunderbird
Windows XP SP-1
128+256MB RAM - stil have to check if one of those it
(unplugged all fans other than power supply, CPU, and main case frame)
I don't remember what the case is - it's just generic off-white piece.

 

[mostrows]

Originally posted by: x2ThorsHammer2x
it could be a heat issue. you could d/l motherboard monitor 5 to see

http://mbm.livewiredev.com/

go there download it, read the info on how to set it up and go from there. most amd proc. are rated for like 80 deg C

I can never even get to Windows for more than like 5 seconds if I'm lucky, so I'm not sure how I would go about running that...

 

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by: mostrows
the power switch didn't seem to do it - still restarted with it unpluged, but I think I did catch a glimpse of a blue screen just as the windows load screen was to come on.

Duro 400W Power supply
GA-7ZX motherboard
700MHz Thunderbird
Windows XP SP-1
128+256MB RAM - stil have to check if one of those it
(unplugged all fans other than power supply, CPU, and main case frame)
I don't remember what the case is - it's just generic off-white piece.

Hmm, it may be your ram. Try running Memtest86 over night.
Relaxing timings: Go into bios, and raise the memory latencies, perhaps increase voltage to memory.

 

[x2ThorsHammer2x]

well it doesn't really sound like an overheating issue, but if you still want to know you can check your bios in the case that windows never loads. there is usually a section in your bios that will give thermal readings for your proc without having to start windows, try that to get some idea about temps.