Hard drive failing?

[tuzz]

A computer I've been fixing up for someone keeps rebooting itself. It had been getting worse (rebooting more often) and it wasn't due to XP, as it would sometimes reboot itself just after the POST. I've bought & replaced or temporarily replaced all components in the PC now except the PSU and the HD and I'm running an older PSU just to test it - and I'm getting the same random reboots.

The drive itself is a Seagate Barracuda 80GB, and its about 3 - 4 years old now. It got a lot of use over the first 2 years of its life.

I never knew a HD failing could cause the computer to reboot intermittently. Does it sound right, a hard drive could cause these reboots?

 

[SuperNaruto]

yes if its a bad block, it'll bsod.. i had it happen 3-4 times.. download the diagnostic tool and see if it can mark it bad and not return to use

 

[d3n]

Could be a bad CAP in the PSU. Or both the Mainboards you tried have a bad CAP or two. This is more likely if the boards are the same type. Look for leaking or buldging capacitors. The buldge would be most noticable at the top where the X shape is. The leaing could be around the base. If any of the CAPs are tilting they could be buldged at the bottom too.

This would cause everything you've described.

 

[pkme2]

I had that happen to me while working on somwone's computer. It kept rebooting and it was quite annoying especially when updating O/S.
For no apparent reason, the rig would reboot and keep doing so while trying to update system. Then all at once the computer shutdown and wouldn't turn on.

I was at wits end and turned it over to another friend. He found that the system had a imbedded worm that was hidden and only a thorough format could get it out. Well, it now works splendidly. Who would have thunk it?