Tim said:
I need to know how to check a number of things for
errors, including:
RAM
HD
BIOS
MOTHERBOARD
Or anything else that could be causing my computer to be
randomly restarting on me.
Windows XP has a default setting to automatically restart in the event
of a system failure class error so if this setting is still in effect
on your computer then it may be a Windows error that is causing the
reboots. The Windows error may have a hardware problem as the
underlying cause, but that is not necessarily the case. It could be
an application software or driver issue as well.
Open Control Panel - System and go to the Advanced tab.
Click on the Settings button in the Startup and Recovery (bottom)
section.
In the Startup and Recovery window click on the checkbox for
"Automatically restart" to clear it.
Click on OK and Apply as needed to exit.
The computer will no longer automatically restart if and when these
errors occur. However it may produce a "Blue Screen Of Death" STOP
error message and then lock up completely, requiring a manual power
off and restart. If that happens then the contents of the STOP error
message, including all of the parameters, will be a direct clue as to
the underlying cause of the problem.
You can also check for information about past instances of random
restarts:
Right-Click on My Computer and select Manage.
Expand the Event Viewer category heading to show the 3 sub-categories.
Browse through each of the sub categories to find red-flagged error
records whose date and time correspond to your random restart
incidents.
Double-click on an error record to see the details of that error.
Post any results back here if you require further advice or
assistance.
Good luck
Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
