What's wrong with my computer

[Electronics4you]

One simple question: What causes my computer to automatically reboot?
It doesn't matter how many program windows that are opened
Any surgestions?

 

[HarveyH42]

Have you used a virus scanner lately? When you install software that alters the registery, you have to reboot for the changes to take effect. You didn't mention the operating system, but everybodies first guess for something like this is WINDOWS.

Now, if you just installed an older version of Windows, might take it a while to download and install all the updates, security fixes, and basic crap that needs to patched, over, and over, and... Windows Vista? Dreading the future time when I have to "upgrade", don't know what kind of problems they're sell people this time, figure it's their worst effort yet. Don't think this 5 year old computer is up the task of running it.

 

[Ale]

I had this problem with Windows XP. Automatic Updates was switched on, the computer was automatically downloading and applying patches from Microsoft and then rebooting automatically through the night.
Don't know if it's the same problem you are having. I switched mine to manual and only reboot when it's convenient for me.

 

[Gayan Soyza]

One simple question: What causes my computer to automatically reboot?
It doesn't matter how many program windows that are opened
Any surgestions?

Sometimes this can be caused by an OVERHEATING SITUATION like doing multiple programs one time takes lot of processing.

Also some motherboard system temperature software’s won’t allow going from the PRESET TEMPERATURE if so it will shut down or reboot.

Also in memory fails in RAM cards (Bad Memory) cause the computer to freak out and restart.

Try this

*Right click my computer & select properties.
*Go to advanced tab.
*Click the settings button under start up & recovery section.
*Under startup & recovery dialog box untick AUTOMATICALLY RESTART checkbox.

If this solution also not responded try UNINSTALLING newly installed SOFTWARE’S & HARDWARE.

 

[Electronics4you]

It's Windows XP and the computer is about 1 year old.
I've just been running a Norton Antivirus scan and now virus is causing it.
The air from the fan is pretty hot, so that might be it, but I have before had problems with uncontrollable RAMs, so can I run a scan on them from the computer?


btw, how can I turn automatically update downloading and rebooting off in Windows Vista?

 

[j.p.bill]

I just lost my modem in a thunderstorm. While trying to install a new one, the computer would do nothing but reboot. The cure was to restore the system.

Norton does not have a good rep. It imposes a huge load on the system. You might consider getting AVG antivirus, the free version. It works very well.

Spend some time cleaning dust out of your computer. If heat is a constant problem, add a fan in the case.

Approach Vist with caution. None of the other OS's from Microsoft have come close to doing what they were supposed to - like being stable and reliable. Vista seems to be all flash in the menus. Nothing I've read yet indicates that it is particularly good. Wait at least until SP1 comes out. XP is not good, but the faults are at least somewhat patched up.

 

[dknguyen]

Mine was caused by an overheating video card. I had to take the case off my computer.

 

[Hero999]

It sounds like Blue Screen Of Death (BSOD) has been disabled.

Go to System in the Control Panel, select the Advance tab, and click on the Settings button in the Startup and Recovery section and uncheck the Automatic Restart check box in the System failure section.

A BSOD will be able to tell you whether you're having a driver problem of it's something worse.

 

[Rolf]

One simple question: What causes my computer to automatically reboot?
It doesn't matter how many program windows that are opened
Any surgestions?

When does it happen? At totally random times or some time (several hours) after booting up?
Mine crashed regularly after being on for an hour or two. One day it crashed while I was pushing the ribbon cable to the side to spray coolant on a component. Replacing the ribbon cable cured the problem. Just an example to show that it can be just about anything.