Re: Computer keeps reseting
My 2 cents (BTDT):
1. Clean the thing, reseat RAM and cards (use a pencil eraser to clean
contacts), and test fans -- use your finger on the center of the fan to stop
it, then let go. It should crank up immediately and quickly. Note that if
you don't know what you're doing inside the machine, don't do it. In
particular, be careful about static electricity. Ground yourself to the
frame of the machine often, even continuously, or use a grounding strap.
2. If it still has the problem, test the RAM using a bootable floppy or CD
based tester. IIRC, MemTest is one such.
3. If RAM tests OK, pull out or disconnect all but the basic components.
Leave only RAM and HD, and video card unless onboard video is available.
(Might also try switching the HD to the Secondary channel.)
4. If possible, install a new copy of Windows on a separate drive or on a
new partition on the same drive. Test that. If it works OK, then it's
probably a software problem.
5. If all the above fail to identify or fix the problem, then I'd swap out
the PSU, then the video card, then the HD, one at a time.
Unless I forgot something, if all the above fails to identify the problem,
then it's the motherboard. Of course, though I left it out, the system
should be thoroughly tested after each step above.
--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com
"Dan" <Dan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:AA1F7490-ABC2-4C63-89EB-D73636B62396@microsoft.com...
> Thanks for the advice, Glen. I will go ahead and use the compressed air
> on
> Monday inside of the computer. Next, I will check if memory and
> everything
> else is seated properly. Third, I will go ahead and check all the fans
> for
> issues. Fourth, I will check the ram for issues and then finally the
> power
> supply.
>
> "glee" wrote:
>
>> Spontaneous reboots are usually hardware-related, and often the result of
>> overheating. Check that all fans, and especially the processor fan , are
>> operational, and that the processor heat sink (sandwiched between the
>> processor and
>> the fan) is not clogged with dust. A faulty power supply or faulty RAM
>> can also
>> cause this.
>> --
>> Glen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+
>> http://dts-l.org/
>> http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
>>
>>
>> "Dan" <Dan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:BE1CCDB0-D4F5-4AB6-BC70-2ED10177C6DE@microsoft.com...
>> > Thanks! That was what I was afraid it may be. I will try and diagnose
>> > the
>> > hardware. Any suggestions about the order of what hardware to diagnose
>> > first?
>> >
>> > "Don Phillipson" wrote:
>> >
>> >> "Dan" <Dan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> >> news:887C84CB-1CB9-47CA-B745-CE6CC8B50AD1@microsoft.com...
>> >>
>> >> > I have a computer at work and it is fully patched through Windows
>> >> > Update
>> >> but
>> >> > it keeps resetting. It is a Windows Millenium computer and I was
>> >> wondering
>> >> > if someone here had some ideas about it.
>> >>
>> >> More often than a defective OS, the usual cause is
>> >> hardware damage, anything from poorly-seated circuitry
>> >> in sockets to a defect in the motherboard. You can
>> >> test some hardware features (see web sites on
>> >> assembling your own PC) but not all. You may find it
>> >> cheaper overall to buy another computer.
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Don Phillipson
>> >> Carlsbad Springs
>> >> (Ottawa, Canada)
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>>
>>