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my pc itself reset as at 1 or 2 hours!!!
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Is it getting hot? When it restarts, stop it. Shut it down and feel the heatsink on the cpu. Carefully!! If it is very hot maybe the fan is broken. Restart with the cover off and see if it spins.
Jon
There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge. (Bertrand Russell)
Jon
There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge. (Bertrand Russell)
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- #3
Start by turning off ALL power saving modes and screen savers. This will eliminate any problems that might be occuring with the ACPI.
If your computer is fairly new with a good BIOS, you will have the temperatures listed in the BIOS. When the computer restarts, enter the BIOS and go see what the temperature is for the CPU and stuff.
Maybe then you will have a better idea with the results.
"In space, nobody can hear you click..."
If your computer is fairly new with a good BIOS, you will have the temperatures listed in the BIOS. When the computer restarts, enter the BIOS and go see what the temperature is for the CPU and stuff.
Maybe then you will have a better idea with the results.
"In space, nobody can hear you click..."
- Thread starter
- #5
No..that's normal actually. But it could be other components or it might take time too...Another test you can do is boot up in DOS... and leave it sit there. If it never reboots, then your problem is software related... That will at least help you focus your debugging efforts.
"In space, nobody can hear you click..."
"In space, nobody can hear you click..."
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- #7
ski
Technical User
- Oct 11, 2000
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Other possible causes in addition to overheating and viruses:
-Everything not completely seated on the motherboard.
Reseat everything.
-Overtaxed or bad power supply
Swap it out with a different(preferably higher wattage) unit.
-Bad memory
Remove and reinsert the memory a few times, try it in different slots, do not use any optimal settings for the memory in BIOS, increase the memory's voltage a notch in BIOS, and swap it out with known good memory.
Also, do not mix parity and non-parity memory.
-Bad video card.
Swap it out with a known good card.
-Bad MB.
Swap it out with a known good MB.
-IRQ conflict with a network card.
If no problems show up for the NIC in Device Manager, then remove it from DM, shut down, uninstall the card, and restart.
-Check for spyware.
-Uninstall kazaa.
-Everything not completely seated on the motherboard.
Reseat everything.
-Overtaxed or bad power supply
Swap it out with a different(preferably higher wattage) unit.
-Bad memory
Remove and reinsert the memory a few times, try it in different slots, do not use any optimal settings for the memory in BIOS, increase the memory's voltage a notch in BIOS, and swap it out with known good memory.
Also, do not mix parity and non-parity memory.
-Bad video card.
Swap it out with a known good card.
-Bad MB.
Swap it out with a known good MB.
-IRQ conflict with a network card.
If no problems show up for the NIC in Device Manager, then remove it from DM, shut down, uninstall the card, and restart.
-Check for spyware.
-Uninstall kazaa.
1. Anything duron(amd) will have a tendency to run really hot. You may need a larger fan.
2. If you have a lot of accessories on there i.e. 2 hdd, cd rom, cd burner, 3 1/2 floppy, zip drive then that will pull from your power supply and eventually it will not be able to handle that many items if it is a small power supply. At least at 400w to me would be the best to get.
3. Leave the panels off since it is a duron and get a larger fan if necessary.
peyton94
2. If you have a lot of accessories on there i.e. 2 hdd, cd rom, cd burner, 3 1/2 floppy, zip drive then that will pull from your power supply and eventually it will not be able to handle that many items if it is a small power supply. At least at 400w to me would be the best to get.
3. Leave the panels off since it is a duron and get a larger fan if necessary.
peyton94
I have somewhat the same problem. And need help.
1.5 P4
512 Ram
GeForce Ti4200 64mb
Computer will run fine, but shuts off, like no power, then fires back up. I have the autostart in the Bios disabled but it still fires back up. I replaced the power supply with 400w. I removed the memory and switched and such. I replaced the hard drive. Temps are all low, with 6 fans.
There is no overclocking or tweaks. I have full virus protection.
This will happen when playing games alot. Also will happen seldom while doing more menial tasks aka email. It also shut down while in the Bios.
My questions: Is there a way to test motherboard?
Does this sound like hardware, and not software? I figured since I was in the Bios and it shut down, it must be hardware.
Is there a battery on the MOBO that could do this?
Would a Bios update be needed?
This has been happening for quite awhile, so no changes to the machine have been done to it.
I am going to replace video card next but figured I would try fishing for answers also.
Running XP home.
Thanks for listening
Bucket
1.5 P4
512 Ram
GeForce Ti4200 64mb
Computer will run fine, but shuts off, like no power, then fires back up. I have the autostart in the Bios disabled but it still fires back up. I replaced the power supply with 400w. I removed the memory and switched and such. I replaced the hard drive. Temps are all low, with 6 fans.
There is no overclocking or tweaks. I have full virus protection.
This will happen when playing games alot. Also will happen seldom while doing more menial tasks aka email. It also shut down while in the Bios.
My questions: Is there a way to test motherboard?
Does this sound like hardware, and not software? I figured since I was in the Bios and it shut down, it must be hardware.
Is there a battery on the MOBO that could do this?
Would a Bios update be needed?
This has been happening for quite awhile, so no changes to the machine have been done to it.
I am going to replace video card next but figured I would try fishing for answers also.
Running XP home.
Thanks for listening
Bucket
ski
Technical User
- Oct 11, 2000
- 2,467
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- 0
One test that you can do on the MB is to place it on a piece of cardboard to see if it's shorting out against a piece of metal(standoff, etc.).
But other than that, the only way to check it is to swap it out, or have a shop install it in a system with known working components.
But other than that, the only way to check it is to swap it out, or have a shop install it in a system with known working components.
ShadowWalker11
Technical User
OK - what a LOT of people do not realize is that a power strip / surge protector is largely useless. They may or may not protect against the (rare? depending where you live I guess) occaional "spike" in power but they will NEVER protect against a DROP in power. Dropouts are equally as dangerous to your PC as spikes are. I strongly urge everyone to invest in an Uninterruptible Power Supply - I've seen some good ones recently for as little as $60 - and these were manufactured by APC, the best when it comes to protecting your computer.
And never use a power strip / surge protector in tandem with a UPS.
And never use a power strip / surge protector in tandem with a UPS.
Ok, after removing RAM, cleaning everything, checking for oddities, and replacing video card, I have come to conclusion video card is the culprit. Now before I go out and buy a bigger,faster,better card to the chagrin of my wife, is there any chance that there is some hardware conflict or easy fix out there that I may be overlooking.
Again, random power downs and start ups. In the Bios I have the poweron after powerdown checked disabled, but it still comes back up. This puzzles me.
Comuter ran all night so I am hesitant to believe it could be heat.
I appreciate it. Thanks
Bucket
Again, random power downs and start ups. In the Bios I have the poweron after powerdown checked disabled, but it still comes back up. This puzzles me.
Comuter ran all night so I am hesitant to believe it could be heat.
I appreciate it. Thanks
Bucket
ski
Technical User
- Oct 11, 2000
- 2,467
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- 0
If possible, install the suspect video card in another system, and if the same thing happens there, then it's definitely bad.
If doing that is not possible, then reinstall it making sure that it's fan is working(if it has one), and that it's fully inserted. Sometimes a card will creep out of its slot over time, and this can cause all sorts of problems.
If the problem continues, then replace the card.
Disabling the 'Power-on After Power-down' item in BIOS will prevent your computer from restarting after a power outage, and not after a restart due to a faulty component.
If doing that is not possible, then reinstall it making sure that it's fan is working(if it has one), and that it's fully inserted. Sometimes a card will creep out of its slot over time, and this can cause all sorts of problems.
If the problem continues, then replace the card.
Disabling the 'Power-on After Power-down' item in BIOS will prevent your computer from restarting after a power outage, and not after a restart due to a faulty component.
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