CPU/Mobo PC restarts automatically after booting

[sam9953]

Okay so this problem that quite a few times, not always my PC would on its own restart once I have booted my computer. At first my old P4 computer takes nearly 10 minutes to boot up and on top of that sometimes without me giving the command, it restarts on its own? Guys please tell me what is wrong with my PC and what can I do to solve this problem, and also how to reduce booting time?

 

[myth]

There could be a ton of reasons for this to happen. Maybe your HDD is dying or maybe your RAM contacts are corroded. You might have installed a new driver which isn't working the way it should and you're getting a BSOD.

Retrace your steps and find out what was the last action performed on your computer before it started restarting randomly. Also, read up a few articles on speeding up your pc and general maintenance, it'll help.

 

[ALPHA17]

@sam9953, this is what I suggest --

Try to use a Linux live CD to see if the system boots up fine and doesn't restart randomly. Also while in this mode try to run tests on your hard-drive for Bad sectors. I think @Dark Star can help you with the nitty-gritties.

Start with MemTest 86+, download it, burn it on optical media OR put its image on a pen-drive [as stated in the steps on memtest.org] and run atleast 7 passes on your system. This shall ascertain whether the RAM is faulty OR not.

Next escalate to searching for driver OR virus issues by downloading HijackThis and running an instance of the same, it tallies itself with an online database that will help it earmark processes that are behaving irregularly OR have a malicious intent.

And yes please let us know what happens by updating things with a screen shot, that will aid us in helping you out.

How old is your PC? Can we have a the full configuration so that we can ascertain if any hardware is dying on you.

Hope this helps, Cheerio!!

 

[sam9953]

There could be a ton of reasons for this to happen. Maybe your HDD is dying or maybe your RAM contacts are corroded. You might have installed a new driver which isn't working the way it should and you're getting a BSOD.

Retrace your steps and find out what was the last action performed on your computer before it started restarting randomly. Also, read up a few articles on speeding up your pc and general maintenance, it'll help.

The booting time being a lot, is not a very big problem, I can manage with it. But the restart thing really pisses me.
Secondly, does the procedure told by @ALPHA17 cover all the possible problems which you have mentioned? If not then can you tell me how do I know if my HDD is dying (BTW I am having a 40GB internal and using a 500 GB external Seagate HDD), or my RAM contacts are corroded or I am getting BSOD (which I believe I am not getting, because I never get any error screen but then too I am asking for being on the safe side)

sam9953, this is what I suggest --

Try to use a Linux live CD to see if the system boots up fine and doesn't restart randomly. Also while in this mode try to run tests on your hard-drive for Bad sectors. I think Dark Star can help you with the nitty-gritties.

Start with MemTest 86+, download it, burn it on optical media OR put its image on a pen-drive [as stated in the steps on memtest.org] and run atleast 7 passes on your system. This shall ascertain whether the RAM is faulty OR not.

Next escalate to searching for driver OR virus issues by downloading HijackThis and running an instance of the same, it tallies itself with an online database that will help it earmark processes that are behaving irregularly OR have a malicious intent.

And yes please let us know what happens by updating things with a screen shot, that will aid us in helping you out.

How old is your PC? Can we have a the full configuration so that we can ascertain if any hardware is dying on you.

Hope this helps, Cheerio!!

Here :

I hope this will suffice the info you need, I don't know a lot about the hard ware config as my system is nearly 8 years old and I have never made to many changes in the hardwares after buying this thing, though if you need to ask anything more about the config, do ask me, I might be able to answer, maybe.

Secondly, let me tell you I am a total noob in all this hard ware stuff and don't know much, so you will need to guide me step by step. I have a few questions:

What is this Linux Live CD and where do I get it? What does it do?
How do I run the tests for bad sectors?

I downloaded HijackThis and did a scan with it. It shows quite a few errors but because I don't understand much of it so I did not click the "Fix Checked" button, do you want me to post a screenshot of the errors so that you can tell me what all should I get fixed.

Will check on the memtest thing and update you soon.

Last of all, I thank you and all the other members for being so kind and helpful to me, I am a total noob when it comes to such things, so thanks for being so patient and kind towards me,
P.S: This problem of my PC restarting is getting worse by the day, that was the reason why I could not come online the whole day.

 

[aKp1]

Here's an easier all in one check test!!
Download SpeedFan! Google it! It's latest version is 4.46!
Use it to check the temperatures and the health of ur hard disk! Or post the results of SpeedFan!! It will surely tell us the status of ur pc! But as myth already said, there may be tonnes of reasons! Just check it out!

 

[ALPHA17]

@sam9953 the tests I have given are to eliminate the individual issues that you must be facing --

1) Running a Live OS successfully for extended periods will clear of your RAM and processor of being faulty.

2) MemTest 86+ is exclusively to check if your RAM has any issues.

3) HijackThis is to check through all the running processes and to highlight any illegal OR malicious activity [potential virus OR malware infection].

4) Use Windows inbuilt CHKDSK OR a third party program like Defraggler to check for any bad sectors on the hard-drive.

These tests are the closest you can get to individually diagnosing the issues plaguing your system until you want to breakdown your system and manually troubleshoot your components.

Hope this helps, Cheerio!!

 

[sam9953]

Here's an easier all in one check test!!
Download SpeedFan! Google it! It's latest version is 4.46!
Use it to check the temperatures and the health of ur hard disk! Or post the results of SpeedFan!! It will surely tell us the status of ur pc! But as myth already said, there may be tonnes of reasons! Just check it out!

Yeah, I am trying to check everything one by one using all the results of different tests. Anyway, I did what you told and here are the results of speedfan:

sam9953 the tests I have given are to eliminate the individual issues that you must be facing --

1) Running a Live OS successfully for extended periods will clear of your RAM and processor of being faulty.

2) MemTest 86+ is exclusively to check if your RAM has any issues.

3) HijackThis is to check through all the running processes and to highlight any illegal OR malicious activity [potential virus OR malware infection].

4) Use Windows inbuilt CHKDSK OR a third party program like Defraggler to check for any bad sectors on the hard-drive.

These tests are the closest you can get to individually diagnosing the issues plaguing your system until you want to breakdown your system and manually troubleshoot your components.

Hope this helps, Cheerio!!

Okay Alpha I did the memtest thing and it said that there were no errors, it passed all the 11 tests.
Please answer my questions on my previous posts regarding HijackThis and Live OS.

I did the CHKDSK thing and no error was found in that as well. Now I just need to do the Live OS thing and confirm the results of HijackThis.

 

[ALPHA17]

Okay Alpha I did the memtest thing and it said that there were no errors, it passed all the 11 tests.

Please answer my questions on my previous posts regarding HijackThis and Live OS.

I did the CHKDSK thing and no error was found in that as well. Now I just need to do the Live OS thing and confirm the results of HijackThis.

That is great Sam.

About your queries here are the answers --

1) Please post a screenshot of the HijackThis results and we will definitely try to help you. @CA50 and @vivek.krishnan, help needed fellows.

2) Well LiveOS is an OS on a portable medium that can be -- a pen drive, optical media et al. So the OS is not installed on your hard-drive rather you insert a LiveDisc [media containing the LiveOS] and reboot your system, on this instance instead of booting into Windows boot into the LiveOS. It is basically a stability test, if none of your hardware is giving you issues whilst running this it absolves most of your hardware of issues and we can focus on other aspects.

You can download most LiveOS for free, most common example is the Linux distro -- UBUNTU and you can get it from here, then burn it on an external media and boot using that media.

Hope this clears and queries and doubts, Cheerio!!

 

[vivek.krishnan]

OP, one of the uses of a live distro which is run from the CD/USB is to bypass the HDD. You should run it on a barebones system, that is, CPU + MOBO + RAM + SMPS + KEYBOARD & MOUSE. This way, you can eliminate the faults of the HDD as its not present in the system. You can run Ubuntu/LiveMint/Distro of your choice. You can even try BartPE also.

Now, another option is to download the Kaspersky CD/USB Boot tool to check for viruses. It is basically a live distro of the kaspersky tool.
@ALPHA17 Abhay, lemme know if I can be of more help

 

[ALPHA17]

Abhay, lemme know if I can be of more help

Thanks for the snappy response Vivek, just help him with his HijackThis screenie when he puts it up will ya'.

Thanks again and regards,
ALPHA17

 

[vivek.krishnan]

Thanks for the snappy response Vivek, just help him with his HijackThis screenie when he puts it up will ya'.

Thanks again and regards,
ALPHA17

Yeah sure. @sam9953 please tag me when you put up the HT log. Shall check it.

 

[CA50]

@sam9953, about your reboot issue, does this happens at any time? or there is any pattern, like launching some heavy application...games, etc

 

[sam9953]

@vivek.krishnan , @CA50 and @ALPHA17 and also other fellow members which i might not have named, thanks a lot guys for all your support and guidance towards me, even if incase my problem does not get solved I would be happy because you guys have made me learn so much.
@ALPHA17 Yeah, what you have said is very much clear to me, I am a little short on time today so will do the Hijack... screenshot and the LiveOS thing tomorrow and then will tell you, thanks again.
@vivek.krishnan I am really sorry but I am not on that level and I could not understand much of what you said, I am not well versed with this barebones system, BartPE and stuff, though I could have googled and then could have made this reply but as I said I am just a little short on time, so please forgive me but I could not understand much of what you said.

[COLOR=#333333 @[USER=33514]CA50[/USER] Well it just happens randomly, but yes there is a pattern. It always happens after my system has properly booted and as I am in a habit of opening Google Chrome after switching my PC on it just happens when my browser opens and sometimes even after visiting a few websites, What I mean is that it always happens like 1 to 2 min after the computer has loaded all the programs and is ready to be used.[/COLOR]

 

[vivek.krishnan]

@sam9953 Barebones means only connecting what is needed to run the system. Its main use is to use only required components and check which is failing. So for checking whether your system is working or to detect the issue causing slowdown (assuming its hardware), we connect the CPU+Mobo+RAM + SMPS + LiveCD/Live OS of your choice ~ USB/CD drive.

If you wish to go ahead with bartPE rather than windows to go since you have an antique P4, would suggest to read this : How to make a USB-key bootable with BartPE

Use a pen drive of 1GB if you can, and do this on another PC or someone from TE can help you with this.

 

[CA50]

@sam9953 , ok mate, scan your system with hijack this and post the scan here

---------- Post added at 09:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:13 AM ----------

[/COLOR @sam9953 , ok mate, scan your system with hijack this and post the scan here

 

[sam9953]

sam9953 Barebones means only connecting what is needed to run the system. Its main use is to use only required components and check which is failing. So for checking whether your system is working or to detect the issue causing slowdown (assuming its hardware), we connect the CPU+Mobo+RAM + SMPS + LiveCD/Live OS of your choice ~ USB/CD drive.

If you wish to go ahead with bartPE rather than windows to go since you have an antique P4, would suggest to read this : How to make a USB-key bootable with BartPE

Use a pen drive of 1GB if you can, and do this on another PC or someone from TE can help you with this.

yeah, I think I will get this barebone thing done maybe on a weekend very soon, thanks for the help.

sam9953 , ok mate, scan your system with hijack this and post the scan here

---------- Post added at 09:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:13 AM ----------

[/COLOR sam9953 , ok mate, scan your system with hijack this and post the scan here

Here are the screenshots of my HijackThis results:

 

[CA50]

you can fix the following
R3
R3
R3
O2 - BHO: My WebSearch....
O2 - BHO: QuickStore....
04 - HKCU\..\Run: [ISUSPM Startup]...
04 - HKCU\..\Run: [KernalFaultCheck]...
04 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe]...



[Disable these is you don't use these features]

O2 - BHO: AcroIEHelper Stub...
O2 - BHO: Realplayer...
O2 - BHO: Increase performance...
O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF conversion...
O2 - BHO: SmartSelect...

If you don't use the toolbars, then better un-install those, also uninstall any application that you are not using

 

[sam9953]

Thanks a lot CA50, so I suppose for these which you have mentioned I have to click the "fix" button right?

 

[CA50]

Thanks a lot CA50, so I suppose for these which you have mentioned I have to click the "fix" button right?

yep, also uninstall any unwanted program.

 

[sam9953]

Yeah done thanks a lot.