Guest steve Posted September 21, 2008 Posted September 21, 2008 My computer spontaneously restarts while I'm in the middle of checking email, or drafting a Word document, or whatever. For a split second a blue screen appears with words on it and disappears so quickly I can't read it. THen the computer restarts. I've lost whatever I'm working on but everything else is fine. Does anybody know what's going on? -- steve
Guest Ken Blake, MVP Posted September 21, 2008 Posted September 21, 2008 Re: spontaneous restart On Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:10:00 -0700, steve <steve@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > My computer spontaneously restarts while I'm in the middle of checking email, > or drafting a Word document, or whatever. For a split second a blue screen > appears with words on it and disappears so quickly I can't read it. THen the > computer restarts. I've lost whatever I'm working on but everything else is > fine. Does anybody know what's going on? Two points: 1. If your computer is restarting spontaneously, you are presumably blue-screening, and you are set to the default of rebooting whenever that happens. It's a poor default setting and you should change it. Right-click My Computer, and choose Properties. On the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery. Under System failure, uncheck the box "Automatically restart. Now when the problem occurs again, instead of restarting, you will get the blue screen with diagnostic information. Post back with those details for more help. 2. Much more likely than a software problem, this is a hardware problem. -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience Please Reply to the Newsgroup
Guest nass Posted September 21, 2008 Posted September 21, 2008 RE: spontaneous restart "steve" wrote: > My computer spontaneously restarts while I'm in the middle of checking email, > or drafting a Word document, or whatever. For a split second a blue screen > appears with words on it and disappears so quickly I can't read it. THen the > computer restarts. I've lost whatever I'm working on but everything else is > fine. Does anybody know what's going on? > -- > steve It is most likely an overheating issue or a flakky Power supply (Hardware). Make sure the Power ON button not pressed all way in causing a rebbot/restart. Open a Notepad, customize or minimize to the taskbar as you will need it later for this step to copy the error message on it. Open a run command and type in: eventvwr.msc click [OK] you will get the Event viewer control Panel. click on each of these: Application System Security Look in the right Pane/window for error message with red (X) or Yellow exclamation mark /!\ , double click each one to get more info about the causer. On the Event error properties message you will see: Up Arrow Down arrow Two pages Click on the two pages to copy the error message then bring up the Notepad you opened earlier and right click on the first line and select Paste from the list, this will paste the error message on a Notepad. Please don't duplicate the error message one of each kind will be sufficient. HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308427/en-us Please we need just the error messages with Red (X) and don't repeat the error, just one of each kind and post them back in your next post. HTH, nass --- http://www.nasstec.co.uk
Guest PA Bear [MS MVP] Posted September 21, 2008 Posted September 21, 2008 Re: spontaneous restart Is it really hot where you live and is the computer in an un-air conditioned room and are you a lousy housekeeper and/or smoker? -- ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear) MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002 AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net DTS-L http://dts-l.net/ steve wrote: > My computer spontaneously restarts while I'm in the middle of checking > email, or drafting a Word document, or whatever. For a split second a blue > screen appears with words on it and disappears so quickly I can't read it. > THen the computer restarts. I've lost whatever I'm working on but > everything else is fine. Does anybody know what's going on?
Guest steve Posted September 21, 2008 Posted September 21, 2008 Re: spontaneous restart Many thaks Ken. very helpful. i'll do what you say. -- steve "Ken Blake, MVP" wrote: > On Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:10:00 -0700, steve > <steve@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > > > My computer spontaneously restarts while I'm in the middle of checking email, > > or drafting a Word document, or whatever. For a split second a blue screen > > appears with words on it and disappears so quickly I can't read it. THen the > > computer restarts. I've lost whatever I'm working on but everything else is > > fine. Does anybody know what's going on? > > > > Two points: > > 1. If your computer is restarting spontaneously, you are presumably > blue-screening, and you are set to the default of rebooting whenever > that happens. It's a poor default setting and you should change it. > Right-click My Computer, and choose Properties. On the Advanced tab, > click Settings under Startup and Recovery. Under System failure, > uncheck the box "Automatically restart. > > Now when the problem occurs again, instead of restarting, you will get > the blue screen with diagnostic information. Post back with those > details for more help. > > > 2. Much more likely than a software problem, this is a hardware > problem. > > -- > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience > Please Reply to the Newsgroup >
Guest Ken Blake, MVP Posted September 21, 2008 Posted September 21, 2008 Re: spontaneous restart On Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:51:01 -0700, steve <steve@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > Many thaks Ken. very helpful. i'll do what you say. You're welcome. Glad to help. > "Ken Blake, MVP" wrote: > > > On Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:10:00 -0700, steve > > <steve@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > > > > > My computer spontaneously restarts while I'm in the middle of checking email, > > > or drafting a Word document, or whatever. For a split second a blue screen > > > appears with words on it and disappears so quickly I can't read it. THen the > > > computer restarts. I've lost whatever I'm working on but everything else is > > > fine. Does anybody know what's going on? > > > > > > > > Two points: > > > > 1. If your computer is restarting spontaneously, you are presumably > > blue-screening, and you are set to the default of rebooting whenever > > that happens. It's a poor default setting and you should change it. > > Right-click My Computer, and choose Properties. On the Advanced tab, > > click Settings under Startup and Recovery. Under System failure, > > uncheck the box "Automatically restart. > > > > Now when the problem occurs again, instead of restarting, you will get > > the blue screen with diagnostic information. Post back with those > > details for more help. > > > > > > 2. Much more likely than a software problem, this is a hardware > > problem. > > > > -- > > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience > > Please Reply to the Newsgroup > > -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience Please Reply to the Newsgroup
Guest Twayne Posted September 21, 2008 Posted September 21, 2008 Re: spontaneous restart > On Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:10:00 -0700, steve > <steve@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > >> My computer spontaneously restarts while I'm in the middle of >> checking email, or drafting a Word document, or whatever. For a >> split second a blue screen appears with words on it and disappears >> so quickly I can't read it. THen the computer restarts. I've lost >> whatever I'm working on but everything else is fine. Does anybody >> know what's going on? > > > > Two points: > > 1. If your computer is restarting spontaneously, you are presumably > blue-screening, and you are set to the default of rebooting whenever > that happens. It's a poor default setting and you should change it. > Right-click My Computer, and choose Properties. On the Advanced tab, > click Settings under Startup and Recovery. Under System failure, > uncheck the box "Automatically restart. > > Now when the problem occurs again, instead of restarting, you will get > the blue screen with diagnostic information. Post back with those > details for more help. > > > 2. Much more likely than a software problem, this is a hardware > problem. FWIW, I've had malware cause that same symptom twice in the last year or two. And whoever came up with that Startup and REcovery REstart should be shot! Cheers, Twayne
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