Guest Walter R. Posted July 16, 2007 Posted July 16, 2007 I am running win xp sp2. Computer is about 5 years old. 40 GB WD and 512 MB RAM. Everything was working fine. Starting this morning, and at intervals of about one hour, my computer makes a short buzzing sound, the screen goes dead, and the computer then reboots. When it reboots, it does not show the blue screen, asking for a disk check. Normally it asks for a disk check when the power is interrupted like this. The status report on the hard drives shows OK when the computer boots. I checked the temperature in the BIOS and it looks OK: CPU 40C/104F, System 34/93, fan speed holding steady with slight speed variations. What diagnostics can I run? What can cause this problem. Thanks for any help -- Walter http://www.rationality.net -
Guest nass Posted July 16, 2007 Posted July 16, 2007 RE: Computer reboots spontaneously "Walter R." wrote: > I am running win xp sp2. Computer is about 5 years old. 40 GB WD and 512 MB > RAM. Everything was working fine. > > Starting this morning, and at intervals of about one hour, my computer makes > a short buzzing sound, the screen goes dead, and the computer then reboots. > > When it reboots, it does not show the blue screen, asking for a disk check. > Normally it asks for a disk check when the power is interrupted like this. > > The status report on the hard drives shows OK when the computer boots. > > I checked the temperature in the BIOS and it looks OK: CPU 40C/104F, System > 34/93, fan speed holding steady with slight speed variations. > > What diagnostics can I run? What can cause this problem. > > Thanks for any help > > -- > Walter > http://www.rationality.net > - Run the chkdsk /r from the recovery Disk and it should correct the dirty bits on the HDD clusters. Try to run the chkdsk /r from the Recovery console and also the Fixmbr: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307654/ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308041 Check the Event Viewer fro error message, that can tell what application/hardware causing this. HTH. nass ------ http://www.nasstec.co.uk
Guest Detlev Dreyer Posted July 16, 2007 Posted July 16, 2007 Re: Computer reboots spontaneously "Walter R." <wer25@example.com> wrote: > I am running win xp sp2. Computer is about 5 years old. 40 GB WD and > 512 MB RAM. Everything was working fine. > > Starting this morning, and at intervals of about one hour, my computer > makes a short buzzing sound, the screen goes dead, and the computer then > reboots. Why don't you disable the automatic restart on system errors in order to get an error message instead. "Windows XP restarts unexpectedly or restarts when you shut down the computer" http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320299/en-us > I checked the temperature in the BIOS and it looks OK: CPU 40C/104F, > System 34/93, fan speed holding steady with slight speed variations. > > What diagnostics can I run? What can cause this problem. If the system reboots despite of that setting (see the article above), that problem is caused by a hardware issue (eg. power supply). Take the system to a workshop/technician in that case. -- d-d
Guest happymac.support@gmail.com Posted July 16, 2007 Posted July 16, 2007 Re: Computer reboots spontaneously On Jul 16, 1:30 pm, "Walter R." <we...@example.com> wrote: > I am running win xp sp2. Computer is about 5 years old. 40 GB WD and 512 MB > RAM. Everything was working fine. > > Starting this morning, and at intervals of about one hour, my computer makes > a short buzzing sound, the screen goes dead, and the computer then reboots. > > When it reboots, it does not show the blue screen, asking for a disk check. > Normally it asks for a disk check when the power is interrupted like this. > > The status report on the hard drives shows OK when the computer boots. > > I checked the temperature in the BIOS and it looks OK: CPU 40C/104F, System > 34/93, fan speed holding steady with slight speed variations. > > What diagnostics can I run? What can cause this problem. > > Thanks for any help > > -- > Walterwww.rationality.net > - I read in a book that you have the exact symptoms of the Blaster worm. See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaster_worm. Apparently its a worm that spread throughout computers around the world in the summer of 2003. It could be this worm but there is a substantial possibility that it could be something else. Here are the steps I would take: 1) Install all updates from Windows Updates 2) Go to Control Panel >> System >> Advanced tab >> Click the Settings button under Startup and Recovery >> Under System Failure, uncheck Automatically Restart >> Click OK >> Click Apply >> Click OK 2) Reboot 3) Run: AVG Free Edition - http://free.grisoft.com Windows Defender - http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx Spybot S&D - http://www.safer-networking.org/ Ad-aware 2007 Free - http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad_aware_free.php Trend Micro Housecall Online Scanner - http://housecall.trendmicro.com X-Cleaner Micro Edition Online Scanner (Internet Explorer only) - http://www.spywareguide.com/onlinescan.php Windows Live OneCare Online Scanner (Internet Explorer only) - http://onecare.live.com/site/en-gb/default.htm?s_cid=sah After every scan with each program, follow the program's instructions to destroy all infected files and threats. If a program comes up with any infected files, re-scan using the program to make sure nothing is left. I know this procedure is extreme, but there is a good chance your problem could be caused by viruses. If you run all these programs, they will destroy all the viruses, adware, spyware, grayware, and malware on your computer. See if it works for you
Guest happymac.support@gmail.com Posted July 16, 2007 Posted July 16, 2007 Re: Computer reboots spontaneously If this doesn't work, its probably a hardware failure. That would explain the buzzing sound. Sounds like a faulty power supply.
Guest Uncle Grumpy Posted July 16, 2007 Posted July 16, 2007 Re: Computer reboots spontaneously happymac.support@gmail.com wrote: >Sounds like a faulty power supply. In your first post, you said: "I read in a book that you have the exact symptoms of the Blaster worm." Go back to your books, and leave the solving of problems to those who have hands-on experience.
Guest Plato Posted July 16, 2007 Posted July 16, 2007 Re: Computer reboots spontaneously Walter R. wrote: > > I am running win xp sp2. Computer is about 5 years old. 40 GB WD and 512 MB > RAM. Everything was working fine. > > Starting this morning, and at intervals of about one hour, my computer makes > a short buzzing sound, the screen goes dead, and the computer then reboots. When was the last time you blew out your cpu/fansing with "comperessed air" ? -- http://www.bootdisk.com/
Guest cattanack@yahoo.com Posted July 17, 2007 Posted July 17, 2007 Re: Computer reboots spontaneously Plato wrote: > Walter R. wrote: > > > > I am running win xp sp2. Computer is about 5 years old. 40 GB WD and 512 MB > > RAM. Everything was working fine. > > > > Starting this morning, and at intervals of about one hour, my computer makes > > a short buzzing sound, the screen goes dead, and the computer then reboots. > > When was the last time you blew out your cpu/fansing with "comperessed > air" ? > Mine gets packed with fur.
Guest happymac.support@gmail.com Posted July 17, 2007 Posted July 17, 2007 Re: Computer reboots spontaneously On Jul 16, 3:38 pm, Uncle Grumpy <unclegru...@ameritech.net> wrote: > happymac.supp...@gmail.com wrote: > >Sounds like a faulty power supply. > > In your first post, you said: > > "I read in a book that you have the exact symptoms of the Blaster > worm." > > Go back to your books, and leave the solving of problems to those who > have hands-on experience. OK Sir Grumpy-the-genius-who-has-never-read-a-computer-book-in-his- life-or-atleast-it-seems-like-it, I have hands-on experience, though not as much as many others. I am only trying to help. What's your problem with that?? These groups are open and there is no standardized requirements that someone has to meet to help someone. I'm not doing it for money ,I'm doing it to help. All I mentioned was that he had the symptoms of the Blaster worm but that IT COULD BE SOMETHING ELSE. Were you too careless to read the second part: "It could be this worm but there is a substantial possibility that it could be something else" See ya, happymac (If your going to criticize my username, I used to be an expert mac user but I switched to Windows and kept the same username. end of story)
Guest w_tom Posted July 20, 2007 Posted July 20, 2007 Re: Computer reboots spontaneously As Detlev Dreyer noted, what does the system (event) log report? IOW don't try to fix anything. First discover what is defective. First collect facts. Also review the Device Manager. Use Windows Help, if necessary, to find these useful reports. If a computer manufacturer is more responsible, then comprehensive diagnostics would be on disk and on manufacturer's web site. If not, then you must download diagnostics for each component from the various component manufacturers or third parties- much more work. List of items that will crash an XP system is smaller. For example, disk drive will not reboot a computer. A hardware created problem means suspects are sound card, processor, memory, video controller and power supply 'system'. Power supply is only one component of a power supply 'system'. Dust is clearly not in your list of suspects. However heat is a diagnostic tool. Operate that computer in a 100 degree F room. It should not change its operation. But marginal hardware tends to fail more frequently (especially when running diagnostics) when heated. We don't fix that failure with more cooling or removing dust. We replace 100% defective hardware that works normally in a 70 degree room but fails intermittently in 100 degrees F. Don't cure this symptom with more fans. Another suggested a virus. That is but one on a long list of possibilities. However we typically don't fix software when hardware is unknown and suspect. First (usually) confirm hardware integrity. Apparently BIOS has a voltage monitor. Those four voltage numbers are questionable until first calibrated using a 3.5 digit multimeter. Voltages that drop below 3.23, 4.87, or 11.7 suggests a problematic power supply 'system'. On Jul 16, 4:30 pm, "Walter R." <we...@example.com> wrote: > I am running win xp sp2. Computer is about 5 years old. 40 GB WD and 512 MB > RAM. Everything was working fine. > > Starting this morning, and at intervals of about one hour, my computer makes > a short buzzing sound, the screen goes dead, and the computer then reboots. > > When it reboots, it does not show the blue screen, asking for a disk check. > Normally it asks for a disk check when the power is interrupted like this. > > The status report on the hard drives shows OK when the computer boots. > > I checked the temperature in the BIOS and it looks OK: CPU 40C/104F, System > 34/93, fan speed holding steady with slight speed variations. > > What diagnostics can I run? What can cause this problem.
Guest happymac.support@gmail.com Posted July 27, 2007 Posted July 27, 2007 Re: Computer reboots spontaneously On Jul 19, 5:26 pm, w_tom <w_t...@usa.net> wrote: > As Detlev Dreyer noted, what does the system (event) log report? > IOW don't try to fix anything. First discover what is defective. > First collect facts. Also review the Device Manager. Use Windows > Help, if necessary, to find these useful reports. > > If a computer manufacturer is more responsible, then comprehensive > diagnostics would be on disk and on manufacturer's web site. If not, > then you must download diagnostics for each component from the various > component manufacturers or third parties- much more work. > > List of items that will crash an XP system is smaller. For example, > disk drive will not reboot a computer. A hardware created problem > means suspects are sound card, processor, memory, video controller and > power supply 'system'. Power supply is only one component of a power > supply 'system'. > > Dust is clearly not in your list of suspects. However heat is a > diagnostic tool. Operate that computer in a 100 degree F room. It > should not change its operation. But marginal hardware tends to fail > more frequently (especially when running diagnostics) when heated. We > don't fix that failure with more cooling or removing dust. We replace > 100% defective hardware that works normally in a 70 degree room but > fails intermittently in 100 degrees F. Don't cure this symptom with > more fans. > > Another suggested a virus. That is but one on a long list of > possibilities. However we typically don't fix software when hardware > is unknown and suspect. First (usually) confirm hardware integrity. > > Apparently BIOS has a voltage monitor. Those four voltage numbers > are questionable until first calibrated using a 3.5 digit multimeter. > Voltages that drop below 3.23, 4.87, or 11.7 suggests a problematic > power supply 'system'. > > On Jul 16, 4:30 pm, "Walter R." <we...@example.com> wrote: > > > I am running win xp sp2. Computer is about 5 years old. 40 GB WD and 512 MB > > RAM. Everything was working fine. > > > Starting this morning, and at intervals of about one hour, my computer makes > > a short buzzing sound, the screen goes dead, and the computer then reboots. > > > When it reboots, it does not show the blue screen, asking for a disk check. > > Normally it asks for a disk check when the power is interrupted like this. > > > The status report on the hard drives shows OK when the computer boots. > > > I checked the temperature in the BIOS and it looks OK: CPU 40C/104F, System > > 34/93, fan speed holding steady with slight speed variations. > > > What diagnostics can I run? What can cause this problem. w_tom You are correct about the heat. My pentium d 830 computer was and the 70-80 degrees CELSIUS level. It was extremely unstable and yes, it also rebooted spontaneously when at higher loads. Cleaning out the dust worked for me though, it reduced the temp by 20C and the computer was more stable and fast. My computer was operating at a 20C room at the time (68F for your American folks) and dust still bogged it down.
Guest PD43 Posted July 27, 2007 Posted July 27, 2007 Re: Computer reboots spontaneously On Jul 17, 6:04 pm, happymac.supp...@gmail.com wrote: > > I have hands-on experience, though not as much as many others. I am > only trying to help. What's your problem with that?? These groups are > open and there is no standardized requirements that someone has to > meet to help someone. When you start a post by saying "I read in a book...", you're placing yourself in a precarious situation, and you deserve all you get. Your disclaimer that you said it could also be "something else" doesn't count. It could always be "something else". Restrict your "help" to those situations where you KNOW FOR SURE that your suggestion might be right, and that "something else" won't be. The OP deserves that much.
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