Computer Reboots without Warning!

By Dharmendra Kumar

Two day ago, when I were finishing my routine work, I felt some uneasiness with my computer. It was rebooting, within each 5 minutes, again and again without any warning. As result, I were loosing my unsaved data. Finally, I found the solution. If you face the same problem during your work, then it is for you.

This issue could be caused by any of the following possibilities like software or hardware issue, Heat, virus as well as error in operating system.

If it is a software issue and you are not running Windows XP then boot your computer into safe mode, and let computer run in safe mode. If computer is still rebooting in safe mode the issue is likely not software related but something else, so skip to the next issue. If computer is not rebooting in safe mode it is likely you have software related issue. Now, you should read basic troubleshooting section of your operating system.

While, Windows XP is designed to automatically reboot each time an error occurs. Although this may be nice for errors that do not occur often, users who have re-occurring error may wish to identify the error to troubleshoot it. In Windows XP, you can do as following-- From the desktop right click on 'My Computer'-- Click the 'Properties' option-- In 'System Properties' window click the 'Advanced' tab-- In Advanced click the 'Settings' button under 'Startup and Recovery'-- In the 'Startup and Recovery' window uncheck the 'Automatically restart' check box-- and now click 'Ok'. If the computer generates and error it should not automatically restart and enable you to display any errors your computer may be experiencing.

In case of a hardware issue, which I were facing, remove recently added new hardware device. In my case, it was the scanner. Make sure you are not encountering any hardware conflicts by viewing device manager for errors. New drivers can also cause this issue, if you have recently performed any hardware driver updates you may wish to try an earlier version of the drivers. If you have updated drivers and removed any hardware that could be causing this issue and continue to experience random reboots, it's possible that the memory is bad in the computer. Finally, hardware devices that are not installed properly in the computer can also cause random reboots. Make sure all the cables and expansion cards are connected properly to the computer. The best way to determine this is to disconnect and reconnect all cables and expansion cards.

Computer virus, like Blaster, may too cause this problem. Usually these viruses will make the computer reboot ever 5, 10, 15 or 30 minutes after the computer has booted. If you believe your computer may be infected with a virus or are uncertain if your computer is infected with a virus make sure your virus scanner definitions are up to date.

If you think, it is because of heat generation then you should first start by verifying the fan on Power Supply is working by examining the back of the computer and seeing if the fan is moving and moving smoothly. For all other fans in the computer you will need to either open the computer and make sure the fan are working (processor fan and case fan) and/or if your BIOS monitors the RPM of the fans enter BIOS and make sure the BIOS does not report any errors. Many computer, today, are designed to turn off or automatically reboot if the computer, processor, or other device in your computer gets to hot. If you have heard any abnormal noises coming from your computer recently such as a high squealing this could indicate a fan may be failing in your computer. You may also be able to determine how hot your computer is by onboard thermal sensors, if your computer comes equipped with these sensors make sure your CPU is not running to hot.

If after following each of the above recommendations your computer still continues to reboot it is likely that you are experiencing a Microsoft Windows operating system related issue that cannot be explained. To help make sure this is the case please try the following steps. Reboot the computer and enter 'CMOS' setup as the computer is booting. After you have loaded the computer in CMOS setup let the computer sit. If the computer does not reboot while letting the computer sit in CMOS it is likely that you are in fact experiencing an issue with Microsoft Windows and it is recommend that if you have followed all of the above recommendations that you reinstall your version of Microsoft Windows.