Random restarts

Post by **Massive Quasars** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 6:13 am

They occur at what seem to be random intervals. My computer beeps and restarts in the middle of whatever I'm doing. I'm pretty sure this is some sort of hardware problem, not a software issue. The keyboard port is still functional, but on the fritz. When the port would screw up, the computer would beep continuously from the built-in speaker.

Specs:
AMD 2100+
256mb ram (i know....)
XP
etc.

The computer is on carpet, and it shares power with a number of other devices in this room. There could be a power problem at work here, that's one idea.

You guys were a great help in my laptop thread.............................. Any thoughts?

Post by **Tormentius** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 6:21 am

Memtest for a couple hours :icon10:

Post by **SOAPboy** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 7:41 am

im having a similar issue..

either a PSU or a HD for me.. at least thats what im thinking..

:-\

Post by **Massive Quasars** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 10:01 am

Torm, I have one stick of 256mb ram. If that stick is fucked, then I assume it should cause immediate problems?

Here's a little history:
These random restarts started some time after I set fail-safe defaults in the bios. If I recall, there was one setting that the ram doesn't like in default. Perhaps if I change that things will go back to normal. If that doesn't work I'll run Memtest as you suggest.

Post by **axbaby** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 8:55 pm

keep us updated so we can help ya.

Post by **Bdw3** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 8:58 pm

System Properties - Advanced - Startup and Recovery - Settings

Remove the checkmark from "Automatically Restart" in the System Failure section.

See if that does anything. o_0

Post by **Massive Quasars** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 4:17 am

Bdw3 wrote:System Properties - Advanced - Startup and Recovery - Settings

Remove the checkmark from "Automatically Restart" in the System Failure section.

See if that does anything. o_0

Thanks. I have more to report.

I just had a computer crash, everything froze and was unresponsive. I could move the mouse across the screen but nothing else would respond. I had to reboot. I changed one setting in bios, it may or may not work, time will tell.

Post by **zolborg** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 5:23 am

Could be blown caps on the motherboard as well. Keep us posted; with luck it will be a less expensive thing.

Post by **Massive Quasars** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 7:00 am

I'm not interested in putting down any more money into this computer. It runs terribly slow.

I may get a proper laptop some time in the next few months.

Post by **Massive Quasars** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 11:04 am

Ok, it restarted again. Damn.

Post by **Massive Quasars** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 8:03 pm

At this time I have a GF 2 MX. I don't believe it's OC'ed either.

Post by **Scourge** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 8:55 pm

Mine started doing that right before my GF2 mx died. But I was having discoloration also.

Post by **Massive Quasars** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 12:31 am

Bdw3 wrote:System Properties - Advanced - Startup and Recovery - Settings

Remove the checkmark from "Automatically Restart" in the System Failure section.

See if that does anything. o_0

Did something.

My computer now crashes with a blue screen which requires restart. The most common error being "IRQL not less or equal", or something like that. I had another error screen which I couldn't remember, but it only happened once.

So I disabled all hardware that was problematic or that I couldn't find a driver for, still the crashes came. I loaded optimized defaults in bios (from the previous fail-safe defaults) and still the crashes came.

Thoughts?

Post by **Kills On Site** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 1:26 am

The IRQL not less or equal is a classic bad RAM sector, I know, I went through it. Now it being just one stick of 256 doesn't mean it would be more persitant or constant. It happens when it hits a bad sector of RAM and RAM has a ton of sectors so it seems random when it hits the corrupted spot.

I would check your memory timings, BIOS shadowing/caching and whatnot and run Memtest. If you can try another sitck of RAM and/or the same stick in a different slot then I urge you to.

I wouldv'e said check the PSU but I don't think it can be the culprit, but just for knowledge what make and wattage is the PSU?

Now in all fairness when I got the IRQL errors I had a Radeon 9800 Pro and Corsair XMS memory, the 9800 Pro is long gone back at newegg and I RMAed the RAM for replacement, so it could honestly be a RAM or video card error, I would also try a different video card, but RAM first as it doesn't require driver changing and whatnot.

Post by **Tormentius** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 2:07 am

Well said KoS. I'm leaning towards memory on this issue as well.

Post by **Massive Quasars** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 3:09 am

This doesn't look good then. The video card has never given me problems, I'm more inclined to think it's the ram stick that is the problem. I'll run Memtest soon enough.