Monday, April 20, 2009

Iterative PC Restart Problem

Recently I came across with a problem regarding PC restart. It was restarting Automatically and Continuously and pissing me off... So I thought of writing this Solution after reading various similar Articles on various blogs as well as analyzing it by my self.

You can disable the automatic restart behavior. Follow these steps:
1. Press [Windows][Break] to open the System Properties dialog box.
2. On the Advanced tab, click the Settings button in the Startup And Recovery section.
3. In the System Failure section, deselect the Automatically Restart check box, and click OK.
4. To enable the changes, click OK in the System Properties dialog box.

Causes

The continuous reboot problem can have a variety of causes, including

* faulty or unseated memory modules
* out-of-date corrupt, or missing drivers
* software conflicts
* overheating components
* virus or malware
* bad software
* bad hardware

Your computer may immediately fail to boot if one of your memory modules is unseated. The memory modules are long, narrow sticks that attach to the motherboard located near the processor and have clips at either end. If one or both of the clips is not closed or laying flat against the edges of the module, press down on the edge of the nearest to the clip. You may have to remove the memory module and reseat it. Restart the computer.

Your computer may also immediately reboot if another piece of hardware fails, has a loose connection, or becomes disconnected. Check that power plugs from your power supply are connected to the appropriate components and that those connections are secure. Listen for your hard drive to start spinning. If it is silent, then it may be faulty or disconnected from the motherboard. Also, be sure the fans on your motherboard or graphics card start spinning. If any component seems unresponsive, replace it.

If you’re still having trouble, use software to verify that your memory is at fault. Download a free utility such as memtest86+ (www.memtest.org) or DocMemory (www.simmtester.com), read the instructions, create a startup diskette or CD, and boot into the utility. Run the tests, and if you find memory errors, move on to troubleshooting the modules themselves. You probably won’t know exactly which memory stick has gone bad (unless you have just one), so remove them and test each one to find the offender. When you have a bad module, you’ll need to get a replacement either via a warranty or by purchasing a new one from a trusted computer retailer.

If the settings in the BIOS have changed or become unstable, you may need to reset the settings to get your system to boot again. Restart your computer and access the BIOS setup utility. When you have access to the BIOS setup utility, you should see options to Load Defaults, Load Optimized Defaults, Load Fail-Safe Defaults, or something similar. First, try loading the Optimized Defaults. If your computer still fails, re-enter the BIOS and load the Fail-Safe Defaults. If you don’t have a choice, simply load the default settings as described in your computer or motherboard manual. Confirm your choice and allow the system to reboot.

You may have to select the Save And Exit option to restart your system. Sometimes, your computer won’t even let you access the BIOS. In these instances, you may have to reset the BIOS using a more hands-on approach. The CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) memory retains your computer’s BIOS settings but can be reset by moving a jumper on a three-pin header on the motherboard and then moving it back to its original position after a short wait. You’ll have to consult your computer or motherboard manual for specific instructions on how to perform this operation. Restart the computer.

If your system is infected with a virus or malware or experiencing system-crippling errors, you may never see error messages that can provide clues as to why your computer continuously reboots. Windows is set to reboot when it encounters a critical error. Disabling this can let you view error messages and on-screen prompts.

To change the setting in WinXP, boot into Safe Mode and access the Control Panel. If you’re using Win2000/XP with the Control Panel displayed in Classic View, simply double-click the System icon. If you’re a WinXP user viewing the Control Panel in Category View, click Performance And Maintenance and click System from the bottom of the dialog box. Click the Advanced tab and then click the Settings button from the Startup And Recovery section of the System Properties dialog box. Next, deselect the checkbox in front of Automatically Restart in the System Failure portion of the dialog box. Click OK and click OK again. Close the Control Panel and restart the computer. Now, when your system encounters an error, it will remain on-screen.

Overheating is one of the main enemies of a reliable system. A PC that runs hot will have a shorter life span for its components, and at extremes of temperature, the possibility exists that the system will be unstable and this will leads to continuos rebooting.

If your computer is having overheating trouble, you surely will be able to solve the problem through this tutorial. The typical symptom an overheating computer is when it locks (freezes up) too much and issues errors of General Protection Failure (“This program has carried out an illegal operation and will shut down”) and the infamous “blue screen of death”. If you remove the case’s cover and, with the computer open, the computer stops being troublesome, the problem is overheating. Note that these symptoms also turn up in other maintenance situations, i. e., they do not necessarily mean that the computer is overheating.



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