Mono....... help please..!!

[Tea Girl]

Forgot you were an IT genius ..... wonder if you can solve my problem.

My computer keeps restarting itself without warning and for no apparent reason. I dont download stuff (honest )..... maybe the odd bit of music, but havent even done that for weeks.... all my emails are checked for viruses and every time I switch on some programme or other comes on and does a scan.... (as you can see I am very technically minded)

It's driving me insane... can be real annoying if i'm on msn!!

I try to avoid having anything more than say this forum and msn running at any one time.

Is there hope..... or is it gonna end up on the front lawn... via the nearest window.

Thanks Mono.... hope you, Mrs M and the (by now very large) bump are doing well

TG xx

[monosodium]

Hi Tea Girl -

Random restarts are always fun (read dfficult) things to troubleshoot.

First thing first is to find out what it's doing. So I've got a pile of questions - answer the ones you can and we'll come to the ones you can't when it comes to it.

When it restarts what does it do exactly? For example, does it close down properly, or does it just click off and beep and start up again?

When did you first notice the problem?

Are you the only person who uses the machine?

How old is the machine (rough guesstimate)?

When was the last time you backed up your important information?

(I got caught out by this last week ) what version of windows is it running?


Those will give me an outline of where the problem is likely to be coming from and where to go next.

If you do lob the machine out of the window, please remember - safety first. So make sure you unplug it. Also - please film it and put it on youtube - us IT folks always like to see a user get their revenge!


Mrs M is doing fine, enjoying her time off work now, as she finished on Friday, thanks for asking.

[Tea Girl]

Hey Mono... thanks for replying

Ooh questions, questions!!

Ok, right... it closes down and restarts exactly as it would if i had done it.

It has been happening much more frequently for about the last 2 months and it can be up to 10 times in an evening.... very annoying!!

I let the kids play games on it when they visit..... I know, dont tell me!!!! ... but they are not allowed to download anything!

Had it about 5-6 years (I think)

Dont know about backing up, I never have.... ex used to do it and he's been gone a year...

Version of Windows........ erm..... XP i'm almost certain, cant check either cos I'm at work!!


Thanks for the safety tip... It's got ONE MORE CHANCE!!!

[monosodium]

Hi Tea Girl - sorry I've been out and about today for once.

If your machine is shutting down properly then that's more likely to be a software issue than hardware so we can look at a few bits.

Probably the first thing I'd do to check that is to crank it up in safe mode (to do that press F8 while it is starting so you can choose it from a list). This starts windows with basically nothing loaded including the stuff that makes the screen work fully.

Start it up like that before you make dinner when you don't need to use it and leave it for an hour or so to see if it restarts on its own.

[cosmicB]

That's the weirdest glitch I ever heard of...

My first impression is that maybe it's an intermittent open in a mother board logic chip... That's a toughie at best...

Open the tower, and use a wooden object, that doesn't have any metal on it.. to tap each IC chip gently on its back while the unit is running.. and should you happen to manually cause the problem fault by tapping a certain chip, then it's likely there's your problem... Do the test about 5 more times to be sure...

Next option is to use freeze-spray on the backs of the chips.. but too much can cause a frost build-up, which will short and fry chips when the frost thaws into water... Just a quick 1/4-second shot of freeze spray should do it... Five bucks a can at any electronics shop...

Next option is to check the back of the PC's cct boards for bad wave soldering.. or to arbitrarily resolder the whole mother board... but that kind of soldering definitely takes an expert...
And sometimes, but extremely rare, it can be a chip leg that's broken, or a strip of printed cct that's been overheated, and makes contact only when its warm...
Or, just maybe, it's a fans problem... This glitch sounds a bit like it could be an over heating problem... *Check to see that all fans are running fast and smooth and silent...


What are your views on this Mono-S...

[Tea Girl]

Thanks Mono...... nice to see you out and about for a change...

Just gonna have a go now... cos its time for me to go and stuff my face..!! I'll come back and report any changes later.... fingers crossed.... here goes!! ...

... and thanks cosmicB too.... have to say I'm a bit mind boggled by your suggestions, but thank you anyway.

See you later
TG xx

[Tea Girl]

Happening still..... 5 times tonight...

I think I know what I'll be asking Santa for when I get to sit on his knee...

Any more ideas Mono.... hope you don't mind

Ta very much... TG xx

[monosodium]

:cry:

Happening still..... 5 times tonight...

I think I know what I'll be asking Santa for when I get to sit on his knee...

Any more ideas Mono.... hope you don't mind

Ta very much... TG xx

ok - in safe mode was still being naughty... It did say "safe mode" on the screen lots and lots, didn't it?

next step would be to have a look at the event logs after it's failed some time. There's a tool to package all that information up so I can take a look at it for you.

I'll PM you a link and my hotmail address.

[Tea Girl]

Got it... and done it!! Well I think i have..... bear in mind it took me about an hour to get on Yahoo Messenger the other night....

Thanks Mono, you're a star

[boingo]

Got it... and done it!! Well I think i have..... bear in mind it took me about an hour to get on Yahoo Messenger the other night....

Thanks Mono, you're a star

That bit with Yahoo Messenger is probably not you PC as we all have that same problem with Yahoo
I was having a good ol' conversation the other day and it must have kicked and signed in each of us at least 15-20 times over the course of a couple of hours.
It does that at least once once every half hour to an a hour on a good day.

[Bad Karma]

well, I imagine it is a retail computer (such as HP, Dell, eMachines etc...) and these guys are known for putting in the cheapest power supply units possible. After 5-6 years I wouldn't be surprised that it is failing. Often times when your PSU isn't delivering consistent and accurate power, your computer will shutdown. After market PSUs are not expensive, however you would need to have some technical knowledge about the inside of your computer. It may be easier to ask your resident geek to do it for you.

Although the problem may be simpler. I imagine you have never opened the case since you bought it, which means it is probably extremely dusty. The more dust that sits on all the pieces inside the case, the hotter they get. Your computer has a built in safety feature which will shut it down when it gets to a dangerous temperature. Open that sucker up and spray the inside out with a can of air. Just make sure you dont hold the can upside down, and always ground yourself (touch something metal) before touching anything inside the case. Electric shocks are bad for it I hope you get it working again!