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Thread ID: 67512 2006-03-30 04:37:00 random reboot problem - please help!!! triple5seoul (10099) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
441964 2006-03-30 19:15:00 Just in case you have not checked this:

Bad Caps on Motherboard (www.badcaps.net)

To reassure yourself, take the side panel off your PC case and have a peer at the state of the large capacitors on your mobo with a good light.

It may not be the reason for the problems you're experiencing, but what you describe are one of the classic symptoms of caps gone bad.
braindead (1685)
441965 2006-03-31 03:12:00 Thanks everyone, but I want to stress that this is NOT an overheating issue. My fans are working fine, and my thermometer reads normal. Also my computer can be turned on immediately after a crash and work for a random period of time spanning minutes to hours. If it was an overheating issue, this would not be possible. I think the problem is a virus of sorts that I have not been able to detect that is affecting my processes. I appreciate all the help so please do keep posting. I hope someone can help me remedy the problem. triple5seoul (10099)
441966 2006-03-31 03:27:00 Might be a driver prob. Have u installed Nvidia and ATI drivers recently??

Sometimes, if u install a lot of versions of either of these, a system can reboot.
Speedy Gonzales (78)
441967 2006-03-31 03:37:00 Is this a "random reboot problem" or a "random halt problem"? There is a difference.

If a "virus" was found on a secondary drive which contains mostly movies, that is probably irrelevant. It could have been a false positive. In files that size there are enough random bit patterns to match virus identification strings.

A "thermometer" which reads normal might lie. If it's a computer temperatuire sensor it will lie. ;) Arrange the covers so that you can reach in and touch the CPU heatsink immediately after a "malfunction". (But have the covers on while running). If you can't hold your finger on the heatsink for more than a second, it will be well over 70 degrees C. If you use a wet finger and steam rises, you have 100 degrees C or more.
Graham L (2)
441968 2006-03-31 05:16:00 To Speedy: Hmm well I installed some NVidia and ATI drivers, but only when i reformatted my computer after it was "repaired" for the first time. I havent installed anything else of that nature in awhile but I suppose it could be some kind of driver issue. I just wonder why this random shutting down is getting worse and worse when I havent touched my drivers in a long time.

To GrahamL: Very interesting what you said about the movie files and how things may be mistaken for viruses. However after the technician said he "fixed" the problem, things did work like normal for about a month. I would figure it would keep occuring if he didn't do at least something right? I will look into what you said about possible overheating and to open my chassis and touch my CPU, I understand that my thermometer could be wrong. The only thing that I don't understand is like i mentioned before, I can turn my computer on immediately after it shuts down and it runs. If it was overheating wouldn't it not run immediately after a shutdown? About random reboots and random halts, I don't really know the difference? It doesnt auto-restart if that helps, it just shuts off as if someone pulled the plug on my computer.

Thanks alot for all the help, this is a great forum :-)
triple5seoul (10099)
441969 2006-03-31 05:52:00 I still think its worth having a look at the event logs, they may show nothing but it won't hurt to look. gcarmich (10068)
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