having maybe power problems, please help

i have a computer that when i try to install a fresh copy of win xp sp2 and after awhile it randomly restarts please help me thanks

 

Here's a link with screen shots follow to the "T" http://www.youcanbuildapc.com/computer_assembly/windows_xp_software_installation.shtml
You will lose all data so back up important stuff this is a "CLEAN" install. If you want to repair XP here's another link.
http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/How-to-repair-Windows-XP-t138.html Also at what point is it restarting?

Cheers...

Hope your Pc is not heating up, can you open it up and do some cleaning...

 

i know how to install xp, it just restarts every time i try to install it. thanks anyway

 

i havnt even got anything installed on the ide harddrive. i try to install xp disk on it, it does the hole as it asks me do to format hdd before it copys the files to the hdd, it just clicks off somtimes as it is loading the files to bring up the installation blue screen when you press f8 to accept the licence agreement for it

 

The PC may be overheating. Go into the system BIOS and check the temperatures. If you're unsure of what is considered too hot, post the numbers here with the type of CPU you have, and we can advise. It is possibly a hard drive issue also. Go to your hard maker's web site, download their diagnostic utility. It will create a bootable floppy or an .ISO image file that you burn as an image to a CD. Then boot to the diagnostic and run the advanced/extended tests. You may have a faulty power supply. Most system BIOSes have a feature to monitor voltages, but they are very limited, but it's a start. Get your hands on a digital multimeter (analog or 'old school' multimeters can be tricky to interpret). They're about $20 at Radio Shack; I've seen 'em for $4.95 at Harbor Freight Tools. Then check out this link for a simple power supply testing how-to. I accept no responsibility for any damage caused by the use or misuse of the information provided in that link. It should be OK if you follow the steps EXACTLY. You can read a much more involved power supply guide at this link. You can also try removing all the devices from your PC that are not essential for installing Windows. Unplug all cards (sound card, modem, ethernet card, if you have on board video you can use it and remove the video card). Disconnect power and data cables from all drives that aren't in use. This includes extra hard drives and extra DVD/CD drives and the floppy drive (if present). While in the case, make sure the main CPU heat sink and fan is clean of dust build-up and check the fan to make sure it's spinning freely and plugged in correctly to the motherboard. Most modern motherboards have at least 2 power connectors: a 4 pin and the main 20 or 24 pin connector. Make sure those connections are plugged in correctly. If you have any other motherboard power plugs (some SLI/Crossfire boards have additional 4pin, 8pin, or Molex power connectors) make sure they are all plugged in also. There may be an errant setting in the system BIOS that is causing a reboot for some reason. Most BIOSes can be set to defaults by pressing a key while in the BIOS configuration menus; my PC uses F9. You can also use the motherboard jumper to reset to factory defaults. Lastly, check the motherboard maker's web site for a possible new BIOS release. It's possible (but unlikely) that there is a known issue with your model and a new BIOS has been released to address the problem.
Good luck! Let us know what you find!