Random Re boot

Hi all.
I'm getting a random reboot, can be after a couple of minutes or hours or never.
I get a angry sound from the speakers then re boot.
What next pray.

 

Which operating system are you using?

 

Hi Senlis.
My spec is in my signature but if you have them disabled you wont see it!
I am using xp home.
Cheers

 

what may be happening is that you are getting a system failure, otherwise know as a blue screen of death. By default, computers are configures to restart upon system failure, making it to where you don't see the BSOD. What you can do is right click on My computer-> click on properties -> click on the advanced tab -> click the settings button under startup and recovery -> under System failure, un-checkmark the automatically restart option.

Now, the diagnosis changes depending on if you get a BSOD the next time the computer restarts. Report back and I can give you a few things to try.

 

ok, done that, now I shall await the next blurb!
It may not happen as I have given my system a good going over with malware hunters etc, but it didn't turn much up so maybe it will happen.
Cheers thus far.

 

You were right Senlis!
Got the BSOD while running defraggler (it was happening before I installed defraggler so it's not that) it gave the usual message,
A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer etc etc etc
The tech info was
***STOP: 0x000000D1(0x80FFFFFF,0x0000001c,0x00000000,0x80FFFFFF)

So there :confused

 

sorry about the delayed post, busy day.

The first thing I do when I get a BSOD is run RAMTEST. google microsoft's RAMTEST and burn the iso to a cd (use cdburnerxp if you don't have cd burning software. www.cdburnerxp.se). If the RAMTEST fails before...say...10 passes, you need to do something about the bad RAM.

Another thing you can do is run chkdsk. You can either open a command prompt and type in "chkdsk c: /r" and reboot, or boot into the recovery console using your windows xp boot cd.

 

plodr.
Could be right.
I have had hassle with installing sound drivers before. I almost bought a stand alone card (K7NF2-RAID Mobo with on board sound at the mo), but I got it sorted in the end. Why would a driver suddenly play up, and what do you mean 'look at the sound drivers first' ?
Uninstall and re install?

Senlis.
No worries on the time, we all have other things to do
I shall look into what you have suggested.
As I have now told you about my sound card problems previously, would you agree with plodr and is this the easiest one to do first?
In the meantime I shall look at the RAMTEST etc.
Cheers both.

 

More happenings since.
I turned on the comp and.............. NO SOUND!!
I have uninstalled the sound card, re booted and the device re installed itself.
So far all is well, not been on it much though.

I take it a driver can get corrupted by something you install that conflicts with the hardware in question, which makes you think ' Why has it broke, I haven't done anything?' :confused

 

You have probably done something by allowing automatic updates. These days there are so many autoupdates, not only to Windows, that a collection of drivers that were once compatible can suddenly and 'spontaneously' become incompatible. The big updates to Windows have caused no end of mayhem recently, not to mention those by Nvidia, Adobe and Nero.

 

Stopped auto updates a long time ago.
They were a pain and caused no end of grief.
In fact I think it was an auto update from a year or so ago that caused grief with sound card drivers for thousands of people.
I tried to get rid of it but apparently there is a bit that hides and re installs the driver.
Still, computers are far from perfect, but thats part of the..ahem,.. fun!!