spontaneous restart

thomprice · 03-13-2005, 09:21 AM

About 6 months ago, I started having problems with one of my computers, a PIII 850 mounted on an MSI 6309 motherboard. Without any warning, the computer would instantly restart.

My first thought was that it was overheating, but the thermal control in the BIOS was disabled. So I figured it must be a software problem, and I formated and reinstalled Win ME. The problem kept becoming more frequent, until finally, it would happen as soon as all of the desktop items showed up after startup, and if I didn't do a forced shutdown, it would just sit there and restart over and over. Even in Safe mode, it would do the same thing.

I updated and relaoded the BIOS, but that didn't make any difference. It would work fine in DOS, but not in the windows environment. So I tried loading Win 95, and that solved the problem, but many of my periferials weren't compatable. Next I tried Win 98, but it had the same problem as ME. Naturally, XP did the same.

I determined that it must be a problem with hardware, and my first guess was the memory. It had 2 banks of 64, which I took out, and tired one at a time, but that had no effect at all. So I figured it must be the MoBo. I found the same MoBo on ebay and replaced mine with this one which was said to be perfectly functional. The problem persisted.

Next it occured to me that it could be the power supply, so I purchased a new power supply, and that still didn't have any effect. Changing the hard disk also had no effect. So I was back to the memory, and I purchased another memory bank and put it in, but still the same problem.

The only 2 pieces of this computer that I haven't changed are the video card and the CPU. I'm starting to get frustrated.

Any ideas?

Charchris · 03-13-2005, 10:13 AM

try changing the fan...

**Lax** · 03-13-2005, 03:22 PM

Could just be overheating too quickly. Make sure the HS fan is working and cooling it down properly.

thomprice · 03-14-2005, 08:43 AM

I have disabled the thermal control in BIOS. It isn't overheating. The spontaneous restart happens exactly at the same point after the startup, every single time. A shutdown due to overheating would be much more random.

**Lax** · 03-14-2005, 03:33 PM

Um......disabling the thermal control won't do anything. The processor/PSU/whatever is overheating will shut off simply because it knows it's too hot. That's why the PSU might be overheating, they will shut off to protect themselves from frying.

P.S. No an overheating restart will not always be random. The CPU or whatever it is is heating at the same speed as it always has and reaches the same temp at the same time. So it COULD be an overheating issue. It could also be a fried CPU/PSU/Mobo

Blue · 03-14-2005, 04:46 PM

Is it possible for you too boot into safe mode?

Edit:

Oh ya what's the make/model?

thomprice · 03-15-2005, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord AnthraX

..... So it COULD be an overheating issue. It could also be a fried CPU/PSU/Mobo

Would a computer with any of those components fried work in DOS? I've changed the MoBo and PSU.

thomprice · 03-15-2005, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue

Is it possible for you too boot into safe mode?

Edit:

Oh ya what's the make/model?

It isn't possible to boot in safe mode.
It is a PIII 850 on an MSI 6309 MoBo and various other compunents of differing manufacturers.

aniruddha_mohod · 03-15-2005, 10:12 AM

I had also the same problem in one of my pc. I was thinking to replace the motherboard but thank you that you told me that this will not solve the problem. If anybody find its solution then please inform me.

Blue · 03-15-2005, 05:56 PM

Quote:

It is a PIII 850 on an MSI 6309 MoBo and various other compunents of differing manufacturers.

LOL that was a dumb question eh? Sorry for making you repeat yourself.

Have you tried another hard drive? it's prob. not the problem but it's entirely possible. I've had a HD that would fail and the computer would shut down but no restart (it's also a bios feature to have the computer reboot with power failure). This hd eventualy would not even allow me to instal windows xp anymore and although I did not try it with another windows Operating system it did allow me to instal Susie as well as mandrake linux.

If I had to guess and i'm sorry for guessing here but I would suggest perhaps it's the hd or a power problem but sadly could be a number of things and as you've suggested also the memory. I do figure though that it's not the motherboard failing as it works with windows 95 and it figure it would not if the motherboard had a problem.

03-13-2005, 09:21 AM	#1 (permalink)
thomprice New Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 8	spontaneous restart About 6 months ago, I started having problems with one of my computers, a PIII 850 mounted on an MSI 6309 motherboard. Without any warning, the computer would instantly restart. My first thought was that it was overheating, but the thermal control in the BIOS was disabled. So I figured it must be a software problem, and I formated and reinstalled Win ME. The problem kept becoming more frequent, until finally, it would happen as soon as all of the desktop items showed up after startup, and if I didn't do a forced shutdown, it would just sit there and restart over and over. Even in Safe mode, it would do the same thing. I updated and relaoded the BIOS, but that didn't make any difference. It would work fine in DOS, but not in the windows environment. So I tried loading Win 95, and that solved the problem, but many of my periferials weren't compatable. Next I tried Win 98, but it had the same problem as ME. Naturally, XP did the same. I determined that it must be a problem with hardware, and my first guess was the memory. It had 2 banks of 64, which I took out, and tired one at a time, but that had no effect at all. So I figured it must be the MoBo. I found the same MoBo on ebay and replaced mine with this one which was said to be perfectly functional. The problem persisted. Next it occured to me that it could be the power supply, so I purchased a new power supply, and that still didn't have any effect. Changing the hard disk also had no effect. So I was back to the memory, and I purchased another memory bank and put it in, but still the same problem. The only 2 pieces of this computer that I haven't changed are the video card and the CPU. I'm starting to get frustrated. Any ideas?

03-14-2005, 04:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
Blue VIP Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: London Ontario Age: 35 Posts: 3,555	Is it possible for you too boot into safe mode? Edit: Oh ya what's the make/model? __________________ FOLDING FOR THE GOOD OF MANKIND :F@H Team 44358

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03-13-2005, 10:13 AM	#2 (permalink)
Charchris New Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 14	try changing the fan...

03-13-2005, 03:22 PM	#3 (permalink)
Lax Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Snow country Age: 21 Posts: 2,256	Could just be overheating too quickly. Make sure the HS fan is working and cooling it down properly.

03-14-2005, 08:43 AM	#4 (permalink)
thomprice New Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 8	I have disabled the thermal control in BIOS. It isn't overheating. The spontaneous restart happens exactly at the same point after the startup, every single time. A shutdown due to overheating would be much more random.

03-14-2005, 03:33 PM	#5 (permalink)
Lax Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Snow country Age: 21 Posts: 2,256	Um......disabling the thermal control won't do anything. The processor/PSU/whatever is overheating will shut off simply because it knows it's too hot. That's why the PSU might be overheating, they will shut off to protect themselves from frying. P.S. No an overheating restart will not always be random. The CPU or whatever it is is heating at the same speed as it always has and reaches the same temp at the same time. So it COULD be an overheating issue. It could also be a fried CPU/PSU/Mobo

03-15-2005, 10:12 AM	#9 (permalink)
aniruddha_mohod New Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: India Age: 27 Posts: 18	I had also the same problem in one of my pc. I was thinking to replace the motherboard but thank you that you told me that this will not solve the problem. If anybody find its solution then please inform me.