Pc reboots itself strangely! overheat problem?

piano0011 · #1 (**permalink**) 12-23-2006, 11:12 AM

Hello! Just recently I have this problem with my pc which just reboots by itself! I am guessing it could be a overheat problem as I did leave my pc on for the whole day! Any other suggestion? I also did have a look at my power supply option and this is disabled! Should I enable this? If so, should it be under generic or American Power Supply? Thanks!!!!

robputt796 · #2 (**permalink**) 12-23-2006, 03:27 PM

ok, I am still puzzeling of this one, It could be an overheating problem. Or it could be a motherboard error. What operating system do you run? Is there any unknown procceses that could reboot it? Also do you get any prior warning or does it just reboot?

**Ash** · #3 (**permalink**) 12-23-2006, 03:34 PM

Hi piano0011 and welcome to CompuForums. I hope you can post often - if you have 5 or more posts on the 25th of December you will receive a free premium membership. It would be great if you could add yourself to our member map.

We need to know more information.

Is it a laptop or desktop computer? Also have you noticed any unusual noises such as the fans spinning faster than usual recently?
Does this happen only when you are using certain programs or at any time?

piano0011 · #4 (**permalink**) 12-24-2006, 04:17 AM

I am using windows xp pro and it is usually when I leave my pc on long hrs that it tends to reboot by itself without any warning. Sometimes, this could happen when I am in a middle of doing something important and it can be very annoying.....

I also just like to know what is a power supply? Should this be enable? to generic or american power supply? Please let me know what this does, I am so confuse whether to leave this as disabled! Thanks!

p.s. thanks for replying..

robputt796 · #5 (**permalink**) 12-24-2006, 08:57 AM

I have never come accross these settings before. :S. So I am confused too, maybe someone else will know the answer to the power supply issue, I guess we'll just need to leave a little time for another member to read through this. Although the reboot scenario doesn't sound like a spyware reboot as this normally leaves a message. So my guess is that it is likely to be a hardware based problem.

**Ash** · #6 (**permalink**) 12-24-2006, 10:28 AM

A power supply is basically a transformer in your computer, which accepts mains voltage and lowers it to a voltage that the various components inside your computer can use [5v, 12v, etc]. If you are browsing your computer's hardware settings you may see "generic power supply", "American power supply" or anything else referencing to power supply. Enabling or disabling it in Windows should not affect it since it's very rare that PSU [power supply unit] has direct communication with the operating system [Windows], in fact I have never come across a computer that does.

**colt1911** · #7 (**permalink**) 12-25-2006, 09:05 PM

If I were you I would download a program called Everest home edition it will tell you your temps. , and alot of other info about your Pc. You could very well have a bad PSU , this program will also tell you what your voltages are running.this is the link to Everest and it is free.|MG| Free Download - EVEREST Free Edition 2.20

RaceJunkie · #8 (**permalink**) 03-12-2007, 03:52 AM

Looks like I may have the same issue. hopefully I'll find it, did you?

guyladouche · #9 (**permalink**) 03-12-2007, 04:56 PM

Hi. There is almost the same thing in another thread here: Random Reboot Issues? where I listed the possible problems.

Likely it's not due to the CPU overheating and the bios shutting down the computer when the CPU overheats--if it's a safety-overheating thing, the computer wouldn't restart, it would just suddenly power off and not restart.

Give the other thread a look for possible suggestions--I won't bother re-typing them since I just typed them

Hopefully they help.

**Ultra_Man** · #10 (**permalink**) 03-12-2007, 05:21 PM

I think that you maybe right guyladouche. But it could also be the outlet his computer is plugged into. If that circuit vary in voltage in the outlet it would cause the computer to lose voltage causing it to reboot.

guyladouche · #11 (**permalink**) 03-12-2007, 10:54 PM

The computer shouldn't reboot if the power from the wall isn't sufficient to power the PSU--the power might just die, but it won't restart the computer, the computer would just shut down--if the power to the PSU drops to a point that there isn't sufficient power going to the PSU, the computer doesn't "know" to restart. However, it's highly unlikely that there isn't sufficient power coming from the wall to power the PSU--likely it's probably the PSU itself, which is the major source of random restarts (well, that and bad RAM). Any fluctuations coming from the mains would be compensated for in regulators in the PSU--unless the power drops too low, then the computer would just shut off.

**Ultra_Man** · #12 (**permalink**) 03-13-2007, 03:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guyladouche

The computer shouldn't reboot if the power from the wall isn't sufficient to power the PSU--the power might just die, but it won't restart the computer, the computer would just shut down--if the power to the PSU drops to a point that there isn't sufficient power going to the PSU, the computer doesn't "know" to restart. However, it's highly unlikely that there isn't sufficient power coming from the wall to power the PSU--likely it's probably the PSU itself, which is the major source of random restarts (well, that and bad RAM). Any fluctuations coming from the mains would be compensated for in regulators in the PSU--unless the power drops too low, then the computer would just shut off.

If the voltage from the wall circuit fluctuates it may well cause the computer to reboot. It has happened to a friend of mine.

guyladouche · #13 (**permalink**) 03-13-2007, 03:37 AM

It's possible, but unlikely--the PSU has so many regulators built-in, likely if the wall fluctuations are causing the instability of the computer, most cases the computer just powers down, but if this is happening, the PSU is probably either failing or crappy because it's supposed to handle fluctuations in incoming power appropriately (unless of course the fluctuations are huge). But that could be the case as well. I'm not sure of an easy/cheap way to figure that out other than going from plug-to-plug until the computer seems to be stable.

**Ultra_Man** · #14 (**permalink**) 03-13-2007, 04:00 AM

Well he needs to check the voltage in the wallout to see if the voltage fluctuates. Then check the PSU in his computer to see if there is fluctuation in voltage there.

guyladouche · #15 (**permalink**) 03-13-2007, 04:09 AM

Well, I realize that it's easy to check the voltage in the wall with a voltmeter or flukemeter or something like that, but most average users don't have something like that at their disposal. It would be handy in this situation though.

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