PC Keeps Restarting... Help!

[Perplexed]

Well, I for one am confused... Roughly a month or so ago, my PC developed this nasty habit of restarting for no apparent reason. I'll be surfing the web, or talking to some friends, and suddenly, it resets.

My computer has an Abit be6 2 mobo, with an Intel P3 800mhz CPU. The only thing that has changed (the condition started around then, actually) was that I got cable internet access and my system's Ethernet card is hooked to an external Motorola Surfboard cable modem. But the problem could be totally unrelated. I'm not sure.

Can anyone help me?

[GaryRouth]

Hi Perplexed

. . . and Welcome to PC Mechanic.

It's likely that the install of the cable modem didn't go all that well, but the problem wasn't noticeable enough to get caught then.

Restarting systems can be due to a fair number of things, but since the trouble started about the same time as the installation of new hardware --> that's a pretty high percentage chance to find a repair. (just to make sure that it's not heat related, though - which could permanently harm your cpu/motherboard - next time you startup, enter Bios Setup and check your temperature readings under the "PC Health" or "Hardware Monitor" menus)

I'm guessing you have a System feature "reboot on error" enabled. Try going to My Computer/Properties and under the Advanced tabs (Somewhere in there - it's been a while for me) you should see that "reboot on error" option box. Remove the checkmark from the option box - and see if the next time your system crashes --> it should display an error message this time, rather than rebooting. The error message will help you troubleshoot the problem.

Once you have the error message, post it here & we'll go from there. You also can call your cable ISP company, since their work is very likely guaranteed, and they'll come out & fix it for you (or talk you through the troubleshooting on the phone)

I'm guessing you're running WinMe? Close but no cigar?
Best of luck, I'll check back later to see how you're doing
. . . Gary

[Cricket]

Hi Perplexed,

Do you know what brand the NIC is? I've heard of similar problems with Netgear NIC's.

Do you know what IRQ the NIC is using?

What brand and wattage is your power supply?

What kind of programs do you have running in background?

:) Cricket

[Perplexed]

Hmm, well I checked in the PC health of my BIOS and the temp is just fine (my system has been running for a good couple hours).

As far as the reboot on errors goes, I couldn't find the tab you're referring to... I'm in Windows 98se, not ME or XP.

To Cricket... It's a Kingston EtherRx 10/100 PCI, and it's using IRQ 10. My power supply, although I'm unsure of brand, is 250 Watt. Just unsure what any of that would have to do with this funky problem. I had DSL before, and it didn't have this kind of odd issue.

:confused:

[Cricket]

Hi Perplexed,

Is the NIC sharing the IRQ with another device?

Random rebooting can be caused by a underpowered or low quality power supply. If your 250 watt PSU is a good quality one, it's probably not the problem.

What kind of background programs do you have running on your system? I've heard that McAfee antivirus can cause some strange system behavior.

Did you have to install any special software for the cable connection?

:) Cricket

[Perplexed]

Nope... The IRQ, AFAIK, is totally free and clear. As I said, my system never did this before, and I've had it for a good year or two.

As far as the background progs go, I don't have McAfee or anything of that kind running. Didn't have to install anything (since the modem is external, I imagine) when I got the cable 'net access set up.

At this point, I hoping it's a power supply issue. Maybe I'll just look into getting a 300 Watt'er of a respectable brand and call it even? I don't know, but I may have to if this keeps up... :mad:

[GaryRouth]

Just out of curiousity, does it only happen when on the net? . . .
(For example, will it restart when running a thorough ScanDisk?)

Are you sure you aren't running a firewall or any AntiVirus at all? Did your ISP install it for you or did you install it yourself? (if you aren't running any AntiVirus programs, I'd recommend scanning for viruses just to be thorough - you can take advantage of TrendMicro's Housecall [a free online scan] - which would eliminate that possibility) If you're going to be using an "always on" cable connection, a good firewall and real-time antivirus software are pretty necessary.

The online scan is at http://www.trendmicro.com

If you get the chance to get a good look at the label on your power supply, let us know if it says DEER. That might save us some time: as those have been known to go south in a hurry. (Although the power needs of a cool-running Intel P3 aren't that great)

If your cable company installed the modem, I'd give them a call. After all, you have a pc that's worked fine for a year or two - then add a cable modem, and now it's restarting: sounds like a possiblility. Just to see what they say.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[Yeah, the WinMe "reboot on error" was a guess, since I didn't know what OS you were running]

[p.s. -Oh, and if it Only happens when in IE, you could try a "Repair" of IE from the Tools menu in System Information, or try downloading Service Pack 1 if it's IE6 that you're using]