PC randomly rebooting? Read this first...
As any regular visitor to Hardware Analysis or any of the other tech help forums can attest, one of the most common problems experienced by PC users is that of random reboots, often experienced when carrying out processor (CPU) or graphics processing (GPU) intensive tasks. These issues can be one of the most frustrating to track down and troubleshoot, but in actual fact most (although not all) of these problems can be attributed to one of only five causes:
1) Viruses and Spyware
2) Drivers
3) Overheating
4) Memory (RAM) problems
5) Power Supply (PSU) issues
The purpose of this is to provide a quick troubleshooting guide for anyone experiencing random reboots, hopefully to help the user track down the cause quickly and easily. Of course, there will always be exceptions to the rule and it may be the cause of your issue is not covered here, but please work through these troubleshooting steps before posting details of your particular problem.
Viruses and spyware
I've put this issue first, although viruses and spyware are among the least likely cause of system reboots. Writers of these types of programs generally want to leave the computer running so that it can carry out the intended task, so the reboots generally only result if the virus is badly written or you have multiple infections which are fighting for resources. Nonetheless, this is the easiest problem to troubleshoot, so I've put it first. Run a virus and spyware scan. If you have neither (why not?) use AVG, Avast! etc (insert name of your favourite virus scanner here), along with Adaware and Spybot Search and Destroy.
Drivers
Another one which is relatively unlikely to be the cause of the reboots, but can be ruled out quite easily. Run dxdiag, and have it check that your drivers are WHQL certified. Now, we all have devices which come with non MS certified drivers, but as a trouble shooting exercise, disable anything with a non WHQL driver and see how you go.
Overheating
CPU and GPU overheating can and will cause your PC to freeze up and crash. So first things first:
1. Check your temps, both CPU and GPU. Correct operating temperatures will vary, but a quick Google should tell you the temps your own setup should be running at.
2. Ensure all your fans are running, especially the heatsink fan and the GPU fan/s.
3. Take the side panel off of the case, and set up a desk fan to blow air into the case. If the problem goes away, you need to upgrade your cooling.
Ram problems
These can be a bit trickier, but generally:
1. If you have two or more RAM modules (DIMMs), remove all but one to see if this solves the rebooting. If not, swap them out, one stick at a time.
2. If your BIOS allows, increase the voltage to the ram by 0.1v.
PSU issues
Power supplies causing system instability is something which happens far more often that you might imagine. PSUs are subject to very high electrical loading, and today's power hungry components will inevitably wear down a cheap power supply. Unfortunately, it can be quite difficult to troubleshoot PSU issues without simply swapping it out with a good quality replacement. However, one way to do so is to unplug any unnecessary devices (optical drives, etc.) and see if the system stabilises.
Followed all the steps above and system is still rebooting? Congratulations-you've got a really unusual problem. Best get posting....
As any regular visitor to Hardware Analysis or any of the other tech help forums can attest, one of the most common problems experienced by PC users is that of random reboots, often experienced when carrying out processor (CPU) or graphics processing (GPU) intensive tasks. These issues can be one of the most frustrating to track down and troubleshoot, but in actual fact most (although not all) of these problems can be attributed to one of only five causes:
1) Viruses and Spyware
2) Drivers
3) Overheating
4) Memory (RAM) problems
5) Power Supply (PSU) issues
The purpose of this is to provide a quick troubleshooting guide for anyone experiencing random reboots, hopefully to help the user track down the cause quickly and easily. Of course, there will always be exceptions to the rule and it may be the cause of your issue is not covered here, but please work through these troubleshooting steps before posting details of your particular problem.
Viruses and spyware
I've put this issue first, although viruses and spyware are among the least likely cause of system reboots. Writers of these types of programs generally want to leave the computer running so that it can carry out the intended task, so the reboots generally only result if the virus is badly written or you have multiple infections which are fighting for resources. Nonetheless, this is the easiest problem to troubleshoot, so I've put it first. Run a virus and spyware scan. If you have neither (why not?) use AVG, Avast! etc (insert name of your favourite virus scanner here), along with Adaware and Spybot Search and Destroy.
Drivers
Another one which is relatively unlikely to be the cause of the reboots, but can be ruled out quite easily. Run dxdiag, and have it check that your drivers are WHQL certified. Now, we all have devices which come with non MS certified drivers, but as a trouble shooting exercise, disable anything with a non WHQL driver and see how you go.
Overheating
CPU and GPU overheating can and will cause your PC to freeze up and crash. So first things first:
1. Check your temps, both CPU and GPU. Correct operating temperatures will vary, but a quick Google should tell you the temps your own setup should be running at.
2. Ensure all your fans are running, especially the heatsink fan and the GPU fan/s.
3. Take the side panel off of the case, and set up a desk fan to blow air into the case. If the problem goes away, you need to upgrade your cooling.
Ram problems
These can be a bit trickier, but generally:
1. If you have two or more RAM modules (DIMMs), remove all but one to see if this solves the rebooting. If not, swap them out, one stick at a time.
2. If your BIOS allows, increase the voltage to the ram by 0.1v.
PSU issues
Power supplies causing system instability is something which happens far more often that you might imagine. PSUs are subject to very high electrical loading, and today's power hungry components will inevitably wear down a cheap power supply. Unfortunately, it can be quite difficult to troubleshoot PSU issues without simply swapping it out with a good quality replacement. However, one way to do so is to unplug any unnecessary devices (optical drives, etc.) and see if the system stabilises.
Followed all the steps above and system is still rebooting? Congratulations-you've got a really unusual problem. Best get posting....
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