The sad fact of heat issues, is they stress out componets and that in turn starts a slow spiral into failure. If you haven't already, be sure to clean the dust bunnies out and observe that all fans are running good. Then, just leave the system cover open/off and allow it run that way. If after weeks or at least a very prolonged time, it remains stable, return cover. If it then reboots, etc.., then you do have a heat issue. Heat stress will degrade all componets, the weakest link will be telling. I find the psu(power supply) can fail and/or if the overtemp. setting is reached will alarm(if on) and reboot. Also, the cpu could be reaching a tip point and cause a reboot. The mtrbd. may have failing capacitors that in turn cause issues as well, thus inspect any for bulging, leaking, distorted, blown caps. If you can, route all wiring, harness to better the airflow and if possible install another cooling fan. If this is an older system, this is a sign its showing its age. Plus, if you use this system intensively for gaming for other tasks, you can stress componets and heat being an added factor to bring it to its knees. So, your problem while common isn't so easily addressed, everything becomes suspect.
tada -----Willy ![]()
I consider myself to have above average computing skills but this one is really throwing me a curve ball.
Around 6 months ago (DEC 06) my computer restarted itself while I was using it. I thought it was a heat related issue since my place pumps some pretty vicious heat. So I started leaving the window in my computer room open and the vent closed but it still restarted at random times. Well it is now 6 months later and I am ?pretty? convinced that it is not a heat issue.
Here is a list of things I have noticed:
1. My computer will restart itself no matter how long or how short of a time it has been on.
2. It will sometimes go a week without even restarting itself.
3. My virus scan has never found anything from what I can see.
4. When it tries to restart it sometimes will take hours to do so. The screen that says windows XP with the moving blue line (sorry for the poor description) is the last screen I ?usually? see before restarts. So it seems like something is happening between the screen I described and the ?welcome screen? where I usually sign into my profile on XP. However, I have no clue why it restarts why I am "actually" using it after it is fully booted up.
I am running a fully legal version of XP home with all the updates. It doesn?t matter what program I am using when it does this. I have done no hardware upgrades in the last year. PLEASE HELP ME LOL?!
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this. If you can help me and are in the Philly area I will buy you a beer.
Jeff S.

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