Windows restarting itself

My computer restarted itself. Why does it do that
sometimes?

OS: Windows 98.

"Brad Porter" wrote in message
...

My computer restarted itself. Why does it do that
sometimes? OS: Windows 98.

1. Hardware, commonly overheating (broken fan).
2. Softwa e.g. Win98 install routines reboot
twice; so a reboot routine might wrongly appear
in some currently running software.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa, Canada)

This is usually caused by a hardware problem with the computer, most often
overheating due to bad or dirty fans, bad memory modules, or a bad power
supply.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Win9x]
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
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"Brad Porter" wrote in message
...
My computer restarted itself. Why does it do that
sometimes?

OS: Windows 98.

Brad Porter wrote in message ...
My computer restarted itself. Why does it do that
sometimes?

OS: Windows 98.

1] A loose electrical wall plug can cause an occasional
momentary power loss.
To the PC, this is just as if someone has pressed the reset button

2] Overheating, due to:
a] a failed CPU fan
b] improperly applied thermal paste
(between the CPU and the heatsink)
c] insufficient case cooling, due to air circulation blockage
by the drive cables
d] insufficient case cooling, due to a failed fan
(mounted on the case itself)
e] an overheated CPU, due to the video card being too close
to the CPU.
Solved by moving the card further away, & directly into the path
of the incoming airstream from a case fan.
f] computer placed too close to the wall, or otherwise located
in such a way that the power supply exhaust port is blocked
g] the ever popular "dust bunnies",
blocking the power supply exhaust port
h] a tower PC sitting on the floor,
on top of a heating system register

3] Insufficient power supply capacity
(too many upgrades = not enough juice)

4] A failing power supply, dying but not yet dead enough.
If the power drops below the reset threshold,
the computer will spontaneously reboot.

5] Improperly updated video drivers
(my fave; this one drove me up the wall for weeks, a few years ago,
before I knew what I know now). The PC had a permanent case
of "reboot now-itis", and went round and round,
hour after hour, in a constant reboot cycle.

Here are possible software causes. It can also be a virus. Does it
happen in Safe Mode? Does it happen in DOS? (Hold CTRL as you boot to
get the Startup Menu, or turn it on at "START, Run, MSConfig, Advanced
button".)

http://search.support.microsoft.com/...SD=GN&LN=EN-US MSKB
Search "Restarts" & Search "Reboot" & Search "Reboots";
Windows 98; Title Only; produces...

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=148919
(148919) - When you start your computer, Windows may restart
continuously

http://support.microsoft.com/default...26&Product=w98
Packard Bell Computer Restarts Continuously
(229126) - After you enable Advanced Configuration and Power Interface
(ACPI) support on a Packard Bell Multimedia 4350 computer, your computer
may restart continuously.

http://support.microsoft.com/default...43&Product=w98
Computer May Reboot Continuously with More Than 1.5 GB of RAM
(304943) - If your computer has more than 1.5 gigabytes (GB) of memory
(RAM), the computer may reboot continuously when you try to start
Windows Millennium Edition (Me) or Windows 98. Or, when you try to
install Windows Me or Windows 98 with more than 1.5 GB of...

http://support.microsoft.com/default...18&Product=w98
Computer Caught in Reboot Loop After Using DriveSpace
(130018) - When you are using DriveSpace to compress a drive, your
computer may become stuck in a reboot (or restart) loop. If you press
the F8 key when your computer restarts and then choose Command Prompt
Only, your computer enters the reboot loop again. If...

http://support.microsoft.com/default...24&Product=w98
FIX: Windows 98: Reenumerating PCI Device Can Cause Reboot
(222824) - On a Windows 98 ACPI system, reenumerating a Peripheral
Component Interconnect (PCI) device may cause the system to crash. For
example, if a user employs Device Manager to remove a PCI device and
then refreshes, the system can unexpectedly reboot....

http://support.microsoft.com/default...33&Product=w98
Toshiba 4500 Reboots After Resuming
(132333) - When you are using a Toshiba 4500 laptop computer, if you
shut down Windows in Suspend mode or close the lid, Windows appears to
shut down successfully. However, when you resume Windows, the computer
reboots after a short time.

http://support.microsoft.com/default...76&Product=w98
Computer Hangs or Reboots at Shutdown with NetWare Client
(132776) - With Novell NetWare Client version 4.10 (VLM.EXE) installed,
your computer stops responding (hangs) or restarts when you shut down
your computer.


--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR

"Brad Porter" wrote in message
...
| My computer restarted itself. Why does it do that
| sometimes?
|
| OS: Windows 98.