I need your help (computer issues)

[Whitestuff]

Ok, I am having some trouble with my computer. It restarts randomly, in fact, completely random. I thought it was just NC2, but it seems that the random restart happens in ANY game, while the hard lock up issue is still exclusive to NC and NC2.

Anyway, about my random restart. I updated my mobo driver to the nvidia nforce all in one driver (they don't have them for separate mobos). I am going to get my mobo book next weekend and get the actual drivers from MSI. I got the latest drivers for my video card from PNY, then realized that the nvidia ones were WAY more up to date, and tried those as well (as in, I tested both drivers, problem persists). I have the final version of the drivers for my sound card. My nic card doesn't seem to be the problem, but I'll check for those in a sec. And tbh, was happening before I added this new net card.

I thought it was my RAM, maybe a module was failing or something, but I tested it with the Microsoft memory test program for 2 hours on intensive test. Completed 2 runs, no errors reported. . .

So here's what happens. I am always in a 3D game. AFAIK, it was really late the other night and I think it was idle, not in a game at all and I woke up the next morning and it was at my windows XP login... I may have restarted it on purpose and not logged in b4 I went to bed, like I say, it was really late. But, when I am conscious and playing a game, it will sometimes randomly restart. Not at all regularly, not in any particular game, (though NC2 does it more often b/c of the memory leak I think, or uses some combination of hardware that doesn't happen often in any other game/program). I can't figure this out to save my life.

So, here's my specs to the best of my knowledge:
AMD Athlon XP 1800+ @ 1.52 Ghz (not overclocked)
1.25 GB of PNY DDR RAM PC2100 (2x512, 1x256)
Nvidia G4orce FX5200 128 MB DDR (from PNY)
Nforce 1 Mobo (from MSI)
Sound Blaster Live! 5.1
Linksys 10/100 NIC
Western Digital OEM HD (80 GB)
Seagate Baracuda HD (secondary, 40 GB)
Pioneer DVD-ROM
LITE-ON CD-RW 24x
350Watt Power Supply (from Antec, came in the case from Alienware)

I think that's it. I really need help guys. Any help is appreciated.

[Asurmen Spec Op]

have you run virus/spyware scans?
I had some of em that did crap like that to my cpu
the last time my cpu spazed like that tho I think my HD fried(I think dont freak out might be a virus)

[Whitestuff]

Yes, Norton AV didn't catch anything, doing Ad-Aware now. It is quit strange. This isn't the sasser/blaster worm. I have had those, they restart my comp completely differently and way more frequently.

[Asurmen Spec Op]

I never liked norton, it never found crap for me and always messed with games. I went to download.com and got I think it was called anti virus and trojan (and a & symbol) and it found alot of things norton didnt but I dunno. just hope it aint for HD dieing

[tiikeri]

For me that sounds like HW prob. Did you check the temperature of CPU?
Or then perhaps some powerleak from PSU? You say it's totally random? have you tried to push it a bit? like keeping the CPU/GFX-card usage maxd?

And IMO the "latest" drivers aren't the best ones. I've had many issues with the most recent drivers since i had Matrox G200. So i've settled to use bit older drivers. Try it out.

[Asurmen Spec Op]

aaaahh yes I remeber last time I had that my fan had slipped half off my cpu. and was clogged with dust, get a thing that checks your temp and go play a game

[Whitestuff]

HD shouldn't be dieing, it is new, but that doesn't mean it wasn't defective. My S.M.A.R.T. mobo, should detect this, shouldn't it? Maybe I need to locate a program for testing my HD?

[Asurmen Spec Op]

go to download.com and find something to display your cpu temp. run a game and watch it. if it gets pretty high then dies open up and check your prosser fan for dust, it gets pretty bad in there man

[tiikeri]

disable S.M.A.R.T.. it's an IMBs thinggy.. and it have never worked for me.

[Whitestuff]

FAn isn't dusty, cleaned it recently. And temp doesn't seem likely to me, though I am trying a program that tells me the CPU temp, because A)the fan is new and higher RPM than my last one, B)the heatsink is not dusty, C) the restart is completely random, as in it doesn't always do it. I can play a 4 hour long CS:Source session and not problems, let the comp sit, come back and play CS:CZ or Neocron, or CS:Source again and in 15 minutes, it restarts. I then play CS: Source (or anything) immediately after the restart, and I go again until I get tired of playing . . . it doesn't seem to be based on an overheating.

[Hippieman]

Sounds more like a intermittent PSU problem to me. Try borrowing a working power supply or something and use that for a couple of days. If no problems occur then this mostly is the problem. Just replace the PSU and you're fixed. Oh and if it is a PSU problem, don't cheap out on replacing it.

[Asurmen Spec Op]

Sounds more like a intermittent PSU problem to me. Try borrowing a working power supply or something and use that for a couple of days. If no problems occur then this mostly is the problem. Just replace the PSU and you're fixed. Oh and if it is a PSU problem, don't cheap out on replacing it.
like he said if ya get a PSU DONT CHEAP out (I bought a pos one wich fried after like a day :mad: )

[Whitestuff]

Sounds more like a intermittent PSU problem to me. Try borrowing a working power supply or something and use that for a couple of days. If no problems occur then this mostly is the problem. Just replace the PSU and you're fixed. Oh and if it is a PSU problem, don't cheap out on replacing it.

This I didn't think of. I built a box that is sitting right here that has a 500watt PSU in it. I'll rip it out tomorrow and throw it in this Alienware box to see if that does the trick. My room mate will be pissed though, I brought that one for him to play on :lol:.

[Whitestuff]

like he said if ya get a PSU DONT CHEAP out (I bought a pos one wich fried after like a day :mad: )

I won't, though a CompUSA 500watt is pretty good for the money. The one I have now is Antec, but it might be going bad. . . so eh... I might cheap out the first time, but buy a good wattage/voltage. If it craps out, then I'll get a brand name one. IF this is indeed my problem.

[mishkin]

I had a problem like this, with my dads comp a couple years ago, changed the PSU, the memory, the cpu, everything... disabled everything extra on the mobo, and it still rebooted randomly...

After alot of experimenting, I found that the soundcard (creative, which imo is the WORST fucking company/brand EVER) was sharing resources with the geforce 3, so I pulled out the live 1024 (I know, cheapass shite :D ) and put in some random 15€ card I found in the local store... worked like a charm, and no problems since.

That computer was actually in the worst shape I've ever seen one come out of a shop... the cpu was fried before it even got to us through the mail, memory was faulty, hd broke down after a month, fan on the geforce stopped after about 2 months... and then the rebooting problem :D

BTW: If you disable the automatic reboots on system errors, you might get a bluescreen which might suggest where your problem lies... try
controlpanel -> system -> advanced -> startup and recovery (translated from swedish)(settings) -> uncheck automatic reboot :lol:

EDIT: Yeah, everyone I asked about it suggested I'd swap the PSU, which I did... and no change... I browsed through hundreds of forums, and everyone with the same problem, got told to swap the PSU. Worked for some, but not for all :rolleyes:

[Richard Slade]

Also, a friend o' mine (Armi) managed to reboot his comp through the USB ( :wtf: )
Check those so there isn't any loose thingys around there

[Whitestuff]

Thanks everyone, I'll check all of these suggestions later today. Off to class now I'm afraid. . .

[Marshall1]

if all else fails it could be the power supply to house might be getting some kind of surge or itermintent power bit hard to explain i dont know any thing about electricity but is uppose i mean like sometimes my comp will reset if my dad is playing with somethign in the garage or poking a round in a socket and made the elctric flow get intrurpted thats what i mean lol make sure your power is getting inturupted by something lol got there in end

[Whitestuff]

Right, thanks Marshall. I don't think that is it, I've got 3 comps in the room, 2 of which don't restart when this one does.

BTW- My comp did restart again today when playing Windows Media Player...!?! I looked for resource conflicts and didn't find any. I don't think my sound card is conflicting with my video card, but I do think it may have something to do with my power supply. Trying that in a bit, I'll report my results. First I have to try some other virii/trojan scans first. Then the big PSU transplant :(.