Please help! My PC continually restarts itself

[Leaf]

Not... much... time. I'll try and explain quick, but first I'll submit this topic then edit.

Edit -

Ok. I have a Packard Bell Windows XP. I thought it had been making some strange noises lately, but that may be my imagination. But I think it's whirring a lot louder than it used to.

It always restarts itself. And then oneday, it actually got rid of my wallpaper and replaced it with some sort of error message, complete with a button that I could press if I wanted to restore it. I tried it but it said errors on page or something. And especially ever since then it's been a restarting fest.

Pleease help me. What do I do? My life revolves around this machine at the moment.

Thanks.

[Leaf]

Oh and also, in advance, please can you try and make your advice as simple as possible? Sorry, I'm a tech dunce. Thanks!

[Dias de verano]

Take it to a repair store. Or buy a new one. That whining sound suggest hardware failure.

[programming_pat]

do you have a warranty on your computer? if you do then you may be able to get it repaired or replaced for free

[ale52]

If you do take it in for repair then back up any data you've created.  Unless you tell them to make a backup most likely they'll just replace the drive and reinstall the OS.

Alan <>< 

[Leaf]

Thanks guys.

That sounds like the best bet. This morning the problem is as bad as ever.

Do you know how long it takes to repair hard drive failure? I'm hoping not to be out for to long you see!

[programming_pat]

max of 1 day, but there may be a que of computers in for service so it may take  longer. to replace the hdd it would take them about 10mins but they will prob need to install an operating system and make sure evrything works

[SevenLZ]

If you haven't already taken the computer in for repair, there may be some steps you can take to determine and correct the actual problem.

Usually, when a computer continually restarts itself, it is because an option deep inside your system was selected by default that tells your computer to restart when you blue screen.

To De-select this option and retreive the blue screen error codes (which will help identify the problem)
Go to Start Menu -> (Right Click) My Computer -> Properties -> "Advanced" Tab -> "Settings" Button (Under Startup and Recovery near the bottom of the panel) -> "Automatically Restart" Checkbox (Under System Failure near the bottom-middle of the page)

The notable difference will be, instead of restarting, now your computer will blue screen. Record the error at the top of the screen, and any hexidecimal numbers (they look like 0x0FBD123) on the page in the order that they appear, and re-post them in this thread. These numbers will allow us to discern the source of your system failure.

[Leaf]

max of 1 day, but there may be a que of computers in for service so it may take  longer. to replace the hdd it would take them about 10mins but they will prob need to install an operating system and make sure evrything works

Phew that's reassuring.

If you haven't already taken the computer in for repair, there may be some steps you can take to determine and correct the actual problem.

Usually, when a computer continually restarts itself, it is because an option deep inside your system was selected by default that tells your computer to restart when you blue screen.

To De-select this option and retreive the blue screen error codes (which will help identify the problem)
Go to Start Menu -> (Right Click) My Computer -> Properties -> "Advanced" Tab -> "Settings" Button (Under Startup and Recovery near the bottom of the panel) -> "Automatically Restart" Checkbox (Under System Failure near the bottom-middle of the page)

The notable difference will be, instead of restarting, now your computer will blue screen. Record the error at the top of the screen, and any hexidecimal numbers (they look like 0x0FBD123) on the page in the order that they appear, and re-post them in this thread. These numbers will allow us to discern the source of your system failure.

That sounds great, SevenLZ. What happens after it blue screens, should I just take a note of the codes then switch off?

[cryhelp]

That whining sound suggest hardware failure.  Unlikely,that any kind of program fix will correct or improve the whinning.

[SevenLZ]

A whining sound could be something as non-system critical and easily replaceable as a fan, its best to isolate the problem before you decide to spend money on the solution.

[SevenLZ]

Yes, after a blue screen you'll have to turn the power off manually. This will not damage your computer, as the processor has already received a HALT instruction at this point.

[Leaf]

Ok I've got my first blue screen. It mentioned things about 'have I recently installed new hardware or software, and was it installed correctly' etc.. It also said:


IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL


*** STOP: 0x0000000A (0x000000, 0x00000002, 0x00000000, 0x804EF42F)


Is that making any sense to you?

Thanks!

[naresh.techie]

HI

Symptom:
Every time I get on line I get an error message that states "This system is going to shut down, save all information. This shut down was initiated by NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM ......windows must restart because the remote procedure call (RPC) service terminated unexpectedly." What does this mean and how can it be fixed?

Solution:
You have the MSBlaster worm. To remove it, perform the following tasks:

The following instructions are in three parts:

1. Stop it from running
2. Remove it from your system
3. Make sure it doesn't come back

Before beginning, if you have an always-on internet connection, it's a good idea to disconnect it.

1. Stop it from running:

Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to bring up the Task Manager, then on the Processes tab, click msblast.exe and then "End process." Reply "Yes" to the warning message that comes up.

This stops the worm from running, so your system will not shut down. However, it doesn't remove it, and if that's all you do, it will start up again the next time you boot.

2. Remove it from your system:

A. Start the registry editor program, regedit, by going to Start>> Run, and type: REGEDIT  [Enter]  Navigate to HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Run by clicking the plus signs next to each of the folders in the left hand pane. When you get to the last of them, Run, click the word Run itself. In the right pane of the resulting window, find an entry called "Windows Auto Update". Right-click it and delete it.

B. Go to Start> Search. Search in all files and folders for msblast, delete all files found.

You should have successfully removed the worm from your system. If you do not take necessary steps to prevent future infections, it could come back just as easily as it did the first time.

3. Make sure it doesn't come back:

A. Make sure you're running a firewall that prevents worms like this from getting in. You can enable the built-in Windows XP firewall, or download and install another one such as the free version of ZoneAlarm. To enable the built-in firewall, go to Control Panel, double-click Networking and Internet Connections,
then click Network Connections. Right-click your connection, then click Properties, and on the Advanced tab, click the option "Protect my computer and network..."

B. Be sure to use a good anti-virus program and that you update the definitions on a regular basis

[cryhelp]

A whining sound could be something as non-system critical and easily replaceable as a fan, its best to isolate the problem before you decide to spend money on the solution.

Makes sense, bushing beginning to bind slowing down fan and causing heat increase which would also be one of the myriad reasons for:  IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
*** STOP: 0x0000000A (0x000000, 0x00000002, 0x00000000, 0x804EF42F)