Computer problems...

My computer used to restart on it's own randomly....

Now it restarts on it's own when I try to do certain things...
Everytime I get to a certain point, bam it restarts.
Can anyone tell me what is wrong and if possible
how to fix it?

OS: xp pro

Thanks.

Post your dxdiag: Start=>run=>type "dxdiag" => click save all info=> copy/paste text document in reply to this post.

[Keefe]

What things are you doing when it restarts?

[vee_ess]

I had a similiar/same problem. It could happen ever 5 minutes or every 4 hours; completely void of any pattern. What it turned out to be was my fan for some reason. I took off the case fan (disconnected it from the motherboard, actually) and it has never restarted since. Try just having your motherboard, processor, video card and processor heatsink/fan installed and see if it restarts. Add components one by one and try eliminating potential sources like that.

Ahhhh...barebonesing it! I've had to do that before, and to my surprise, it turned out to be the PSU...I'll never buy a cheap PSU again. My computer had that sort of problem when I was using a GF4 Ti4600 and, I guess because of the power draw, pulled that psu to its bitter death. I have since replaced the card and the PSU. I have a Antec TruePower TrueBlue True480. Awsome PSU.

Sorry it took my so long to reply, I was out of town.

Gnogtr,
there was too much in it to reply in here
so I uploaded it to my page, just cliick this link to see.
http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/RoNspage/DxDiag.txt


Keefe,
I am trying to play a game when it restarts,
but sometimes it just does it radomley..



Vee_ess,
I'm not sure that it's the fan, I can still hear the fan going as good
as it did the day I bought the computer. I have only owned the
computer for just under a year.

[vee_ess]

The fan continued to work for me, too, and so I had no reason of suspecting the fan, but one day I disconnected it and it stopped restarting.

Either way, I would take all hardware off except for the core components. You can at least figure out what isn't the problem.

Ok, if I disconnect the fan, the problem *might* go away,
but wont the CPU overheat?

[Jason425]

don't disconnect the cpu fan, they're talking about any extra fans you may have.

But aren't they all there for a reason?

Are you absolutely sure that NOTHING is going to overheat,
or cause any other kind of problem?

Sorry, I just don't want to screw anything up.


Also, I have a fan surrounded by a box in the
back top of the tower...
It has wires running from it to a plug in the motherboard,
and wires plugged into the hard drive...
From the same plug in the hard drive there is also
wires running from it going to another fan in the back middle
of the tower...Which I unplugged..
What should I unplug? The connection to the motherboard,
or the hard drive? Or should I unplug anything at all?


I have 3 fans all together, I unplugged one, the computer
still shuts off...



If you're unable to understand what I am talking about,
I can supply pictures apon request.