From time to time, my computer will suddenly restart itself out randomly, of the blue and without warning or error. How do I stop this from happening?
Some of the things that may cause this behavior are:
- Some part of the power cord or power strip is coming loose or being dislodged.
- The power cord is bad.
- The power supply is failing.
- The system is infected with a virus.
- The computer’s memory is installed incorrectly, or is going bad.
- The motherboard has issues.
Does your computer beep when it attempts to boot up? If so, this is a sign of memory failure. These beeps are actually communicating information to you, so record how many beeps there are, if they’re long or short, and in what succession you hear them. Consult this table of beep codes from pctechnicians.ca for help interpreting what the beeps mean. You’ll need to know what type of BIOS your computer uses in order to read this table – restart your computer and read the information that scrolls along the screen. You’ll see the name of the BIOS, usually either Phoenix, Award or IBM.
If you’re computer isn’t beeping, ensure that the power cord is firmly attached to the rear of the computer and plugged all the way into the electricity outlet or surge protector. If this wire is loose, slight shifts or movements of the computer could be causing the flow of electricity to be interrupted. Next, scan your system for viruses and other malware.
If you’re sure that the power cord is secure at both ends and that your system is not infected, and your computer is still rebooting itself, it’s may still be very likely that your system’s memory (RAM) is installed incorrectly, faulty or about to go bad (or you have a motherboard issue). If you are familiar with the inner workings of a computer, replace your RAM with memory you’re sure works and see if that alleviates your problem. If you’re uncomfortable or not familiar with computer hardware, contact a local retailer with a help counter and ask them if they can test your system. Explain the problem to the support technicians and let them know that you have a possible RAM or motherboard problem. If no such support desk is available in your area, then you’re next option would be to either find a private consultant to check out your machine, or call the manufacturer.
