Restart problem

Hi Dan!

I just reformatted my computer last week. And I did it all by mylonesome! I'm really quite proud of that, but I think I boo-booed somewhere.

For no apparent reason at all, my computer has since restarted by itself. 3 times, all while I was online.

I have reinstalled my zonealarm, and the newest version of Ad-Aware by not an antivirus yet. I also installed the latest version of msn messenger which I'd not had before, but msn recommended it if I want to use messenger.

So, my question is, do you have an idea as to why the unwanted restarting? It's really a pain.

Are you using Windows XP?

Hmm, it's only doing it while you're online, Lynn? Can you kind of pinpoint when this behavior started?

If it's only doing it while you're online, I'd almost have to think it's ZoneAlarm, but I can't be entirely positive about that.

Have you done all your Critical Updates as well?

To rule out a virus, even though you do not have your antivirus installed yet, you could go to housecall.trendmicro.com and do a free antivirus scan there online. (If you can stay online long enough.)

It's possible, though that perhaps Zonealarm had a glitch in the install initially, and is causing that behavior.

I'd try first make sure you have all your critical updates for Windows. Then, do the antivirus scan. If that's clean, try pulling Zone Alarm out and see if that works. You could try reinstalling it to see if it was just a buggered install. Or, if you want a different one, you could try the free personal one from Kerio.

I hope this helps...

Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns...

~Dan

Thanks for replying... :)

I have only had the restart 3 times, and I am online every morning and sometimes at night, like now, so it's not like it is constant, but enough to tell me that something isn't quite right.

I could uninstall then reinstall zonealarm, but after I posted this I got to thinking about something.... msn messenger. I had installed a newer version one other time. Last year I believe it was, and eventually had to uninstall it because my computer acted up. It would cause freeze ups. I'd forgotten all about that until well after posting this thread. Have you ever heard of something like that?

Also, maybe you can tell me how to do my updates? I'm not really sure on how to do that.

Oh, my os is ME. I'm always being told that it is not very good or reliable. I could go to XP, but would you recommend doing that?

Okay, I'm preparing for that scan right now as I type.

This has been happening to my mother and several other people I chat with online. But they all have XP. :eek:

I have XP but it hasn't happened to me *yet*

Let us know if you find any sure cause/solution because I think my mother has tried just about everything and it still shuts off when she's online.

Good luck fixing it.

Seems like a weird pattern with the XP and zonealarms stuff, but dont discount hardware either especially if you never see any error messages.
I'd try and leave it running all day long (first while not online and then while online) and see if and when it restarts? Just a suggestion.
Sometimes we tend to think in terms of a really complicated cause when it could just be overheating fan/power supply or motherboard.
Although, I had a PC back in the day that would either start up if it was off, or turn off it it was on when my phone rang---OoOoOOooOOOOOoOO!!! :D

Hi Lynn...

You have ME? You have my condolences...*LOL* To do the Windows Updates...you can go to your Start Menu....and then, up at the top of your Start Menu there should be an icon to do "Windows Updates." Or.. just go to windowsupdate.microsoft.com and follow the on screen instructions.

There are three components to the updates. Critical Updates, ME Updates and Driver Updates. Make sure to check all the categories, because I know when Windows 98 SE came out...there was a patch to fix unexpected shutdown/restarts.

As for MSN Messenger messing things up. It's possible. I know the new version can be a resource hog. You could try uninstalling it and see if that fixes things.

That kind of also leads into the other thing I wanted to mention. You talked about is going to XP recommended. Well, pretty much anything is better than ME. And XP, I really like. However, it needs a decent computer to run. In order to make a good recommendation, I'd need to know your computer specs. Like Processor Speed, how much RAM you have, hard drive size.

But yes, it is possible that MSN could be causing it. When a computer that doesn't have many resources, uses a program that needs alot...it can cause the computer to go, "OH CRIPE!! TOO MUCH ON MY BRAIN!! REBOOT! REBOOT! CLEAR ME OUT!"

*LOL*

Hope this and what everyone else said, helps!

~Dan

Alrighty then.... I've done all my updates now. Thank you Dan, for that advice. Makes me wonder why the good folks at Dell never mentioned that to me on the several occasions I've called in for help on things. For the first time in 2 years I can now do a system restore!! Believe me, that has been a problem all along.

My computer has only 128 mb of ram. My processor ~ Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 1300MHz GenuineIntel ~1296 Mhz
And I'm assuming my hd size is 32.2 GB, if I looked in the right place for it. As you can see, I have an oldie.

I uninstalled the messenger... which I discovered was a mistake since I couldn't get online after that, so I restored to the point I made right before uninstalling it. It's very annoying. I'll remove it from my start up, but next time I turn on my computer, there it is!! I've never had anything so intrusive as that messenger is.

And another thing, not one time did my computer restart itself when it was gone. I think I'll look for an older version.

Nessa, that was a good thought..... I do have automatic updates, but as to whether they automatically restart, I don't know. Is there a way to change that?

Ravenglow, I took your advice and while offline as I was doing some paperwork, I suddenly noticed the computer restarting. This was before I removed messenger. After removing it, it didn't do that, but of course I didn't give it much time, just a few hours, and I left an unfinished solitaire game on just in case, while I went outside for awhile. If when I came back in and the game was gone then I'd know the computer restarted again.

Also, we are on dial-up, and don't own any cellphones, so that rules out the electromagnetic field thing.

So Dan, I'm assuming that I don't have enough space to go with XP instead of ME. I've heard it requires more space than what I have, but haven't checked into for myself.

Thanks all you guys, for helping.
:)

when I got my "old" crappy coputer up and "running" again. (It had been turned off for almost a year) that very same thing happened to mine. My brother who are a computer geek thought it was a hardware virus so he took it in and deleted my operttive system (XP) and installed 2000 instead. But still the comp keep rebooting...
The problem turned out to be simular to what Dan said only:
"TOO MUCH DUST ON MY BRAIN!! REBOOT! REBOOT! CLEAN ME!"

'ello Lynn...

Really, the bottleneck for your computer is your memory. With only 128 meg of memory...that is a very small bottleneck. So, when you get alot of things loaded onto that machine...and by loaded up, I mean up and running....it's going to bog it down and it will need to "shake the flea's off"...and it's way is rebooting.

Actually, the hard drive size is just fine. Considering that computers I build for side work clients, I put in a 40 gig drive. So you're good there.

If you wanted to put XP on, the problem would be 128 meg of memory. That's really too low for XP. The minimum that I would even consider for XP, would be 256 meg of memory. And even that, would be pushing it slightly. But, I think it would work decent with 256.

Just out of curiousity Lynn...is the computer giving you any warning at all it is going to reboot?

Oh, and about the Automatic Updates? I believe you can shut them off if you go to the Start Menu...and then the Control Panel. I believe there is a place in the Control Panel that has an "Automatic Update" icon. Click on that and I believe you can turn them off.

Hope this all helps!

~Dan

It most certainly does help. Your 'bottleneck' explanation makes sense to me.

One of the things I was going to do with my income tax return (besides pay off a couple bills) is buy more RAM. Is there anything else you think would help? Do you think it would even be worth it? Just so you know, I'm a big game addict. I have both BG1 and BG2 and all the expansions. I have NWN's and all those expansions as well, plus PST, Divine Divinity, and IWD2. Since reformatting, I've not reinstalled any of them until I get this current problem ironed out.... (my gut feeling is it's that damn messenger :rolleyes: )

jt, I just recently had all the dust blown out of the pc... we bought a can of air and blasted clouds of dust out of it! Wild....

Nessa, lucky butt. I think that's the same one I was looking at with longing in my Dell book just the other day.

You guys are swell.

'ello Lynn...

How did those games run before you reformatted? Did they run decently well?

Sometimes, what a person has to look at...is...is one upgrade worth it, when compared to potentially buying a whole new system.

And that is especially true when you're talking about a computer that can be used for gaming. With gaming, there are three very important pieces of hardware to consider: Memory, CPU Speed, Video Card.

For alot of games, 512 of memory is recommended. And as for Video Card, 128 meg card is recommended. Your CPU, while still pretty good of course is nowhere near what even entry level gaming systems are considered now.

Basically...what I would do is look at how much you would be paying to upgrade your system. Then, go and find a computer...like from Dell. See what that costs. Then compare the two. If the cost of that memory is like a third or half of what the entire new system would cost? Perhaps it would be better to not touch that money....and save it, save some more and buy taht new system when you do have the funds.

Tomorrow morning, I'll check in one of my recent PCGamer Magazines...and I'll post the specs of what they consider is a entry level system. This is a system that they bought the parts for and that they built themselves. It just gives you a little reference point.

As another reference point...I was able to build a friend of mine a decent computer for around 400-500 dollars.

~Dan

BG2 and IWD2 both ran good... the others slowed down terribly after about 15 minutes of playtime. I had to restart then reload. I always just figured it was because I lacked enough RAM, although I've had a few folks tell me I would also need a new graphics card.

We bought our 2nd computer for $700 last year, also from Dell, and less than half what I paid for mine 4 years ago :confused: and we can play all games on that one. Only thing is, it's not mine! This one is.

It seems a shame to can this one though. One of the reasons I chose this one, and I admit I didn't know much about computers at the time, was because it was upgradable. I guess I have a lot to learn.

I appreciate your taking time to look into things for me. And your honesty.

Oh it's no problem at all, Lynn! I enjoy helping people!

I found, out of my PCGamer Magazine, what they considered an entry level system. I'm not going to list all the parts, but it will give you an example. All Totaled up, this system cost them rougly 750 dollars. They went with an AM Athlon XP 2400+ and that is clocked at 2.0 ghz. However, it's supposed to be comparable to a 2.4 ghz Pentium. THey put in 256 meg of memory, I'd double that personally. They had in a DVD Rom drive, a 60 GB hard drive and an ATI Radeon 9600 Pro 128 MB video card.

They added a monitor in there, but I doubt you would have to.

So, as you can see....you actually got a good deal with that Dell Machine you purchased Last Year. W/o knowing what all type of hardware is in that one, it does appear you got a good deal.

And no, it's NOT that you have alot to learn, Lynn. The problem is, technology changes so fast! And along with that, architecture changes fast as well. It's like...you may be able to upgrade that machine. You could possibly put a faster CPU in it. How fast? That I don't know...that's up to the motherboard. You'd have to find out what motherboard it is and do research to see what the max it would handle is.

The problem is, as the chips got faster...they changed the motherboard architecture. So, the chip in my system, for example, probably wouldn't work in your system.

So no, it's not that you have alot to learn, it's just...these things change so fast! And an upgradable system, anymore...just can't keep up it seems, these days.

And actually, you woudln't even need to can that one. You can still keep it! And you can still use it! No need for it to go to the graveyard

I did a bit of checking too Dan.... including checking out the Athlon you mentioned. I don't really know all that much about it... or about brand names. Thank goodness though, my bf knew more about what you are talking about and he did some shopping at this place here... Newegg.com (http://newegg.com/) Have you heard of it?

Maybe you can tell us exactly what to look for in a motherboard, why some are only $55 while others are $200+. Obviously the one is better, but why? What do we need to know?

Anyway, we thought it might be a good idea to just go ahead and rebuild mine. We made a list of what we'll need, found everything right there at newegg and it will cost me less than $400. Even if it cost me $500 I'd find it a good deal.

Well, if there's a way to save this computer by giving it this overhaul, I'd rather do that than buy a completely new one.

Lynn,

I'm VERY Familiar with NewEgg. That is where I purchase most of my parts from...for my own computer and for my client's computers. I have NEVER had a problem with them...and if something comes to me faulty, there is NO problem in RMA'ing...and, it ships to you FAST.

One thing you have to do, is make sure you get a motherboard and CPU combination that are compatible. There are places out there, that you can buy combo's...what it is, is you choose the CPU speed you want...and when you choose that, you'll get to pick from a list of things including motherboards (these are sure to be compatible), fans, heatsinks, thermal paste, as well as whether you want them to "test" it (this includes them assembling the CPU onto the motherboard and testing it to make sure it functions correclty)

One such place is pcboost.com which is where I got my board/cpu combo from and where I got two other combo's for computers I've built for others.

The reason you see such a price difference, is because of the board's architecture and what it comes with. Some of those boards are geared towards the 64 bit CPU's and are geared towards gamers need's. The cheaper one's? Well, you may get what you pay for. Sometimes, you get a nice surprise. The more expensive boards will come with PCI Express slots, a relatively new technology that comes at a pricey downside, because the PCI Express Video cards are REALLY expensive. They may come with other bells and whistles that you may not need. You don't want the most expensive board, but again, you may not want the cheapest.

You'll want to make sure that the motherboard you buy, though will be compatible with whatever CPU chip you are purchasing as well.

The brand I like to go with, is MSI. I've had MSI boards for years and have never had a problem. Another is Asus. Stay AWAY from ECS and PC Chips as well as Syntax boards...they are HORRIBLE boards.

The BEST thing to do, though...is to take your time when building your own system. Do not just rush out and buy the parts. Do some "window shopping"...write down names of boards and other pieces of hardware you want to purchase. And then, research them online. Look for reviews by sites such as Tom's Hardware and ANanTech...both reputable review sites. If other reviews are out there, make sure they look like thorough reviews, not just one paragraph long. While you may not understand everything it talks about? Look at the game tests (Frames per second, FPS) as well as the Conclusion of the reviews.

I say do research, because there is no worse feeling than either buying something that is not compatible with other parts you are buying, or with purchasing something and finding out later that it has the performance of a tick-laden hound...if ya know what I mean. *LOL*

I hope this helps some more! If you have any questions, Lynn...please feel free to ask them, and I will do my best to answer them!

~Dan

You are such a genius Dan! I wish you were fixing my computer, I know it'd run great.

I'm going to show this to my bf and since he is smarter about this stuff than I am, he'll understand what to look for.

I am so glad I asked you about the motherboards. Do you mind if I show you our shopping list when we finally get it all ready? Just in case something doesn't jive?

I have a feeling it's going to cost me more than I thought, lol, but oh well! As long as it's worth it.

Thanks Dan!

No, I don't mind at all, Lynn! *smiles* I'll take a looksy!

It shouldn't cost you too much...under 700, I would venture. My rig at home cost 1200. And I was on a self imposed budget! Of course, like 150 of that went towards 5.1 surround sound speakers for my computer...*LOL* And another 100 was just the case itself.

Good luck in shopping for parts! I'm sure you'll do just fine, Lynn! *smiles*

~Dan

Alrighty!! *big grin*

Here's my shopping list...

1. EVGA Nvidia GeForce #128-A8-N319-LX
2. ASUS #P4V8X-X
3. Geil #GE512PC3200B
4. Celeron D processor #BX80546RE2400C

So, if you think there is anything that needs changing, or something that should be added, please let me know. It was fun shopping! :)

The sooner this is done the better, imo. I had another surprise restart right before signing online. Joy!:D

Hey Lynn!

I took a look at what you have listed and everything appears to be on the up and up!

I was wary of the Celeron at first. At one point, the Celeron had a very negative connotation with it. Basically, it's the same as a Pentium chip, however it is slowed down. The reason, is to keep prices down. It allowed the consumer to buy virtually the same chip, but at a lower cost and it is slowed down a bit...

For YOU, though I don't think this is going to be a problem. While you play games, I don't think you play intensive games that this would cause a problem. Not to mention, you are trying to do this on a budget of sorts...

And after reading some reviews of it on Newegg, it appears to perform pretty well!

Everything else...the Video Card, the motherboard and memory...appear to be real good! Geil is good memory....as I've known others to use it and they are pleased with it!

I think you and your bf did REAL GOOD, Lynn! ANd yes, it is fun shopping! And wait until you go and build it! *LOL*

I take it you are using your current computer case? If you are using it...there are two things you will have to look at...

Make sure the panel on the back of your new motherboard (where all the I/O ports are)...is the same configuration as your old one. What I mean by that...make sure it's *around* the same configuration. There will be some slight differences...and they will provide an extra new I/O panel to place in. However, if they are TOTALLY different...you may have to purchase a new case. (It's hard to explain in words, sorry!) Also, you will want to open up your current computer and see what type of power supply is in it. Make sure it's at least a 250/300 watt powersupply. 250 watt is pushing it, I believe. 300 or above is preferable.

Other than that, Lynn? I do believe you are good to go! *smiles*

Awesome job!!

~Dan

Thank you Dan! *hugs* You've been so very helpful. I love your advice and your enthusiasm.

Well, soon as our income tax return comes back we'll be happily shopping. I'll let you know how it all turns out!

I am wondering if the problem was MSN Messenger. Because. I have a windows 2000 5.00. It is a Dell Optiplex GX400 Intel Pentium 1.70Ghz 261,136 KB Ram Capacity. 55.8GB. I installed a new 6.2 Msn Messenger as I kept getting a message that I couldn't continue without installing it. So I did, and followed instructions to a tee. Now, when I start up the computer, (DSL) on a Netgear wireless from my son's computer, The MSN Messenger pops up in the tray but I continue to get the box coming up which says I can't continue without installing this new Messenger. I click no It asks me if I was to go to the web site I click no. But later when I am typing and not looking at the screen, the same box will pop up and I hear a ping sound. I look up and it is trying to download the messenger again. I click cancel, I get asked again if I want to go to the website. I click no, and this happens a numberof times every evening. Should I delete the whole thing and try to start over? If I do that, will I lose all my contacts on it?

Thanks, BTW my son teaches computer , built my computer and I am having one other problem.

Silver,

I think you are getting that message because 6.2 is now outdated. If I remember correctly...version 7.0 is out of public beta testing and they are now releasing it to the public. So, that may be why you are getting that notice often.

~Dan

Thanks Dan, I will see if that is it.