WinXP suddenly reboots without warning etc. Is my HDD about to fail?

Hi -

My WinXP machine is acting really weird. Of late, its started to
freeze outright, and sometimes it suddenly reboots itself as though
I'd hit the reset button. It even happened for the third time tonight
while I was typing this message (fortunately, firefox's restore
profile recovered this half completed message -- I kid you not). My
colleague thinks the HD is on its way out.

Thanks,

- Olumide

"Olumide" <> wrote in message
news: ps.com...
> Hi -
>
> My WinXP machine is acting really weird. Of late, its started to
> freeze outright, and sometimes it suddenly reboots itself as though
> I'd hit the reset button. It even happened for the third time tonight
> while I was typing this message (fortunately, firefox's restore
> profile recovered this half completed message -- I kid you not). My
> colleague thinks the HD is on its way out.
>
> Thanks,
>
> - Olumide
>

Turn off 'reboot on errors' in admin tools and check the event viewer.

In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage Olumide <> wrote:
> Hi -

> My WinXP machine is acting really weird. Of late, its started to
> freeze outright, and sometimes it suddenly reboots itself as though
> I'd hit the reset button. It even happened for the third time tonight
> while I was typing this message (fortunately, firefox's restore
> profile recovered this half completed message -- I kid you not). My
> colleague thinks the HD is on its way out.

HDD is quite unlikely. More likely CPU/mainboard/memory/PSU
issues. Can be hard to debug.

Arno

I would think it might be a problem with the ram. This happened to me
last spring on a dell laptop. The computer would just frreze. Then
it would not even finish POST. I found that one of the sticks of ram
was defective and after a replacement everything worked fine.

Here is what you can do:
1. get memtest86+ and test your ram repeatedly.
2. get prime 95 and run a torture test.

Then try swapping your components i.e. processor, ram, psu, whatever
else.
If you have a friend with a working computer you can get him to help
you and spend several hours with this swapping/testing procedure.
Then I am sure you can trace the problem easily.

Unless it is a software problem. Check the error logs first, or else
it would be a pain to spend all that time testing hardware when in
fact it might have been a spyware infestation or something of that
sort...

In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt Olumide <> wrote:

>Hi -
>
>My WinXP machine is acting really weird. Of late, its started to
>freeze outright, and sometimes it suddenly reboots itself as though
>I'd hit the reset button. It even happened for the third time tonight
>while I was typing this message (fortunately, firefox's restore
>profile recovered this half completed message -- I kid you not). My
>colleague thinks the HD is on its way out.
>
I'd suspect memory or PSU problems first.
Try pulling off and reseating your drive-cables first.
(If that works, replace them.)
Try reseating the memory next.
Then try running Memtest86+
Finally try a known-good Power-Supply.

--
_____
/ ' / ™
,-/-, __ __. ____ /_
(_/ / (_(_/|_/ / <_/ <_

Thanks everyone. I have run memtest86+ for over 2 hours, without
error. I quit the test after I realized that the same tests were bing
repeated over and over again.

:-| (scratches head)

Olumide <> wrote:
>Hi -
>
>My WinXP machine is acting really weird. Of late, its started to
>freeze outright, and sometimes it suddenly reboots itself as though
>I'd hit the reset button. It even happened for the third time tonight
>while I was typing this message (fortunately, firefox's restore
>profile recovered this half completed message -- I kid you not). My
>colleague thinks the HD is on its way out.

In theory, any faulty part can cause it but the most common
culprit is PSU problems. Since you already tested memory, next
is to swap PSU and see if the problem goes away. Buy a PSU in
a local large store so you can return it if the same thing continues
with the new PSU. Esle, keep it.

DK

In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage Olumide <> wrote:
> Thanks everyone. I have run memtest86+ for over 2 hours, without
> error. I quit the test after I realized that the same tests were bing
> repeated over and over again.

> :-| (scratches head)

For a not too often happening error, I would recommend running it
at leat 12 hours. I once had a weak bit in an Infineon module, that
was found abter about 40 h runnung memtest86+. That one caused
about one error a day in a computing server in practical operation.

Arno

On Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:44:09 -0700, Olumide <> put finger
to keyboard and composed:

>Thanks everyone. I have run memtest86+ for over 2 hours, without
>error. I quit the test after I realized that the same tests were bing
>repeated over and over again.
>
>:-| (scratches head)

If you have more than one memory module, try removing them one at a
time, or two at a time.

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

DK <> wrote:
: Olumide <> wrote:
:: Hi -
<snip>

: <<Buy a PSU in
: a local large store so you can return it if the same thing
: continues with the new PSU.>> Esle, keep it.

That's quite the ethical advice, punk.