Computer Automatically Reboots

If your computer is suddenly automatically rebooting, there are a few steps you can take to quickly troubleshoot this problem. The very first thing you should do is make notes on any recent activity you’ve done on your PC. These notes are important in case you need to take your computer to the shop

Why Your Computer Reboots
There are several reasons why your PC will restart itself for no reason. Determining if these are hardware-related or software-related is the first step. Your PC will sometimes give you subtle hints, but more often than not, the user is left frustrated not knowing how to resolve the problem.

Where to begin troubleshooting
The Windows XP Operating System eliminated the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) simply by restarting the PC automatically. Doing this would sometimes solve the problem, but it doesn’t help us with troubleshooting the actual problem. You want to begin by disabling the automatic reboot feature by right-clicking My Computer, then select Properties, then click the Advanced tab. Under Startup and Recovery, click Settings and then remove the check next to Automatically Restart and then click OK. The process is very similar in Windows Vista. If all goes as planned, you should get a Blue Screen of Death when the error occurs. Write down as much of this gibberish as you can and see if it is similar the next time it happens.

Hardware Reasons a PC Will Automatically Reboot
You PC might reboot if there are voltage issues. This can happen with generic power supplies, or power supplies that cannot handle the load requirements of the computer. Multiple hard drives in a PC are taxing on a weak power supply. A dying motherboard can cause this when capacitors blow. Capacitors help regulate the voltage on the motherboard. If they appear to be leaking or bulging, this is a sign of a bad motherboard. The last prime culprit of a hardware issue is bad or incorrect RAM. Since much of the Operating System is loaded into memory, bad RAM can cause crashes.

Software Reasons a PC Will Automatically Reboot
A bad hardware driver is top of the list for software. If you have recently installed a new device, make sure you have the correct and most recent drivers for it by going to the manufacturer’s website. Spyware and viruses can also cause reboots, as they typically attempt to alter the way your PC behaves.

Fixing Reboot Problems
The last resort before taking the PC in a shop is a complete format and reinstall of the Operating System. Most major brand computers will either ship with a recovery disk or allow you to burn one from a hidden partition on your hard drive. If you have a custom PC you will need the Operating System CD and the certificate key (serial number) for that disk. You will also need critical drivers, such as for the motherboard and network card.