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[HELP!!] Win XP reboots sometimes *after* startup [Any Ideas?]

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worstje:
I take it you've vetted your hard drives, checked their S.M.A.R.T. status and have done a surface scan. Likewise, I hope/assume you have looked into giving your memory at least one full cycle of MemTest86(+) tests.

Sysinternals (or was it Winternals?) also has a NotMyFault utility. I can't find it on their website but it is somewhere in their download area. It is a tool to help test the stability of your drivers rather than your memory, so try all the options on it one by one. If it makes your PC crash you know drivers are likely the cause and that you ought to try updating those. Ignore NotMyFault. That one always crashes your PC as it is the entire purpose. I blame sleep for my own misunderstanding.

Also, test the voltages your power supply gives off, especially when being stressed. (Prime95 and some benchmarking tools are nice for that.) A flakey power supply is also a good culprit for instability issues like yours.

tomos:
I take it you've vetted your hard drives, checked their S.M.A.R.T. status and have done a surface scan. Likewise, I hope/assume you have looked into giving your memory at least one full cycle of MemTest86(+) tests.
...
Also, test the voltages your power supply gives off, especially when being stressed. (Prime95 and some benchmarking tools are nice for that.) A flakey power supply is also a good culprit for instability issues like yours.
-worstje (July 14, 2011, 04:46 AM)
--- End quote ---

worstje - you're talking to a noob here - especially when it comes to hardware stuff i.e. I havent a clue how to do anything you list - apart from the mem test, probably.
I have described above what I have done and it unfortunately doesnt include anything on your list. Memtest was the only one already suggested (I think).

Now my problem is, after a seeming okay start this morning (my last post), it crashed again shortly later - without warning, and rebooted. I just switched the power off at that stage. So, it looks like I cant run windows on it.

If you, or anyone else, could give me a tip or two about how to proceed - maybe what to begin with, dont have to spell absolutely everything out, but roughly how & what.
Many thanks in advance


[edit] memtest86+ is running (couldnt get it to work from usb so took a while to get going) [/edit]

tomos:
to summarise:

over the last month, windows often rebooted 'spontaneously' after having just started (usually shortly after the desktop & icons showed - also after start from hibernate). Usually it would then run okay.
Always during the reboot, it checked Partition X which is where the Temp folder is, also where the Page file is (I presume there is some significance to this but guess almost anything could be using the Temp folders...) Partition X is on a second drive. C/windows is on first drive.

Yesterday it escalated - now it either continuously reboots or reboots randomly/unexpectedly - with no errors bluescreen or warnings.

What I've done:

* I tried to create an image (acronis TI) but got message about "MFT Bitmap corrupted on one of the partitions"

* I did a system restore [image restore] to before the problem - restarted okay but crashed again shortly after. Then went into rebooting cycle so I turned off the power. I presume this rules out any of the software updates being the cause).

* Currently running memtest86+ from a CD - first pass is error free [second pass also error free]

edit/ HARDWARE is listed in post #5 above

Stoic Joker:
If memtest86+ got that far without the screen turning red...chances are the memory is fine.

Run this next: Samsung HDD Tool

If the manufacturer's diag give the drives a green light, it's probably the power supply.

tomos:
If memtest86+ got that far without the screen turning red...chances are the memory is fine.

Run this next: Samsung HDD Tool

If the manufacturer's diag give the drives a green light, it's probably the power supply.
-Stoic Joker (July 14, 2011, 11:43 AM)
--- End quote ---

Thanks SJ
I downloaded UBCD for windows earlier and see that that Samsung tool is on it.
I was thinking at this stage, to leave it till tomorrow and get an external drive and copy everything over before I test it. I have all the really important stuff backed up online, otherwise backups are from one HD to the other - and seeing they both bought at same time, they could even both be dodgy

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