[supernoober]

Occasionally, when I'm using my PC, it suddenly and unexpectedly restarts. Theres no warning or error, it acts as if I pressed the reset button. How can I fix this? Is it result of too much multi-tasking?
Thanks

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One can multi-task until the cows come home. It only takes one erroneous program falling over to reset the entire system.

[Neil Jones]

One can multi-task until the cows come home. It only takes one erroneous program falling over to reset the entire system.

[supernoober]

I only have 512 MB ram. Would adding more ram help?

[The Skeptic]

Adding ram will not solve the problem. How often does it happen? Please be aware that there are lots of possible causes to such behaviour both on the software and hardware side. If it happens only occasionally and doesn't bother too much I would leave it as it is because we will probably get into a very long process of diagnosing a problem which is random and difficuly to spot.

[supernoober]

I guess it doesn't happen TOO often, but it's frustrating when it interrupts me in the middle of something such as a game.

[The Skeptic]

Please go to control panel, administrative tools, event viewer. Check under all the items (system, application etc.) if there are any errors which are related in time to restsrt event. Errors are marked in red. If there are such errors please double click and copy and paste the details.

[Neil Jones]

I would argue that if its entirely random, its not happening frequently and there's no real fixed pattern to it, just don't worry about it. Windows is known just to blue screen when its doing nothing. If you do spot a pattern, then its time to worry.

[supernoober]

Please go to control panel, administrative tools, event viewer. Check under all the items (system, application etc.) if there are any errors which are related in time to restsrt event. Errors are marked in red. If there are such errors please double click and copy and paste the details.

Well I went there and under System, there are some errors on Aug 16 and Aug 15 which may be related. The source of all the errors are W32Time. Does that help?

[cmpm]

It would make solving the problem even longer if you don't -

Copy and paste the details.

Right click 'My Computer'.
Click 'properties'.
Click 'advanced' tab.
Startup and Recovery, click 'settings'.
UNcheck 'automatically restart'.

Post any errors and log details next time it happens.

[The Skeptic]

W32 is a service that is related to the synchronization of the computer's real time clock against an external clock. Please do the following:

1: Right click the clock shown at the corner of the task bar. Chose adjust Date/Time. Chose Internet Time and uncheck Automatically Syncronize With an Internet Server. Click Apply and OK.

2: Go back to Event Viewer. Mark each of the items on the menu, Click Action and chose Clear All Events. That will clear the Event Viewer log.

3: If the restart happens again go back immediately to the Event Viewer and report any error which is clearly related to the incidence.

4: Next time, when you report an error, please do as I asked: Double click on the error and copy and paste the details which will show up in your next answer.

[supernoober]

The skeptic, you don't want me to copy and paste the errors I had around the time of the restart? I unchecked automatically restart and disabled automatic synchronization, but doesn't that just regulate the time?

[The Skeptic]

What I want to do is to wipe the old logs in Event Viewer. That will help to make a correlation between the restart and the error message much easier. Just go to Event viewer, right-click on Application and click on Clear All Events. Repeat the procedure to System. Security and Antivirus. As soon as you get a restsrt go to the event viewer and report what errors you see there.

Have you disabled time synchronization like I asked in my previous post?

[supernoober]

Yes I have diasbled automatic restart and automatic synchronization. Should I try to multi-task and run lots of things at once to test ?

[The Skeptic]

Did you have the problem since you disabled synchronization? If yes, did you get any error message related to the occurance of the problem? If yes, double click the error, copy and paste in your next post what is written in Description box.

[supernoober]

Well I haven't had the problem yet but I also haven't been multi-tasking much.