My computer is a 4 year old machine
Windows XP
Pentium IV 2.4 GHz
2 x 256MB RAM = 512MB
NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 440 with AGP8X graphics card
I have not added or taken out any hardware since getting someone to build it for me 4 years back, so, technically speaking, everything should work the same as before. This random rebooting and locking up problem started happening right around September. I would be doing something as watching YouTube or replying emails and it reboots. Or I'd leave the computer on to download a file, and the next morning, I'd see a fresh window without the programs I ran the night before, so, another random reboot. Sometimes, it would just lock up, and I am not able to CTRL + ALT + DEL my way out, so I have to shut down manually by pressing the start up button for 5 secs or so... I am now running on a loaned "new" hard disk (as though a reformat), with my old hard disks unplugged... still reboots or freezes. So, I'm assuming that this rules out hard disk failure.
There have been a couple of occasions whereby the computer reboots itself, CPU still running but monitor is on standby, not showing anything.
I know it's not software or virus, so it HAS to be hardware, but where do I start? My friend has recommended me to change a new motherboard. I suspect (after reading up on it) that it would most probably be the video card problem, but I don't know how to go about testing one by one without having to buy something new and killing my pocket on the way. A little help?
Confused and bemused,
JessCC
Edited by Jessica Ooi, 07 November 2007 - 12:50 PM.