constant restart

[ok4life]

OS = XP pro
MB = MSI K8N neo4

The system restarts when you attempt to boot normal, safe mode (w/ net, cmd prompt), and last known good configuration. The systems boots normally when you select disable restart on system failure. So I then go to look for a minidump there is none I checked the setting it is set to generate a small mini dump = %systemroot%/minidump just like it is supposed to. I then went to the event log to see if something is logged in there. There nothing that would cause a restart the only thing logged is normal notifications no errors.

I ran a bitdefenders online virus scan with no infections I will be running housecall and probably another online scan or two in order to rule that out.


What else could point me in the right direction I am kinda lost?

 

[gbhall]

Disable restart on system failure is absolutely the right setting - anything else makes tracing an error a complete nightmare.

Many times, unexpected restarts are hardware problems. Try running your system hardware checks (thorough ones please) starting with "run chkdsk /r", then hard drive, memory and CPU

 

[Tmagic650]

I would also suspect a power supply problem

 

[ok4life]

By the bios 1 of the voltages were low. I believe it was the 12v+ reading @ 11.3 - 11.5. Also we were running DUAL channel (2 x 1gb) corsair XMS3200 400MHz CL2 memory the system was crashing and corupting data. Windows couldn't even complete an install with that configuration I singled the two down two being 1 bad stick of memory. however it never would test bad w/ memtest86. I am going to get a new PSU and two new sticks of memory on the way monday.

(Hopefully they will warranty out the equipment)

 

[ok4life]

Disable restart on system failure is absolutely the right setting - anything else makes tracing an error a complete nightmare.

Many times, unexpected restarts are hardware problems. Try running your system hardware checks (thorough ones please) starting with "run chkdsk /r", then hard drive, memory and CPU

The issue is when I disable it, there is no crash dump or an event log that shows why it would reboot the system runs great when disabled. and when it is enabled the system restarts on normal boots? I am going to change some hardware then test and see what happens.

 

[russ]

If you have a copy of a Live cd (like Knoppix or Puppy Linux) you may be able to rule out memory, motherboard, cpu, as being a problem (if the livecd boots okay).