Member Avatar for SarahH

Hello,

Every time I restart my computer, or turn it on after a shut down, it gets as far as the blue login screen where you choose your user, then it reboots. Sometimes it will do it 2 or 3 times, other times it goes up as high as 10. Usually it stops doing this when I manually hit the reset button, but sometimes not.

I have windows XP Pro, Service Pack 1 with most of the updates.
Any ideas?

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As described, the machine reaches the user-selection/login screen and then reboots repeatedly. Earlier replies from , and correctly point at memory, drivers and power as common culprits. The fastest way to narrow the cause is to force Windows to show the actual failure (a STOP/blue‑screen) and then use targeted hardware tests and log inspection.

On boot use F8 and choose "Disable automatic restart on system failure" (not Safe Mode) so the STOP code and any driver filename remain on screen. That single line (STOP code + driver) often identifies whether the crash is a driver, service, or hardware fault. Also try "Last Known Good Configuration" from the F8 menu as a quick check.

Hardware checks (follow warranty cautions): run a bootable memory tester such as Memtest86 from CD/USB and let it complete several passes. Test each DIMM alone and try different slots—errors that only appear with one stick or slot point to bad RAM or a bad memory socket. Boot with a minimal configuration (one stick, onboard video, disconnect nonessential drives and PCI cards) to see if the fault clears; swapping in a known-good PSU or RAM is the definitive test for power/RAM problems.

Software/log checks: boot Safe Mode and inspect Event Viewer (System/Application) for errors at the crash time. Uninstall any ISP/USB modem drivers or recent network/filter drivers (this could explain the DSL->cable coincidence). From Recovery Console or Safe Mode run:

chkdsk /r
sfc /scannow

Enable small memory dumps and inspect files in %SystemRoot%\Minidump with a debugger (or tools like BlueScreenView) to correlate the STOP code with a driver. If the STOP code names a driver, roll back or remove that driver; persistent, unexplained crashes after these tests usually mean failing RAM or PSU.

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Member Avatar for bentkey

There are a number of things that could cause this. Bad memory is right at the top of my list. But try starting in safe mode to see if it's a bad driver or other software issue. To do this, start tapping the F8 key as soon as your computer starts up. Keep tapping it until you get a black safe mode menu screen and choose "start in safemode". If you can reliably boot this way, then it is a software problem if not, it can still be a software or hardware problem.

commented: Good suggestion. +1
Member Avatar for mikeandike22

Yeah bentkey is probably right with the memory thing. open up your machine and take out the memory and put it back in. If it still doesn't work then one of your memory sticks is bad and needs to be replaced. if you have a warranty you can call up and get some new ones for free. Only do this if you cant boot into safe mode.

If all else fails and you have no other options then the power supply might not have enough power in it to give to your machine. If this is what is happening your computer will slowly die (it happened to me and after at first the computer would just shut off after an hour or so, then thirty minutes, then it would just boot and shut off). Your computer manufacture will probably give you a new computer dell gave one to me (it was even better then my first everything was upgraded).

So consider those things but like i said if you can boot into safe mode then you dont need to try any of those things

Member Avatar for Mike Feury

Sarah, has your PC always done this, or did it run fine until recently?

Can you remember making any changes shortly before this started happening, eg installing new hardware or software?

Member Avatar for SarahH

Not really no...however, I just moved my computer and switched from DSL to Cable, and it doesn't seem to be doing that weird reboot thing. Maybe the DSL was doing something weird to my computer?

Member Avatar for bentkey

Maybe the DSL was doing something weird to my computer?

That would be highly unlikely.

Member Avatar for saran

This is maorly caused when some device driver does not match or not properly configured.

you should update your drivers if you use any new hardware, and possibly there is chance with your memory also going bad. check it.

Saran

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