PC Restarts Without Error

GhostRunner521 · Apr 3, 2014

For quite sometime my PC would restart without supplying any sort of error in the Event Viewer. This happens at random times, sometimes in a game, sometimes just sitting at the desktop with nothing open.

Recently it has begun to happen much more often. I thought to try new RAM so today I removed the old RAM and put in two brand new sticks. Brought the computer up and within about 4 minutes it restarted itself. Again nothing in the event viewer.

Currently I am installing Windows 8.1 on a second partition just to see if it's related to some OS files. Is that a bad idea?

What sort of tests should I run? Could it be a problem with the OS? Here is the PC I am using.

HP e9260f

techgeek · Apr 3, 2014

Usually problems with the OS give errors and are logged in the Event viewer whether they are OS or application related. Since you've eliminated RAM, I would say it's likely the PSU.

techgeek · Apr 3, 2014

Usually problems with the OS give errors and are logged in the Event viewer whether they are OS or application related. Since you've eliminated RAM, I would say it's likely the PSU.

GhostRunner521 · Apr 3, 2014

techgeek :

Is there anything I can do to test the PSU with some sort of software? I ran MemTest for hours and it did not reboot, would the PSU not make it reboot in that situation?

techgeek · Apr 3, 2014

It's possible if it were really bad, but Memtest isn't too stressful.

If your power supply is failing, if you put it under extreme load, it should trigger a restart very quickly. Something like Prime 95 small FFT's would do.

I forgot to ask, what are your temperatures like? Overheating problems can cause spontaneous reboots.

GhostRunner521 · Apr 3, 2014

techgeek :

What should I check temps with? As for the Prime 95 you mentioned I have been running that for half an hour or more now without a reboot.

techgeek · Apr 3, 2014

There are a couple programs you could use. HWMonitor is simple. HWiNFO is more advanced with a lot more detail. AIDA64 is also good and them demo gives you access to most of the features.

I should have asked this before, can you provide us with your system specs? Motherboard, CPU, RAM, PSU, etc.

GhostRunner521 · Apr 3, 2014

techgeek :

Do I need to run these programs for awhile and then give you the output, or just run it once and post it?

The specs are listed in the link in my initial question for the HP i have.

techgeek · Apr 3, 2014

Sorry forgot that you posted the link to your system.

You want to monitor your temps while running Prime 95. Let it run for 10 minutes and report the maximum temp you see for your CPU cores and motherboard. This will give us some idea if there is a thermal problem.

GhostRunner521 · Apr 6, 2014

techgeek :

So on Thursday I moved the computer to another room in my house. And for some reason that alone made it restart less, but still does it. It did it once Saturday morning and then was up for the rest of the day, played games on it, it sat idle, no reboots. This morning I was looking at google maps checking some directions and it rebooted. I ran the prime 95 for 10 mins and here is the output.

a44arana · Apr 6, 2014

If you are not getting a bsod error, check the event viewer for a kernel error. this could indicate a failing power supply. only real way to test a power supply is to get a new supply and see if the restarts continue. i had this same issue on a brand new build, and turns out it was the power supply. i replaced it with a better brand and the problem stopped.

My original problem was restarts with no bsod and only when playing graphic extensive games. Try running Unigine Heaven for 15minutes to 1 hour on extreme HD preset and see if it triggers the restart.

http://unigine.com/products/heaven/

the temps look fine, so im going with the first answer and betting on the psu failing.

GhostRunner521 · Apr 6, 2014

a44arana :

I played Elder Scrolls Online on it for over three hours last night on fairly high settings with no problem.

a44arana · Apr 6, 2014

i was able to play for hours too, but in the end the power supply was the problem.

eso is optimized with geforce experience so this could be why you could play it for longer.

techgeek · Apr 6, 2014

Well you CPU isn't overheating. I think it's your PSU. There isn't really a way to test the power supply. If it were fairly consistent, and regular, you could try and use a multimeter and measure your rails at the time of failure. Since your reboots are random and infrequent, it would make it very unlikely that you could catch it.

If you don't have a spare, or someone who you can borrow one off of, then you may have to bite the bullet and buy one. I've been down this road myself. However when you've tried all the things you've tried, they next most likely culprit is the PSU and for me, it was what my problem was.

a44arana · Apr 7, 2014

i had this problem, and ended up replacing my RAM, GPU, and was about to change CPU but decided to try PSU 1st and problem solved.

what is your psu model? How old is the PSU you have now? they can start failing even when brand new.

GhostRunner521 · Apr 10, 2014

The problem happened again a couple times this morning after running fine for a couple days. Can someone look at the link above to my machine and recommend a good PSU that will fit. Will any work? Or is the HP a particular size? Thanks.

GhostRunner521 · Apr 10, 2014

techgeek :

I ordered this one here http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371044 is it a good one?

techgeek · Apr 11, 2014

That power supply is decent. According to the list on Tom's its a Tier 2A which states it's a decent supply. It's rated for 650W, so it should be plenty of power for your system assuming you haven't changed your system in the link much.

As for fitting, the size is standard for width and height, the only thing you have to worry about is length. This supply will extend into the case 6.1", so it's not an overly long supply. If you're worried, just take a quick measurement from the back of your case to 6.1 inches back from there, as long as nothing is in that space, your OK.

a44arana · Apr 11, 2014

GhostRunner521 :

good luck

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