Random Reboot

csmager

csmager

csmager

Soldato
Joined
30 Dec 2003
Posts
5,770
Location
London
I use my desktop as an MCE box in my room - basically just for watching TV, Video, listening to music etc. Nothing strenuous.

Over the last few days it's started rebooting randomly - in the middle of a song, video, at the start of something, and also when I opened a PDF. Completely random.

CPU temp was 68 degrees when I checked in the BIOS (it's an Athlon XP 2400+). As far as I remember when I threw it together, it was nearer 50 degrees. But nothing's changed in the last month, and 68 is still below a thermal cutout.

When it boots again, it says 'System Recovered from a serious error'. I'm currently running memtest, but no errors as yet.

Any other ideas?
 
Try cleaning the heatsink. With increased humidity due to the weather likely hood that the heatsink on the processor will be clogged up with unusual crap you thought you'd never see.

Give that a good clean and whole case whilst your at it and see if that works :)
 
I had a check inside the case to see if eXSBass was right about the high temps - there was an unbelieveable amount of furr on the heatsink. Temps have come down from 68 to ~50 ish now. I upped the fan controller about 100rpm too.

Running memtest again just to make sure.

And is there a way to run Memtest through windows or were you posting from another PC?
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I think there is a memtest for windows, but no - I was running the DOS one and posting from my laptop. I only use my desktop as a Media Center PC. Just a glorified TV really.
 
csmager said:
Running memtest again just to make sure.
Click to expand...
And 100% through another test and zero errors this time. Far better, it seems. Evidently excessive heat was the cause of the abnormalities.

I'll leave it running for another pass just to make sure though.
 
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