Windows 7 - Random Reboot

Pallaris · 9 Nov 2009 at 15:58

Recently Built an i7 workstation. Everything running great apart from this random reboot problem i've been having. First off I should state the hardware i'm running:

Silverstone FT01 case
i7 920 2.66ghz
Gigabyte EX58-UD5 Intel X58 Motherboard
Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB
Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB
6GB Corsair XMS3 (3x2GB) DDR3 PC3-10666C9 1333MHz
Nvidia Quadro FX3800
BeQuiet 650watt PSU
LG GH22NS40 DVD±RW optical drive
Windows 7 64bit Home Premium

Everything is running at stock - I loaded fail safe defaults in BIOS to be sure.

At least once a day the computer will randomly reboot itself. Happened 4 times so far, once when I was transferring data across from a external drive the internal 1GB. Once when the PC was entering 'sleep' mode and two other occasions the computer was just idling at the desktop. All 4 occasions have happened without prior warning.

A quick look at the event viewer reveals no application problems although I am seeing the following 'Critical Error' in the Administrative Events each time this has happened:

The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.

with the following in the XML view:

- <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
- <System>
<Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power" Guid="{331C3B3A-2005-44C2-AC5E-77220C37D6B4}" />
<EventID>41</EventID>
<Version>2</Version>
<Level>1</Level>
<Task>63</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x8000000000000002</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2009-11-08T18:02:28.003613100Z" />
<EventRecordID>7094</EventRecordID>
<Correlation />
<Execution ProcessID="4" ThreadID="8" />
<Channel>System</Channel>
<Computer>Mimi</Computer>
<Security UserID="S-1-5-18" />
</System>
- <EventData>
<Data Name="BugcheckCode">0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter1">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter2">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter3">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter4">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="SleepInProgress">false</Data>
<Data Name="PowerButtonTimestamp">0</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

In the case of the error where the PC was entering sleep mode:

- <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
- <System>
<Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power" Guid="{331C3B3A-2005-44C2-AC5E-77220C37D6B4}" />
<EventID>41</EventID>
<Version>2</Version>
<Level>1</Level>
<Task>63</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x8000000000000002</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2009-11-09T14:35:16.471614000Z" />
<EventRecordID>7763</EventRecordID>
<Correlation />
<Execution ProcessID="4" ThreadID="8" />
<Channel>System</Channel>
<Computer>Mimi</Computer>
<Security UserID="S-1-5-18" />
</System>
- <EventData>
<Data Name="BugcheckCode">0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter1">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter2">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter3">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter4">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="SleepInProgress">true</Data>
<Data Name="PowerButtonTimestamp">0</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

Another thing i've noticed is If I try to force the computer to sleep and then wake it up, Windows resumes fine but the following error is present in the event viewer:

The platform firmware has corrupted memory across the previous system power transition. Please check for updated firmware for your system.

with the following XML

- <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
- <System>
<Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-HAL" Guid="{63D1E632-95CC-4443-9312-AF927761D52A}" />
<EventID>12</EventID>
<Version>0</Version>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>0</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x8000000000000001</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2009-11-09T14:38:59.819206200Z" />
<EventRecordID>7853</EventRecordID>
<Correlation />
<Execution ProcessID="4" ThreadID="2640" />
<Channel>System</Channel>
<Computer>Mimi</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
- <EventData>
<Data Name="Count">2</Data>
<Data Name="FirstPage">9</Data>
<Data Name="LastPage">57</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

I'm stumped at the moment... i've googled the error and (especialy event ID 41 - Kernel Power) and a fair few people having similar issues (could be unrelated). No real solution though.

I have updated my mobo drivers from Gigabytes Webste (Realtek Lan and Audio drivers were the ones I updated - the Gigabyte Sata driver I didn't think was necessary as i'm not using any of the gigabyte controlled Sata ports - blue ones on my board).

I've ran memtest (windows and the propper one) for extensive periods, no errors found. gpu-z throws up no obvious problems. I've sat and used Maya for hrs on end without any glitches. CPU idles at 24c at the moment so cooler/thermal paste seemed to have been installed/working correctly.

Anyone have any suggestions?

thanks for your time.

Pallaris · 9 Nov 2009 at 16:14

Thanks for your input, I did see that as a possible fix, unfortuntaely it's happened twice since I disabled the 'automatic restart' on system failure, no blu screen, no error message.

I should also mention there are no minidumps or any kind of logs in the my system folder for this propblem. Just cold random reboots.

Pallaris · 9 Nov 2009 at 19:33

Are there any apps that can stress test your computer? I've been out of the PC loop for a while, I remember there being something like this. I want to know if the power supply is playing up.

Pallaris · 9 Nov 2009 at 20:18

grabbing it now.

Pallaris · 9 Nov 2009 at 22:06

Been running prime 95 torture test for over 2 hrs it seems... I have no idea what its doing to be fair but It seems to passing all the tests. Not sure if its been going long enough to show up any probs but i've stopped it for now.

I have noticed one thing, the way the RAM is setup in my BIOS using the BIOS defaults is no where near what it's rated at.

i.e this is what I have http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-164-CS&tool=3

supposd to be 1333mhz @ 9-9-9-24 rated at 1.5v according to corsair. My Gigabyte EX58-UD5 has the RAM at 1066 and the timings are all different.

I'm guessing this is wrong? Could this be causing issues?

Pallaris · 17 Nov 2009 at 20:54

UPDATE - Well after some extensive testing I have nailed this problem to being a power supply fault. Actually when I consider the symptoms (random reboots, failure to come out of sleep more etc) this made sense and the disturbing noises that it was making pretty much sealed it for me. Not suprisingly I found someone else who had the exact same problem:

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18014687highlight=quiet+buzzing

So I call overclockers, explained the problem, the person on the phone told me it was pretty much a dead cert of a power supply issue from having heard the problem. So I RMA it and immediately order a Corsair HX unit on the same day.

Corsair PSU arrives, fitted it, ZERO problems every since. No random reboots, no pig squeeling noises, no sudden shutdowns. So, thats it then. No dramas.

Problem now is, Overclockers reckon there's nothing wrong with the PSU and is being sent back to me with testing/shipping+vat charges. According to the tech there is nothing he can do for me, and the problems i'm having must be down to an 'incompatibility' with the PSU and the rest of my system.

Could this PSU 'incompatibility' really be true? I heared of motherboards and certain types of memory not playing well with each other, but a £100 + standard ATX power supply ... is there something i'm missing here?