If your computer continuously restarts while running, or if you see the flash of a blue screen before it reboot, then Windows is in a state where the only way it can attempt to fix itself is through rebooting. While this will work with the occasional system crash, it will not fix the issue if there is a drastic hardware or software problem. Instead, your machine will seem to be caught in a loop of starting up, crashing and rebooting. The key to solving this type of problem is capturing the crash message that is flashing on the screen.

Prevent Windows From Rebooting

You can stop Windows from rebooting after a crash by doing the following:

1. Right-click My Computer
2. Select properties
3. Select the Advanced Tab
4. Under Start-up and Recovery, uncheck the Automatic Restart box and then click OK.
5. Reboot the computer

Now when your computer crashes, you should see the confusing Blue Screen of Death along with an error code. You can search Microsoft.com for the exact nature of that code and take measures to resolve it. Depending on the error, you might try rebooting into Safe Mode by tapping F8 while booting and running a System Restore to revert your computer back to a time when it was not crashing. Or you might run the error checking utility in Windows to scan your computer’s hard drive for issues. You might also run a popular program called Memtest86 to scan your computer’s RAM for errors that could be causing system stability issues.

The first step in this process is getting the blue screen to remain on the screen, and preventing the automatic restart is the way to do this. If you need more help in diagnosing your crashing computer please join our free computer forums.

Your hard drive contains all of your important data, like the Windows Operating System, pictures, music, and other data you do not want to lose. Keeping track of the health of your hdd is a dubious chore. Unfortunately, most people do not realize there is a problem before it’s too late and they lose all of their data.

You can spot early warning signs of imminent failure if your hard drive has SMART technology. SMART stands for Self-monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology and will often give you a notice if the drive is experiencing problems. If you see a warning like that at boot, be sure to backup you data and buy a new drive.

Using Third Party Software to Monitor Your Drive

You can use applications that help keep an eye on your drive. HDD Health is one of those aplications. It can give you valuable info about the the disk’s temperature and overall health. It can also give you all of its SMART statistics.

It also shows valuable hdd information, such as the model number, partitions and remaining space.

But unless there is a glaring problem with the drive, there is no way to tell if it is about to fail. In fact, hard drives can fail suddenly and without warning. These tools should be used in addition to the SMART technology built into the drive.

How to Diagnose Problems With Your Hard Drive

Generally speaking, if you begin getting errors or blue screens that you cannot recover from, or if you occasionally cannot boot into Normal Mode or Safe Mode, then your hard drive might be on the way out. Problems will start intermittently and gradually grow worse. If you start experiencing these problems, you can try running chkdsk. Chkdsk will repair errors (if you specify that) and make sure data is no longer written to those areas of the disk. To run a chkdsk, right click the hard drive and select Properties. Under the Tools tab, click Check Now in the Error Checking area. A box will pop up. Choose Automatically Fix Errors and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. You will likely need to reboot before the check begins and it could take quite a while.

Make sure the size of the hard drive appears correctly in the BIOS and in My Computer. For instance, if the drive once reported it was 20 Gigs and now reports as 13 Gigs, there could be a problem.

Listen for strange noises from the hard drive. You have been using your PC for a long time, if the hard drive begins making scraping, churning or any other sounds out of the ordinary, then it could mean the drive’s actuator arm is damaged or perhaps the ball bearings on the spindle are starting to go.

Resolution Summary:

1. Pay attention to any SMART warnings at boot.
2. Use third-part monitoring software like HDD Health.
3. Run chkdsk–error checking under Properties and Tools.
4. Pay attention to the size of the drive.
5. Listen for any strange sounds coming from the hard drive.
6. Backup your data regularly.

We’ve had a lot of very interesting posts in our message board over the years so we decided to list some of the most common ways people have broken their computers in hopes of preventing others from making some of these mistakes. So here are some of ways to break your PC, just in case you wanted to go that route.

Leave it alone for five minutes with your young children.

You think you know what every dial on the monitor does. But when you sit down at the computer after the child leaves, suddenly the screen is yellow, wavy and filled with polka dots. The keys on the keyboard no longer work and the printer is spitting out gibberish. Try to set aside a computer just for the kids.

Flash the BIOS.

We get a lot of questions about BIOS upgrades gone bad. A BIOS upgrade going bad is akin to a brain transplant going bad. While it may sometimes be necessary to update the BIOS, usually you will gain no extra functionality by flashing it.

Just start deleting stuff.

We also get a lot of questions from people complaining their computer is no longer booting. When asked if there were any recent changes to the system, we’ll occasionally hear something like “that program explorer.exe was taking up a lot of space so I deleted it.” Only remove programs via the Add / Remove Programs area of the Control Panel or the uninstaller that comes with the program.

Open Email Attachments.

Opening attachments-even from people you know-can be catastrophic. Worms will use Email attachments to propagate. They use your Email to send itself to everyone in your address book. So it may appear the Email is coming from Sister Susie, when in fact it is a virus. If you receive an attachment from a relative, call and ask them before you open it. At the very least, invest in a commercial-grade antivirus that scans incoming and outgoing Emails.

Move your computer from one side of the room to another.

Seems like a safe thing to do, right? Wrong. While we have discovered no real explanation why this happens, dozens of forum members have written to say that all they did was move the PC from the bedroom to the living room and then it no longer works. Even when taking said computer back to the bedroom it still doesn’t work.

Replace a bad 350 WT power supply with a known good 150 WT power supply.

Enough said.

Download Freeware.

Not all Freeware is bad. But unless you get it from a reliable source, it’s not a good idea to put it on your PC. It’s bad getting spyware and viruses. But when you actually download and install the virus yourself, well that just makes it hurt more.

Hit it.

Despite how good it makes you feel, it’s not a great idea to smack your computer when it crashes or takes too long to execute a task. Computers just don’t understand tough love-it’s a binary thing.

There are countless reasons why a computer will not boot. Typical symptoms for a computer that will not start are a blank screen, a blue screen, a never ending loop of restarting or a PC that is completely dead. Now there are also several reasons for each of those symptoms. Troubleshooting a computer that will not boot up can be a slow process, but if you tackle each of those symptoms, you can quickly rule them out and get to the real problem faster than you think.

My Computer Has A Blank Screen

If your computer starts up, makes hard drive churning sounds, has lights on the panel flash but only displays a blank screen, you could several problems. You need to first confirm that the monitor is powering on and has the cables securely connected to the PC. You might even test the monitor on another PC to rule that out. If the monitor is good, make sure your PC is getting that initoal startup screen where is checks the memory and displays BIOS information. If you do get that screen, try tapping F8 until you see a boot screen that gives you an option for Safe Mode. If you can get into Safe Mode, it could be a video driver issue.

If you cannot get to Safe Mode, we need to next rule of the hardware of the computer. We recommend downloading and burning a Linux Live CD. By booting to a Linux Live CD, this rules out problems with the memory, the video card, the motherboard and most other devices connected to the PC. If you’re able to do this, you likely have a problem with your hard drive or the Windows installation on that drive. Try reinstalling Windows.

My Computer Keeps Restarting

If your PC restarts and gets stuck in a loop of rebooting, this probably means you either have bad RAM, a corrupt hard drive or some other problem within the Windows Operating System. If you want to check your RAM for errors, try memetest86. You can also try booting to Safe Mode by tapping F8 when you first boot the computer. If you can get into Safe Mode, try a chkdsk in Windows. Chkdsk is available in Windows 2000 and Windows XP.  To run a chkdsk, go to My Computer and right-click the drive you want to scan, then select Properties.  Under the Tools tab, you will see a section for Error Checking.  Click Check Now. and make sure the automatically fix errors box is marked. If none of that works, backup any data you can and reinstall Windows.

Computer is Completely Dead

If your computer will not power up at all, you could have a problem with the power supply, the motherboard, the CPU or even the case switch. The first thing you should do is disconnect any external devices–like speakers, printers, scanners, etc. Next, if your PC is plugged into a power strip, try plugging directly into the wall, as power strips can fail. If it still won’t power on, you should test the power supply to make sure you are getting the necessary voltage to the motherboard. If the power supply is good, try bypassing the case switch. If you are still getting no power, examine the motherboard for obvious damage to the capacitors. If they appear to be buldging or leaking fluid, then the capacitors have blown.

In Conclusion

There isn’t much you can do to fix a hardware component except replace it. But if your problem appears to be software related, you can always reinstall Windows if you have a Windows installation disk or a recovery disk from a major brand name like Dell or HP. The key to surviving a problem is to have current backups. Get on a schedule or get a third party service, like Carbonite, to automate the process.

Resolution Summary:

1. Check the monitor to make sure it’s working. Check its cable or test the monitor on another PC.
2. Try a Linux Live CD to rule out most hardware problems.
3. Test your RAM with memtest86.
4. Boot to Safe Mode and try chkdsk.
5. Test the power supply, the case switch and look for signs of damage on the motherboard.
6. If all else fails, reinstall Windows.

Your computer’s power supply is the single most important component in the case. But it’s also the most boring, so when it comes time to skimp on costs, the power supply is often a generic or budget brand. Sometimes this is okay. But often the power supply acts erratic, causes restarts and errors because other components are not getting the consistent voltage they require. If you are experiencing problems you cannot quickly isolate, be sure to test the power supply and rule it out before spending too much money.

Tips on Troubleshooting a Power Supply

Most families have a other computers of similar size. Before you spend money on a tester or a new power supply, you might try just swapping in a power supply you know works. That is the low-tech solution, but it often takes a lot of extra effor that people aren’t willing to expend.

Buy a Power Supply Tester
You can buy a power supply tester for relatively cheap. While a multimeter is a better overall solution because you can use it for other things, a power supply tester is a fast and easy way to tell if the PSU is good.

Check For Proper Voltage
Check the voltage setting on the back of the power supply. While this is not likely the problem, just confirm it is set correctly for your region. If the computer was recently moved, it’s possible the switch was moved. 115v is typical for the United States.

Make Sure Power Supply Fan is Working
If you have an older PC, you should make sure the fan on the power supply is working. If it’s not, you need to replace the power supply immediately. You can sometimes blow them out with compressed air, but if it is not spinning at all, the power supply must be replaced.

Is the Power Supply Powerful Enough?
Lastly, you should make sure your power supply is rated high enough for your needs. If you built the system a few years ago, you have probably added extra hard drives, a more powerful graphics card and maybe some new RAM. Make sure your power supply has enough voltage to handle it all. Try this Power Supply Calculator.

Resolution Summary:

1. You can swap out the power supply with a known good one.
2. You can buy a cheap power supply tester.
3. You must make sure all necessary power supply connectors are attached.
4. Check the voltage setting in the back of the power supply and make sure it’s set for your region.
5. Make sure your PSU fan is working.

The motherboard is the one component that connects to every other component on the motherboard. For that reason, it is alos one of the hardest to troubleshoot in the PC. As with most troubleshooting techniques, you must approach this process logically and rule out any devices you can right away. You should quickly be able to eliminate external power issues and external devices. It’s only once you rule those out that the process becomes harder. Typical symptoms of a bad or dying power supply are constant reboots, USB ports not working or the system simply not powering up. Unfortunately, those same symptoms can be directly related to the power supply, as well.

Troubleshoot Power Issues First

When trying to diagnose a bad motherboard that will not power up, you must first eliminate the power supply. If you do not have a multimeter, you can buy a stand-alone power supply tester for relatively cheap. If the power supply checks out okay, make sure you are plugging the computer directly into a working outlet and not a power strip. Lastly, you can bypass the case switch to eliminate that as a possible cause.

Remove Unnecessary PCI Cards

As part of the process of elimination, you must remove any non-essential PCI cards, such as a dial-up modem, network card, USB ports, sound cards. If the computer suddenly starts up with those cards out, you can put them back in one by one until you find the defective card. If the computer still doesn’t power up, set the cards aside. You should also unplug the hard drive, floppy and CD drives and their respective IDE cables. Also, be sure to unplug any unnecessary USB devices, like the keyboard and mouse, a printer, scanner or external hard drive.

Look For Physical Defects on the Motherboard

A common problem with motherboards are leaking capacitors. Capacitors help regulate voltage and when they fail, they will often buldge and leak. Capacitors look like tiny soda cans and there are often several on a motherboard. If you do not see any bad capacitors, lift the computer and give it a gentle shake. Listen for any screws that may have come loose and work their way between the motherboard and case. This can cause a short that prevents the computer from booting.

Resolution Summary:

1. Eliminate the power supply and power strip first.
2. Check the case switch.
3. Unplug all unnecessary devices
4. Look for physical damage to the motherboard.