# Computer restarts by itself



## peter912

What would cause a computer to restart by itself ? Is it a momentary power glitch perhaps ?


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## johnb35

Anything in particular you are doing when it restarts?  Look in event viewer for any errors.  Look under windows logs under system or application.


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## peter912

Nothing in particular, just browsing the internet

Event Properties- Event 41, Kernel Power
System has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first
Error could be caused by if the system stopped responding ,crashed or lost power unexpectedly

So this is what I suspected that it was a momentary loss of power due to a hydro glitch, when the hydro goes off for a millisecond . I don't think it has anything to do with my computer does it ?


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## Darren

That event just is saying the computer wasn't shut down correctly. If you yanked the power cord out or held down the power button to force shut off it would tell you the same thing. You need to see if it threw any events/errors right before that.


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## peter912

Darren said:


> That event just is saying the computer wasn't shut down correctly. If you yanked the power cord out or held down the power button to force shut off it would tell you the same thing. You need to see if it threw any events/errors right before that.



Where would I see this "events/errors" before the shutdown. Why do you suspect that it wasn't just a power glitch ?


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## johnb35

What is make and model of power supply?  How old is it?


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## peter912

johnb35 said:


> What is make and model of power supply?  How old is it?



This is a desktop computer, less than one year old . It's internet modem is almost brand new, it's called Rogers Ignite from my internet service provider.


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## Darren

That is not a power supply...

Power supply is the box inside your actual computer that converts power from the wall plug into usable power for the machine (bunch of cables running from it and where the cable from the wall plugs in). 



peter912 said:


> Where would I see this "events/errors" before the shutdown. Why do you suspect that it wasn't just a power glitch ?


You can sort event viewer by time so just scroll through and see what preceded the power event error.


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## serve2000

The error sounds like a hardware issue.  Can you tell us more about your hardware specs?


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## peter912

I unchecked the automatic restart under Start Up and Recovery . The computer hasn't restarted since then, however it didn't restart too frequently before this.This is a Dell Inspiron computer and it was manufactured on Jan. 28, 2017 . I bought it on April 1 2017 so it must still be under warranty. From previous experience I know that when a customer calls them (Dell) ,they like to have  the owner take apart the computer and try and fix it before they authorize a computer technician to come out. It is not a pleasant experience to go through.


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## serve2000

I've done that more than a few times with Dell when a company I worked for switched over to them for all the desktops.  It's annoying but they do actually come out if you run into dead ends...which is much nicer than dealing with shipping.


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## Totally_Lost

peter912 said:


> What would cause a computer to restart by itself ? Is it a momentary power glitch perhaps ?


Your computer has become self-aware. It will only get worse, trust me.






Before anyone says anything, yes, I realize - two separate movies.


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## peter912

Update: I experienced another random restart, since I unchecked the automatic restart, in start up and recovery. So I called Dell because the computer is still under warranty. What was done is that the Drivers were updated by remote . The Dell advisor felt that this would correct this problem and if it happens again then I am to contact Dell again. Would not having up to date drivers really cause a random restart to occur ? I thought that the PSU would have to be replaced to correct this issue ?


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## johnb35

Its not necessarily the power supply.  Could be a short somewhere.  This being driver related is minimal I think. Could be ram or hdd related as well.


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## peter912

Apparently this random restart seems to be an issue with Windows 10, from what I read on the internet ? Luckily it doesn't happen that often


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## Totally_Lost

I have two desktops. One is an Acer that I bought, which was originally built in Thailand. *If* I had it plugged directly into mains power, and *if* it were shut down at the time, it would start after the power were restored. Not sure why it does this. It just does. (We have power cuts here, quite frequently.)

My other desktop would not do it. I keep the Acer connected to a UPS, so power is never disconnected from it.

EDIT:

Afterthought: It may also be a setting in the BIOS, for some machines?


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## Eduardo96

It is a miracle that a computer works. It has millions of pieces and many layers of PCB. You need to be really specific about how it shutdown and when it happened. It is very unlikely to happen because a Windows fail


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## peter912

Eduardo96 said:


> It is a miracle that a computer works. It has millions of pieces and many layers of PCB. You need to be really specific about how it shutdown and when it happened. It is very unlikely to happen because a Windows fail



It is not a " Windows fail" It seems to be an issue with Windows 10, the computer restarts after it does a windows update . I just got off the phone with Dell and they couldn't find any fault with the computer. I think that he even said that it seems that this is occurring when an update is installed . Maybe Microsoft will find a fix for this problem . The only strange thing is that I have had the computer for one year now but it is only recently the it has been doing this, maybe there haven't been updates to Windows 10 till now and that's why the problem is recent. I think it even said on the internet that this started happening after the Creator's update to Windows 10 .


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## johnb35

Windows 10 won't restart itself after an update is downloaded until it asks you if you want it to restart.  And its not a windows 10 issue, definitely a hardware issue.


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## Eduardo96

peter912 said:


> It is not a " Windows fail" It seems to be an issue with Windows 10, the computer restarts after it does a windows update . I just got off the phone with Dell and they couldn't find any fault with the computer. I think that he even said that it seems that this is occurring when an update is installed . Maybe Microsoft will find a fix for this problem . The only strange thing is that I have had the computer for one year now but it is only recently the it has been doing this, maybe there haven't been updates to Windows 10 till now and that's why the problem is recent. I think it even said on the internet that this started happening after the Creator's update to Windows 10 .


See my laptop is a Dell inspiron 5555. It was with problems when it was bought, didn't loaded windows. That was in April 2016.We had to call Dell and they told us how to reboot. Some time after I needed to partition the disk and it lose all partitions and I had to erase all and repartition the drive, losing recovery. So, the best solution we know in my country and the one that really works. Format, install windows, use DriverPack (very good) and now I'm writing you without any problem. Be radical.


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## johnb35

Eduardo96 said:


> use DriverPack


You do realize that most driver update programs are malware or include malware along side them?  Windows 10 will install most drivers anyway.


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## Eduardo96

johnb35 said:


> You do realize that most driver update programs are malware or include malware along side them?  Windows 10 will install most drivers anyway.


Windows 10 do that with a fast internet connection. In Cuba we don't have that benefits. I was doubting like you. But started to use DriverPack almost 5 years ago since version 12 and never had a problem, I can assure you. Just be sure that it's drivers are supported by the OS.


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## Darren

Basically any software that installs drivers for you is garbage and causes more problems than it fixes. Windows 10 handles most of it, and anything else should come directly from the manufacturer.


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## Eduardo96

Ok Ok man, but we dont have normal Internet in Cuba. It is hard to understand. We have to rely on drivers packages. Just test it. There is no need to open the DriverPack program, only unpack the rar with the driver and install it via Device Manager. Windows 10 install a good audio, network and etc drivers but lack some auxiliary software and control panels as well as video drivers. I can list all the system I have built using DriverPack.


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## peter912

johnb35 said:


> Windows 10 won't restart itself after an update is downloaded until it asks you if you want it to restart.  And its not a windows 10 issue, definitely a hardware issue.



So how would someone determine which hardware is causing this ? If it is a hardware issue then why is Dell always updating my drivers when I call them instead of sending out a technician to replace whatever part is causing this ? Also I read that on the internet, that it is a Windows 10 problem and that Microsoft is working on finding a fix for this. I am planning on contacting Microsoft as well about this .

I wanted to add that looking on the internet I find so many posts of users complaining of this very problem, after they updated to Windows 10.  I used Windows Update Trouble Shooter and it recommended deleting and reinstalling all Windows Updates to fix this problem. I did do this so I will see what happens. It is depressing to already have problems with a computer that is not even one year old and still under warranty. A family member told me to buy a new computer but if it is really a problem with Windows 10 then the new computer has Windows 10 also. The only good thing is that this occurs very infrequently making it bearable to put up with it.


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## peter912

peter912 said:


> So how would someone determine which hardware is causing this ? If it is a hardware issue then why is Dell always updating my drivers when I call them instead of sending out a technician to replace whatever part is causing this ? Also I read that on the internet, that it is a Windows 10 problem and that Microsoft is working on finding a fix for this. I am planning on contacting Microsoft as well about this .
> 
> I wanted to add that looking on the internet I find so many posts of users complaining of this very problem, after they updated to Windows 10.  I used Windows Update Trouble Shooter and it recommended deleting and reinstalling all Windows Updates to fix this problem. I did do this so I will see what happens. It is depressing to already have problems with a computer that is not even one year old and still under warranty. A family member told me to buy a new computer but if it is really a problem with Windows 10 then the new computer has Windows 10 also. The only good thing is that this occurs very infrequently making it bearable to put up with it.



Update: I just experienced another random restart. This means that nothing that Dell has done so far by remote access has fixed this problem.


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## peter912

johnb35 said:


> Windows 10 won't restart itself after an update is downloaded until it asks you if you want it to restart.  And its not a windows 10 issue, definitely a hardware issue.



The computer is still under warranty, so what should I do , what should I say to Dell ? I am not knowledgeable enough about computers to determine what has to be replaced . Should I call a computer technician ?


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## johnb35

If you don't want to spend the money yourself then you will have to contact dell again.  The first thing i would try is a different psu even borrow one if you have to for awhile.


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## beers

This is a long thread to say if it's still under warranty, get them to replace it.  A lot of places try to buy time with you in the warranty period and then claim that it's not covered anymore.


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## peter912

beers said:


> This is a long thread to say if it's still under warranty, get them to replace it.  A lot of places try to buy time with you in the warranty period and then claim that it's not covered anymore.



I just got off the phone with Dell. They spent over one hour updating by remote and were adamant that it is not a hardware problem  but I have no idea how they determined that. He said that the computer hadn't been updated for 2 years. That's strange though because the computer was manufactured Jan.28, 2017. Anyways it is still under warranty till May 12 so I have no choice but to keep calling them back as long as the problem persists . At the present time it is possible to live with this problem because it restarts very infrequently, not even once a day.


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## peter912

I just received an e mail from Dell that my problem has been fixed and the case closed. I replied to them that time will tell, because it happened so infrequently ,that it will take several weeks to determine if the computer stops doing this , randomly restarting.


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## peter912

NOT FIXED ! They , Dell , have attempted to fix this random restart at least three times now . It just occurred again so I can only conclude that this problem can't be fixed by remote . It appears that the moderators on this board are right and that it is a hardware issue . So how long is Dell going to give me the run around and get  to fixing this problem ? Since the computer was bought in a store and not directly from them, I think they won't send a technician to my house and expect me to take it in to the store where I purchased it. I don't want that because I would like an in home service . Well I'll wait and see what happens when I contact them again about this.


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## johnb35

Unless your warranty specifically says in home service, they won't send anyone.  I would find a dell authorized service center and call them, explain the issue saying you called dell many times and they supposedly updated drivers but won't do anything else.  Give them warranty details and see if they can do anything for you.  Other than that, you'll have go to local repair store and have them diagnose it.


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## peter912

johnb35 said:


> Unless your warranty specifically says in home service, they won't send anyone.  I would find a dell authorized service center and call them, explain the issue saying you called dell many times and they supposedly updated drivers but won't do anything else.  Give them warranty details and see if they can do anything for you.  Other than that, you'll have go to local repair store and have them diagnose it.



Hello,

 I just got off the phone again with Dell. They ran diagnostic tests and updated what needed updating once again. I asked how he could tell that it is not a hardware issue such as the Power Supply . He replied that if it was a problem with the hardware then he would see it when he did the diagnostic test, is this true ? This random restart happens so infrequently, sometimes days go by and it doesn't happen . This is the reason that I don't call out a technician . If it is a hardware issue then why is it so infrequent ?


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## johnb35

Because computers are finicky.  I'm having a weird issue myself.  My pc just freezes up at intermittent times.  Not even once a day.  I could go a few days in between the times it does it.  It did it today. Its a hardware issue and its something his diagnostic test can't test.  My best guess is that its a failing psu.  You can't test that in remote assistance.  It has to be physically tested.


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## beers

I'd just demand a replacement since you've sunk so many hours into tshoot.


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## peter912

beers said:


> I'd just demand a replacement since you've sunk so many hours into tshoot.



I just received an e mail from Dell asking if everything is "ok" now and if they can now close the file on this . I replied that everything is not ok and that 5 remote sessions  have failed to correct the problem . I asked if they can authorize an in home service call now to test the hardware in the computer to see what the problem is and what needs to be replaced in the computer. It's not an urgent problem because it happens so infrequently. I can wait it out but if it was more urgent then I would call instead of sending an e mail.


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## peter912

I just received an e mail from Dell . They want to speak with me on the phone concerning my request for an in home service call . I don't know if this means that they will agree to this . I guess that I will have to wait to find out . I will keep you informed on the situation.


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## peter912

Well I spoke to them on the phone. She wanted me to ship the computer in to them to get repaired and said it will take a few weeks to get back. I said NO , i'm not going to be without a computer for that long a time. Now I got her to agree to send someone out to my house . She suspects the hard drive but I am very reluctant to replace that because then I will lose all my data. I am hoping it is something else that needs to be replaced. Now I have to wait to be called to set up a service call.


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## johnb35

Back up any important data to an external drive before they arrive to be safe but I doubt its the hdd.


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## peter912

johnb35 said:


> Back up any important data to an external drive before they arrive to be safe but I doubt its the hdd.



Yes, this is what is causing me anxiety. You doubt it is the hdd and yet that is the part that they have shipped to be replaced . So if it isn't the hdd then that means that I will lose everything for nothing, such as my bookmarks for instance. I could buy an external drive before they come out but I don't know how to transfer from the computer to the external harddrive. Once I tried it and there was nothing on the external harddrive . What should I do ? Should I just cancel the service call and wait till it gets worse before doing anything ? Should I let the technician come out but I am not happy about replacing the harddrive, especially since you say that it is not what is causing the problem in the first place ?


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## johnb35

I doubt its the hard drive, didn't say i'm sure its not the hard drive.   Copy and paste your data.  What browser do you use?


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## peter912

johnb35 said:


> I doubt its the hard drive, didn't say i'm sure its not the hard drive.   Copy and paste your data.  What browser do you use?



Firefox


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## johnb35

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/export-firefox-bookmarks-to-backup-or-transfer


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## peter912

johnb35 said:


> https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/export-firefox-bookmarks-to-backup-or-transfer



This was a success, thank-you . Now is there any way to save passwords to web sites or are they stored on the RAM and not the harddrive ?


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## johnb35

Use firefox sync.  I just built a new system and had sync enabled on old system and enabled it on new and logins and passwords were saved. 

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-do-i-set-sync-my-computer

However, you should keep a separate list like in word, notepad, wordpad of all your logins in case disaster strikes.


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## peter912

johnb35 said:


> Use firefox sync.  I just built a new system and had sync enabled on old system and enabled it on new and logins and passwords were saved.
> 
> https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-do-i-set-sync-my-computer
> However, you should keep a separate list like in word, notepad, wordpad of all your logins in case disaster strikes.



 I have logins and passwords written down on paper but it is a hassle to look for it . This "sync" transfers it to another device, such as a smart phone, but really I wanted to put it in the computer in another place other than the hard drive. Is this possible ?


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## johnb35

Do you have a USB flash drive?  You can save the file there and then restore it later.  As far as sync goes, once you log into sync it automatically syncs everything. It's a simple process.


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## peter912

The technician called me and said he will be here in the next two hours. I doubt that I will let him install the harddrive that he is bringing with him. He said that I have to reinstall Windows . Well that is the deal breaker because I can't reinstall Windows. I told him to come out anyways to at least determine what needs to be replaced. Maybe its not even the harddrive ?


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## johnb35

Dell will usually give you a drive with an image on it.  It will go through the installation process when you turn it on.  Just like when you buy a new PC. And even if you had to reinstall windows, it's not hard.


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## peter912

johnb35 said:


> Dell will usually give you a drive with an image on it.  It will go through the installation process when you turn it on.  Just like when you buy a new PC. And even if you had to reinstall windows, it's not hard.



The technician just left my home a few minutes ago. So here is the 411 . He brought a blank harddrive with him but he did not have a USB drive so he couldn't install it because it would render the computer useless. Anyways he said that all hardware in my computer is working good. Dell headquarters now thinks that the problem lies with windows and that it needs to be reinstalled but that I would need to buy a 16 GB USB to do this. So what do you make of all this nonsense ?


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## peter912

Thank-you Dell, NOT ! I took your advice and reinstalled windows and lost everything. I can't even access my e mail. I should have just left everything alone. All Dell did was cause me a great deal of anxiety, I can't access anything anymore.


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## johnb35

If you use a third party program for your email, that would have to been backed up before reinstalling windows.  Installing a fresh windows will wipe everything, thats why I told you to back up any important data first.  I wished we had a better answer for you.


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## peter912

Was it even necessary to do this and the Computer reinstalled Windows by itself. I looked it up on the internet how to do this.


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## Darren

Take it to a shop, you're in over your head from the sounds of things and Dell is gonna just keep jerking you around.


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## peter912

Why should I take it to a shop if the technician said that there is nothing wrong with the computer ? How can I get the computer to go back to before I did this windows reinstall on the internet or is this not possible ? I liked it the way it was before .


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## johnb35

If you reinstalled windows, you can't go back to the way it was.


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## peter912

johnb35 said:


> If you reinstalled windows, you can't go back to the way it was.



I also lost my search bar with firefox, how do I get it back ? So many little problems , it is the fault of the technician who Dell sent out . It would have been better if he never came here. He did nothing other than to give me advice that messed everything up .

Update: I got my search bar back.


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## johnb35

You can always use the address bar as the search as well, thats what I do.  It's not the technicians fault.  Did he reinstall windows?  You did.  Everybody knows if you reinstall windows you'll lose everything unless you back it up. However you could have did the reset your pc method and could have saved your programs and files.


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## peter912

johnb35 said:


> You can always use the address bar as the search as well, thats what I do.  It's not the technicians fault.  Did he reinstall windows?  You did.  Everybody knows if you reinstall windows you'll lose everything unless you back it up. However you could have did the reset your pc method and could have saved your programs and files.



 The technician did absolutely nothing. He claimed that all the hardware was working fine and then he called Dell and they said that windows needs to be reinstalled. He did not reinstall Windows because he said that he only had a blank harddrive with him and that would render my computer useless. So he left taking the blank harddrive with him. After he left that's what I did , reset the pc method. When I buy my next computer in the future, should I stick with Dell, go with another brand, or it doesn't make a difference ?


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## johnb35

Since you aren't really good in troubleshooting, you better stay with something that gives you a decent warranty. Most tech guys like myself build their own.  The reset pc should have given the option to keep your data and programs.


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## peter912

johnb35 said:


> Since you aren't really good in troubleshooting, you better stay with something that gives you a decent warranty. Most tech guys like myself build their own.  The reset pc should have given the option to keep your data and programs.



Yes , I clicked on "Keep my files" but it still deleted most of my desktop icons


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## peter912

Well after two weeks of silence it happened again. The computer restarted on its own again. this shows that Dell is incapable of fixing this problem because they don't even know what causes it. It really isn't that bothersome as long as it doesn't get worse in the future ? The hardware technician that came out to my house ,that Dell sent, said that it is not a hardware issue.


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## Darren

peter912 said:


> Well after two weeks of silence it happened again. The computer restarted on its own again. this shows that Dell is incapable of fixing this problem because they don't even know what causes it. It really isn't that bothersome as long as it doesn't get worse in the future ? The hardware technician that came out to my house ,that Dell sent, said that it is not a hardware issue.


To be fair, if your issue is that intermittent it's pretty damn hard to track down the issue. The tech isn't gonna camp out at your house until it happens again and as a former tech I can tell you, if we don't see the problem or any evidence of it, there's nothing we can really do. Sucks that it's crapping out on you but can't entirely fault Dell if they never see it happen.


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## peter912

Darren said:


> To be fair, if your issue is that intermittent it's pretty damn hard to track down the issue. The tech isn't gonna camp out at your house until it happens again and as a former tech I can tell you, if we don't see the problem or any evidence of it, there's nothing we can really do. Sucks that it's crapping out on you but can't entirely fault Dell if they never see it happen.



but evidence can be seen looking at the events log, it shows the times that it occurred. It doesn't really bother me as long as it doesn't get worse and starts doing it every few minutes. My last computer had the "Blue Screen of Death" but that's not why I traded it in. It had Vista and support stopped for it, so I got this computer which has Windows 10.


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## johnb35

I would start by trying a different power supply.


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## Darren

peter912 said:


> but evidence can be seen looking at the events log, it shows the times that it occurred. It doesn't really bother me as long as it doesn't get worse and starts doing it every few minutes. My last computer had the "Blue Screen of Death" but that's not why I traded it in. It had Vista and support stopped for it, so I got this computer which has Windows 10.


Yeah you can see an unexpected shutdown has occurred but not what actually caused it. As much trouble as you went through the right thing for them to do would just replace it.


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## peter912

Darren said:


> Yeah you can see an unexpected shutdown has occurred but not what actually caused it. As much trouble as you went through the right thing for them to do would just replace it.



This is just what I was thinking as well but do you think it is that serious of an issue for me to go through all that hassle ? At the moment I don't think it is but no one can tell I guess what the future holds ?


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## Darren

peter912 said:


> This is just what I was thinking as well but do you think it is that serious of an issue for me to go through all that hassle ? At the moment I don't think it is but no one can tell I guess what the future holds ?


You bought their product, it's not functioning correctly within the warranty period. You're obviously not trying to just score a free machine, it'd be less headache for them and you to just replace the machine. Make a customer happy and liable to come back then burn down that bridge forever. Those machines are basically pennies to them compared to having a loyal customer in the long run.

God I need to stop listening in my business classes.


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## peter912

So to my last e mail to Dell, their response was that it has been more than 7 days since they heard from me. This means that they have closed my file and if I am still having a problem we have to start from the beginning again.


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## johnb35

If the computer keeps restarting without going through the shutdown process then its gonna eventually kill your hard drive.  You either need to keep pestering Dell or take it to a local repair shop and have them diagnose it.  All we are doing now is spinning wheels.  All talk and no diagnosing.  My guess is still the psu.


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## peter912

johnb35 said:


> If the computer keeps restarting without going through the shutdown process then its gonna eventually kill your hard drive.  You either need to keep pestering Dell or take it to a local repair shop and have them diagnose it.  All we are doing now is spinning wheels.  All talk and no diagnosing.  My guess is still the psu.



Why couldn't the hardware technician that Dell sent out find anything and he said that the psu was fine ?


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## Darren

peter912 said:


> Why couldn't the hardware technician that Dell sent out find anything and he said that the psu was fine ?


If it turns on and works while he's there, he's going to tell you it's fine. Just take it to a shop. You're just wasting time with this thread anymore.


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## peter912

Darren said:


> If it turns on and works while he's there, he's going to tell you it's fine. Just take it to a shop. You're just wasting time with this thread anymore.



The person at the shop isn't going to sit in front of this computer waiting days for it to happen. Even if it happened before his eyes what could he know then ? This is a long story because I still have to contact Dell to see what they can do for me, after all it is still under warranty.


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## peter912

I just thought of this, is it possible that it's not even the computer doing this but the monitor causes the restart ?  Maybe the monitor needs to be replaced and not even the computer ?


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## johnb35

The monitor won't make the pc restart.


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## Laquer Head

4 pages in this thread eh.?


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## peter912

Thankfully the computer has not restarted by itself in such a long time that I can't even remember when the last time was. Has the problem gone away on its own ?


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## peter912

Two months has now gone by without this occurring again , knock on wood. I guess that it will forever remain a mystery as to why it did this ? This shows that problems can go away on its own.


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## peter912

Well another nine months have gone by without this happening again. I guess the cause of this will go down as one of the unsolved mysteries of the Universe .


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