# Why is Windows restarting on me?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-restarting-on-me/236781
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 27, 2004, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-restarting-on-me/236781 "2004-03-27T18:55:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2004, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-restarting-on-me/236781/1 "2004-03-27T18:55:47Z")
All right, I just got my computer back after a much needed upgrade, to Windows XP. NOw, for some reason, it will occassionally say, Windows Will Restart in one minute, NT Authority, something something, and it says it is a “Remote Procedure Call?”
What is going on? Any idea?
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2004, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-restarting-on-me/236781/2 "2004-03-27T18:59:09Z")
Sounds like the [MS Blaster](http://www.microsoft.com/security/incident/blast.asp) worm.
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-restarting-on-me/236781/3 "2004-03-27T19:03:15Z")
OH, you have GOT to be kidding me! ARGH!!! I JUST had this installed! (Not mad at YOU, just if that’s true…ugh!)
Any suggestions? _GRRRR!!!_
I wonder though, could it be related to my trying to download Netscape?
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### Author:  [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-restarting-on-me/236781/4 "2004-03-27T19:28:40Z")
I had a PC shut down unexpectedly from time to time; not restart, but just shut down. Turned out it was a bad power supply. It was from Antec, normally known for reliable, quality power supplies, so I must have gotten a rare bad unit.
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2004, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-restarting-on-me/236781/5 "2004-03-27T19:43:58Z")
No, this is just a windows restart-the computer itself stays on (good thing, because the fan is still acting wonky and once I get it on, it has to stay on-yes, I AM getting a new one!)
I’ll give my cousin a call, but if anyone has any idea, I’d appreciate it. I can’t see a virus-I JUST had my hard drive formatted and all that.
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### Author:  [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2004, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-restarting-on-me/236781/6 "2004-03-27T20:51:04Z")
Dollars to doughnuts, **Q.E.D.** has it.
I just bought a brand new laptop with Windows XP. they kindly offered, (for a price) to patch it. I was shocked they were letting them out of the stores without it pre-installed.
On an up note, it’s easily fixable. Read through **Q.E.D.**'s link.
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2004, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-restarting-on-me/236781/7 "2004-03-27T21:13:43Z")
Yeah, if it would stay on long enough for me to remove the freaking worm!
Argh, that’s it exactly-that is the exact message. Grrr…you’d think they’d learn by now to TEST this software before releasing it…
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### Author:  [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2004, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-restarting-on-me/236781/8 "2004-03-27T21:49:51Z")
However, if you’re in the middle of fixing it and you still get a RPC shutdown, you can simply set your time back about a year or so, giving you plenty of time to fix it.
(Not kidding here. No cite handy, but apparently it works.)
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2004, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-restarting-on-me/236781/9 "2004-03-27T22:07:49Z")
Fixed it! Thank you so very much! _mwah!_
Now, if the fan will just hold out until I can get it replaced, I’m all set.
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2004, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-restarting-on-me/236781/10 "2004-03-27T22:23:08Z")
I managed to get the blaster worm in the time between a clean install from CD and getting the modem and patches installed. That REALLY annoyed me - meant back to square one after half a day’s sitting in front of setup screens.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2004, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-restarting-on-me/236781/11 "2004-03-27T23:12:27Z")
During its height, our college network could infect an unpatched computer if it was connected for thirty seconds.
But why go back to square one? Add the patch, then do a virus scan to remove the virus.
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2004, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-restarting-on-me/236781/12 "2004-03-27T23:19:32Z")
To do that, I needed to download updated virus signatures, and blaster was triggered by any connection to the internet - catch 22.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2004, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-restarting-on-me/236781/13 "2004-03-27T23:25:10Z")
The shutdown didn’t have anything to do with an internet connection. In addition, there were patches that could be downloaded on another computer and put on yours.
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-restarting-on-me/236781/14 "2004-03-27T23:29:40Z")
Maybe I’m mistake, it was some time ago. Mind you, it was the only computer in the house, so I didn’t have much choice about where I downloaded patches!