# Windows shut down/reboot problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 18, 2007, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-shut-down-reboot-problem/416005 "2007-08-18T00:20:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2007, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-shut-down-reboot-problem/416005/1 "2007-08-18T00:20:24Z")
I’m running XP and today out of the blue Windows shut itself down and automatically rebooted several times. Anyone have a clue to the source of this malfunction? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2007, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-shut-down-reboot-problem/416005/2 "2007-08-18T00:25:36Z")
Overheating? Is it a laptop or a desktop? ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2007, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-shut-down-reboot-problem/416005/3 "2007-08-18T00:28:39Z")
Desktop. ---
**Author:** ![biometricks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecae2f/32.png) [@biometricks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biometricks)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2007, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-shut-down-reboot-problem/416005/4 "2007-08-18T00:30:24Z")
Sounds like the power supply is bad. Could be a RAM problem as well. ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2007, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-shut-down-reboot-problem/416005/5 "2007-08-18T00:38:13Z")
OK thanks guys, I just put a new motherboard and ram in it about a month or two ago. I guess I’ll have to take it in to the tech that installed it. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2007, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-shut-down-reboot-problem/416005/6 "2007-08-18T01:01:47Z")
If you go to Start - Settings - Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Event Viewer, do you see anything that points to a reason for shut down? I’ve had problems with video drivers that force a shutdown, and report it. But it’s not always reported. And…does Event Viewer exist in XP Home? (not sure what version you have) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2007, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-shut-down-reboot-problem/416005/7 "2007-08-18T01:09:38Z")
I’ve had a bad mouse cause that. Might be worth changing the mouse first. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2007, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-shut-down-reboot-problem/416005/8 "2007-08-18T01:34:42Z")
[QUOTE=CBEscapee] OK thanks guys, I just put a new motherboard and ram in it about a month or two ago. I guess I’ll have to take it in to the tech that installed it. [/QUOTE] PC repair shop guy checks in What did you take it in for before…was this a repair or an upgrade? If you had a similar problems this may be the same problem misdiagnosed. Many spontaneous reboots are IME actually a hard drive on the way out, motherboard/power issues tend to bluescreen from a driver or memory related error. Is there an audible click when it happens? IF so, betcha dollars to donuts you have a bad drive. If you are lucky a shop can image it onto a new drive fairly easily. If you can get to the event viewer, these types of problems will often report I/O errors on the logs if a hard drive is the culprit. A nice shop may cut you a break on the new drive if this is the case. ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2007, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-shut-down-reboot-problem/416005/9 "2007-08-18T02:33:03Z")
Thanks again everyone. It’s XP Home. It was a repair which turned into an upgrade!! I did have a similar problem before but it quit rebooting after it shut down. I don’t recall a click though. I’ll mention this too my tech guy.