# WTF! (My computer reset it'self) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 1, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282 "2003-03-01T01:20:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/1 "2003-03-01T01:20:40Z")
This is a GQ, honest. My computer reset it’self yestarday, no crash, no warning of any kind, just the click of the monitor turning itself off and on, and then the counting of memory. It’s the first time it’s ever done it. I am sure I did not hit the reset button by mistake. GQ - can software reset a computer? Is there any other reason why it would have reset it’self? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/2 "2003-03-01T01:22:14Z")
You have XP, right? That’s XP’s default response to a BSOD. You can turn that off in the Control Panel. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/3 "2003-03-01T01:24:02Z")
BSOD? I have ME. (this thread is a MOA) ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/4 "2003-03-01T01:35:04Z")
BSOD = Blue Screen Of Death. I don’t know from ME, it might do the same thing XP does. I went straght from 98 to XP. But yes, software can reset a computer. That’s exactly what happens when you select the Restart option form the Shutdown menu in all versions of Windows since 95. ---
**Author:** ![fauxpas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e480ec/32.png) [@fauxpas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fauxpas)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/5 "2003-03-01T01:37:33Z")
DANG IT Q.E.D!! I was going to reply about the BSOD. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/6 "2003-03-01T01:39:49Z")
“That’s exactly what happens when you select the Restart option form the Shutdown menu in all versions of Windows since 95” :smack: I forgot about that. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/7 "2003-03-01T01:44:51Z")
MOA? BSOD = Blue Screen Of Death Yes, software can reset the computer, and in fact can do it much more easily in ME than it can in 2000 or XP. The reason is that all of the 9.x versions of windows (95, 98, ME) allow software to directly access hardware, for reasons that mostly have to do with DOS compatibility. NT (NT 4.0, 2000, XP) don’t allow software to directly access hardware. Instead they have what is called a “hardware abstraction layer” which (1) makes your computer much more stable and (2) royally screws up backwards compatibility, especially with certain types of DOS software. Other things that can cause a reset: CPU overheating faulty memory slightly unseated components RF noise defective components any where related to the system bus cosmic rays (theoretcially, though I’ve never seen it happen) small furry animals knawing through cables inside the computer (don’t laugh, it can happen) If it never happens again, write it off as a great mystery of life and move on. If it continues to happen it might be a good indication that the computer is headed towards the great bit bucket in the sky. ---
**Author:** ![barb\_b](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@barb\_b](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barb_b)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/8 "2003-03-01T01:47:43Z")
I don’t know whether my question is related, or not but I’m sure someone will let me know if it belongs elsewhere. I have a new computer, with XP. It BSODs almost every day, sometimes twice a day. It just stays that way until I shut it off and turn it back on, rather than restarting as in the OP. Today I wrote down the message on the BSOD. It said “Driver IRQL not less or equal” Can anyone give me a clue? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/9 "2003-03-01T01:49:58Z")
> [@](#): > > MOA? **M** inefield **O** f **A** breviations ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/10 "2003-03-01T01:55:19Z")
Amazingly, no one has mentioned the most common cause of a PC resetting itself like that: a brief loss of power. It can be so quick that you may not even notice the lights flicker, but that can be enough to power the PC off and on again. ---
**Author:** ![Petter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dbc845/32.png) [@Petter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petter)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/11 "2003-03-01T02:15:18Z")
MOA: Mess Of Acronyms (WAG) ---
**Author:** ![Petter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dbc845/32.png) [@Petter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petter)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/12 "2003-03-01T02:18:41Z")
Preview, dammit. ---
**Author:** ![Petter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dbc845/32.png) [@Petter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petter)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/13 "2003-03-01T02:31:30Z")
Re “Driver IRQL not less or equal” BSOD error messages are hard to parse but in my experience that one’s caused by a bad driver for … well, something. Try updating your drivers, try removing all internal peripherals (NIC, Soundcard, etc) and if that’s not your cup of tea, return it and ask for a new one. ---
**Author:** ![PurplePerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@PurplePerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurplePerson)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/14 "2003-03-01T02:40:31Z")
How do you turn this off in the control panel? ---
**Author:** ![da\_pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@da\_pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/da_pope)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/15 "2003-03-01T02:43:36Z")
re:re: irql not less or equal: go here, and type in the error message [http://support.microsoft.com/kb](http://support.microsoft.com/kb) microsofts knowledge base. it’s got your answer. ---
**Author:** ![Petter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dbc845/32.png) [@Petter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petter)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/16 "2003-03-01T02:54:52Z")
It doesn’t if you type “Driver IRQL not less or equal”. ---
**Author:** ![UKBankerBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/cab0a1/32.png) [@UKBankerBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UKBankerBoy)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/17 "2003-03-01T03:03:47Z")
My pc was doing that on occasion but it hasn’t done it since I cleaned out the temp files and performed a defrag and scan disk. UKBB ---
**Author:** ![da\_pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@da\_pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/da_pope)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/18 "2003-03-01T03:05:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Petter \* > \*\*It doesn’t if you type “Driver IRQL not less or equal”. \*\* that’s why you type in the **actual** error message: DRIVER\_IRQL\_NOT\_LESS\_OR\_EQUAL so you get something like this: [http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;316208](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;316208) ---
**Author:** ![Petter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dbc845/32.png) [@Petter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petter)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/19 "2003-03-01T03:08:16Z")
Sounds like a coincidence to me, **UKBankerBoy**. Defragging and deleting temp files won’t make this problem go away. ---
**Author:** ![Petter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dbc845/32.png) [@Petter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petter)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282/20 "2003-03-01T03:15:10Z")
You’re right of course, **da\_pope** , I wasn’t thinking straight. I still doubt that the answers provided by the Knowledge Base are the most likely ones. (Several Mylex RAID controllers?) 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-my-computer-reset-itself/158282.md?page=2)