Constantly Restarting

P

PrettyBasic

Geek Trainee
Hi Guys,

Newbie here. Hope you're all having a great Christmas.

My Dad got me a new computer a few months ago. I hadn't had any problems with it really, until about two months ago. I shut down the computer and left the room, but when I walked back in the computer was still running. So I shut down again, but my Mum later told me I'd left the computer on. Ever since the computer refuses to shut down - it simply restarts. I have to turn it off at the mains.

Then today, I wanted to watch a DVD I got for Christmas. I turned the computer on, and for some reason got the screen that requests you to select which mode to start Windows in (Start Windows Normally, Safe Mode etc.) I can select any one of the five options that I am given and the computer begins to load - however, I am then shown the 'No Input Signal' screen and the whole system restarts.

The computer has restarted about 30 times so far. I have tried switching off at the mains to no avail.

I honestly don't want to have to tell my Dad that the new computer is buggered, so please help!!!

Emma. x
 
Hello Emma, and welcome to the forums!

Quite simply put, you're a victim of Windows safety features which actually make life worse for us. Basically for some reason (usually due to damaged registry or ad/spyware/viruses or even a certain program that's installed that for some reason or other is not responding when you attempt to shut down) Windows likes to restart when it detects that it is not responding (a computers equivalent to crapping itself).

Allow me to show you how to disable this function -

Start>right click My Computer and go to properties. There should be some tabs there and you need to select "advanced". There's a section called "startup and recovery" - click on the settings option in that part. There should be a box under the System Failure part with "automatically restart" next to it. Uncheck that box, basically make sure there's no tick in it.

That should stop your computer from restarting on shutdown. The solution to stopping Windows from not responding during shutdown all depends on what you've got installed.

SpywareGuide.com - Spyware, Greynets, Privacy, Botnets, Rootkits, Security Resource - Under the "tools" section there's a free spyware scan.

Download AVG Free Edition for antivirus protection (just google it and it'll be there)

Search for Registry Fixer in google and check out the various registry recovery utilities that come up.

Good luck Emma,

Mike
 
Thank you so much for replying!!

Unfortunately, (trying not to sound ungrateful or offensive) that doesn't help. My computer is restarting before I even get to the desktop. I get the screen with the Windows logo and the little bar beneath it with scrolling blue thingy, and then - nothing.

I can't download anything either unfortunately. I'm on dial-up (seriously. Stone age in my house.) and the internet access I have is on my laptop, which is on its last legs anyway. (The D drive doesn't open, and if I have more than two programs open at once, the whole thing goes kaboom.)

I just have no luck at all with technology!!

I did ask the ICT teacher at school about my little restarting-instead-of-shutting-down problem and he went all jargon-fied - something about when the computer is first turning on, press F2 (or whatever key it is on my computer to get to my settings (where the screens all basic like) and then to go on such and such a thing and he totally lost me. I know how to get on my settings, at least, if that's any help?

Once again, thank you so much for your response Mike.

Emma. x
 
Lets see if your computer can boot up into safe mode...

To do this, turn on your PC and keep tapping F5 (this can vary from motherboard to motherboard, so try F6 or F8 if that fails)

You should get a list of options and you'll need to select "Safe mode"

It should display an awful lot of fast writing and eventually boot up into safe mode.

Let me know when you've done that and I'll give you further advice...
 
Gosh, you type fast!!

Did the Safe mode thing before. I get the exact same result as with satrting Windows Normally - restarting after several seconds. I get the 'We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows did not start normally..' thing, then whether I want to start in Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, Safe Mode With COmmand Prompt, Last Known Good Configuration or Normal Windows thing. No matter what I select, the computer still restarts.

Don't worry if you can't help (not that you'd lose any sleep over little old me anyways), but it would help. Dad says we''ll take it back to the shop if there's no joy.

Thanks again,

Emma. x
 
Where did you buy it from? Is it a PC world computer? If so, you're in luck because I work for their tech support line and know things about their PC's that nobody outside of the company knows ;)
 
Unluckily not. :(

It's a local shop (tried so hard not to type 'for local people!' then), called Charisma Computers. I told my Dad they were cowboys. But did he listen? Noo. Course not!
 
Yeah, this is just a weird Windows thing, i had this issue with a machine on mine and never got around to fixing it. It never seemed to go away, Honestly the best thing i could come up with was it was power related. I think the problem started when i got a new power supply. Why not try a new power supply and see if it gets fixed. Honestly i just realized today that i have an extra power supply to test with. Anyways, i'll get back tonight and see if that fixes it. By the way this problem has been around for ever, its all over google to, didn't ever find a solution though. I am almost positive after three years though that its hardware related.
 
Thank you so much, but unfortunately that doesn't really help me at all. The problem is that the computer constantly restarts in a circle after about ten seconds of being turned on. It doesn't actually turn off at all, it just restarts the system.

We're taking it backto the shop, I think. :(
 
yeah, the power supply didn't change anything, so that wasn't the problem, on that i think now its the bios. Wait, in the first post you said it would shut down, it just restarts, which i have as well. But now your saying it keeps restarting all the time, or did i miss read that
 
It's definitely the auto-restart settings that need to be changed :/ Had to do that on my old PC.

Mike
 
your saying the auto restart in window. If thats what your suggesting thats already been tried. I've done a good amount of research and almost all of the other people i found with same issue, it didn't turn out the be the auto-restart option. At this point i'm thinking its something in the bios, or some power options or something, but i'd have to did around or something to try to figure that out.
 
Try running some spyware and adware removers that can be found on this website:
http://www.pcservicecall.co.uk/Layout.aspx?ID={ebef1298-ea5a-491a-b4cf-187af1915a6d}&CatID={573fc499-ed90-4861-a6bf-63042a750f94}

I know that sometimes if such malware is running in the background and your pc cant find them it will appear to shut everything down but keep the tower running.
 
Unusual problem, maybe its possible to insert the Windows XP cd and do a repair installation of windows?
 
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