Dell PC Automatically Rebooting

m60clock

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Hi,

Can Anyone help? I have a PC that just randomly reboots. I have checked and definitely isn't a virus but cannot work out what's wrong with it. Any help would be appreciated?

Thanks
 
what o/s
have you installed any hardware or software (even drivers) recently
is it when you doing any particular thing ? i know you say random but are you always online but doing different things
how old is machine
is when you first switch on or when been on for hours
 
As hatab says, we need to know the OS.

As it's Dell it's 99% it's 99% safe to say it's a variant of Windows. If so the first port of call is to turn off automatic reboot. The method will depend on the version of Windows you're using, but all are readily available via Google.
 
On that particular PC I am rarely online. I have reinstalled a fresh copy of operating system as I googled it and it stated it could be something to do with corrupt operating system yet problem persists.
 
On that particular PC I am rarely online. I have reinstalled a fresh copy of operating system as I googled it and it stated it could be something to do with corrupt operating system yet problem persists.
But which operating system? If Windows, do you see a Blue Screen of Death? (Even if it flashes up too quickly.)
 
Not giving away much info to receive help here like m60clock ?

Could be overheating go into the bios and the Change Temperature Shutdown setting, then see if it stay's on longer, if it does you might need to repaste the cpu and give the fans and board a good clean.

Remember to change the setting back though when checked out, the temp shut off is there to protect your pc

Also check device manager in windows for yellow question marks you might have some hardware driver issues.
 
If its not a virus

If it is a New...ish Dell if it over heats it will generally shutdown.

If it's not take the side off and see if the cpu fan is rotating freely and also the PSU Fan is working or its body getting hot.

Then check the bios as CoolHandLuke advises.

As others have said you need to leave good deal more info.
 
CPU Fan is rotating freely. I do not get blue screen of death. It just shuts down. PC is about 2 year old. Its a Dell Optiplex.
 
Well If you have installed a new OS and completely formatted the hard-drive before you installed it, its deffo not a virus then.

Maybe a dodgy Hard-Drive ? have you got a docking station of some sort so you can take the hard-drive out and run a diagnosis tool over it like iobit or anivo for bad sectors etc.
 
In the first post
I have a PC that just randomly reboots

If it shuts down it's likely to be a heat related problem or possibly a PSU problem.

Like CoolHandLuke said check the BIOS temperature settings, also worth looking at power failure setting if they are set to "last state" and it shuts down rather than reboot's it will probably be heat related on the motherboard which could be CPU.

Random reboots with a new OS could be driver related.

Did you install a Dell driver for the graphic's sometimes the windows drivers can cause issues but like some else said on here probably be some sort of sign or notification even if its very quick.
 
tbh doing a re-install of o/s whilst it will eliminate the software its not one of the first things id have done but you have done it now.

again what o/s are you running ?

id guess at windows 7 as it 2 years old.

when you say it shuts down do you mean it shuts down or do you mean it crashes ?

without knowing any more from you the only thing i would suggest if it is win 7 is to run the MS memory test you need to do start and in search box type mem will find it, select do now and system will reboot and test memory can take a while.

if that ok when machine reboots type reli in the box and select relibility monitor blue i are info on things that have been done and appear ok red crosses or yellow ! mean things have failed or you stopped working look at thos and see if anything ties up with the fail.

to help you, you need to answer some of the question we have asked or it will take forever.
 
Last edited:
HI,

Got is sorted it was a faulty power supply so got a new one this morning and fitted it quite easily and it has been switched on since.

Thanks for all the suggestions.
 
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