Spontaneous reboots and other problems

[crazlunatic]

I've been having this strange problem.
My computer is about 6-7 years old and I probably have a Pentium III. I don't really know my hardware specs.

Anyway, what happens is that recently, my PC has been rebooting out of nowhere so I have decided to format.

Now, the PC locks up during the Windows XP Boot Screen (the one where you see the logo and the blue bar underneath it running).

Sometimes it doesn't even get to that part, and automatically sends me to my BIOS for me to change my CPU speed.

This is really weird and I really need to use my PC. Can someone help?
Thanks ^^

 

[DeathGod]

Get your hard drive checked. After my hard drive started fritzing I tried reformating only to have a bunch of errors and freakish problems come up. Only to find out later that it was on its death bed and long from being saved.

 

[crazlunatic]

From experience, I know this must be a hardware problem.

I'm now almost certain it's probably CPU, or hard drive. So I guess I should just get a new PC?

 

[Danks]

I vote on getting a working hard drive, and swaping it with your current one.

 

[RyanS]

Sounds like a heating issue, especially since it is taking you in to the BIOS to check yoru CPU speed. Try adding another case fan.

 

[Inaris]

one thing you can try is using a different HAL for the machine during install. It's possible that the install is not working cause of the HAL it's using. To do this, press F5 when you see the "Press F6 to install 3rd part drivers" message. Select the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC HAL, and try installing that way.

There are a couple things that could be going wrong.
1. HDD. do you hear any kind of clicking or screeching coming from the machine?
2. PSU. These can go bad due to dust, but also due to time of use.
3. Memory. Dust can short the circuts on the boards, as well as heat over time can cause expansion that will break connections.
4 Dust. Look in the tower at the amount of dust in the case. Blow it out, outside with some canned air. You can use an air compressor, but you need to turn down the preasure on it to less than 15psi

Good luck