Computer restarts for no reason - Possibly heat issue?

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mad_max247

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Hello,

I dont know whether such a thread has already been posted or not. However, my computer has recently been restarting itself for no apparent reason, no log entry of error, auto restart on error box is unchecked. Im not sure whether it is a heat issue either. I ran the computer straight after it has been turned off during the night and it restarts. This usually occurs when im producing a video file out of the video editing projects. It has also occured during msn webcam viewing and when i was synchronising my PC with an external hard drive earlier.
Im no computer expert either, but am quite experienced and can follow any steps required.

Windows XP Professional
2GB RAM
Pentium 4 CPU 3.40GHz

This has only been happening recently, around 3 weeks now, i have owned this computer for around 4 years now. Would reinstalling Windows be a good idea?

Thanks

P.S. Heres a snap of my temperatures now, normal, or not? :

Snap1.jpg


NB: CPU temperatures sometimes jump to over 75c.
 
The temperature for the CPU is bad. The PC shuts down because of overheating. Are you sure the heatsink is secure?
 
Thanks for the quick reply, looks like it is a heat issue, im only 14, buuut, if you can clearly help me out, i can disasssemble carefully and check out where the heat sink is ;)
 
Open up the case, and find a big metal heatsink. Put your hand on it and wiggle it. If it's rigid, then that's good. If not, then that's bad. Also, is your PC dusty?

The heatsink looks like or similar to this (top one with the fan on it):
 
ok, ill print the image off, well im not sure about dusty, it was cleaned 3 months ago, im now hearing, a faint helicopter engine sound from my machine, a quite faint one, looks like it must be a heat issue, i mean the cause of the restart, so what exactly do i do with the heat sink, just take my hand, grip it and see if it wiggles or not? If it does, then what?
 
Alright, ill go do that now then, just one other thing, are there any other aspects that i should inspect?
 
Thanks again, the heat sink was fine, but as i removed the fan i got a nasty surprise which revealed all to me:

IMG_3670.jpg


IMG_3671.jpg


After clearing the dust my computer works a dream and no longer restarts after strenuous trasks! It also, for a first time in a long time actually becomes quiet when idle, and doesnt use its fans on full power!

Thanks! :D
 
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