Don't know if this is the right area but here's the problem: my mainstay PC editing computer keeps shutting off as soon as it hits the main "welcome" of the XP screen. Why is it doing this? It shuts off and restarts and shuts off and restarts. I'd like some insight on this, please!!!

Thank you.

Not sure but........I think that there was a specific virus going around doing "that very same thing". I could be wrong, but you may need to use the recovery discs that came with your computer.
Wait for more replys on here before taking action.

Have you tried safe mode?

As it happens, I put it in Safe Mode and got only a black screen. However, I also followed instructions on another screen I managed to get that said, in effect, "reset to previous working mode" or something, and miraculously it kicked back in. Of course I was littered with "You have recovered from a serious error" tags or something. Can't imagine what triggered it. But thanks for your input so far.

Just wondered if you have a thumb drive or a memory drive plugged into the computer... I've noticed that many times when one is plugged in, the computer either will not boot or come out of hibernation mode....

Could be a RAM failure.

I'll see if this is a recurring problem. Thanks, everyone.

Back up all your stuff on your boot drive. Do it now. This drive sounds like it's headed for failure.

This is not uncommon, and the causes can be a hundred things. Probably more, literally. What you did was use the system restore function on the "boot mode" screen. If this works, and it doesn't happen again, then the problem was software, not hardware. But to say what exactly would be impossible.

I think you're gold, though.

DJ

Earlier this year my editing computer did the exact same thing and the problem ended up being my video card - somewhere along the way it went bad and the resulting device failure was preventing the computer to start up. So I took the opportunity to invest in a new one and it was worked flawlessly since.

Just a thought. What kind of computer do you have?

I have a customized PC from Monarch, which has worked flawlessly for eighteen months. I don't have the specs handy, but it has a gig of RAM and is a Pent III 3.2, I believe.

Fortunately I have several external drives to horde essential files, which I'll now be checking.

By the way, how were you able to diagnose the video card as being the problem? Isn't there a way a computer can run a check on itself?

Yes, but not in the same way that HAL can diagnose the failing antenna array. It is a very techy procedure.

BTW, any failing piece of hardware can keep the system from booting, but it won't boot with the hardware in place if it fails. Meaning that if your computer was fixed by a system rollback, then the problem had to be software, and is now fixed. A rollback can't fix hardware.

If the problem is an intermittant HW failure. which causes SW startup routines to become corrupt, the roll back can help but not repair. I think it's good to backup everything and maybe set your PC for stopping on errors instead of restarting. This will not solve the problem, but the stop info (if it happens again) can give indications for the kind of error. Also verify what's in the event viewer

Achems Razor, gents. Achem's Razor.

I used to be a pretty hardcore computer junkie before I was converted to film making, so the video card was more "just a feeling" than anything, unfortunately. I simply disconnected it, then connected the monitor to the MB's video out and it worked. If none of what these other guys have suggested, just testing to see if your system boots without certain components might work.

Or, God forbid.... call the Geek Squad. ;-)

So far it's behaving itself, but thanks for the input everyone.


:D