WIN98 SE Shutting down for no reason

I am running a WIN98 SE machine with a new hard drive installed about a week
ago.

For some reason every so often 15-20 minutes it automatically reboots on me.
No error message or anything, but when it reboots it acts like it was just
shut off and runs a scan disk. It is plugged in properly and is not just
losing power.

Also I am connected to a local network and every so often it tells me that
it has lost its network connection. I have to actually roboot to reconnect.
When I try and log off it acts like it is trying to log back on. Tries to
connect to the network and tells me that it can't. I reboot and can log on
just fine. My network cable is plugged in securly.

pjhjones wrote:
I am running a WIN98 SE machine with a new hard drive installed about
a week ago.

For some reason every so often 15-20 minutes it automatically reboots
on me. No error message or anything, but when it reboots it acts like
it was just shut off and runs a scan disk. It is plugged in properly
and is not just losing power.

Also I am connected to a local network and every so often it tells me
that it has lost its network connection. I have to actually roboot to
reconnect. When I try and log off it acts like it is trying to log
back on. Tries to connect to the network and tells me that it can't.
I reboot and can log on just fine. My network cable is plugged in
securly.

Since you see familar with the innards of the computer, shut it down and
remove and reseat the memory sticks several times.
Bad memory or poor contact by the memory stick contacts can cause many
similar problems.
This is easy to do and may be the problem.
There are many other reasons, but try this first.
While you're in there, clean out all the dust bunnies etc, esp around the
cpu heatsink/fan area.
The network problem is likely different.
Do you have any exclamation marks in Device Manager?
While you're waiting for more answers, you might want to scan your machine
for malware/spyware.
Try the following two free programs. No, they do not charge you anything to
clean what they find.
They are excellent products.
MalWareByte's AntiMalware (MBAM)
SuperAntiSpyware (SAS)
Dl,install, update and then run them one at a time. Keep running one until
it finds no more and then try the other one.
It usually helps if you delete your tmp files and your tempory internet
files and internet cookies before running them.
You get to choose which items you want them to fix.

pjhjones wrote:
I am running a WIN98 SE machine with a new hard drive installed about a week
ago.

For some reason every so often 15-20 minutes it automatically reboots on me.
No error message or anything, but when it reboots it acts like it was just
shut off and runs a scan disk. It is plugged in properly and is not just
losing power.

Also I am connected to a local network and every so often it tells me that
it has lost its network connection. I have to actually roboot to reconnect.
When I try and log off it acts like it is trying to log back on. Tries to
connect to the network and tells me that it can't. I reboot and can log on
just fine. My network cable is plugged in securly.


pjhjones:

Such intermitent problems are often caused by some hardware component.
Try reseating everything in the case, make sure all fans and heat
sinks are functional and run a RAM test like Memtest86.

http://www.memtest86.com/download.html

HTH&GL

John

--
\\\||///
------------------o000----(o)(o)----000o----------------
----------------------------()--------------------------
'' Madness takes its toll - Please have exact change. ''

John Dulak - 40.4913ºN,79.904ºW - http://tinyurl.com/2qs6o6

I will check the memory sticks.

I do not have any exclamation marks in the device manager.
This computeris on GE's network so I do not believe that I have any
mal/spyware. Besides even if I wanted to run some free programs I wouldn't
have the privlages to download them anyways.

"Buffalo" wrote:



pjhjones wrote:
I am running a WIN98 SE machine with a new hard drive installed about
a week ago.

For some reason every so often 15-20 minutes it automatically reboots
on me. No error message or anything, but when it reboots it acts like
it was just shut off and runs a scan disk. It is plugged in properly
and is not just losing power.

Also I am connected to a local network and every so often it tells me
that it has lost its network connection. I have to actually roboot to
reconnect. When I try and log off it acts like it is trying to log
back on. Tries to connect to the network and tells me that it can't.
I reboot and can log on just fine. My network cable is plugged in
securly.

Since you see familar with the innards of the computer, shut it down and
remove and reseat the memory sticks several times.
Bad memory or poor contact by the memory stick contacts can cause many
similar problems.
This is easy to do and may be the problem.
There are many other reasons, but try this first.
While you're in there, clean out all the dust bunnies etc, esp around the
cpu heatsink/fan area.
The network problem is likely different.
Do you have any exclamation marks in Device Manager?
While you're waiting for more answers, you might want to scan your machine
for malware/spyware.
Try the following two free programs. No, they do not charge you anything to
clean what they find.
They are excellent products.
MalWareByte's AntiMalware (MBAM)
SuperAntiSpyware (SAS)
Dl,install, update and then run them one at a time. Keep running one until
it finds no more and then try the other one.
It usually helps if you delete your tmp files and your tempory internet
files and internet cookies before running them.
You get to choose which items you want them to fix.

"pjhjones" wrote in message
...
I am running a WIN98 SE machine with a new hard drive installed about a
week
ago.

For some reason every so often 15-20 minutes it automatically reboots on
me.
No error message or anything, but when it reboots it acts like it was just
shut off and runs a scan disk. It is plugged in properly and is not just
losing power.

Also I am connected to a local network and every so often it tells me that
it has lost its network connection. I have to actually roboot to
reconnect.

Both symptoms suggest a failing power supply unit. These
are easy to replace and quite cheap (which is perhaps why
they do not last for ever. I needed to replace 3 in the last
25 years (i.e. 7 or 8 PCs.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

pjhjones wrote:
I will check the memory sticks.

I do not have any exclamation marks in the device manager.
This computeris on GE's network so I do not believe that I have any
mal/spyware. Besides even if I wanted to run some free programs I
wouldn't have the privlages to download them anyways.

"Buffalo" wrote:
Sounds good. I would still try removing and reseating the memory sticks.
Good Luck and I hope you get some good answers.
Buffalo

Spontaneous restarts most often indicate a failing power supply unit.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Windows, A+
http://dts-l.net/
http://dts-l.net/goodpost.htm


"pjhjones" wrote in message
...
I am running a WIN98 SE machine with a new hard drive installed about a week
ago.

For some reason every so often 15-20 minutes it automatically reboots on me.
No error message or anything, but when it reboots it acts like it was just
shut off and runs a scan disk. It is plugged in properly and is not just
losing power.

Also I am connected to a local network and every so often it tells me that
it has lost its network connection. I have to actually roboot to reconnect.
When I try and log off it acts like it is trying to log back on. Tries to
connect to the network and tells me that it can't. I reboot and can log on
just fine. My network cable is plugged in securly.

pjhjones wrote:

This computer is on GE's network so I do not believe that I have
any mal/spyware. Besides even if I wanted to run some free
programs I wouldn't have the privlages to download them anyways.

I can't believe that a fortune 50 company would still be running win-98
on any of their internal PC's.

And please explain how your IT people configured your win-98 system such
that you don't have the "privileges" to run or install certain software.

Both symptoms suggest a failing power supply unit. These

yeah do you now have 2 harddisks in that computer?
it is possible that your powersupplyunit isn't strong
enough to support both... remove the old disk....

I have back probed the power supply and believe that all my voltages are
acceptable. 5.02V 4.97V 11.90V -12.30V -5.02V

All fans are running and the temp inside the cabinet is not hot at all. Even
when I leave the door open I still have these problems. It appears to only
reboot when I am not using it. If I am working it may lock up on me, but when
I walk away for about 15-20 minutes and come back I might find that it has
shut down. (about 3 times today)

"glee" wrote:

Spontaneous restarts most often indicate a failing power supply unit.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Windows, A+
http://dts-l.net/
http://dts-l.net/goodpost.htm


"pjhjones" wrote in message
...
I am running a WIN98 SE machine with a new hard drive installed about a week
ago.

For some reason every so often 15-20 minutes it automatically reboots on me.
No error message or anything, but when it reboots it acts like it was just
shut off and runs a scan disk. It is plugged in properly and is not just
losing power.

Also I am connected to a local network and every so often it tells me that
it has lost its network connection. I have to actually roboot to reconnect.
When I try and log off it acts like it is trying to log back on. Tries to
connect to the network and tells me that it can't. I reboot and can log on
just fine. My network cable is plugged in securly.