please help! PC keeps on restarting

my PC keeps on restarting as soon as I try to make an internet connection.

Everytime I try to make a connection my computer automatically restarts, as soon as it does there is the usual system has encountered a severe error etc (you know the send to microsoft one).

I suspected this was malware so I have run ewido, TDS-3 (trial), Spybot and ad-aware etc with the latest sigs.

Any ideas of what I should do?

 

Krone,

Do you know what application is causing the error? If you are using XP, the event viewer may contain this information (Start>Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Event Viewer). Do you see any errors in the Application or System areas coincident with a restart? If the restart immediate on internet access or after some time?

Have Ewido/TDS-3/etc. run through their scans and revealed anything? If so, what?

Are there any problems as long as you don't connect to the net?

Are there any unknown processes listed in the task manager?

Do you have any security software installed beyond the applications mentioned above?

Blue

 

do you have all the latest update installed for your OS?

 

I had this very same problem several months ago. I discovered that the problem was with Trend Micro's PC-Cillin Internet Security. Never suspecting an "anti-virus/firewall, etc." security software package to be the culprit, it was the last thing I checked in to. Even the shop that I took my PC to didn't suspect this, but when I downloaded the PC-Cillin CD onto another machine, THAT machine began experiencing the exact same problems with frequent and unexpected reboots almost immediately. I uninstalled it from both, and both machines run fine now.

So my best advice would be to look at exactly WHEN the problem started occuring....and determine what the latest software that you installed just before that time. Try disabling it, and see if that has any effect. Also, if you have downloaded any software from a CD, sometimes the files can become corrupt, and I believe that was the case with me regarding PC-Cillin.

Since your problem seems to be related with being able to connect to the internet, did you download a CD lately to use to gain access to the internet (like Earthlink, AOL, NetZero, etc.)? A faulty CD installation for your ISP could be the problem, if you have recently downloaded or upgraded your ISP connection....

 

It's not only Trend Micro with such problems, f.e. McAfee is "famous" for it....

 

I'm sure this exists for various software companies and for different users...but the difference for me personally is that I have run McAfee for years and never had this problem. I began experiencing this almost immediately with PC-Cillin IS, and that is why I used it as the example.

The main point I wanted to make, though, was that it could possibly be related to a recent download of a software app, and not necessarily spyware related. Since he is experiencing his problem when trying to connect to the internet, that is why I asked if he has downloaded or upgraded his ISP connection recently, or even changed or upgraded any of his security options, settings or programs recently (firewall, anti-virus, anti-spyware, etc.)

 

sorry I got very confused with BlueZannetti's response so I took my computer bact to the shop. It is covered by my year's warranty. The computer shop people were scratching their heads when they inspected it and I left them scratching LOL.

Thank you for all your responses

 

by default windows is set to reboot during a critical failure so that could be it. that can be changed by right-clicking My Computer>Properties>Advanced tab>then click "Settings" in Startup and Recovery>uncheck "Automatically Restart" box. than checking out event viewer as suggested by Blue.