System Keeps Restarting

My WindowsXp install has run into problems starting. The system keeps will not even get to post first time, then restarting before XP loads, then eventually XP will load, then it will restart when I do anything. I have tried changing the power connectorsd around, moving them from CD and DVD to HDDs with no luck. The problem has got worse with time. It would allow me into Windows after about 5 attempts, but now it takes about 10+ attempts to load and it restarts after a minute or so or just tries to restart but leaves it on a blank screen with just the fan running.
Is this likely a dead Motherboard or Power Supply failing or ....?

TiA

 

OK thanks. I manged to turn off auto-restart (after a few attempts) but now when I can actually boot to Windows I will work for a few minutes and then the system with just freeze - no BSOD to post here I'm afraid.

Is there anuything else I can try?

Thanks again.

BTW - I have not installed any new hardware or software recently, this problem has just started for no reason that I can see.

 

I got a BSOD while XP was loading, does this mean anything to any of you?

***STOP: 0x0000007B (0XF7946640,0xC0000034,0x0000000)

TiA

 

Long shot.....the constant restarting reminds me of the Sasser virus that was around a couple of months ago.....

 

silverwork,

It does sound like you may be infected, but it could be hardware as you first thought.
If you can get into BIOS suggest you set everything to defaults or failsafe or whatever your BIOS calls it. Then see if you can get into safe mode and disable everything in msconfig > startup tab; then see if it will boot, and, if it does, enable your firewall and upgrade your antivirus program and run it.

That's a lot, but can't bemore specific without more info, such as computer specs, OS (operating system, version), antivirus program, and any error messages.

 

Thanks guys. I don't think it's Sasser as I had that at the beginning of May and cleared it out. I also patched up XP. Also it often restarts before Windows has loaded..it takes me about 10 attempts to get into Windows, each restart getting a bit closer until I am in, that's why I guess hardware.

I will post with the results of what u suggest.

 

I might wonder if a piece of hardware is going bad. Could try removing any added hardware, PCI cards, USB hardware, etc....and remove the drivers in Device Manager. If the system starts OK then add one piece back one at a time until you identify the culprit (when replacing PCI cards, change the location of the PCI cards in the slots, which should allocate different resouces).

Matt

 

Check out this Microsoft article-- How to troubleshoot "Stop 0x0000007B" errors in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;324103