Reasons Behind Persistent Computer Restarts

Are you tired of your PC restarting repeatedly with no idea how to fix the issue plaguing it? Unfortunately, endless computer rebooting is one of the most common PC issues individuals encounter. 

Switching your computer on and off again is a common solution for many PC woes, but what do you do when your computer is constantly restarting? Simply switching it off and on isn’t going to solve the continuous rebooting dilemma. 

To understand how to fix computer system failure, you need to know what is causing the endless restarts. Most of these problems are rooted in hardware or system issues and can be easily addressed if you know the cause and how to fix them. 

In this blog, the team at My Computer Works shares the reasons behind computer restarts to help you determine which solution best suits your rebooting situation. 

What Triggers A Computer To Restart? Internal Hardware Vs. Software Issues

A computer may restart due to various reasons stemming from both internal hardware and software issues. We have discussed some of the internal hardware and software issues you might be encountering that are causing repeated computer restarts. 

• Software or system updates: Sometimes outdated software and system updates could be why a PC keeps restarting. 
• Driver issues: Outdated or incompatible drivers can lead to system instability. 
• System preferences and settings: Often, incorrect system settings, such as those related to power management or startup options, can cause restarts. 
• Overheating: Does your computer feel hot to the touch? Overheating can cause a computer to restart. 
• Hardware problems: In many instances, faulty hardware components, such as a failing power supply or RAM issues, can result in unexpected restarts. 
• The “Blue Screen of Death“: This dreaded error screen on Windows systems is caused by critical system errors and often results in automatic restarts for system stability.
• Malware or viruses: Malicious software and viruses can cause your PC’s system to become unstable and lead to restarts. 

Additionally, although you can fix many of the above causes of computer restarts yourself, hiring a professional IT tech is usually best as you don’t want to risk doing more harm than good to your PC. 

How To Fix Endless Computer Restarts (Critical System Errors) On A Windows PC

Now that you know more about the causes of endless rebooting, you might want to learn more about how to fix these issues. Below, our team at My Computer Works has shared some ways you can fix endless system reboots. Should you find any of the resolutions daunting, we’re only a call away and are eager to assist. 

Step One: Disable Automatic Restart

The first step toward fixing endless reboots is disabling automatic restart. If you disable this feature, you can temporarily stop your computer from rebooting while you troubleshoot the issues. Below, we’ve discussed how to disable automatic restart: 

• Switch your PC on and press and hold the F8 key in before the Windows logo pops up. Holding in F8 will take you to the boot menu.
• Once in the boot menu, you must select ‘safe mode.’ You will boot your computer from safe mode and then hold in the Windows key and R.
• Performing this action will take you to the ‘run dialog’ menu. In this menu, you will type “sysdm.cpl” – without the quotations – before clicking ‘ok.’
• After entering this into the dialog menu, you must go to the ‘advanced’ tab and navigate to the ‘startup and recovery’ section. 
• Once you’re in this section, you must click the ‘settings button’ and navigate to the Automatically Restart option that can be found underneath System Failure. 
• When you’ve found the automatic restart feature, you must deselect it and save the changes. 

With the changes saved, you will have a temporarily fixed PC on which you can troubleshoot to identify the cause of your computer restarting continuously. 

Step Two: Update Drivers

Few people realize that their PCs can get stuck in a restarting loop if their computer drivers are outdated. Often, when a PC can’t communicate with the system correctly because of an outdated driver, restarting will occur or freezing and ‘blue screens.’ 

That’s why when you have temporarily disabled automatic restarts, you must check and update your drivers if necessary. You can do this automatically with the help of a third-party driver updating tool or manually. 

If you decide to use a third-party tool, the software will check your drivers for potential issues and give you a detailed report on whether you have missing or outdated drivers. In addition, third-party software will also allow you to update your drivers according to the latest manufacturer-recommended versions. 

Unfortunately, if you decide to look for drivers and update them manually, you must set aside a significant amount of time. This is because you must search the web for the correct driver versions and install them yourself. 

If you don’t want to update your drivers with a third-party tool and don’t have time to manually update them, you can hire a tech professional to do it for you. 

Step Three: Scan For Malware And Viruses

Malware and viruses are malicious types of software that can cause extensive harm to your PC, including making it restart often. Sadly, malware and viruses can go unnoticed for months to years, burrowing their way into your PC’s software and files, exposing sensitive information to outsiders, and slowing your PC down.

Luckily, while you’ve switched automatic restarts off, you can perform a complete virus and malware scan using Windows Defender. Admittedly, Windows Defender is not as comprehensive as other types of anti-virus software, so it might be best to use an alternative like Avast or McAfee. These anti-viruses are designed to carefully comb through your computer’s Registry and search for malicious items. 

If the software finds anything, it will isolate it, and you can go through and delete it or set it to remove the malicious items automatically. Once the anti-virus scan is complete, you can restart your PC and see if the problem is resolved. 

Step Four: Check Hardware Issues

If you have gone through steps one through three and your computer is still rebooting endlessly, it might not be a software issue but a hardware problem. 

Fortunately, checking faulty hardware isn’t too difficult, and if you find the problem, you can usually easily replace the component causing the restarts. 

Here is a list of components to check:

• CPU: If your computer’s CPU overheats, it could cause your PC to be stuck in an endless rebooting loop. To check if the CPU is the problem, you must remove and dust it. While removing it, be sure to check that the fan is working how it should, as a faulty fan could be causing the overheating issue and, thus, the CPU failure. 
• RAM: Your RAM could be blown, disconnected, or faulty, and this could cause your PC to start continuously. To resolve this issue, remove it from its slot, clean it and the slot, and place it back in. 
• External Devices: Sometimes, an external device could cause endless reboots. Simply remove all devices externally connected and determine if your PC functions properly with them unplugged. 

After checking the above components, you can restart your computer to determine if the rebooting issue is resolved. It might be time to bring in a professional if it has not. 

Wrap-Up On Endless Computer Reboots

Now you know the reasons behind persistent computer restarts and the steps you need to take to resolve the issue. If you’re having trouble stopping endless rebooting or want professional help, you might want to speak with My Computer Works. 

We have decades of experience helping individuals troubleshoot the cause of their computer restarting and fixing it. Simply contact us here, and our team will reach out.