Windows XP auto-restart problem detailed analysis

Similar to diagnosing problems in the home network, this column is also triggered by the questions raised by the reader. James Herman from Altamont Springs, Fla., encountered a problem when trying to shut down the computer: the Windows XP Professional operating system I used had not been able to shut down properly. Every time I perform a shutdown operation, the system can perform various operations step by step according to the shutdown procedure. However, once the computer should be shut down, the BIOS screen will appear, causing the computer to reboot.

This situation is really irritating. So let's take a look at what caused this problem and point out a solution for Mr. Herman. There are three main reasons for the system to automatically reboot:

Recovery settings include software incompatibility issues including driver problems. Problems caused by the BIOS Here is a search and automatic search in the Microsoft Knowledge Base. Tips for re-directing information about issues: Microsoft rarely uses the words "reboot" in Knowledge Base articles, so the search results obtained with this keyword will be very limited. To find relevant information, search by “restart” or“restarts”keywords.

Recovery Settings

One of the major differences between Windows XP and Windows 9x (9x is the general name for the various versions of the Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me operating systems) is that Users can control critical system errors —— the original response to the infamous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error —— In Windows XP, the default setting is to automatically reboot the computer in the event of a fatal system error. If this fatal error occurs just when you shut down your computer, the system will automatically reboot.

If you have not made any changes to the system failure settings, you should be able to get the error message by looking at the event log. However, a more appropriate long-term solution is to turn off the automatic reboot feature so that you can see the actual error —— in this case, you can get the most out of the error and complete further failures. Diagnostic work. To modify the recovery settings to disable the automatic reboot feature, do the following:

Right-click on My Computer and select Properties from the shortcut menu that appears

Click the Advanced tab

. In the Startup and Recovery area, click the Settings button to open the Startup and Recovery dialog.

Clear the Automatically restart check box and click the OK button.

Restart your computer for the above settings to take effect.

Now, when a fatal error occurs during system shutdown, you can at least see an error that does not cause the system to automatically reboot. Although you still need to determine the cause of the problem, it is undeniable that this approach does allow us to proceed to the next step.

Software Incompatibility Issues

The most common cause of fatal system errors or BSOD is software or driver issues, and troubleshooting such issues is a Skillful work. However, the actual fault diagnosis mechanism is the same as other problems encountered on the PC. Often, the first thing you need to look at is what changes have been made to the system before the problem occurred, and what new software products or drivers have been added. This work seems very simple, but if the cause of the problem is something that you have been using for a while, then it will usually be very difficult to locate it. If all goes well, the whole process will look very simple. Otherwise, you will need to spend some effort to determine if there is a specific cause (if any) that causes a particular error message, or if there are known issues in the specific software product and driver that cause the unusual behavior you see. When the system automatically reboots, even if you have chosen to turn off the computer, the search for the Microsoft Knowledge Base will automatically open an article titled Windows XP restart when you try to shut down your computer. This article points out Roxio Easy Known issues included in CD Creator 5.0 and Windows XP. By looking at the Roxio Web site, you'll find that the company has already provided software upgrades for Windows XP. Based on past experience, I recommend that you follow the prescribed steps in order to solve the problems implied by the CD burning software. Many users install a large number of programs, patches, and drivers over many years of use and think they know how to do it. For most occasions, this is the case. However, since version 2.0, I have been a loyal user of Easy CD Creator. I will try my best to grasp the new features. Therefore, I am very clear that I must strictly follow the update of the software product. Do the operation instructions.

Still, this doesn't mean I'm too picky about Roxio. I really appreciate the company's software products and have always been their loyal users. Regardless of how you get the driver or patch, you should read the installation documentation carefully and follow the instructions —— this is definitely a smart move.

So, is Easy CD Creator the only software product that causes this type of problem? Maybe not, it's just the only example I've tried to find from the knowledge base about such issues. The information contained in the knowledge base is not complete. If you are unable to get the information you are looking for from the knowledge base, you should probably seek help from the newsgroup. To do this, check out the Windows XP Expert Zone newsgroups. Often, other users who have experienced similar problems will provide you with a solution. In addition, while Windows Update Services can help you keep your software products up-to-date, it's still a good idea to check the manufacturer's Web site regularly for the latest updates to critical hardware device drivers.

Problems caused by BIOS

Finally, the most technically important reboot problem is caused by the BIOS in your computer. If your BIOS or other installation is in your computer A problem exists in the firmware used by the hardware device, which may cause the system to fail to run stably and cause the automatic restart problem described in the first section. This situation is particularly acute when there are problems with the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) section of the BIOS. With the continuous development of related technologies, the frequency of such problems has been greatly reduced compared with the past. However, it is only beneficial to check whether the computer manufacturer provides the latest updated BIOS version regularly.