Computer random restarts - Found a possible cause
N-RArts
Posts: 1,523
Yes, my computer is still having them.
I always keep a check on these things with Security and Maintenance, and this has happened too many times to just be a coincidence.
But it seems that when Windows Defender/Antivirus/Security is updated, the computer has a "random restart". Although, Windows just says that its a "failed shutdown".
This evening there have been two updates, and it has restarted both times.
I've been trying to look up online to see if this is possible, and I can't find anything. Is this possible?
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That is normal for Windows 10 to restart after it's automatic updates, usually 3 - 5 each month, and also claim to fail to shutdown because you have an app or explorer folder open. Windows will normally eventually force close the open explorer folder / app to complete it's shutdown / reboot however in my experience.
I don't think mine has ever restarted without asking me. Sometimes it puts an icon on the task bar that indicates that updates are ready. When I click on it, it asks if I want to restart now or I can schedule a time. Other times it puts the updates in the shut down buttons where I can update and shurt donw or update and restart and I think there's a third choice. Some times I have also checked on updates and it will install them when I click on the button and then if will ask if I want to restart now. It also says that I appear to use my computer at these times and it wants to know if I want to restart at a time when I am not using the computer.
I had a computer that would randomly restart. I had one of the platter drives. It was going bad. It would make a little tick tick sound. Also when your computer restarts does it make any beeping sounds. If so, you need to figure out the pattern. You can search online for the pattern to see what it represents.
There have been times when Windows has installed something in the background but doesn't give me any indication. But suddenly some programs don't work right. So then I will reboot and windows will say it is updating windows. It really should notify me at those times, cause it seems like a reboot was needed.
I remember this topic from another thread. I didn't follow the thread all the way through. What was ruled out? Did you ever resort to testing for powersupply issues?
I had a stick of RAM go bad and it kept restarting my PC with increasing frequency
You'll have to dig through your logs. Event IDs 6000-6009 are for startups and shutdowns, filter that in your Sytem logs to find when the system shut down. After you get the time your system shut down, clear the filter and go to that time looking for the errors. It's almost impossible to speculate with any accuracy, there's a ton of reasons why it could be happening.
I have experienced everything noted above. Unexplained restarts due to bad motherboard, bad disk, bad memory, bad power supply, and bad video card.
In each case except for the video card issue, it was a hardware problem. Crashes/restarts due to video issues usually have to do with a misbehaving driver. In my experience.
Prime example of how Windows 10 works by default and no it's not a HW or SW bug even if it restarts while my DAZ render is still running and ruins it. Note: I did not initiate the update or schedule it. Windows 10 did.
Yeah... It took a (quite a long) while to get our IT people understand, why it wasn't such a good idea to run company wide updates starting at 9AM...
Just configure it not to (at least you can do that with the Pro version). I just see a daily pop-up "You need some updates", I close it and nothing else happens. Did that for 2½ years on one PC, until I decided to let it update.
Oh, I like the default behaviour but I do tend to just stop renders & immediately reboot rather than waiting for Windows to do so.
If management ever needs to explain this more than zero times, then some IT folks be needin' a li'l adjustment in 'tude!
The power supply is okay. Although a part of me would've expected that if the power supply was bad, I would have issues every time (every day) that the computer was in use.
I have noticed that the fans make a quick "roar" sound when the computer turns off. It's not a new thing though (and it dosen't happen every time).
I don't mean Windows Updates. The computer has to have my permission before it can restart. But it has randomly restarted while installing a Windows update before, too.
I've been reading the Event Log (I got a headache for my troubles). The most common error is for VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Service). It maybe another coincidence seeing that I don't know what VSS is, or what its does. But VSS errors seem to occur the same time that updates for Windows Antivirus/Defender install, and the computer restarts.
There are a few PostgreSQL errors there too. But I'm not sure if they're happening at the same time as the random restarts.
VSS is a data backup service in windows. If that error is happening it could mean that the drive its trying to backup to is bad, or if its happening during some update, it could be that the system files that VSS requires are corrupted.
I would try disabling VSS and see if the restarts persist. Quick google on disabling VSS should show you how to disable
VSS is not a backup service.
It works with your backup application to provide valid images of files that are locked while Windows is running, so that when you have to restore from a backup, your files that were open won't be corrupted. If VSS is drawing errors, I would be more concerned about the drive being ready to fail than I would be suspicious of VSS.
I'll look into it, and give it a try.
I flipping hope not! I've just replaced the old (failing) HDD with an (expensive) SSD. The SSD is only four months old.
I knew I should've gone with a new HDD...