Quick Computer Question

Okay..as you guys know, I have been having problems with my computer. Periodically, it restarts on it's own. When if goes off it goes to a blue screen stating that there was an unspecified error and my computer is shutting down in order to portect windows. It also says I should try to go to the computers BIOS and shut down shadowing and caching. Not only do I not know how to do that, I am hesitant to mess with the computers BIOS.

I called HP tech support...a few things were done that did not work..They are, as near as I can tell, completely useless.

I tried several things on my own...re-installing some drivers, system restore (which I had to do in safe mode because it wouldn't work otherwise) etc.

I haven't has time to go get another compter and send this one to HP to fixed....I had to work late most of last week.

Does anybody have any suggestions to try and fix this computer without sending it back to HP?

I will just have to make time regardless of my current shedule.

Thanks for any help..:D

can you copy/paste the error message for us?

Not really...it goes to a blue screen with writing and my mouse does not work on it.  It just states that it is an undetermined error and windows is being shut down in order to prevent damage....plus a bunch of other writing that probably only has meaning for a programer..[:

It is very frustrating...

ok i think i may be asking a lot here but can you write all of it out and then type it up for me? 

This sounds exactly like an issue I had not too long, and I ended up having to go with a new system(basically). The issue was with the System Board and/or the Processor.

So, most likely you're going to have to send it back for repair.

Sigh..I was afraid that it might be a hardware issue..

Okay...my original plan was to send it in...buy a new computer an give this one to my mother after it was repaired...so it looks like I will be doing that.....

I'm going with Mr. Gone here.  It sounds like a motherboard of processor issue.
Sorry, man.

Yes, it sounds like a hardware issue. You could try re-installing Winders, but I doubt that's the issue.

an alternative may be that one of your ram chips is a bit buggered.
i had that problem when i upgraded my ram in my last PC, pretty much every time i opened photoshop afterwards it would blue screen, via process of elimination i found the faulty stick and removed it, never had an issue after that. (cheaper thing to try than the motherboard too)

Calliope:

Not really...it goes to a blue screen with writing and my mouse does not work on it.  It just states that it is an undetermined error and windows is being shut down in order to prevent damage....plus a bunch of other writing that probably only has meaning for a programer..[:

The error message is less important than where it occured. In most cases a bluescreen also contains a file name, more often than not a DLL, and knowing this is what can greatly help with finding the culprit.
For instance, on my old computer the graphics card usually started to act up and Windows' "whoopsie-daisy, something bad is happening there, better reboot" mechanic kicked in. Once I've turned auto-restarting off and had a good look at the bluescreen, it told me that the problem occurred in one of nVidia's DLLs. As my GPU was the only thing from nVidia, that tipped me into the right direction. I've RMA'd the graphics card, and voila, problem solved.

Renfield286:

an alternative may be that one of your ram chips is a bit buggered.
i had that problem when i upgraded my ram in my last PC, pretty much every time i opened photoshop afterwards it would blue screen, via process of elimination i found the faulty stick and removed it, never had an issue after that. (cheaper thing to try than the motherboard too)

Yea...thats true. You could try that route first. If you have 2 ram sticks, pull one out, see what it does, then swap them and see what it does.

Next time it does that, check the BIOS/CMOS/SETUP/whatever-the-hell your board calls it. Check out the temp and see if it's overheating.

From personal experience this may also be a heating problem. How much dust have you collected in your cabinet? and is the heat-sink connected well enough to your CPU?
You can try to install a monitor program, or in most BIOS's you can see temperatures around the motherboard. So the next time your PC gives a BSoD you restart quickly and find out what the temperatures around the board are.
50+ for your CPU will be too much, just as a guide.

When you get the blue screen, there should be an error code listed there. I know its a pain but either get a picture or write it down on paper.  Then go at it with the tech's best tool: Google or Technet (for windows)

Least this hasn't happened to you Cal:

Guy sends in Dell Laptop for repair, gets back Hard Drive