Vista - unexpected shut down

I have an annoying problem with my Windows Vista desktop for the last month.
Every once in a while, the computer will shut down automatically, and start
up on its own, if I don't prompt it after 15 seconds. It will do this at any
time it feels like it. I don't know why it is doing this. The computer is a
Gateway desktop. I have call them a few times about this problem, but the
solutions are to no avail. It probably started when I put in a few
application programs in after about a week I got the computer, sometime in
May. I have Vista Home Premium. I am running Avast Home Edition as my
anti-virus program. And I am running Spy-Sweeper from MSN. Recently, I have
downloaded and used A-Squared.
I have done a System Restore, but that didn't work. Nothing seems to work.
I am not a computer knowledgeable person, but I got a feeling that it might
be a safe-guard against something, or something that is runnig in the
background.
Anyone experience this, or have any ideas what I can do to remedy this
problem?
Thanks!
Brad

Have you uninstalled the software you suspect "broke" things?

--
The personal opinion of
Gary G. Little

"bradleywold" <bgw953@duscussion.microfoft.com> wrote in message
news:20947E2D-AD97-4306-A7CB-2E520CA12A43@microsoft.com...
>I have an annoying problem with my Windows Vista desktop for the last
>month.
> Every once in a while, the computer will shut down automatically, and
> start
> up on its own, if I don't prompt it after 15 seconds. It will do this at
> any
> time it feels like it. I don't know why it is doing this. The computer
> is a
> Gateway desktop. I have call them a few times about this problem, but the
> solutions are to no avail. It probably started when I put in a few
> application programs in after about a week I got the computer, sometime in
> May. I have Vista Home Premium. I am running Avast Home Edition as my
> anti-virus program. And I am running Spy-Sweeper from MSN. Recently, I
> have
> downloaded and used A-Squared.
> I have done a System Restore, but that didn't work. Nothing seems to
> work.
> I am not a computer knowledgeable person, but I got a feeling that it
> might
> be a safe-guard against something, or something that is runnig in the
> background.
> Anyone experience this, or have any ideas what I can do to remedy this
> problem?
> Thanks!
> Brad

-- I don't know what software, if any, is causing the problem. That is why
I am interested if any one had a problem with either Avast or Spy sweeper or
any other application that may cause the same thing with their Vista.
Brad


"Gary G. Little" wrote:

> Have you uninstalled the software you suspect "broke" things?
>
> --
> The personal opinion of
> Gary G. Little
>
> "bradleywold" <bgw953@duscussion.microfoft.com> wrote in message
> news:20947E2D-AD97-4306-A7CB-2E520CA12A43@microsoft.com...
> >I have an annoying problem with my Windows Vista desktop for the last
> >month.
> > Every once in a while, the computer will shut down automatically, and
> > start
> > up on its own, if I don't prompt it after 15 seconds. It will do this at
> > any
> > time it feels like it. I don't know why it is doing this. The computer
> > is a
> > Gateway desktop. I have call them a few times about this problem, but the
> > solutions are to no avail. It probably started when I put in a few
> > application programs in after about a week I got the computer, sometime in
> > May. I have Vista Home Premium. I am running Avast Home Edition as my
> > anti-virus program. And I am running Spy-Sweeper from MSN. Recently, I
> > have
> > downloaded and used A-Squared.
> > I have done a System Restore, but that didn't work. Nothing seems to
> > work.
> > I am not a computer knowledgeable person, but I got a feeling that it
> > might
> > be a safe-guard against something, or something that is runnig in the
> > background.
> > Anyone experience this, or have any ideas what I can do to remedy this
> > problem?
> > Thanks!
> > Brad
>
>
>

Avast causes no problems with Vista; it is fully compatible

"bradleywold" wrote:

>
> -- I don't know what software, if any, is causing the problem. That is why
> I am interested if any one had a problem with either Avast or Spy sweeper or
> any other application that may cause the same thing with their Vista.
> Brad
>
>
> "Gary G. Little" wrote:
>
> > Have you uninstalled the software you suspect "broke" things?
> >
> > --
> > The personal opinion of
> > Gary G. Little
> >
> > "bradleywold" <bgw953@duscussion.microfoft.com> wrote in message
> > news:20947E2D-AD97-4306-A7CB-2E520CA12A43@microsoft.com...
> > >I have an annoying problem with my Windows Vista desktop for the last
> > >month.
> > > Every once in a while, the computer will shut down automatically, and
> > > start
> > > up on its own, if I don't prompt it after 15 seconds. It will do this at
> > > any
> > > time it feels like it. I don't know why it is doing this. The computer
> > > is a
> > > Gateway desktop. I have call them a few times about this problem, but the
> > > solutions are to no avail. It probably started when I put in a few
> > > application programs in after about a week I got the computer, sometime in
> > > May. I have Vista Home Premium. I am running Avast Home Edition as my
> > > anti-virus program. And I am running Spy-Sweeper from MSN. Recently, I
> > > have
> > > downloaded and used A-Squared.
> > > I have done a System Restore, but that didn't work. Nothing seems to
> > > work.
> > > I am not a computer knowledgeable person, but I got a feeling that it
> > > might
> > > be a safe-guard against something, or something that is runnig in the
> > > background.
> > > Anyone experience this, or have any ideas what I can do to remedy this
> > > problem?
> > > Thanks!
> > > Brad
> >
> >
> >

I am having a similar issue. It started out happening occasionally and now it
happens everytime I try to get on after it has been in the powersave mode no
matter of the length of time. This a.m. when I got on it shutdown
unexpectedly, I finished my tasks, shutdown temporarily, and tried to log on
an hour later and did, then opened msn to get online and it shutdown and
rebooted itself. I have a Sony Vaio desktop and am running Norton antivirus
and firewall. I am so irritated by this its not quick to get on my pc and use
it anymore. I also havent got any useful help but everytime it happens my pc
sends a messge to microsofts help and never get any resolution of the
problem, it just keeps happening everytime I log on.

"bradleywold" wrote:

> I have an annoying problem with my Windows Vista desktop for the last month.
> Every once in a while, the computer will shut down automatically, and start
> up on its own, if I don't prompt it after 15 seconds. It will do this at any
> time it feels like it. I don't know why it is doing this. The computer is a
> Gateway desktop. I have call them a few times about this problem, but the
> solutions are to no avail. It probably started when I put in a few
> application programs in after about a week I got the computer, sometime in
> May. I have Vista Home Premium. I am running Avast Home Edition as my
> anti-virus program. And I am running Spy-Sweeper from MSN. Recently, I have
> downloaded and used A-Squared.
> I have done a System Restore, but that didn't work. Nothing seems to work.
> I am not a computer knowledgeable person, but I got a feeling that it might
> be a safe-guard against something, or something that is runnig in the
> background.
> Anyone experience this, or have any ideas what I can do to remedy this
> problem?
> Thanks!
> Brad

I encountered this involuntary rebooting issue everyday since I upgraded, on
July 10, 2007, my Dell Latitude D810 notebook PC from Windows XP Pro SP2 to
Windows Vista Business edition. Vista's Problem Reporting log keeps stating
its cause as ATI Graphics driver error.

The video card in Dell D810 is ATI Radeon X600 with 128 MB memory on the
card. Installing ATI's adapter driver suite named Catalyst Software Suite
for Vista 32-bit does not stop the involuntary rebooting issue.

Dell's technical support said that Dell does not have the driver for Vista
yet as of July 18, 2007.

Thanks for your comments that might lead a solution.


"bradleywold" <bgw953@duscussion.microfoft.com> wrote in message
news:20947E2D-AD97-4306-A7CB-2E520CA12A43@microsoft.com...
>I have an annoying problem with my Windows Vista desktop for the last
>month.
> Every once in a while, the computer will shut down automatically, and
> start
> up on its own, if I don't prompt it after 15 seconds. It will do this at
> any
> time it feels like it. I don't know why it is doing this. The computer
> is a
> Gateway desktop. I have call them a few times about this problem, but the
> solutions are to no avail. It probably started when I put in a few
> application programs in after about a week I got the computer, sometime in
> May. I have Vista Home Premium. I am running Avast Home Edition as my
> anti-virus program. And I am running Spy-Sweeper from MSN. Recently, I
> have
> downloaded and used A-Squared.
> I have done a System Restore, but that didn't work. Nothing seems to
> work.
> I am not a computer knowledgeable person, but I got a feeling that it
> might
> be a safe-guard against something, or something that is runnig in the
> background.
> Anyone experience this, or have any ideas what I can do to remedy this
> problem?
> Thanks!
> Brad

My update:

Reading postings of others dated earlier, I follow the advice of checking
off the Automatically Restart option in Control Panel>System>Advanced System
Setting>Startup and Recovery>System failure.

I guess that Vista will not reboot the next time when ATI Graphics driver
issue occurs. If this works, then the difficulties of this involuntary
rebooting or the Blue Screen of Death display that were seen in Windows 95
and Windows 98 would be greatly alleviated.

"Ren" <lirenchan@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:en9z59lyHHA.4652@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>I encountered this involuntary rebooting issue everyday since I upgraded,
>on July 10, 2007, my Dell Latitude D810 notebook PC from Windows XP Pro SP2
>to Windows Vista Business edition. Vista's Problem Reporting log keeps
>stating its cause as ATI Graphics driver error.
>
> The video card in Dell D810 is ATI Radeon X600 with 128 MB memory on the
> card. Installing ATI's adapter driver suite named Catalyst Software Suite
> for Vista 32-bit does not stop the involuntary rebooting issue.
>
> Dell's technical support said that Dell does not have the driver for Vista
> yet as of July 18, 2007.
>
> Thanks for your comments that might lead a solution.
>
>
> "bradleywold" <bgw953@duscussion.microfoft.com> wrote in message
> news:20947E2D-AD97-4306-A7CB-2E520CA12A43@microsoft.com...
>>I have an annoying problem with my Windows Vista desktop for the last
>>month.
>> Every once in a while, the computer will shut down automatically, and
>> start
>> up on its own, if I don't prompt it after 15 seconds. It will do this at
>> any
>> time it feels like it. I don't know why it is doing this. The computer
>> is a
>> Gateway desktop. I have call them a few times about this problem, but
>> the
>> solutions are to no avail. It probably started when I put in a few
>> application programs in after about a week I got the computer, sometime
>> in
>> May. I have Vista Home Premium. I am running Avast Home Edition as my
>> anti-virus program. And I am running Spy-Sweeper from MSN. Recently, I
>> have
>> downloaded and used A-Squared.
>> I have done a System Restore, but that didn't work. Nothing seems to
>> work.
>> I am not a computer knowledgeable person, but I got a feeling that it
>> might
>> be a safe-guard against something, or something that is runnig in the
>> background.
>> Anyone experience this, or have any ideas what I can do to remedy this
>> problem?
>> Thanks!
>> Brad
>