Vista rebooting

[dbminter]

I've got a problem with Vista rebooting on me while I'm asleep.

 

 

The prompt comes up to ask if I want to enter Safe Mode or load Windows normally so it's some kind of "incorrect" access that is causing the reboots. My problem is I have no idea how to begin looking through Windows logs to check and see what it might be.

 

 

Like, where are the logs stored for a start. Do I need a special reader for them and is it included with Vista?

 

 

Thanks!

[cornholio7]

have you looked in right click my computer-> manage -> logbook (or whatever its called on an english o/s)

[dbminter]

Event Viewer?

[Cynthia]

Ultimate:

 

Administration tools -> Logbook

 

In the control panel there is also a tool/icon named 'problem reports and solutions'.

[dbminter]

In Home Premium, it appears to be the Event Viewer. The icon in Control Panel doesn't do me too much good because it says reporting is turned off. I believe the Event Viewer is what I'm looking for, though... although I've been over the logs and I can't make heads or tails of what it's reporting to me. So, I'll just try restoring an older system image.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Press the left windows key + break

 

click Advanced system settings

 

click startup and recovery settings

 

uncheck automatically restart

 

The next time it BSOD's you'll see the message on the screen, write it down and restart manually. Report what you see in this thread.

 

You can also just open the memory dump in windbg and see what it says.

[dbminter]

Hmmm, Lightning, I HAD that enabled on XP. I guess when I upgraded from XP to Vista, the Vista install turned that option on as a system default.

[dbminter]

I ended up restoring an old system image and have been keeping an eye on it. For the last few days, no restarts. I still have 3 Windows Updates to install, which I will after say a week or so. That way, I can narrow it down to one of the updates if they are fault. Of course, I've yet to see a Windows Update that didn't damage something.

[Cynthia]

I guess you are not the first one to install the SP2 beta?

[dbminter]

I would NEVER install a Microsoft beta. In fact, I usually keep my hands off of betas. ImgBurn is really the only thing I will beta test.