Troubleshooting Errant Shutdowns and Unusual Rebooting

Windows Vista is an immense improvement overs its predecessors, and for first time users, a visual masterpiece.  Apple has worked very hard on the last few versions of its operating systems to produce a product that was both capable and stable, while also being quite stylized and aesthetically appealing.  Microsoft never seemed to take that approach with Windows, and even Windows XP Media Center Edition (arguably the most graphical) was quite tame when compared to OS 9 or OS X.  Vista, however, marks Microsoft's reentry into the operating system wars with a product that is stable, capable, and gorgeous.

If your computer is beginning to perform erratically, shutting down randomly or rebooting at what seems to be its own whim, it is a rightfully frustrating experience.  You are expecting stability and peace of mind from your operating system, and having it shut down whenever it wants to is certainly not what you had in mind.

Before you start panicking, troubleshoot your problem:

Are there any applications causing force restarts?

Some applications, such as some anti-viruses or recently installed programs (and that cursed Windows Update), will cause a force restart.  More often than not, these programs will give you a few minutes notice before they shut the computer down.

If there are applications causing a forced restart, it's simply a matter of disabling the application or disabling that function within the application. Please consult the applications manufacturer for instructions on how to disable the self-restart option.

Does your computer hang upon restarting?

If you select “restart” from the menu and your computer hangs, there may be numerous reasons for this. The most common (and most likely) reason for this is a background application that is unable to shut down.  Before you reboot your computer, close all programs that are running in the background to ensure that there is nothing open that could cause a freeze.

Are the connections within your computer secure?

If your computer is constantly losing power, or if the power switch is continually tripping, it may cause your computer to reboot or shut down randomly. Ensure that all of your connections are secure and operable.

Check your power saving options

If you have the power saving options set to shut down or hybrid sleep after a set period of time, this may be the cause of errant shutdowns.  If you have forgotten about these settings, it may also explain your surprise.  Check to ensure that everything is as it should be.