PC keeps restarting when I download massive files, what to do?!

Whenever I download at several mb/s over a lan or p2p network, my computer tends to always reboot. Is it being overloaded with information and just decides to reboot to play it safe? What can I do about this problem? I tried going into the Bios to see if they have a critical temperature reboot setting, but it didn't.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

What you should do is Identify if the problem is due to someone issuing an external reboot command or DoS. For instance there was that problem with Windows sometime back where an attack was developed to issue a pc to reboot after 1 minute, it could only occur when you were networked since the RPC vunerability (before the issued patch) could be triggered from an external source to cause the reboot.

What you could do is utilise a firewall to try and find out if anything is attempting to reboot your machine.

Another factor to a potential reboot is a systems lock, this can be caused when the RAM is either mis-managed or faulty. Take for instance P2P networks require alot of caching to put your files back together after they have been split between multiple uploads, with lack of RAM or bad RAM the likelihood is the system won't be able to handle this and the OS at the same time.

(It can be shown on some linux systems when resources drop too low on systems running webservers etc, they will try to "Kill" the lower privileged processes to make some more room, in the case of windows... it's a reboot.)

If it's the RAM problem, then the only real way of dealing with the problem is either:

Get new/More RAM
or
Kill all processes your not using at the time (this means all the programs that load on your startbar if your running a windows systems, or the daemons that load on your *nix box. If your running a Mac system then you should get a prize, since I haven't heard anyone complain about their beloved Macs ever (other then when I call them Macs of course)

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

Thanks for the help everyone. I tried downloading on p2p on a new hard drive I just got and installed the OS today as well. Turned out it did not have the rebooting problem as my old hd and OS had. Over the weekend I will format my old hd and start afresh. One more question though. Often when I'm downloading files off p2p, and it gets interrupted whether by the host signing off or my pc rebooting, the incomplete file stays on my hd and when I try to delete it, it says the file is being used by another program or person. Even when I close EVERYTHING that can possibly be using that file, I still can't get it off my hd. Is there another way I can remove this sucker off my hd?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

Also started PC in safemode and tried to delete it without luck... gave me the same message about a program or user using it.

 

What you could try is setting the P2P shared folder settings to a different folder, hopefully then it won't "Lock" the file from being deleted.

 

Download WhoLockMe here
http://www.dr-hoiby.com/WhoLockMe/

 

i find when the file locking happens, you just rename the file then delete it...works every time

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

 

You dont need to format the Hard Disk pal.I think Stryd has hit the nail,You might have a problom of MSBLAST worm.Find wether you have a MSBLAST.exe file and MSBLAST DLL files on your PC and check it by running CTRL+ALT+DEL... are you running XP/NT or 2000 etc? ...


bye!

 

Hey all, thanks for all your replies. I uninstalled the p2p program that i used to download the incomplete file. Also tried renaming it, but couldn't, gave me same message that its being used. I am almost 100% certain I don't have MSblast or any viruses on my pc as I have norton fully updated and scanning everyweek and nothing unusual is running in task manager. I will try Reid's advice and get that wholockedme program to see what the heck's up with the files. Thanks!