pc reboot and stalling

[Peerie]

hi guys. got a prob wit my pc. when i use the dvd/cd rom to play a movie the pc switches off after playing for about 2 minutes. thereafter it reboots but it doesnt come on, only thing it does is that the fan keeps running. everything is fine until i play a movie. any solutions?

[CWR03]

Check your Windows log and see if it gives you any indication of why it's shutting down. It sounds like you have a problem with it overheating - try removing the side cover and blow a fan in it and see if it works. A PC needs occasional cleaning or the airflow will get stopped up with dust.

[squid_80]

Could be a weak power supply too.

[Peerie]

how would i go about checking my Windows log? and what would i have to do to check up if my power supply is weak? im a newbie when it comes to that stuff.

i'll give that fan idea a try tho...lets see what happens.

[setarip_old]

You might also want to run a memory test program - to determine whether you have any bad RAM...

[CWR03]

The power supply would be difficult to check. If yours is an off-the-shelf motherboard it may have come with a utility that will let you monitor stuff as it runs, sometimes including voltage.

When you remove the side cover, look down through the fan at the processor heat sink and see if it's packed with dust. It should be easy to remove and clean, just make sure the PC is turned off.

Edit: The Windows log is in your C drive root directory.

[AVIL]

@Peerie

I had a similar problem. In a particular point of a DVD, image freezes and, inmediatly, pc reboots. A fresh windows reinstall cures it.

Good luck.