Why does my computer restart itself?

there could be a few things going on.

first you might have something trying to update, check yoru processes and look to find something that says updator or updtr, somthing to that effect- they run on timers and will restart your comp in a precise way if you do not pay them attention.... my thoughts are something is not installing properly if it is this problem.

Second, your video card might not be working properly, which can be a number of things- drivers obsolete or corrupted, viruses, or your vid card just crapped out. update your drivers for that card and try to get a good antivirus AVG FOR FREE is a good one, free as it says and is much better than anything nortan came up with.

you might have overheating problems but the nature that it continues to restart at a precise interval... that i would think to rule it out.

i think your driver to your video card did not install properly and something is trying to re-install it and failing.. badly

Firstly, these two aren't related in anyway. The Video card on your computer, whether a laptop, or a desktop, doesn't have the required authority to restart your computer. Usually, a computer restarts on its own only on a few occasions:

1. If updates require the system to be refreshed

2. There are conflicts in the hardware.

3. There is a virus causing this.

I'm not sure about the video card problem, but i'm absolutely positive that it isn't an over-heating problem. The fact that your fan kicks up before shutting down is a good thing, signifying that your computer has the precautions it needs before shutting down. This is perfectly normal. Try to replace your video card. This could be the problem (if it's not a virus) where there is a hardware conflict that the computer shuts down, trying to reset. Computers only shut down( like i said eariler) only to reset hardware of software.

Is your computer under warranty at all? The computer would shut down if it was overheating. You could have a problem with your video card so that may need to be replaced. The fans may turn on or off normally even though some can be loud.

It sounds like a heat problem. Carpeted rooms can cause static and dust problems, which can cause over heating, no matter how clean the room is. I take the cover off and manually clean the unit with an air can and brush. Try that if you feel comfortable doing so. It could also be a worm or Trojan.

I guess the first question is, how long has this been going on? If you do think its a heat problem, download and run speedfan. As far as your video goes, make sure you have all the updated drivers for your video (if you have onboard video, seriously consider getting an actual video card).

Those problems aren't related. If it restarts exactly 1 hour after it is turned on, it is probably some kind of prank malware. You need to scan your computer with anti-virus software with updated definition/signatures.

these two problems actually could be related depending on how hot your processor is getting, you can download software that will tell you the temp of your processor.....such as SPEEDFAN. heat affects different Components differently ... i e hot processors shutdown , heat screws with video cards, especially one that are Integrated . it sounds as if you have some fan problems and may want to get it replaced.

If it feels like it gets far too hot than it should then it could be heating but it sounds more like a shutdown trojan, mainly because of the exact timing, make sure you have good anti virul protection

it can be your processor overheating

try to see if some cable is blocking your fan on your processor

that can be an issue, because there tha processor can heat up and tha computer automatically shuts itself down to prevent more damages

It could be a heat problem or not enough power.