Computer Restarts Itself

Not my computer, its a friends, so i might not be able to give you as much info as you need, or carry out instructions quickly or as accurately, but he really wants help. His computer restarts itself during loading windows, he cant even get into safe mode. He has a lot of files that he really wants/needs including work for many projects that he doesn't have backed up. Any advice or suggestions that might enable him to even access some of those files, or some way of booting the computer? thanks a lot jpshortstuff EDIT: theres a small chance that it could be the result of a virus, should this me moved to the MR forum?

If the machine can't be booted, even into SAFE Mode, what do you suppose the folks over at Malware Removal would do to get a HJT Log or use any other advanced tool?
I think until you resolve the boot issue, we're all in the same situation.
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Thinking first of safeguarding the data, consider removing the Hard Drive, installing into a second machine as "Slave", then copy/paste whatever important data your friend wants to preserve.

Alternatively, you could use a pre-windows environment CD, like BART CD, to boot a minimal operating system from CD-ROM.
Take a look at the ultimatebootdisk, here: http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/
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You may be able to effect repairs from a bootdisk environment, or at least harmlessly get a better picture of the situation.
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Once you have the data preserved off-machine, you may be able to utilize Recovery Console to effect a Repair Installation, or if necessary, a format and reinstall.

In most cases, a Repair Installation can be completed without hazard to saved data, settings, drivers, and updates.
HOWEVER, best practice would backup any important data before attempting procedures from Recovery Console.

Keep us posted with your progress.

—–oh, yeah. If you are able to get the machine to bootable condition, post a HJT Log over in Malware Removal.
No sense optimizing the system files, only to have some malware junk corrupt them again.

Best Regards

ok, thanks a lot, your advice is much appreciated.

we'll see what we can do
removing the hard drive would probably be what hed try first, he said he was thinking about it already. hope that there isn't a contagious virus on there though :-/

thanks again

jp

hope that there isn't a contagious virus on there though :-/

If you are volunteering your own machine for this procedure, just be sure all your own security utilities are up to date.
Copy/pasting files into a Folder does not "activate" a contagious virus…… clicking on a file or displaying an image file, that you've copy/pasted to a Folder on your Hard Drive…. might.

Therefore, scan all the file content that is copy/pasted.
You'd be doing yourself and your friend a favor by scanning.

Best Regards

ok, will do, thanks a lot

jp