Dell Optiplex reboots, help!

[n2ho]

Have 2 new Dell Optiplex GX620 computers at work, Windows XP Pro, Intel Pentium D processor, ATI Radeon 600 video card, and a DVD-ROM and a DVD+/-RW drive. Programs installed: MS Office 2003, Mozilla Firefox 2.0, Internet Explorer 6.0, Adobe Reader 8.0, Adobe Photoshop CS, Windows Media Player 9.0, Symantec Antivirus, Nero OEM Suite. The problem in both computers - sudden and random automatic reboot during the work, couldn't associate with particular actions or programs. Usually happens one - twice a day, very annoying, you can lose good chunk of work if you are writing or doing something.
Contacted Dell, they advised first to go to msconfig and disable all non-microsoft services, but it didn't help. Then they advised to backup all data and reinstall Windows, which I don't want to do unless no other choice. Any help/ideas??
Thank you.
George

[cauzomb]

Try using motherboard monitor 5 to monitor the CPU temp's up to the point where it restarts, if that stay's normal, then I suspect either a software issue, or power issue.

[n2ho]

Thank you for reply.
I'll try MBM5 tomorrow. There was no error messages in the event viewer though except something like "chassis intrusion detected" and I don't know how to interpret this. I also noticed that the reboot never happened if computer was just idling, say, was just ON during weekend or overnight and nobody used it.

[Gizmokid2005]

The Chassis Intrusion Detected is a stupid sensor that some PC cases have on it that if the case is opened the computer will shut off. It is something that you can turn off in most BIOS' options.

[n2ho]

The Chassis Intrusion Detected is a stupid sensor that some PC cases have on it that if the case is opened the computer will shut off. It is something that you can turn off in most BIOS' options.

I disabled Chassis Intrusion Detected feature in the BIOS. Temperature of the processor seems to me OK (checked by touching the heat sink), cooling fan works OK. Lets see what happen next.

[n2ho]

Today I tried to make a backup of my data files on DVD-RW, and couldn't do this because damn computer every time rebooted in the middle of DVD burning. After 3 times I gave up. What causing this?

[TurcoLoco]

Today I tried to make a backup of my data files on DVD-RW, and couldn't do this because damn computer every time rebooted in the middle of DVD burning. After 3 times I gave up. What causing this?

I agree with Cauz, this does smell like a hw issue which would commonly require replacing or repairing!

Usually happens one - twice a day, very annoying, you can lose good chunk of work if you are writing or doing something.
Contacted Dell, they advised first to go to msconfig and disable all non-microsoft services, but it didn't help. Then they advised to backup all data and reinstall Windows, which I don't want to do unless no other choice. Any help/ideas??

This is quite typical of vendors and their lousy support dept. These are new laptops and presumably still under warranty? As Cauzomb said, contact Dell for replacement. You should not have to stop and services/programs that came with the laptop in order to prevent the rebooting. What they suggested sounded like a troubleshooting suggestion but even if it worked, it would not be a good workaround or a fix.
Random reboots are generally a sign of bad PSU or CPU (even if not overheating).
I'd also seen similar patterns on a few IBM laptops where mobo had to be replaced...
Don't waste any time if these laptops are still under any kind of warranty!

[cauzomb]

If they are new, and both of them are doing it, then it's a hardware defect or something, have Dell take a look at them, get them to make a backup of your data and replace the computer's or fix the problem "cpu goop" "power suply issue" "bios issue" or whatever it might be but retain the Hard disk and your data.

[n2ho]

Thanks cauzomb and turcoloco for advices. I finally backed up all of my data, called Dell today, under their supervision reinstalled Windows and all programs that came with the computer (it's a desktop btw, not a laptop) and, guess what? Reboots again! Then I called Dell and now am waiting on Thursday for a technician (on-site service was purchased by our institution) to replace a motherboard and don't know what else. I shouldn't do system reinstallation to begin with, but that was their requirements before to send somebody for repair.

[n2ho]

Dell's tech replaced MB and power supply. So far computer works OK. As per technician they blame some faulty capacitors causing this type of problem.