Windows XP boxs keeps rebooting...

I built this PC back in 2007, haven't used it regularly in close to a year since I got a laptop.

I need to move my music on there to my iPod though...

but when I use iTunes, my computer reboots? It's so strange.

 

Try to delete all the apple software from your machine, reboot and reinstall everything.
Apple software likes to reboot windows without a reason, at least my windows.

 

Apple makes some awful Windows software (coming from an OSX user), so start with what Demo recommended, or use a different program if its an older iPod

 

...I think my computer is possessed. It just now turned on randomly, and off. Power supply? When it is in windows it wouldn't just turn off, it would go through full shut down.

 

My computer has a similar issue, whenever I plug in something it shuts off. A speaker cable, usb cable, network cable, and so on. Does it work if you plug your ipod in before you start it?

If you can get it to work properly, just move all the music to the laptop via an external drive, usb stick, something like it, and just transfer it from the laptop to your ipod.

When your done with that, clean your computer (from dust etc), and format the drive physically with a fresh install of an OS. That fixes most problems, since it is 2 years since you installed the OS.

 

My POST screen used to freeze if I tried booting with my iPod plugged in. The mysterys of PC hardware.

If you have another PSU at hand it would be worth a shot though.

 

I had a feeling it was going to be hardware related...right when I'm possibly losing a job. :banghead:

 

Try and remove as much stuff as possible out of the pc to pin point the problem.

Then test everything individual, if all else fails your mobo died and your screwed but my experiance is it can be just about everything also something simple or cheap to replace.

 

Could be USB power related. I have a spare P.C that gets upset when you attach/remove/use USB stuff, it's just enough electrical spike to upset the motherboard.

 

Segata, my laptop does that. It will sit at the initial POST splash screen if the iPod is connected.

 

Very likely it's a PSU issue, especially if you don't find any bulging capacitors on the motherboard.

 

did a quick look over, didn't see any visibly damaged caps.

 

This is due to the Ipod being an external memory device. The BIOS of the mainboard will detect it during bootup and add it to the HDD boot up list, and thus you PC may 'hang' at POST.

Nothing is wrong.

 

Yeah I know nothing is wrong. I could just unplug it and it would proceed. I think it was actually stuck though.

Scared me until I realised it was my iPod mind. OH:

 

They can be very subtle. If you haven't already, you might want to run a RAM test, too.

 

I asked my brother if he had a spare PSU, he did and has a spare Mobo, CPU, video card, and I think RAM.

...I love having a nerdy family.

xD

off topic (slightly) my windows asks me if I want to check my iPod for errors and it locks at 36%, and when i try to add new music to it now itunes locks up.

bad sectors on the ipod now?

 

Probably. I'm pretty sure you can use SeaTools on an iPod to scan for bad sectors/mechanical errors.