Random Vista reboots

[orienteer]

I am getting fed up with my FE41M rebooting itself randomly.
I have automatic updates switched off.
Anyone know of any other reasons for a reboot?

It also forgets my dual screen setup every time it restarts. I use an external monitor as my main screen with the laptop screen as an extended desktop. I have to go through the screen configuration every time. It did this for a long time then for a while it remembered, now it's forgetting again. Any ideas?

[Blencogo]

Hi orienteer and welcome to Club Vaio.

It could be (literally) hundreds of things.

Is an error message generated when the Vaio reboots - do you get a blue screen with information on it as to the cause of the error?

It is also worth looking in you System and Application Error Logs. Try typing Event Viewer into the search field or look in Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Event Viewer.

You mention a screen problem - have you updated or changed your Graphics Driver recently? This could cause the problem you have described.

[orienteer]

No error meassage or blue screen.
I just come back to the computer and the login screen is there.

I'll have alook at the logs you mentioned.

The multiple screen option is in the NVIDIA control panel as supplied, no graphics card changes.

[Blencogo]

Try turning off the 'Automatic Restart' feature. This will stop the reboot and will hopefully leave the screen displaying the error message.

1/ Click Start button
2/ From Start menu Click Control panel
3/ In Control Panel Click the System icon
4/ In the System Window look on the Left hand side of the window and you will see a list of options. Click on the Advanced System Settings option
5/ Because Computer management requires administrative privileges you may find the the User Account Control will pop up. If it does then enter the required information (if you are not the administrator) or, if you are the administrator, click the Continue button
6/ In the Advanced Settings window look for the Startup and Recovery section and then Click the Settings button
7/ In the Startup and recovery window look for the section marked System failure and remove the 'tick' mark from the 'Automatically Restart' option. Now press OK button
8/ Finally click the OK button on the System properties Window and then close the system window.

[orienteer]

I have turned off the automatic restart, so that might help in future.

I've looked at the event viewer and confirmed that there was an improper/unexpected shutdown at 19:58:50 (this is the one that prompted me to post).
The problem is that the only entry just before that was at 19:58:15 and that was in Security-Auditing and shows 2 Logon's and 2 Logoff's that came from another computer on my home network. What else should I look for?