Question After moving my computer it has begun restarting at random

[TabrisThe17th]

The Issue
I moved my computer from one desk to another around a week ago, and since then it has begun restarting every so often, though after the initial restart it will do so more frequently unless turned off for a while.

For detail, these "restarts" don't fully restart the system itself. Whilst using my computer the screen goes black, and then it takes me back to the boot screen (where you can go to the BIOS) and then loads up as normal. I don't hear the hardware itself restarting, I am just taken straight back to the boot screen at random times.

What is confusing is that there seems to be almost no discernible pattern to what triggers the restart. Sometimes it will happen quickly, other times it won't happen for a day or so, or only once in a day. Initially it seemed to trigger when I was watching videos, but sometimes not. I am generally on my browser when it happens, though not always, and it rarely restarts whilst I am playing games - though the one time it did it was right as a loading screen came up. Sometimes it will restart before I have even done anything (i.e., it has been left on the login screen whilst I go grab something.)

In fact, it restarted after only a few minutes of use just now, whilst I was typing this post, and so I have had to move to my laptop.

Troubleshooting
I have stress-tested my CPU, GPU, and RAM, none of which triggered a restart. I have monitored the temperatures of my CPU and GPU during stress-tests and in-game and they do not seem to be higher than normal (though my GPU does peak at around 75-80 degrees), and the system has restarted when my CPU and GPU temps are normal.

I thought it might be one of my hard drives that was damaged when I moved my system, but I have accessed and used files on all my drives and this, too, hasn't triggered a restart.

I have updated my GPU drivers and flashed my BIOS to the latest version. I have opened up my computer to make sure that all the cables are connected properly to the motherboard.

I have covered every base I can think of, and I am now completely stumped. The restarts aren't so infrequent I can ignore them, and also not so frequent that I can reliably troubleshoot them.

Possible causes
The only thing I can think of is that there is an issue with my PSU, especially since I was told by someone on here when I first built my system that my PSU wasn't great quality.

The only other thing is that the temperature of some other component is rising that I may have overlooked.

Do either of these sound like probable causes? Are there any other tests or checks I can make? Any other likely causes? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

System
OS: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
GPU: GTX 1660ti
CPU: Ryzen 3700x
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2x8GB 3200mhz
Motherboard: MPG Gaming Plus x570
PSU: Thermaltake London 550w Semi-modular
SSD: Crucial CT500MX (500GB) - OS drive
HDDs:
Western Digital WDC WD10EZEX 1TB
Seagate ST4000DM004 4TB
Western Digital WDC WD5000AAKX 500GB

 

[Grobe]

Is the PSU older than the rest of the components ?

If you suspect the HDD, then you should upload it's S.M.A.R.T. data (can use Crystaldiskinfo for that). But failing hard-drives most often have the tendency of making the OS to freeze, not as in your case.

What you can di is to see if the voltages is stable over time. You can use OCCT for stress testing and record the voltages also.

 

[Flayed]

Perhaps something came loose during the move. I would reseat the ram, graphics card and check all the cables are secure.

 

[Mihai395]

it might be one of the psu cables that came off or not plugged correctly after u moved it (moved a lil bit from their place)

 

[TabrisThe17th]

Preamble
I was having issues with random restarts after moving my PC, and after following some advice on the thread I posted concluded that the most likely cause was the PSU after checking the cables weren't loose and running stress tests on the CPU, GPU, and RAM. Since I'm planning to get an RTX 3070 I needed to upgrade to a 650w unit anyway, so took the plunge this weekend.

The problem
For reference, since both systems were semi-modular I kept the modular cables from the previous PSU in the system and plugged them into the new PSU for the first two-three boots. I mention this in case it was a bad idea.

After removing the old PSU (Thermaltake London 550w), and installing the new PSU (Corsair TX650M), I turned the system on and at first ran into issues. My CPU water cooler light was flashing red, and the screen said "Please power down and connect the GPU with the correct power cable" (or something like that). I swapped out the old PCI-E cable for the new one and that seemed to solve the problem, and then noticed that none of my drives (one SSD with the OS, three HDDs) were being detected on the BIOS menu, so I powered back down and swapped all the old PSU cables for new ones.

After this the system booted and I got to the desktop, but only my OS-running SSD was detected.

The power cable going to my SSD is separate to the cable running to my HDDs (just because of where they are in the case), so I thought the cable connecting my HDDs might not be in properly and unplugged it then plugged it back in at the PSU and all three HDDs.

I booted again, still nothing. There's simply no evidence of my three HDDs. I've checked all the cables (power and data). I've checked on the BIOS menu and disk management on Windows, nothing.

The only things I can think of are that a) using the old powers cables from the previous PSU has done something (presumably bricked them), or b) the new power cable isn't working, since I have to bend it very far back at one end to get it to fit into the HDD at the bottom of the stack.

Do either of these options seem likely? I have no idea what else might have gone wrong, or how to get them back, and welcome any advice, ideas, tests, or explanations.

System
OS: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
GPU: ASUS GTX 1660ti Phoenix
CPU: Ryzen 7 3700x
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i Pro
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2x8GB 3200mhz
Motherboard: MPG Gaming Plus x570
PSU: Corsair TX650M (previously Thermaltake London 550w)
SSD: Crucial CT500MX (500GB) - OS drive
HDDs:
Western Digital WDC WD10EZEX 1TB
Seagate ST4000DM004 4TB
Western Digital WDC WD5000AAKX 500GB

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/jttQFG

 

[ex_bubblehead]

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER use the cables from one modular PSU on another. This is a guaranteed recipe for disaster.

 

[TabrisThe17th]

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER use the cables from one modular PSU on another. This is a guaranteed recipe for disaster.

Really? So it's likely this is the problem? ...Have I bricked the three HDDs?

 

[ex_bubblehead]

Yes, really. It's not likely that it's the problem, IT IS the problem. You've likely destroyed the spindle motors or heads on spinning drives and the controllers on SSD's. Modular PSU cables are not universal.

 

[TabrisThe17th]

Yes, really. It's not likely that it's the problem, IT IS the problem. You've likely destroyed the spindle motors or heads on spinning drives and the controllers on SSD's. Modular PSU cables are not universal.

I've checked and my SSD seems to be fine, thankfully.

So...What do I do about my other drives? Can they be salvaged? Are they gone?

 

[ex_bubblehead]

If they're spinners then no, there's nothing you can do. If the data is important (and where are your backups?) then only a recovery service can assist.

 

[TabrisThe17th]

They're old-fashioned hard drives so I assume they're spinners. I keep all my essential data backed up, but there's some things on there I'd rather not lose.

So is there any way I can check them other than sending them to data centers? What if I order a new SATA power cable that I haven't bent, or adapters to check them as external drives via my laptop?

 

[ex_bubblehead]

If they don't work now they won't work with new cables either. Data recovery is the only way at this point.

 

[DSzymborski]

Frankly, you're quite fortunate that you didn't destroy more than just the old spinning drives. Pinouts on the PSU side are not universal so it's never recommended to use the old cables unless you know for a 100% fact that they're the same pinout as the ones in the new PSU. You can try to read them, but likely it's data recovery lab or sending them out for recycling.

 

[TabrisThe17th]

Frankly, you're quite fortunate that you didn't destroy more than just the old spinning drives. Pinouts on the PSU side are not universal so it's never recommended to use the old cables unless you know for a 100% fact that they're the same pinout as the ones in the new PSU. You can try to read them, but likely it's data recovery lab or sending them out for recycling.

I honestly had no idea the cables weren't universal. I've seen generic versions of these cables on places like Amazon all the time which I took to mean they're all the same.

I've tested several files on the SSD and ran a taxing game to check the GPU - so far these seem fine, thankfully. Is this something I'll need to keep an eye on, or if they're working at the moment should they be okay? Again, luckily I'm looking to replace the GPU soon so that isn't so bad.

I've ordered a replacement drive (I was planning to get a single drive to replace the existing drives anyway, just not quite yet) and then when I have more time and money get in touch with a data recovery center.

Thanks for the help guys. Moral of the story is I shouldn't take shortcuts even if they seem minor.

 

[Dankhola]

https://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/2702-psa-on-mixing-modular-psu-cables-dont-do-it

It's a long shot but I've heard of people accessing otherwise dead HDDs using a cheap (£20) drive enclosure. That's if there's any life left in the drives at all :/
Can you hear the disks spinning up? Any bad 'crunchy' noises?

 

[ex_bubblehead]

https://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/2702-psa-on-mixing-modular-psu-cables-dont-do-it

It's a long shot but I've heard of people accessing otherwise dead HDDs using a cheap (£20) drive enclosure. That's if there's any life left in the drives at all :/
Can you hear the disks spinning up? Any bad 'crunchy' noises?

Not no how, not no way is that even remotely possible with a drive that's been connected to a modular power supply via a cable not wired for that power supply. Parts have been burned and a different interface isn't going to fix it.

 

[DSzymborski]

I honestly had no idea the cables weren't universal. I've seen generic versions of these cables on places like Amazon all the time which I took to mean they're all the same.

I've tested several files on the SSD and ran a taxing game to check the GPU - so far these seem fine, thankfully. Is this something I'll need to keep an eye on, or if they're working at the moment should they be okay? Again, luckily I'm looking to replace the GPU soon so that isn't so bad.

I've ordered a replacement drive (I was planning to get a single drive to replace the existing drives anyway, just not quite yet) and then when I have more time and money get in touch with a data recovery center.

Thanks for the help guys. Moral of the story is I shouldn't take shortcuts even if they seem minor.

Most of these are not generic modular cables but something related. For example, I just checked for "modular PCIE cable" on Amazon and in the first 50 results, every single one was either a modular PCIE cable that specified the exact PSUs, a cable extension, or some kind of conversion cable.

 

[TabrisThe17th]

If you fancy a laugh I have a quick update: replacing the PSU did not fix the issue with my computer randomly restarting, which is the reason I did this in the first place.

Three hard drives fried for nothing.

If anyone would like to take pity on me and help me figure out my restarting issue, they can find the thread here.

 

[TabrisThe17th]

UPDATE:
So I tried installing a new PSU to try and fix the issue (Corsair TX650M). Unfortunately this did not work, but I did manage to fry three of my four hard drives.

I have checked for loose cables, I have stress tested every piece of hardware on my system, and I know it isn't my hard drives because 3/4s of them are now gone.

I would be EXTREMELY happy if someone could please help me understand what is causing an issue that has now cost me 11 years of data, only some of which was backed up.

Also, I don't see an option to update my OP with this information. Am I missing something?

 

[Flayed]

It could be a faulty reset/power switch on the case, you can swap them around to test

 

[TabrisThe17th]

UPDATE: So the restarts intensified last night and today it's more or less dead. No output to video, keyboard doesn't light up in any way.
Whatever the issue was originally my PSU mistake has messed things way beyond that now. Time to hand it over to a repair place, along with the HDDs.
What a mess. I still don't know what the restarting was about and can't guarantee it will be fixed after forking out to repair whatever's happened now.

 

[per3kman]

UPDATE: So the restarts intensified last night and today it's more or less dead. No output to video, keyboard doesn't light up in any way.
Whatever the issue was originally my PSU mistake has messed things way beyond that now. Time to hand it over to a repair place, along with the HDDs.
What a mess. I still don't know what the restarting was about and can't guarantee it will be fixed after forking out to repair whatever's happened now.

Did you ever manage to find the solution?

I have the same issue. After moving it, from another apartment, the pc restarts, in the majority of cases under gpu load, like when starting a game, or when entering g the world in a game, during load screens etc. Rarely it happens when doing nothing.

I've managed to sometimes go through cinabench gpu stress tests without issue.

Also tried everything, Event Finder is not reporting any error other than the sudden restart itself.

 

[DSzymborski]

Restarting is an extremely common symptom of many different problems. It would be far more productive to start a thread with the full details of your PC and a full description of your problem and steps you've taken to try and remedy the situation rather than simply pinging a random thread of someone with a vaguely similar problem from three years ago.