Random restarts except in safe mode

[ferretface]

i recently started getting this problem where my computer will just restart itself.. i have 4 sticks of ram, i tried removing them all but it kept happening.. sometimes it will just keep looping before it even reaches the windows screen, other times it will get into windows and then restart within 5-10 minutes.. in safe mode it doesn't crash though, i have been in safe mode now for about 45 minutes with no restarts.. this makes me think it might be some kind of a driver if that makes sense?

the only recent change i have made to my computer before last shutting it down was installing a game on Steam which i believe makes changes to microsoft directx among other things, my only guess it that it messed up a driver somewhere and is causing my computer to restart. my main question here is does my theory make any sense? and how would i go about fixing it? im on vista64.. also my computer is running at normal temperatures.

 

[JDFan]

Sounds more like a PSU issue -- What type of Power supply (Brand and Wattage ) is in the system and have you upgraded parts (ie. adding memory, new video card, added HDD, etc.) to the system since buying it ? Since it is running in safemode sounds like it could be the PSU is degrading ( or is being used close to its max output) and when you are running something that uses more power there is not enough to keep it stable so it shuts down. (figure the higher stress of running intense programs causes higher temps and higher temps cause the PSU to have less available output and output also drops as the PSU ages - so if you have a psu that is already being pushed near its limit - once the system warms up and you start running intense programs there is not enough stable power to keep it running causing a shutdown.