Well, it looks like I'm going to be venturing into every topic before the end of this month.

My mother is having a problem that occurs occasionally. Her computer will make a zapping sound, she says almost like a bug zapper, the computer will then restart and it will seem like nothing happened. There is no specific time that this happens, just a random occurence. It's done this about 5-10 times in the past couple of months.

I was just wondering if anyone could tell me what this is and if it's a major problem. I know it's a problem, obviously, I just wonder how bad it is and what part could be causing it. Please let me know if you need any further information. Thank you.

Gateway computer
WinXP professional
Pent 4 1.8GHZ
512MB RAM

A Short come to mind first and for most.
The power supply is the first place I would look.
Then follow any and all wiring.

The zap of a bug zapper is the bug creating a short..

Also check the fans.
If one is going bad it may be wobbling and making contact with the outer edge of the motor

Thank you. I will go ahead and check this out. I thought it might be the power supply, but was afraid to find out.

The other thing that makes zap noises is a monitor, be certain of her description.
Do not take a CRT apart unless trained to do so. The energy stored inside is lethal!

It seems that this might be a new machine, hoever, if it is older than 6 months or so, perhaps it needs to be cleaned? If you have enough junk in there, dust, dustbunnies, accumulated dirt from the air...it's all flammable, tht's why grain elevators explode. How about pop off the side cover and take a look--I'm talking baout the PC, NOT the monitor.

To clean:

1. shut it down and unplug it

2. NO VACUUM CLEANER

3. use canned air, and be careful of the temp of the can, it will get colder as you move and aggitate it. Don't turn it on its side or upside down or jiggle it, If it gets cold, leave it for a while until it warms back to room temp.

4. Clean the PC outside, or, if inside, near a window with a fan blowing out and wear a dust mask...nasty stuff that dust.

5. no lquids or damp rag anywhere near it

6. look inside the PC for flash marks. lose wires or lose parts

The other thing that makes zap noises is a monitor

Some older monitors 'degaussed' automatically every so often and the sound to me, is more like a click rather than a zap, but it's all in one's perception... Could it've be a description varience?

No, don't think it has anything to do with the monitor especially since it's an LCD monitor. Plus, would the monitor actually make it reset as if someone did the whole clt+alt+del thing?

I will go ahead and take it apart and check both suggestions, the short suggestion and cleaning it out to see if stops. I don't think it has done it lately, like within the past week, but regardless it does need to stop doing it altogether that's for sure.

Xp will spontaneously reboot if it does a BSOD event, like if wrong drivers are installed or system unstable.

Even if it only happens when the zapping sound is made? And it hasn't happened for about a week or two. I'm sure it's only a matter of time though as it really hasn't stopped. It seems to stay dorment for a while and then does it again. Very rare, but it does happen.