Automatically Restart in Windows XP

Windows XP may restart automatically when you attempt to shut down the computer or while browsing the Internet, if the "Automatically Restart" option is enabled. 

To resolve the problem, disable the "Automatically Restart" option by following these steps:

1.  Right-click My Computer and click Properties.
2.  Click the Advanced tab.
3.  Under "Startup & Recovery" options, click Settings.
4.  Deselect the "Automatically Restart" option under System
    Failure.
5.  Click OK and then click OK again.

NOTE:  After deselecting the "Automatically Restart" option, if you receive a message describing the cause of the critical Stop error, please get back to us with the exact error message to help troubleshoot the problem.

If the "Automatically Restart" option is disabled or missing under System Failure, set the value of the "AutoReboot" key to zero by making necessary registry changes.

CAUTION:  A registry backup is essential. An incorrect registry entry may cause serious system problems or prevent the computer from starting. You will not be warned of any incorrect registry entries. If the registry is not backed up, the only way to recover the system is to reinstall the operating system.

To back up the registry, follow these steps:

a.  Click Start and select Run.
b.  Type Regedit in the Open field and click OK.
c.  Click "File" in the menu.
d.  Click "Export" from the drop-down menu.
e.  Click the down arrow beside "Save In" and select Local Disk (C:).
f.  Type Backup.reg in the File Name field.
g.  Click Save.

To set the value of the "AutoReboot" key to zero, follow these steps:

1.  Click Start, select Run, and type Regedit.
2.  Click the plus (+) sign next to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
3.  Click the plus (+) sign next to System.
4.  Click the plus (+) sign next to CurrentControlSet.
5.  Click the plus (+) sign next to Control.
6.  Click CrashControl to highlight it.
7.  In the right-window pane, locate the "AutoReboot" key.
8.  Right-click the "AutoReboot" key and select Modify from the menu.
9.  Change the value of the key from 1 to 0.
10. From File Menu, click Exit.

The computer should no longer restart automatically.