[b][/b]  Hello, Well my friend's computer has been restarting on its own and recently has been shutting down on its own.  There is a possible number of viruses, but I was wondering if you reinstall the operating system would that help?  Also, as I tried to install my particular Windows XP for Dell to his Dell Computer, it said that I couldn't perform that task because he had a newer version of XP.  Any Ideas? or Any Alternatives?

Thanks

Amy

Goto the following site and run their online virus checker. The site is PCPitstop and is very reputable.
http://pcpitstop.com/antivirus/default.asp
They also have links to good downloadable and free anti-virus  software (AVG etc).

Keep in mind frequent reboots are often caused by faulty PSU, Video cards or memory.

   I would suspect a bad power supply.