Windows XP and Restart - Shutdown - Do Not Automatically Restart After a System Error

SUMMARY: Keep the Windows XP Blue Screen of Death visible for diagnostic purposes.

If Windows XP detects a critical error, a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) is displayed with some diagnostic information about the error. Then, Windows XP will attempt to send information to a log file and automatically reboot the computer.

If you would rather Windows XP not try to automatically restart so you can view the BSOD and jot down information for possible later debugging, perform the following tweak. Note that you should be logged in as an administrator first. Also, it is not recommended to perform this tweak on server machines as in many cases these should automatically restart, unless you are diagnosing a serious error.

1. Access the System Control Panel:

If the "My Computer" icon appears on the desktop, right-click it and choose "Properties".

Otherwise, click the "Start" button, selecting "Control Panel". If you are in the Category View (see the below screenshot), select "Performance and Maintenance" and then "System". Otherwise, double-click the "System" icon that appears.

(Note that if the "My Computer" icon does not appear, you can click the following link to add the My Computer icon back to your Windows XP Desktop.

2) When the "System Properties" multi-tabbed dialog box appears, select the "Advanced" tab.

3) Click the "Settings" button next to "Startup and Recovery".

4) When the "Startup and Recovery" dialog box appears, uncheck "Automatically Restart".

5) Click "OK" on the dialog boxes to close them.

6. If the "Control Panel" was opened, click the "X" at the top-right of the window to close it.