Not every reboot is a user’s decision. Sometimes, the system whispers its own intentions — through updates, crashes, or power flickers. If your PC restarted without your command, here’s how to uncover the ritual traces left behind.

🧭 Step 1: Use Event Viewer to Decode the Reboot

• Press Win + R → type eventvwr.msc → Enter
• Navigate to: Windows Logs → System
• Look for these Event IDs:
  • 41 → Kernel-Power (unexpected shutdown or power loss)
  • 1074 → shutdown initiated by a process (e.g., Windows Update)
  • 6008 → previous shutdown was unexpected
  • 1001 → bug check (BSOD)
  • 12, 13, 6005, 6006 → startup/shutdown markers

🧪 PowerShell — Reboot Trace Ritual

🧰 Step 3: Reliability Monitor — The Visual Scroll

• Press Win + R → type perfmon /rel → Enter
• Look for red Xs or warnings around the reboot time
• Click entries to see if it was a crash, update, or hardware issue

🔄 Windows Update Rebooted My PC?

Yes — and it leaves behind clear evidence. In Event Viewer, look for:

• Event ID: 1074
• Source: USER32

🧪 PowerShell — Windows Update Reboot Check

Look for messages like:

These are system-initiated reboots, not user-triggered. They often occur after cumulative updates or servicing stack operations.

🧠 Reboot Scroll Example

🧠 Kapothi Scroll Tip