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Random freezes, no BSOD: Need 3rd party app advice (compatibility etc)
I've been having random freezes ever since I upgraded my system from XP-SP3 two months ago. I had a stable system for 2 years with XP, the system with XP was the same as in my System Specs; the only hardware change I made was to replace this
A-Data AD31333002GMU, 1x2GB, DDR3-1333, DIMM
with this
A-Data SU3U1333C4G9-B 1x4GB, DDR3-1333, PC3-10600, CL9, DIMM
Supreme Series DDR3 1333 240pin Unbuffered-DIMM Non-ECC Memory, Specifications, Memory Modules, DDR3 1333, Desktop Supreme, DRAM Moudule, Welcome to ADATA
So, upgrading from XP to W7 while upgrading from 2GB to 4GB (and of course upgrading drivers and appz) has caused instability.
- The freezes happen about twice daily on average (longest with no freeze once I get the first freeze on each new installation is 3 days, my PC is on 24/7). Sometimes 4 freezes in a morning.
- Freezes manifest as sudden loss of mouse and keyboard control, screens stay on, sometimes with animated cursor still animated (for about 20 seconds then it stops), and if sound is playing then it goes onto a 0.1s loop (sounds like a machine gun), then I'm forced to hit the reset button.
- Event Viewer shows nothing of interest, the only Critical Errors relate to the fact I've hit the reset button.
- I've never had a BSOD.
- Freezes seem totally random and independent of usage, sometimes when reading a page I'll go to move my mouse and it'll be dead, sometimes during heavy CPU usage, sometimes when I'm absent etc.
I originally posted this here
https://www.sevenforums.com/overclock...ml#post1589458
in the overclockers section as I thought it may be a RAM issue, I got no replies so posted here
Random freezes: Need RAM settings advice - Tech Support Forum
where I've subsequently basically excluded RAM as the problem (the freezing problem persisted when I changed back to the 2GB stick and used different voltages, SPD settings etc).
(There's no reason to read those threads, I've got all the most relevant info here.)
Anyway, I'm on my 3rd clean installation of W7 now, I'll just sum up what I've done so far:-
(I got my first freeze on the day after installation of all hardware and appz.)
FIRST INSTALLATION
1) Installed all Important Updates
2) Installed all Recommended Updates (apart from stuff like languages etc that aren't relevant)
3) Uninstalled ASUS EPU 6 Engine and replaced with Speedfan 4.44
4) Uninstalled soundcard and tablet
5) Unplugged / not used other peripherals (webcam, camera etc)
6) Moved keyboard from PS2 to USB (it has both connectors)
7) Set Windows power plan to High Performance
8) Updated monitor and GPU drivers from manufacturers (even though Windows reported my current ones were up-to-date)
9) Run MemTest86 v4.0 on the 4GB stick, it showed no errors after 8 passes on an overnight test.
10) Upgraded BIOS to latest version (version 1102), upgrade was successful and everything is on defaults
11) Run chkdsk on all partitions
12) Updated Intel chipset etc here
Intel® Driver Update Utility
13) Used the 2GB stick and 4GB stick one-at-a-time (in the correct slot) with various voltages and SPD settings, and both together, no change makes any difference
14) Got a new mouse (was planning on this anyway)
BIOS voltages are:-
CPU Voltage: 1.22
3.3V: 3.30
5V: 5.18
12V: 12.20
SECOND INSTALLATION
Gave up and did a clean install, and stripped the system back to the absolute minimum, so removed all PCI cards, used no peripherals, and removed one monitor (the older smaller one). Then I installed appz slowly and set restore points, so would hopefully diagnose the hardware/driver or app that was problematic. So it went like this:-
1) Day One - Installed W7U-64-SP1 and all updates. All drivers were Windows defaults, all provided/signed by MS/Windows. No freezes. Set Restore Point.
2) Day Four - Installed Firefox, installed MS Office 2010, installed Speedfan (got sick of the fan noises). No freezes. Set Restore Point.
3) Day Seven - (this was a record, on the first installation I never went 3 days without a freeze). Installed:-
- ZoneAlarm (free one)
- Imgburn
- uTorrent
- AnyDVD
- CloneDVD
- VLC media player
- Foxit Reader
No freezes.
4) Day Twelve - installed WinRAR, and used uTorrent for the first time to torrent (had previously ran it after install to set up preferences but not torrented).
5) Day Thirteen - First Freeze! Uninstalled WinRAR, another freeze a few hours later. Thought it might be caused by torrenting, so uninstalled uTorrent. More freezes (about 5 freezes over a day and a half).
6) Day Fourteen - attempted a System Restore to pre-Day Seven point, it ran OK but on reboot said it had failed as a "file is missing", and gave Unspecified Error 0x80070005. Tried all restore points (mine and a few others created by Windows after updates etc), all had the same fail. So I could not restore. To test whether the System Restore function was corrupted I made a restore point, ran a couple of appz, then successfully restored, but all other restore points from about Day Ten backwards were dead.
7) Day Fifteen - tried this method to 'fix' Windows but it failed (would not let me 'upgrade' to a newer system)
Non-destructive reinstall of Windows 7 | help.artaro.eu
8) Day Fifteen - ran sfc /scannow, all was reported to be OK, it made no fixes/changes. Did a virus scan with Trendmicro Housecall (nothing found).
9) Day Fifteen - hanged self and...
THIRD INSTALLATION
The plan this time was/is use System Images given Restore Points (for me) don't work, or at best, can't be trusted...
1) Day One - Installed W7U-64-SP1 and updates. Created System Image.
2) Installed Firefox and Office 2010. Created new System Image (20GB) although Windows decided to overwrite the older one even though I had 150 GB free on the destination partition (be warned!)
3) Day Four - no freezes yet and this is where I am right now...
CONCLUSIONS
1) Nothing is wrong with my hardware (the exact same hardware was fine with XP for two years)
2) Probably my drivers are all OK (they're all Windows approved)
3) Therefore I have an app that is messing with my system and doing unfixable damage to it, and it's likely to be one of these (which I want to install but am afraid to do)
- ZoneAlarm (free one)
- Imgburn
- uTorrent
- AnyDVD
- CloneDVD
- VLC media player
- Foxit Reader
I am pretty sure one of them is going to screw my system and render it unfixable with anything other than a Restore From Image. I've been perusing the web and sevenforums and found this thread
https://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-d...tml#post291927
saying that it can't really be uTorrent that's the problem.
I've also read that ZoneAlarm isn't the best choice for W7 so won't be using it (router firewall in conjunction with Windows Firewall are meant to be pretty good, and if I want a 3rd party app then Comodo looks like the best bet).
MY QUESTIONS
a) Can anyone give me advice on something I haven't yet tried to diagnose/fix this random freezing problem?
b) Can anyone definitively tell me which applications among those I've listed above (that I want to install) are structurally incapable of freezing my system, i.e., safe to install?
Sorry about the length of this post but I had to list everything I've done so far or I'd be wasting everyone's time...