New Computer, just freezes with Black Screen

Hello!

I set up a new PC 3 days ago. Occasionally it displays a black screen, the image flicker for like 0.5 seconds and then that's it - windows doesnt react to anything after that.

It doesn't happen on a special load situation, just out of nothing - while surfing, listen to iTunes....

Things I did:

Logged all the temperatures/voltages of the system, nothing special here before it crashes.
Looked at the windows logs, again nothing special/recurring before it crashes.
Tested the RAMs for 4 hours, no crash while doing that.
Ran the CPU/GPU on 100% load for a few hours, no crash while doing that.
Check for virusses using ClamAV -> no virus found.

I kinda don't know what else I can do, any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

well to head you in the right direction, it always may be a malicious virus or root kit, but it's almost always a faulty or failing piece of H/W...HDD / MOBO most likely place to start

Mike

Hello puddi and welcome to Seven Forums.

A few questions to get a better understanding of how you "set up" this new PC. Was this an upgrade from XP or Vista? Was it a clean install using a full install DVD or an upgrade DVD? Is ClamAV your primary, real time scanning antimalware program? Are you running any other real time scanning antivirus or antispyware programs along side ClamAV?

You might want to check through these tutorials to see if you may have missed a step during "set up".

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31402-clean-install-upgrade-windows-7-version.html

Since the "set up" was just a few days ago you could also try a Repair Install just in case the original install had a glitch along the way.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

I'd also ditch ClamAV. There aren't too many people who recommend it considering the other popular free programs available. Three popular free antimalware are Microsoft Security Essentials, Avast, and Comodo. This thread gives some more pros and cons about what's best. With any of the name brand products you can safely run Malwarebytes as an on-demand scanner. I'd also suggest you install Malwarebytes, update it, and run a full scan just to see if ClamAV might have missed something.

Malwarebytes : Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a free download that removes viruses and malware from your computer

by all means, please try to reinstall, restore, and update all drivers, esp video. I'd even check the MOBO site for updates, and possibly flash the BIOS, if an update is potentially related by mfgrs description anyway. But I truely think its hardware issue.

if its a grfx card, try the onboard, to rule out a gfx card problem directly.

Since you recently built or changed part around at least, Pull every thing and reseat the contacts, visually double checking a proper contact between each part, esp the graphics card and even the cords. Believe me it can and has caused weirder issues. (and yes i understand the tests were fine, that does not mean the memory is fine, just that it can pass the stress tests given - a broken dimm can many times pass most any mem tester)

recheck every last BIOs setting (shadowing, GPU settings, shared/dedicated mem etc...)

finally rule out a conflict beween the parts first by researching the mfgr's website and finally by removing all nonessentials, one-by-one, until it works fine, then try replacing the last pulled item.


(prior case: graphics occassionally fluttered and static followed mouse, the problem, honest to god ws that the single HDD (which had no issues running windows and apps) was plugged in with an older unkeyed ide cord upsidedown...flipped it and it worked fine from that time forward...just making the point that logic can be tricky to intrupret when you have a pc made up of systems, each of smaller subsystems, and so forth.)

goodluck
mike

Hi all,

sorry for the late reply.

I already updated the UEFI etc.

I also think that it only can be a hardware problem so I'll try to rule that out by testing all the parts (except MOBO) on another setup - that'll take a while.. but I'll definitely report how things ended here..

@marsmimar - It's a whole new PC build from scratch - completely clean install with full install DVD. I used ClamAV to scan using a live Linux.

Really appreciate your help - thank you very much!

Not to get picky, but by testing all hw components EXCEPT the MOBO, you are testing the MOBO!

both equally make the assumption that it is not a s/w problem.

hope to hear of any progress, and i'd prefer if you make it positive, okay!

Mike