BSOD 0x0000000a 0x0000001e 0x00000050 0x0000003b

Most do, sort of and I'm surprised yours does not. Most have led readouts or leds in places for the CPU, Ram or Graphics which will indicate which component is the issue.

If your problems started with a bios flash, why not try to flash it back to the one where it worked right? The big risk is if you have a BSOD during the flash. That could ruin the board and require a new bios chip. It's a risk you took teice before. Just be aware, if that is what you decide, there are risks involved, Which ever you do, set optimized defaults (usually F5) in the bios and see if there is any change. You could try that now, without flashing anything.

Your card need drivers if it is attached. You don't need the CCC. The only thing you need are the Display Drivers, Windows update will eventually install a driver, but it will be fairly old. I hope you don't, but if you do get a BSOD please run the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) Posting Instructions and upload it.

Surely you jest. The full install of Windows is about 17 GB. No TB in updates, but there are quite a few. You can use the computer as you can with what is installed. In fact, it would be better if you did. But, I do understand what you are saying. I understand your issues, but please don't be angry with me. I am only trying to help you and save you money. Buying another motherboard or CPU will not help you if that is not what the problem is. Another computer of that caliber is quite expensive. In the end, it is your computer and your money. You have the option to do whatever you want. I only offer advice, you can take it or not. Your decision.

The "Windows Update" shows 987MB of updates, that's nearly equivalent to 1TB of updates, no? Since over an hour, the updating process hangs at "Update 45 of 156" (Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5.1) so I don't know if I should cancel the update or not.

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Angry? Who says so? Anger is negative energy and doesn't solve anything. I have neither used foul language with respect to commenters, nor have I accused anyone of soliciting false information or making unhelpful hints. Since three weeks, I happily try what various forum members suggest and report back. But you must admit that it is a deeply frustrating experience to fiddle with PCs, whereas one can troubleshoot and repair the electronics/software that governs a BMW engine in just two hours.

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I eventually ended the hanging update process via the Task Manager and rebooted. Now there are 144 updates on offer, 1.2TB in total size. I let this one run until the morning, which comes all too soon... At least, I have not experienced a BSOD just yet.

978 MB is almost 1 GB. Sometimes it is easier to just install a few at a time. Like maybe 25 at a time, it goes quicker and sometimes causes no delays. Yes, I understand the frustration. I have built too many not to understand how frustrating a computer can be. I've often said they have Gremlins in them. It's technology. We think we control it, but in fact it controls us. And we think we control computers, when actually they do what they want, no matter what we tell them to do. It's Gremlins, I tell you.

Alright, the Windows Update process hung at the last of 144 updates again (Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5.1) so I had to press the reset button.

At last, the PC has entered in a never-ending "update error loop": Either, it hangs while installing the updates from within Windows or at shutdown time. I just can't update Windows, no matter what.

A repair at startup ensues in a BSOD. A system restore to the point where I had just installed the minimum set of drivers ensues in "Installing update # of #..." so I have to press the reset button again.

Shall I start over, again - installing Windows, installing the latest drivers?

Well, I reinstalled Windows, again. The PC is idle and, as before, no application software or "helpers" like HWMonitor, IPDT, bluescreenview or SF Diagnostic Tool have been installed. I let the PC idle until after work this evening and then install my single application software.

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In general: Should I not better deactivate Windows Update before running into hanging update processes once again? Then again, Windows should always be updated, shouldn't it? Windows always automatically updates on my MacBook Pro (where I use Windows 7 natively via bootcamp) and it never gave me any troubles over many years (I also never had a BSOD on MacBook Pros for that matter).