Computer suddenly stops responding properly and has to be shut down

wreaver · 13 Dec 2016

This is a really strange problem that has been happening every once in a while lately.

First time it happened was about 4 or 5 months ago, I was browsing the internet and a page wouldn't load, thinking it was a connection problem, I tried right clicking on the network icon on the taskbar and selecting "Troubleshoot problems" but nothing happened. I tried opening task manager, nothing. I tried opening my user folder and it was loading infinitely. Other folders worked, but thumbnails didn't load and the files didn't open. When I tried selecting "All Programs" on the Start menu, the Start menu froze. I tried waiting until maybe the problem fixed itself but nothing happened, so I had to force it to power off by holding down the power button for about 5 seconds.
About 2 months pass since that incident without any problems until it happens again, however, this time I tried going to the Start menu and selecting "Shut Down", nothing again. Same process as before happens, so I have to force it to power off once again. One month ago, it happens again, and thinking that it was probably because I rarely shut down my computer, I should try shutting it down and let it rest every few days. But then it happen again today, and the last time I had shut it down before it happened today was about 2 or 3 days ago.
I have tried scanning the computer with Avast and Malwarebytes but it finds no threats, so malware is not the problem.

Now, my computer is almost a year old (I bought it on December 21, 2015), and it came with Windows 10 pre-installed but I formatted it and installed Windows 7.
What do you guys think? Should I send it in for repairs just before my warranty runs out or do you think it's an issue that I can fix myself?

RolandJS · 13 Dec 2016

Sending it off for repairs might lead to the original OS being reinstalled, and possible loss of some of your data folder and files - then again, maybe not. Before sending it off, let's try software fixes first. Download, install, run MiniToolBox and Piriform's Speccy. Save log files to your hard-drive. Do not "publish"/post logs unless/until those here in the know ask for specifics. Right now, I'm guessing security and/or monitoring background-running programs may be periodically clashing with certain foreground-running programs.

Megahertz07 · 13 Dec 2016

Open a CMD and run a System File check: Type sfc /scannow
Then schedule a disk check: type chkdsk c: /f

wreaver · 14 Dec 2016

RolandJS said:

Sending it off for repairs might lead to the original OS being reinstalled, and possible loss of some of your data folder and files - then again, maybe not. Before sending it off, let's try software fixes first. Download, install, run MiniToolBox and Piriform's Speccy. Save log files to your hard-drive. Do not "publish"/post logs unless/until those here in the know ask for specifics. Right now, I'm guessing security and/or monitoring background-running programs may be periodically clashing with certain foreground-running programs.

Alright, I already did both.

wreaver · 14 Dec 2016

Megahertz07 said:

Open a CMD and run a System File check: Type sfc /scannow
Then schedule a disk check: type chkdsk c: /f

I ran chkdsk and, according to the log, it found no problems at all. However, sfc said "Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them."

MilesAhead · 14 Dec 2016

Has the problem recurred since you installed W7? If it ain't broke don't fix it.

wreaver · 14 Dec 2016

MilesAhead said:

Has the problem recurred since you installed W7? If it ain't broke don't fix it.

It definitely never happened when I had Windows 10 installed, but I only had it for little over a month before I installed Windows 7, so I can't say whether it would have happened with Windows 10 too or not.

Megahertz07 · 14 Dec 2016

"sfc said "Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them."
You can try a windows repair installation, that is, UNDER windows launch setup from your Win 7 SP1 Installation disk. It will reinstall Windows and keep your data and programs.
Repair Install

For the updates MS releases SP2 for Windows 7

MilesAhead · 15 Dec 2016

wreaver said:

MilesAhead said:

Has the problem recurred since you installed W7? If it ain't broke don't fix it.

It definitely never happened when I had Windows 10 installed, but I only had it for little over a month before I installed Windows 7, so I can't say whether it would have happened with Windows 10 too or not.

OK, I gotcha'. When I read the first post I got the impression you installed W7 as a fix for the issue. But I guess the downgrade was for its own sake.

Reading the first post again my guess is it is an intermittent problem difficult to troubleshoot. So it is likely a "fix all" solution would be employed by the tech, such as reinstalling the OS wiping out all your original data. If you go that route I would back up to an image with a program that lets you mount the image as a drive to make it easy to get at individual files or folders if you need to copy some back over after the repair.

TechnoMage2016 · 15 Dec 2016

As a working PC tech, I see several possible problems.

First, you didn't buy a Server so it should not be left run 24x7. It's made out of hobby grade components, never designed for 100% duty cycle. There ARE special PC's, called Servers, that ARE made for that use. They will also run a special OS called ".....Server".

Your own computer should be turned off when not in use, , , at least once a day.
There are things that Windows needs to do, that can only be done during a hard shut-down,
like copy your registry, which changes every day, back to the hard drive.

Next, you bought a PC with Windows 10 factory installed on it and you should have left it at that, possibly using the Classic Shell if you wanted a Windows 7 type of program menu, etc. Also, Win-10 needs lots of tweaking and tuning to close up all the security holes. Once the security holes are plugged and the Classic Shell is installed and tweaked, your PC would look and run just like a Windows 7 PC.
I've done it dozens of times on many brands of PCs, and my customers love it.

The motherboards, etc., onto which Windows 10 is factory installed, have been specifically created to accommodate Win-10, and may not be 100% compatible with Win-7, and specific drivers for those motherboards may not even be available, for Win-7. Going backwards can always be a little bit iffy.

Good Luck to you, and Merry Christmas,

TechnoMage