Win7 x64 Freezing

[lbdtmarks]

Hello all,

This is the 2nd time trying to type this, my system froze mid-post . Writing this in safe mode with networking.

I have been having daily freezing with my PC for 1 week, today is the first

time it has froze 3 times in one morning. When I say Freeze, I mean not input

from the mouse or the keyboard is accepted. The mouse cursor stays seen on

the screen and I see no screen movement in games. The only way to proceed is

to hold down the power button to restart.

Today is abnormal in that the pc/os has frozen 3 times already. normally it

doesn't freeze during the first hour of uptime. It may freeze during games

like WoW or Just Cause 2, or during only Firefox usage with no other

applications running.

The PC is one week old (purchased on Sat) and is a self built Sandy Bridge

system.

Software:
Windows 7 Pro 64b, Office 2010 32b, Steam, 7Zip, Driveimage, Microsoft

security essentials, CCleaner. I believe office, steam, and CCleaner were

installed after the first crash. Nvidia drivers for GPU. Gigabyte drivers for

MB (though most of the MB apps have not been installed or have been

uninstalled), LAN, Audio, SATA.

Hardware:
i7 2600k, Gigabyte P67A-UD4 (I moved the SATA connection to a non-intel port

due to Intel announcement), G Skill F3-12800CL9-4GBRL (2x4GB), Samsung SATA

F3 1TB HD, Gigabyte 460 GTX GPU, Zalman CNPS 9900MAX CPU cooler.
Nothing is OC except Video card and that was by the manufacturer.
I check all temps using Hardware Monitor, Nvidia's GPU utility, Core Temp,

CPU-Z and GPU-Z. The highest temp in the system is the GPU at ~ 64C under

full load.

Full load is done with Folding at home, the SMP client for the CPU and the

GPU client.

Dumps have NOT been gathered, though they HAVE been enabled by trying the

standard dump and the small dump. I even changed the default dump folder to

C:\minidump. I assume because the system freezes the dump is not gathered as

the system doesn't know about the freeze only that it wasn't shutdown

properly.
I have checked the event logs and again, nothing seems to be noted though I

admit I do not have expert skills with event logging.
I will include the requested Zip. I looked through it briefly and didn't see

any issues, if I had I wouldn't be posting as I would have fixed the issue.

Thank you all,
Larry

I'm sorry, I apologize for not including the zip. I thought I did.

 

[zigzag3143]

Hello all,

This is the 2nd time trying to type this, my system froze mid-post . Writing this in safe mode with networking.

I have been having daily freezing with my PC for 1 week, today is the first

time it has froze 3 times in one morning. When I say Freeze, I mean not input

from the mouse or the keyboard is accepted. The mouse cursor stays seen on

the screen and I see no screen movement in games. The only way to proceed is

to hold down the power button to restart.

Today is abnormal in that the pc/os has frozen 3 times already. normally it

doesn't freeze during the first hour of uptime. It may freeze during games

like WoW or Just Cause 2, or during only Firefox usage with no other

applications running.

The PC is one week old (purchased on Sat) and is a self built Sandy Bridge

system.

Software:
Windows 7 Pro 64b, Office 2010 32b, Steam, 7Zip, Driveimage, Microsoft

security essentials, CCleaner. I believe office, steam, and CCleaner were

installed after the first crash. Nvidia drivers for GPU. Gigabyte drivers for

MB (though most of the MB apps have not been installed or have been

uninstalled), LAN, Audio, SATA.

Hardware:
i7 2600k, Gigabyte P67A-UD4 (I moved the SATA connection to a non-intel port

due to Intel announcement), G Skill F3-12800CL9-4GBRL (2x4GB), Samsung SATA

F3 1TB HD, Gigabyte 460 GTX GPU, Zalman CNPS 9900MAX CPU cooler.
Nothing is OC except Video card and that was by the manufacturer.
I check all temps using Hardware Monitor, Nvidia's GPU utility, Core Temp,

CPU-Z and GPU-Z. The highest temp in the system is the GPU at ~ 64C under

full load.

Full load is done with Folding at home, the SMP client for the CPU and the

GPU client.

Dumps have NOT been gathered, though they HAVE been enabled by trying the

standard dump and the small dump. I even changed the default dump folder to

C:\minidump. I assume because the system freezes the dump is not gathered as

the system doesn't know about the freeze only that it wasn't shutdown

properly.
I have checked the event logs and again, nothing seems to be noted though I

admit I do not have expert skills with event logging.
I will include the requested Zip. I looked through it briefly and didn't see

any issues, if I had I wouldn't be posting as I would have fixed the issue.

Thank you all,
Larry

Larry

If you can boot into safe mode (F8) and go into event viewer


There are several ways to find what the problem is. The best is to go into event viewer (type eventvwr in search). Go to the windows log>application tab.

You want to look for critical errors (they have red in the left column ).

When you find them you want to look for critical errors that say app hang, app crash, or anything that relates to the problem.

When you find them please note the event ID, and the source codes and tell us what they are.

Let us know if you need help with any of this.

Ken

 

[lbdtmarks]

Thank you for your reply.

I was playing WoW today for 8 hrs after my post and not 1 freeze. I exited the game and teamspeak, and opened Firefox to check this forums and bam, it froze.

I followed your instructions (actually I have looked there before several times), as before there is not 1 application error.

The last thing noted before the freeze was over 6 hrs ago. After the freeze, nothing is noted until the startup saying "The User Profile Service has started successfully."
Not 1 item. I looked in other event areas, system for example has 2 red flags
"The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly." and "The previous system shutdown at 12:47:52 AM on ‎2/‎12/‎2011 was unexpected."
That is all. before that, no notation is made.

The system, as far as i can tell, is not logging any errors. It just freezes.

 

[stimps]

hi .
I've just purchased a new PC, and Im having the same problem random freezes, between a few minutes after boot to hours.
I've found nothing in the event log as well ,
ive tried updating BIOS , fresh installs , nothing seems to help .
Ive noticed that it never freezes while Im using the computer, only when i leave it ideling for some time , but it has nothing to do with sleep mode, ive cancelled it.


Windows 7 Ultimate x64
Intel Core i5 2300 @ 2.8 GHz
ASUS P8P67-M
4GB kingston DDR3-1333MHz ( Kingston 9905471-009.A00LF )
GeForce gt430 1GB DDR3 ( Asus ENGT430 )

thanks.

 

[badkarma11]

Idbtmarks and stimps: Check the BSOD posting instructions at the top of this forum (it's a sticky). I had freezing issues with a brand new, home built system and clean Win7 64 installation. I've had problems since, but the dead freeze was a bad mobo in my case. As a first step (since BSOD logging is ineffective for the freeze problem) is to open up the case and re-seat the RAM and all drive connections. If you feel brave and have the heat conductive paste, you might try re-seating the CPU as well. Make sure that you've got good ventilation through the case. Report back as needed. Good luck
'karma

 

[lbdtmarks]

Still freezing, sporadically

Hello,
This is really annoying and I want my PC rock stable as it should be.
My PC has been on with only daily reboots for several days now. When I am using it it isnt folding, but when I am not (like overnight) it is folding with both SMP (using all cores 100%) and GPU (100%). Heat is not an issue, it isn't getting over 65C at any time. I even ram the GPU folding at the same time as playing just cause 2 by accident yesterday. The only result was I saw some screen tearing and frame stuttering. When I exited the game I noticed the folding and that explained that!

Anyway, what the %$#@%.

Does anyone know of a program that can log everything that the PC is doing during a time period? Like i could start it and then if the PC crashed I could look through the logs? Yes I know it is called event logging and is built into Windows, but that is not logging my crashes.

I have reseated the ram and CPU, I will open the case today and try reseating the ram. As I stted earlier, I ran memtest86+ and it found no errors. I also ran windows 7 ram test and it found no errors.

I have uninstalled many of the programs I normally run (uninstalled Firefox, Adobe reader and a few others).
Grr

 

[badkarma11]

Ibdtmarks,
Definition of 'frozen': your desktop is showing, but the computer does not respond to mouse or keyboard input. Your only resort is to power it off.
From your last post, I understand your symptom to be the following:
You do stuff on the computer, and you're fine. You leave it on, unattended and when you come back is it:
A. 'frozen'
B. appears to have spontaneously rebooted when you weren't looking (back to the login screen for example)

If it's 'frozen', it's usually a hardware issue (not always) and there aren't logs to look at. If it's just rebooting when you're not looking, it's probably BSODing. If that's the case, the BSOD posting instructions at the top of this forum are the key to providing the data which will identify the problem.

Please let us know which it is.
'karma

 

[lbdtmarks]

Negative. My pc is freezing while being used OR while it is on and the screensaver is running (MS standard 3d text).
I mentioned the rebooting only to show that my pc is on continuously except for a daily reboot. It is not BSOD, has not even once. It does not spontaneously reboot.
It freezes as in no response from keyboard or mouse. Numlock light does not work, capslock light does not work.


I believe I have new info. As far as I can remember, every freeze has happened after a browser is used. I had been using firefox 100% and it happened then, 3-4 days ago I uninstalled Firefox (to see if it was the issue) and am only using IE8 x64.
It continues to happen while using IE8 x64.
I am not going to try using only IE8 x32 from this point forward to see if that has any effect.

 

[badkarma11]

Start looking at hardware, then. Reseat RAM, reseat drive connections and see if that helps if not, I suggest running Memtest.That would point out bad memory or memory slots. Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool

 

[lbdtmarks]

I've already run memtest86+ as well as microsofts memory tester included with win7. I have been trying to run "Hot CPU Tester Pro 4" and the PC froze before the test completed. I ran the "Intel CPU Diagnostic Tool" and it aid test failed
" --- Running Base Clock test ---

Detected Base Clock --> 99
!!! --- Base Clock test Fail --- !!!"
I have read on overclockers net that others have the same results from that test, it sound like a valid theory that Intel has not updated the application.
I have SP1 installed as of today and all other MS patches.

I am starting to suspect the CPU, though I have never had a cpu with an error before.

 

[badkarma11]

My latest system build started out with a bad motherboard, even though it was brand new. Now it looks like I've got RAM issues. Hardware can betray you. I NEVER had a BSOD on a home computer (and I've had about 10) from Win 3.1, Win95, Win98, XP, and Vista. This new machine (Win7 64) has been a flipping BSOD farm.
Could be the CPU...

 

[Surgikill]

Having the same issue, you're not alone.

 

[badkarma11]

Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone *sob* We'll work it all out

 

[Surgikill]

Try doing a clean boot with the nvidia 3d stereoscopic driver disabled. I was reading and that may be the cause of all our issues, not too sure but im going to go home, play some cod, and see if it still crashes.

 

[badkarma11]

I know that by posting this, I'm dooming myself, but I've been BSOD free for 4 days now.

 

[lbdtmarks]

Update ....
Two days after my last post I decided to go for it and try OC'ing. I enabled extreme memory profile in the bios and then a milg OC from the Gigabyte app.
My system has not crashed once since (Knock on wood!!).

 

[Tumetsu]

HAving similar problem with my Asus N71J laptop where Windows 7 can freeze all of sudden without warning. It has happened occasionally before and I noticed that System restore fixed the problem for sometime. In this last time I didn't have for some reason restore points and had to reinstall Windows which didn't seem to help now. It usually happens when I have browser and musicplayer (any) open (pretty much always I'm on computer) and most often happens when I do something but has happened once when it just played music. Latest one happened on login screen before I had put password in. I have also noticed that my bios is booting sometimes slower than it should.

This makes me think that it might be hardware issue. However, I have Kubuntu as a dualboot and it works flawlessly and before system restore has seemed to fix it for month or so. Any ideas?

My specs:
Win7 Home 64bit
i3 - 350M
Nvidia Geforce GT 325M; VRAM 1GB + Intel's integrated chip
RAM 4Gb
Soundcard: Realtek HD audio

 

[iBeta]

Hardware does cause a lot of freezes, but I am beginning to think that Security Software, specifically HIPs also contributes.

About a year ago i was getting loads of freezes on relatively new, but OCed, Win7x64. Some were hardware related and when fixed, the rate of freezing went down to once per 8-16hrs. After a lot of waiting and trial and error i narrowed it down to Comodo Defense +. How do i know? there is no concrete evidence as for many total freezes but 3 Circumstantial :
1 - subsequently used Outpost for 10 months, without a single freeze - an' i use the machine a lot.
2 - have just tried Comodo again, and had a freeze within hours - several in fact.
3 - at the time of the first freeze i could reproduce it in 3-8 min by running Prime95 Blend and OCCT max LINPACK simultaneously. Only with Comodo running.
But i still can not say 100%, maybe i have got a weird hardware (Asus Rampage Extreme) problem.

I cannot see why something isn't done to help in the debugging process. I assume that many none-hardware related freezes are caused by multithreaded code problems - deadlocks for example. Then it might be possible to use a small processer on the MB to detect a freeze and read the CPU registers into a buffer. Or else something.
It is worse than annoying to have a system freeze, and know there's no chance of getting any useful debug info at all (well, without spinning thro' M$ hoops to get a host debugger working).

 

[Tumetsu]

@iBeta
That's interesting since yesterday I figured out to make an experiment to remove my Antivirus (symantec endpoint protection) and replace it with Avast. Though I probably jinx myself by saying this, I haven't got freezes yet. Symantec though fit very well in the mold of trouble maker, since antivirus programs tend to have problems with certain hardwares and they constantly update themselves which would explain why system restore helped me before. Only time will tell though if it helped.

 

[lbdtmarks]

I thought I would update.

My PC started having the exact same issues again in July. Sometimes 2 or 3 times a months sometimes more. Recently it was daily or even 3-4 times per day.
After reading the G.Skill forums and talking to the techs, they believe it is a memory issue.

For anyone having BSOD etc issues, I believe the I7 2600/2500 family chipsets are very picky about RAM. Search on gigabytes website, GSkills etc... and you will see dozens of posts. I hope this RMA will fix my issues :/