Solved Windows 7 freezes completely while CPU usage is almost a flatline

[Creative89]

Hello,

This is my first post here, so please relocate it, if it's in the wrong section!

Let me start with the explanation:

Today I resumed my laptop from hibernation (as I usually do) and I was doing the usual stuff I do (skype, browsing, Illustrator etc.) I don't know if it's relevant, but at the last minute I was checking if I can run a game at "can you run it" and then windows suddenly froze still. I waited probably over 5 minutes, to see if it fixes by itself, but nothing happened. I tried to open task manager and kill my browser, as at this time it seemed that this caused the problem. Unfortunately the screen went black and it froze in that state. I switched off the laptop by holding the power button (Something I do quite often as I'm having some issues with my GPU) After Windows loaded completely I continued to do whatever I was doing and 3 minutes after the restart it froze again. Then I noticed that the CPU usage dropped to a flat line with minor peaks to 2-3% (my usual CPU usage constantly varies between 5 and 20%). I restarted 5-6 more times, thus leading me to the same result 2-3 mins after log on. From this you probably understood that my laptop is literally unusable!
After reading every article and thread I found for the past 6 hrs, I came to the conclusion, that my HDD is dying. At one point I was able to run resource monitor before it froze and I noticed that during the "frozen state" the HDD was behaving very strange - the graph for the read/write status looked like an identical pattern of ups and downs, always below 1 MB/s. At this point probably everyone will say that the HD is dying/dead, but what bothers me is the fact that I'm typing this post, while in "safe mode w/ networking" which seams to be working perfectly and without any problems.
I ran check disk and HDTune, and both came "almost" clean. HDtune showed a warning about a possible bad sector, but it's still confusing why I'm not having any trouble on safe mode. I also ran Memory check which showed no faults as well.
I guess it's worth mentioning that after the 10-th retry to run windows normally, safe mode refused to start for some unknown reason, then I did one more disk check and it pushed through! My cousin will send me a new HDD, but this won't happen until the end of next week, and I need my PC on a daily basis, as I'm working with it!

If anyone has any suggestions, besides HDD failure, please share it! I'm literally at a dead end!

 

[gregrocker]

Test the HD with the maker's HD Diagnostic extended CD scan
to know its certain condition.

Since you were stressing the browser at the time of the crash my first thought is the notoriously buggy Flash Player.

In addition you can go over your install thoroughly using http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/220165-troubleshooting-steps-windows-7-a.html

 

[Creative89]

Can the Flash Player actually do this?!
Today I started backing up all my files to an external HD. I was thinking, instead of trying to fix this windows to upgrade to windows 10 Tech Preview, because as far as I know it is quite stable right now! The reason for this is that I want to keep the apps I installed, because it would take 2-3 days just to install them again. The other thing I was thinking about is a windows clone to another HD? What do you think about those options? Are they worth trying?
And by the way, my hard drive is performing flawlessly whatsoever. I still haven't tested it with the app you suggested, but I found a HD analyzer from Toshiba's website. I guess I'll try that one first as it's an in-windows analyzer.
And thank you very much for the quick reply yesterday.

PS - I went through the troubleshooting steps and it turns out that I have already completed 90% of them and nothing helps so far. I tried to run normal mode again, and I got the same result....this time in less than 1 minute!

 

[gregrocker]

Can you update the Display Driver?

If not try reinstalling it in Device Manager. Uninstall, reboot, then reinstall the latest from the PC's Support Download webpage.

Is this still the Acer factory install, the worst possible install of Win7 one can have? If so I would strongly consider doing a perfect http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164 to enjoy native Win7 performance for the first time.

 

[Creative89]

I updated the driver for the HD4670 last week. Together with the CCC.

The windows I'm running right now is an Ultimate x64 which I installed clean after a full format. The factory OEM Windows got lost together with the original HD which broke 4 years ago. That's why it's a 320 GB hd instead of the original 500 GB.

What do you think about the upgrade to Win 10? I'm thinking of doing this right now. The only question which I would like to ask is if I can do this under safe mode, as there is no other way?

 

[gregrocker]

Uninstall CCC as it is not needed if you don't use special settings and can cause problems.

What were the results of http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html, if necessary http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/139810-sfc-scannow-run-command-prompt-boot.html?

What happened when you uninstalled ESET to try MSE to compare?

What were results from MBAM scan? Try also a SuperAntiSpyware scan.

I doubt you can upgrade to TP in Safe Mode, any more than you could do a Repair Install from Safe Mode.

I hope you didn't buy an expensive Ultimate license to replace Win7 which came preinstalled on the PC, as you own that license for the life of the PC to reinstall as often and in whatever way you want. You only needed to use the key on the COA sticker to http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164 and not waste its $100+ value.

 

[Creative89]

I'm using CCC for the "Power Play" function, as my graphics card has problems with clocks and voltage! This is the only way to run the GPU without crashing. Anyway, it's not the problem.

As for the windows, it was a gift from a friend, but I don't have the CD or the sticker. He was working in a software shop. I have a "not-so-OEM" win 7 Ultimate x64 on a CD which I got from a friend, but I will use this as the last step. :sarc:

 

[gregrocker]

CCC is the problem with countless problems we see here since beta. How do you know for sure it isn't the problem? Have you run without it?

It sounds like you found your problem is overclocking. I would reset it to defaults. Its possible the card is not supported on that PC. Have you tried another one?

Test the http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105647-ram-test-memtest86.html
for 6 passes or overnight to stress it.

 

[Creative89]

I'm actually downclocking it. It's normal clocks are 670 MHz engine and 796 memory clocks and I'm cutting them down to about 440 by 460. The card is working fine right now. The laptop is a hybrid with one Intel basic GPU and the HP GPU. And to your previous question, the CHECKNOW came clean!

IMPORTANT UPDATE!
I am currently running windows in normal mode! The only thin I did was to disable OneDrive right upon log on! Can this be the issue. Now that I remember, yesterday when the crash first appeared, I had just re-set up my one drive as it has somehow "lost" its configuration and log in details for the 10-th time (its just utter crap, this software) and because I made a lot of photos in the days before it haven't synced. It had to sync A LOT of things but I can't understand if the problem is related to OneDrive?!

 

[gregrocker]

Possible, but I've never seen it before. Are you using the OneDrive Desktop software? If so I'd uninstall and reinstall it.

Since you're interested in TP, you can shrink C to Dual Boot Windows 10 with Windows 7. OneDrive is built into 10. I move my User folders into the OneDrive folder to sync them across my devices.

 

[Creative89]

Yes, I'm using the desktop app, but it's causing more problems than it's solving. I reinstalled it yesterday before the crash, because it wasn't loading the log on screen.
Now, in the last post I forgot (for some reason) to say that I started Windows with last good known configuration, maybe this fixed it. I am very confused indeed! It seems that there are no problems so far. It's running without problems for the last 30 minutes.
As for the Dual boot I have only one partition, unfortunately! Can I split the HD with all the files on it? I have never tried this nor have I read about it.

 

[Creative89]

Ok, so let me update the whole thing and summarize. It appears that One Drive is causing the problem, because if I leave it on after log in, windows crashes! And of course if I exit the sync app as soon as I log on, there are no problems. :sarc: I have no idea why that is happening? Maybe you can suggest something? I'm going to mark this problem as solved.
As for the dual boot, I have never tried to make a partition on a hard drive which already has an OS on it, but last night I read a little bit, and I made a second partition, and installed Windows 10 on it. So far I think it's pretty good, although some initial bugs!

 

[gregrocker]

Try reinstalling One Drive desktop app.