Windows 7 freezes when logging onto Windows KB/M frozen

[randyrsx]

Yes I've searched and searched for an answer

This just started happening yesterday. It's a new fresh install of Windows 7 Home Premium downloaded with the Student Discount. It's been running beautifully for three weeks now.

Computer starts up, asks for my login password, desktop pops up and everything looks fine. Hovering over anything on the taskbar doesn't do anything, right-clicking anywhere on the desktop doesn't bring up the toolbar or whatever you call it.

About ten seconds later the mouse and keyboard don't respond. Cannot Ctrl-Alt-Delete, nothing but a hard boot. I don't think the Action Center is noting the freeze either.

I read about disabling startup programs (for me that's iTunes, QuickTime, Java, and Microsoft Security Essentials) and that didn't fix the problem. I then went over to the Services tab on msconfig and disabled all other services besides the Microsoft ones which I hid (again for me that's AMD External Events Utility, Apple Mobile Device, Bonjour Service, iPod Service)

This I all did in Safe Mode which runs just fine, internet comes on, everything works just dandy.

Took the next step and did a System Restore which had no earlier dates than 11/1/09 so I went back to this date, still nothing changed, still froze.

Then in Safe Mode I tried disabling my graphics card (ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT) rebooted normally, still froze.

Re-enabled it in Safe Mode and searched for updated drivers but I have the most recent according to the screen. Did this for the other devices as well.

I did get a compatibility warning about the graphics card regarding Aero:

"Problems found Video card doesn't support Aero effects Not fixed" This is when I run the Troubleshooting option in Control Panel. But at the same time the screen prior to it states "The current video card may support Aero with a driver that is compliant with the Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM). Contact the manufacturer of your computer or video card for a WDDM-compatible driver."

Can this all be fixed by buying a new graphics card?!

Thanks for reading! Please help

 

[Tews]

Open up the event viewer/windows logs/application and check for critical errors... take a screenshot and upload it as an attatchment with your next post....

 

[DwayneR]

I posted earlier today about a similar problem.

Try this: just let the machine sit unused for a while (10 minutes to half hour). See if it comes back to life.

That's what my machine is doing.

BTW - I may have posted my question about this problem in the wrong area - I was in the Drivers area when I posted the question. My bad if I messed up.

dwayne

 

[randyrsx]

They're all the same from the past two days:

Log Name: System
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
Date: 11/17/2009 7:16:25 AM
Event ID: 41
Task Category: (63)
Level: Critical
Keywords: (2)
User: SYSTEM
Computer: Randy-PC
Description:
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power" Guid="{331C3B3A-2005-44C2-AC5E-77220C37D6B4}" />
<EventID>41</EventID>
<Version>2</Version>
<Level>1</Level>
<Task>63</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x8000000000000002</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2009-11-17T14:16:25.538400000Z" />
<EventRecordID>5094</EventRecordID>
<Correlation />
<Execution ProcessID="4" ThreadID="8" />
<Channel>System</Channel>
<Computer>Randy-PC</Computer>
<Security UserID="S-1-5-18" />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data Name="BugcheckCode">0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter1">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter2">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter3">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter4">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="SleepInProgress">false</Data>
<Data Name="PowerButtonTimestamp">0</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

 

[randyrsx]

To a friend it sounded like a Registry error, is there any way to check this?

 

[torrentg]

First off, you want to completely uninstall that Bonjour service. You can easily find how to on Google.

The AMD External Events utility is useless, so use services.msc to disable it.

After dong these things, let us know how it goes and good luck.

Unfortunately though, error 41 means that power to the CPU is not well at the time of the crash. This potentially has multiple hardware causes, but blown or leaky capacitors on the motherboard is one of the likely ones. You can inspect them visually to see if there is any brown substance (electrolyte) coming out of them. Also, the tops should be perfectly flat with no roundness or bubbling coming from them.

 

[randyrsx]

torrentg: I've attached a picture for your inspection of it.

I did a clean install again (which took three times since the first two crashed)

Still having a problem with no response at all anywhere between 1 minute - a few hours. The most recent time now is while Disk Defrag was analyzing my C: to see if it even needed Defrag-ing. Couldn't handle that either.

 

[torrentg]

The picture looks alright but it isn't in high detail enough to tell convincingly.

Try to post a better and closer picture of the caps to the left, in the picture, where they're grouped together.

From the current view though, they look alright. That doesn't always mean they are though.

What year is the board made in?

 

[randyrsx]

2007

I'll take another picture later today. They all looked like they were fine. I did a can o air on the whole case as well to clear out the bunnies.

 

[randyrsx]

I was talking with a friend about this particular problem and he recommended a simple program that emulates mouse movement to prevent screen saver or power saving options starting...

Well I must say so far so good. I downloaded Auto Mouse Movement that moves the mouse however many pixels at however many second intervals. I set it to move 5 pixels at 1 second intervals. Even right now while I type it just knocks back and forth.