Computer crashes repeatedly at random times - how do I troubleshoot, after removing most of the hardware I can remove?

[andrifranklin]

My computer reboots repeatedly (or maybe crashes repeatedly is more accurate), sometimes after a few seconds and sometimes up to an hour later. Sometimes in mid boot and sometimes after Windows has launched.

I've tried removing the wifi card, the graphics card, a fan, both hard drives, all USB connected devices, one monitor (and switched the other monitor to HDMI instead of Display Port).

Also cleaned the computer on the inside while I was at it.

The computer even crashed after a while when it didn't have any hard drives installed and it had stated (rightly so) that there was no bootable device. I just waited for a few minutes, instead of accessing the BIOS settings, and it crashed.

I would assume that means it's not a driver problem (although the mouse and keyboard are working at that point, so maybe...), it's definitely not a Windows problem since the hard drive was disconnected.

How can I know which hardware is causing the problem? My guess, after removing all those things, is that this is either the motherboard or the power supply unit. Or is it possible that it's something else?

More info
I don't know a lot about the computer.
It was custom made for work in animation.
Gigabit motherboard
Nvidia k2000 graphics card
No hardware has been changed recently
Wifi has been acting up a bit recently... nothing terrible, just didn't connect a few times without restarting the router (other devices on the same router worked fine)

 

[terry4536]

Here are instructions on breadboarding the motherboard.

http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-2176482/breadboarding-stripping-basics-troubleshooting.html

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/262730-31-breadboarding

http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-1753671/bench-troubleshooting.html

Read through them sand pick one to follow.

 

[terry4536]

Try reseating the RAM. Remove the Ram one stick at a time, clean the contacts, blow out the dimm slot, then firmly reinstall, and then repeat for the remaining Ram.

If that doesn't fix the issue try the RAM one stick at a time and in different slots.

 

[terry4536]

Here are two general troubleshooting checklists.

http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-1893016/post-system-boot-video-output-troubleshooting-checklist.html

http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-2041564/troubleshoot-boot-display-issue.html

I would suggest getting a case speaker. Here is an example.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812201032&cm_re=case_speaker-_-12-201-032-_-Product

 

[terry4536]

A case speaker will help you diagnose the system. It will generate diagnostic beep codes.

Here is a list of beep codes for AMI BIOS's, but lists for other BIOS are also on this site.

http://www.bioscentral.com/beepcodes/amibeep.htm

 

[andrifranklin]

Try reseating the RAM. Remove the Ram one stick at a time, clean the contacts, blow out the dimm slot, then firmly reinstall, and then repeat for the remaining Ram.

If that doesn't fix the issue try the RAM one stick at a time and in different slots.

Did that for all of the RAMs (4x8gb). Then tried having just 1 (tried two sticks and two slots). Still crashes.

 

[terry4536]

The case speaker will help diagnose the problem. Another thing to try is to remove the processor. Then examine the pins for any that are bent or any thermal paste in the pins. If there are none, reinstall the CPU. Then clean off any thermal paste, and apply a BB sized dot in the middle of the CPU. Then reapply the CPU cooler.

The problem could memory related or motherboard related. Does the operating system ever load?

If it does, try updating the motherboard drivers. After that try reinstalling Windows.

 

[andrifranklin]

The case speaker will help diagnose the problem. Another thing to try is to remove the processor. Then examine the pins for any that are bent or any thermal paste in the pins. If there are none, reinstall the CPU. Then clean off any thermal paste, and apply a BB sized dot in the middle of the CPU. Then reapply the CPU cooler.

The problem could memory related or motherboard related. Does the operating system ever load?

If it does, try updating the motherboard drivers. After that try reinstalling Windows.

Yes, the operating system loads most of the time.
Is it safe to update the motherboard drivers if I usually only have a few seconds after Windows starts?

 

[terry4536]

No, you need longer than that.

Is it stable in the BIOS?

 

[terry4536]

You can also try going into Safe Mode. Is it stable in Safe Mode?

If it is you can load drivers in safe mode.

Here is an article on doing that.

https://www.howtogeek.com/164876/how-to-use-safe-mode-to-fix-your-windows-pc-and-when-you-should/

 

[Calvin7]

Crashes are probably caused by your choice of hardware.

Using vague descriptions such as:
all of the RAMs (4x8gb)
Gigabit motherboard

are not of much help. Another unknown is the person or company that made the PC.
NVIDIA Quadro K2000 appears to be a 2013 model.
https://www.nvidia.com/content/PDF/data-sheet/DS_NV_Quadro_K2000_OCT13_NV_US_LR.pdf

 

[andrifranklin]

The case speaker will help diagnose the problem. Another thing to try is to remove the processor. Then examine the pins for any that are bent or any thermal paste in the pins. If there are none, reinstall the CPU. Then clean off any thermal paste, and apply a BB sized dot in the middle of the CPU. Then reapply the CPU cooler.

The problem could memory related or motherboard related. Does the operating system ever load?

If it does, try updating the motherboard drivers. After that try reinstalling Windows.

Will the speaker help? I'm not sure what it does. I hear a beep when the computer boots, one beep.
The BIOS was made by American Megatrends Inc., assume that is AMI.

It's actually my wife's computer, but she tells me this beep has been there for many years (perhaps from the beginning, 5 years ago). According to the website you linked to, the one beep means:
DRAM refresh failure - The programmable interrupt timer or programmable interrupt controller has probably failed.

 

[andrifranklin]

Crashes are probably caused by your choice of hardware.

Using vague descriptions such as:
all of the RAMs (4x8gb)
Gigabit motherboard

are not of much help. Another unknown is the person or company that made the PC.
NVIDIA Quadro K2000 appears to be a 2013 model.
https://www.nvidia.com/content/PDF/data-sheet/DS_NV_Quadro_K2000_OCT13_NV_US_LR.pdf

Sorry about that. I didn't have the computer in front of me.
I didn't pick out the hardware, it was a computer store in my country, that picked it out based on an animation teacher's suggestions. It's an old computer, 5 years old, and it's been working fine until now.

Turns out the motherboard is Gigabyte GA-Z87D3HP.
I'm guessing the type of graphics card or hard drive doesn't matter since the computer crashes even without it.

Any more info that I could provide that would be useful?

 

[andrifranklin]

You can also try going into Safe Mode. Is it stable in Safe Mode?

If it is you can load drivers in safe mode.

Here is an article on doing that.

https://www.howtogeek.com/164876/how-to-use-safe-mode-to-fix-your-windows-pc-and-when-you-should/

It's hard to tell. Yesterday night it kept crashing after just a few seconds, so I just turned it off.
Today I turned it on in safe mode and waited for a while, since everything seemed fine, I rebooted normally and it worked fine for hours and I thought I had "fixed it". But then it crashed again.

Now, I have the computer running in normal mode and it's been on for maybe 30 minutes.... ok crashed now.

So in short, it has never crashed in safe mode.

I went to the gigabyte website to download chipset drivers, but when I tried installing, it said I had never drivers installed. So I guess I shouldn't install those.

 

[andrifranklin]

No, you need longer than that.

Is it stable in the BIOS?

I haven't entered the BIOS. But at one point I removed both hard drives, the computer complained that there was no bootable device and offered that I entered the BIOS. I didn't do anything, just waited, but then it crashed after a few minutes.

 

[terry4536]

The case speaker will help diagnose the problem. Another thing to try is to remove the processor. Then examine the pins for any that are bent or any thermal paste in the pins. If there are none, reinstall the CPU. Then clean off any thermal paste, and apply a BB sized dot in the middle of the CPU. Then reapply the CPU cooler.

The problem could memory related or motherboard related. Does the operating system ever load?

If it does, try updating the motherboard drivers. After that try reinstalling Windows.

Will the speaker help? I'm not sure what it does. I hear a beep when the computer boots, one beep.
The BIOS was made by American Megatrends Inc., assume that is AMI.

It's actually my wife's computer, but she tells me this beep has been there for many years (perhaps from the beginning, 5 years ago). According to the website you linked to, the one beep means:
DRAM refresh failure - The programmable interrupt timer or programmable interrupt controller has probably failed.

One beep under normal circumstances means that it passes POST. I assuming that you are referring to one short beep as apposed to a regular "long" beep.

 

[andrifranklin]

The case speaker will help diagnose the problem. Another thing to try is to remove the processor. Then examine the pins for any that are bent or any thermal paste in the pins. If there are none, reinstall the CPU. Then clean off any thermal paste, and apply a BB sized dot in the middle of the CPU. Then reapply the CPU cooler.

The problem could memory related or motherboard related. Does the operating system ever load?

If it does, try updating the motherboard drivers. After that try reinstalling Windows.

Will the speaker help? I'm not sure what it does. I hear a beep when the computer boots, one beep.
The BIOS was made by American Megatrends Inc., assume that is AMI.

It's actually my wife's computer, but she tells me this beep has been there for many years (perhaps from the beginning, 5 years ago). According to the website you linked to, the one beep means:
DRAM refresh failure - The programmable interrupt timer or programmable interrupt controller has probably failed.

One beep under normal circumstances means that it passes POST. I assuming that you are referring to one short beep as apposed to a regular "long" beep.

Yes, this seems like quite a short beep.

 

[andrifranklin]

Don't know if this helps. But I've noticed that when it crashes I can hear a light tapping sound from inside the computer. Sounds similar as if I tap my nail on the case. Might be nothing, perhaps just the hard drive stopping or something.

 

[terry4536]

That could be the power supply. The power supply has fault detection circuitry. If it detects a fault it will shut down the system. The clicking that you heard may be that.

It also will shut down if the temperature gets too high (it will not reset until it cools down).

When it crashes, what happens?

 

[andrifranklin]

That could be the power supply. The power supply has fault detection circuitry. If it detects a fault it will shut down the system. The clicking that you heard may be that.

It also will shut down if the temperature gets too high (it will not reset until it cools down).

When it crashes, what happens?

To begin with, it would just reboot, but now it seems more often that it starts rebooting but then the monitor turns off and it sounds like it is just waiting. After a while (perhaps 5 minutes), Windows starts up again. Just now, the computer, for the first time, turned off when it crashed.

 

[terry4536]

If you have access to some similar working RAM, replace the RAM and see if it still crashes. If it doesn't crash then purchase new RAM. If it still crashes, then replace the motherboard.

 

[andrifranklin]

That could be the power supply. The power supply has fault detection circuitry. If it detects a fault it will shut down the system. The clicking that you heard may be that.

It also will shut down if the temperature gets too high (it will not reset until it cools down).

When it crashes, what happens?

Now for the second time in a row, the computer turns off instead of rebooting.
Wonder what that could mean.

 

[terry4536]

That could be the power supply. The power supply has fault detection circuitry. If it detects a fault it will shut down the system. The clicking that you heard may be that.

It also will shut down if the temperature gets too high (it will not reset until it cools down).

When it crashes, what happens?

To begin with, it would just reboot, but now it seems more often that it starts rebooting but then the monitor turns off and it sounds like it is just waiting. After a while (perhaps 5 minutes), Windows starts up again. Just now, the computer, for the first time, turned off when it crashed.

That does sound like the power supply is bad. I would replace the power supply.


If you have a working power supply (of sufficient watts), you can switch it out to test it.

 

[andrifranklin]

If you have access to some similar working RAM, replace the RAM and see if it still crashes. If it doesn't crash then purchase new RAM. If it still crashes, then replace the motherboard.

I'm afraid I don't have any similar working RAM. Is it likely that all four memory sticks would fail at the same time?
I've tried using just one of them (one in the first slot and another one in the second slot).

Would you then rule out that this is a driver issue, BIOS issue or a power supply unit issue, based on what I've told you?

 

[terry4536]

If you have access to some similar working RAM, replace the RAM and see if it still crashes. If it doesn't crash then purchase new RAM. If it still crashes, then replace the motherboard.

I'm afraid I don't have any similar working RAM. Is it likely that all four memory sticks would fail at the same time?
I've tried using just one of them (one in the first slot and another one in the second slot).

Would you then rule out that this is a driver issue, BIOS issue or a power supply unit issue, based on what I've told you?

I would say that the power supply is the main culprit. It is possible that there is more than one problem. A memory problem can cause crashes. It can even prevent boot up. The short beep can be misinterpreted as the normal beep for passing POST.

I would replace the power supply and reevaluate the system after that.