Everything Randomly Freezing

[Chris4770]

Hello,

My computer started randomly freezing a couple of weeks ago and I have no idea why, I didn't change any hardware or anything like that. The freezing happens while I only have chrome or skype open or even something resource heavy like a game open. I've recently factory restarted and even bought windows 8 thinking this would fix my problem, it didn't, I even did a defrag and am constantly checking the task manager for high usage, nothing out of the norm. I've looked at my Resource Monitor and nothing odd there either.

At the time of me typing this its been roughly an hour since I've factory reset and installed windows 8.

I've been told it was either a bad CPU (which I am trying to get my hands on a new one) or a virus/corrupt files which I think I've just ruled out.

Any tips would be helpful.

EDIT: The hard drive light is usually always on or flashing.

Specs:
Windows 8
Intel Core i5 processor 2320
Nvidia GTX 660
1TB hard drive
8GB Memory

 

[plaintuts]

the hard drive maybe dying...

if you can, check with a different HDD to install the OS.

 

[Chris4770]

Thanks for the reply,

I'll see what I can do about the hard drive and confirm or deny it working.

 

[Chris4770]

Does anybody else have any suggestions?

 

[plaintuts]

Kinda hard to suggest anything else because you didn't change any components.. Then the pc suddenly keeps freezing.

You can also try reinstalling the OS.

 

[IrvSp]

It could be a heat build up? First get some apps that report the temps, CPU-Z or GPU-Z might do that, but there are others, Google for them.

If you see some high, open the case and clear ALL dust out, and the fan on the CPU if you have one. Compressed air works well here. While it is open, check the connectors as well. Basically remove and put them ALL back.

One other thing, run CHKDSK on C: as you've basically done a hard re-boot without shutdown. To do that, from Windows, open an Elevated Command Prompt and enter CHKDSK C: /F and they say do it on next boot, and then restart the computer. Either that or run it from the Windows DVD Command prompt. You could have a corrupted file that eventually gets loaded? Normally when you do a 'dirty' shutdown (power off without a shutdown) Windows will run this automatically, but I've found this doesn't always happen.

From the same Elevated Command Prompt you could also run SFC /SCANNOW to also check for corrupted Windows files.

Hope this helps.

 

[Chris4770]

the hard drive maybe dying...

if you can, check with a different HDD to install the OS.

This fixed the problem! Thanks!