[SOLVED] PC freezes if no processes are running, needs to be rebooted

[ClassV]

I've had this problem for a while, and it seemed to stop itself, although now it has come back in the past couple days a bit more consistently. Basically if I don't have a game, discord, or a video/stream playing, my computer runs the chance of just freezing all my screens and needing to be rebooted. It wont go into sleep either, so if I happened to walk away when it occurred, I can look at the clock to see when the freeze happened. It has never happened when watching a video/stream, or playing games, or talking in discord with friends, or listening to Spotify. Basically any time there is video or audio playing on one of my monitors (I have 4) it is fine. This is really annoying obviously, as I often load up my PC and instantly open a stream or video, put it to the side and let it run until I play games with my friends later in the day. The most common times it freezes are if I am just browsing through regular google chrome on websites like twitter or amazon, or if I am looking through steam library etc...

I can't really find a fix for this so I am a bit stuck. I did run the ram tests a while back and after a long time all the sticks came back fine. All of my drivers are up to date and have been pretty consistently.

Specs:
Windows 11
Intel i5 12600KF
Gigabyte RTX 2070 Super
Gigabyte Z690 Gaming X
4x8GB G Skill Ripjaws
Samsung 980 1TB NVME SSD
1TB SSD Sata
1TB HDD


If you have any questions about the occurrences or about the PC I have notifications on and would be glad to answer or work along with you.

Thanks a lot in advance.

 

[Colif]

long shot but worth a try. Boot into bios and leave PC in the bios for about an hour or so, this might let the nvme run some processes it can't normally run under windows. Its just a check as it only happens when PC at idle right...

I have bad weather here this weekend so not really here as much as normal, but will look in here when I can.

 

[ClassV]

Ok, I'll give it a go tomorrow night hopefully when I get a chance or when I come home from work for a break. Will keep it posted thanks a ton, and no worries hope you're doing well.

 

[ClassV]

long shot but worth a try. Boot into bios and leave PC in the bios for about an hour or so, this might let the nvme run some processes it can't normally run under windows. Its just a check as it only happens when PC at idle right...

I have bad weather here this weekend so not really here as much as normal, but will look in here when I can.

Thought I'd update. I haven't done the bios idle yet but I was alt tabbed while sea of thieves was running (watching youtube and in discord), and when i tabbed back in to paly mt pc BSOD with irql_not_less_or_equal. Wondering if after all of the troubleshooting we've done before this BSOD could narrow it down a bit more?

 

[ClassV]

Also, the drives and video card are the only things I haven't changed even though they aren't old by any means. Power supply, cpu, mobo, ram have all been upgraded since the problem occured before and went away for a while seemingly.

 

[Colif]

bsod might have helped if we were set up to catch it
thats 1st sign its not hardware... maybe

Can you follow option one on the following link - here - and then do this step below: Small memory dumps - Have Windows Create a Small Memory Dump (Minidump) on BSOD - that creates a file in c windows/minidump after the next BSOD

1. Open Windows File Explore
2. Navigate to C:\Windows\Minidump
3. Copy the mini-dump files out onto your Desktop
4. Do not use Winzip, use the built in facility in Windows
5. Select those files on your Desktop, right click them and choose 'Send to' - Compressed (zipped) folder
6. Upload the zip file to the Cloud (OneDrive, DropBox . . . etc.)
7. Then post a link here to the zip file, so we can take a look for you . . .

I have already asked for driver view so blindly looking for a problem driver didn't work.
You might want to run this - https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/driver-verifier-instructions.3686888/

 

[ClassV]

bsod might have helped if we were set up to catch it
thats 1st sign its not hardware... maybe

Can you follow option one on the following link - here - and then do this step below: Small memory dumps - Have Windows Create a Small Memory Dump (Minidump) on BSOD - that creates a file in c windows/minidump after the next BSOD

1. Open Windows File Explore
2. Navigate to C:\Windows\Minidump
3. Copy the mini-dump files out onto your Desktop
4. Do not use Winzip, use the built in facility in Windows
5. Select those files on your Desktop, right click them and choose 'Send to' - Compressed (zipped) folder
6. Upload the zip file to the Cloud (OneDrive, DropBox . . . etc.)
7. Then post a link here to the zip file, so we can take a look for you . . .

I have already asked for driver view so blindly looking for a problem driver didn't work.
You might want to run this - https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/driver-verifier-instructions.3686888/

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11o_QHRpoYiAPiLK55K5uSFLugD_ujLHe/view?usp=sharing zipped and uploaded to the google drive link. It was the only bsod in the minidump

 

[Colif]

6 months ago I would have to send link to a friend to convert dumps

Now... 20 minutes... provided vm doesn't need any updates

Conversion of dumps

report - click run as fiddle to read

they not normally so obvious


File: 111422-8718-01.dmp (Nov 15 2022 - 08:52:38)
BugCheck: [DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (D1)]
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for nvlddmkm.sys
Probably caused by: nvlddmkm.sys (Process: dwm.exe)
Uptime: 0 Day(s), 3 Hour(s), 07 Min(s), and 46 Sec(s)

The nvlddmkm.sys file is a NVIDIA graphics card driver. There are a few things you can do to fix this problem. First off, try a full uninstall using DDU in Safe Mode then re-install the driver (more information). Or try getting the latest version of the driver. Or try one of the 3 most recent drivers released by NVIDIA. Drivers can be found here: http://www.nvidia.com/ or you can allow Windows Update to download the driver for you, which might be a older/better version.

So yeah, replace GPU drivers and see if it changes anything

this seems out of place

May 27 2020

AmdTools64.sys

AMD Special Tools driver

but me asking that feels like de ja vu. You have intel CPU and Nvidia GPU, so why AMD drivers?
it seems its for graphics cards? have you ever had an AMD gpu?

wow, i missed it on the driverview listing as it was highlighted blue at top... slaps self

if you have autoruns installed, find that on the driver listing, right click and uninstall it.

 

[ClassV]

6 months ago I would have to send link to a friend to convert dumps

Now... 20 minutes... provided vm doesn't need any updates

Conversion of dumps

report - click run as fiddle to read

they not normally so obvious


File: 111422-8718-01.dmp (Nov 15 2022 - 08:52:38)
BugCheck: [DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (D1)]
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for nvlddmkm.sys
Probably caused by: nvlddmkm.sys (Process: dwm.exe)
Uptime: 0 Day(s), 3 Hour(s), 07 Min(s), and 46 Sec(s)

The nvlddmkm.sys file is a NVIDIA graphics card driver. There are a few things you can do to fix this problem. First off, try a full uninstall using DDU in Safe Mode then re-install the driver (more information). Or try getting the latest version of the driver. Or try one of the 3 most recent drivers released by NVIDIA. Drivers can be found here: http://www.nvidia.com/ or you can allow Windows Update to download the driver for you, which might be a older/better version.

So yeah, replace GPU drivers and see if it changes anything

this seems out of place

May 27 2020

AmdTools64.sys

AMD Special Tools driver

but me asking that feels like de ja vu. You have intel CPU and Nvidia GPU, so why AMD drivers?
it seems its for graphics cards? have you ever had an AMD gpu?

wow, i missed it on the driverview listing as it was highlighted blue at top... slaps self

if you have autoruns installed, find that on the driver listing, right click and uninstall it.

Yeah I haven't had an amd cpu or gpu on this build so super weird that is there at all... I will make sure to uninstall it. I'll also ddu and grab the latest nvidia driver and keep you posted. Thanks a lot

 

[ClassV]

Ok DDU completed in safe mode and on the newest Nvidia drivers. Will update if any occurrences happen. Also, couldn't find the AMD driver anywhere in autoruns as I checked before the DDU, so I guess its already been uninstalled? Weird that it was present at all though.

 

[Colif]

I have seen it before on systems it shouldn't be on. Part of me thinks its part of windows, and if it is I can remove it from listing. If its not in autoruns but running, it could have been started after start up which means a program loaded it. Did you use search in autoruns?

DDU shouldn't have removed it if you picked Nvidia drivers as what to remove. It only does what its told as some systems have AMD & Nvidia display drivers on them - laptops.

drivers shouldn't run if there is no hardware in PC associated with them. It can be on the system but without something tied to it, it shouldn't be running. Driver view just shows all drivers but the dump showed what was running now.

I need to work out how to see what its used by.

 

[ClassV]

I have seen it before on systems it shouldn't be on. Part of me thinks its part of windows, and if it is I can remove it from listing. If its not in autoruns but running, it could have been started after start up which means a program loaded it. Did you use search in autoruns?

DDU shouldn't have removed it if you picked Nvidia drivers as what to remove. It only does what its told as some systems have AMD & Nvidia display drivers on them - laptops.

drivers shouldn't run if there is no hardware in PC associated with them. It can be on the system but without something tied to it, it shouldn't be running. Driver view just shows all drivers but the dump showed what was running now.

I need to work out how to see what its used by.

Hadn't crashed since the last time I posted, but froze again today. Also yeah I searched through autoruns and looked through every listed thing and couldn't find the AMD driver at all

 

[Colif]

I see that driver on too many PC with Nvidia GPU (I did a search).
I have it installed, its showing in driver view.
This is mine. I do have an AMD CPU but So far, an Nvidia GPU

How to find what device its for

if you open Driver view and right click the line AMDTools64.sys shows on, and choose Properties you get:

if you take note of your oemxx.inf (xx in my case being 63) in the Service Display Name field, you can search for it in Device manager

You can change Device manager view to show drivers - https://betanews.com/2021/05/03/you...-are-using-a-particular-driver-in-windows-10/

then look at the same oem number in list

and go to the Driver tab and choose disable device.

On my PC its listed as a System Device, on the normal view of Device manager

Pretty sure its not part of windows as its Provider and version would be different if they were part of windows.
Microsoft generally take ownership and the version number will be the windows install version. Mine isn't

So I would disable device since you don't have any AMD in there.

I have checked with someone about what driver might be.

Its not running in autoruns but if I look in system info/software/system drivers I see its running, so something needs it in on my pc.

 

[ClassV]

I see that driver on too many PC with Nvidia GPU (I did a search).
I have it installed, its showing in driver view.
This is mine. I do have an AMD CPU but So far, an Nvidia GPU

How to find what device its for

if you open Driver view and right click the line AMDTools64.sys shows on, and choose Properties you get:

if you take note of your oemxx.inf (xx in my case being 63) in the Service Display Name field, you can search for it in Device manager

You can change Device manager view to show drivers - https://betanews.com/2021/05/03/you...-are-using-a-particular-driver-in-windows-10/

then look at the same oem number in list

and go to the Driver tab and choose disable device.

On my PC its listed as a System Device, on the normal view of Device manager

Pretty sure its not part of windows as its Provider and version would be different if they were part of windows.
Microsoft generally take ownership and the version number will be the windows install version. Mine isn't

So I would disable device since you don't have any AMD in there.

I have checked with someone about what driver might be.

Its not running in autoruns but if I look in system info/software/system drivers I see its running, so something needs it in on my pc.

Ok I've got it, I just don't have the option to disable it. Should I just uninstall it altogether?

 

[Colif]

uninstall it then.

I found out that half those steps don't work in win 10 anyway, there is no View for drivers. It was only added to 11.

notice how all the other drivers around it are Nvidia, I wonder if it was doing something the Nvidia drivers should be doing - it could however mean nothing.

 

[ClassV]

uninstall it then.

I found out that half those steps don't work in win 10 anyway, there is no View for drivers. It was only added to 11.

Ok it's removed, I'll update the thread if it persists or seems like a fix

 

[Colif]

it was just fun finally working out how to track a driver back to its device... although I am still not sure what it does.

64bit windows had parts of it made by AMD but that isn't hardware.

I asked someone else and it appears it accesses parts of the BIOS used for cooling but that would only work on AMD systems.

 

[ClassV]

it was just fun finally working out how to track a driver back to its device... although I am still not sure what it does.

64bit windows had parts of it made by AMD but that isn't hardware.

I asked someone else and it appears it accesses parts of the BIOS used for cooling but that would only work on AMD systems.

Happened again today. left my pc for about an hour and a half and seems like it froze 5-10 minutes after i left with chrome and discord running in the background.

 

[Colif]

Windows 11
Intel i5 12600KF
Gigabyte RTX 2070 Super
Gigabyte Z690 Gaming X
4x8GB G Skill Ripjaws
Samsung 980 1TB NVME SSD
1TB SSD Sata
1TB HDD

So we tested the drives

try running this on CPU - https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/15951/19792/intel-processor-diagnostic-tool.html?

it would be really strange if it was ram - Try running memtest86 on each of your ram sticks, one stick at a time, up to 4 passes. Only error count you want is 0, any higher could be cause of the BSOD. Remove/replace ram sticks with errors.
Memtest is created as a bootable USB so that you don’t need windows to run it

no tests for motherboard

the only reliable test for a PSU is multimeter https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-manually-test-a-power-supply-with-a-multimeter-2626158 - but most people don't have one.

 

[ClassV]

So we tested the drives

try running this on CPU - https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/15951/19792/intel-processor-diagnostic-tool.html?

it would be really strange if it was ram - Try running memtest86 on each of your ram sticks, one stick at a time, up to 4 passes. Only error count you want is 0, any higher could be cause of the BSOD. Remove/replace ram sticks with errors.
Memtest is created as a bootable USB so that you don’t need windows to run it

no tests for motherboard

the only reliable test for a PSU is multimeter https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-manually-test-a-power-supply-with-a-multimeter-2626158 - but most people don't have one.

Ok, I can try all of these things, but for context, these problems were happening on a different power supply and cpu as well. The ram was the same but I did 4 passes and it was all good as well so very weird.

 

[Colif]

so for context, what was present when errors started? No point testing things bought to "fix" the problem.

 

[ClassV]

so for context, what was present when errors started? No point testing things bought to "fix" the problem.

The graphics card, ram, and hard drives are all from the old system. However, I did use replacement ram for a while and did all the tests and still the exact same problems occurred. So basically just the graphics card and hard drives

 

[Colif]

I don't think a GPU would cause a freeze.

Basically if I don't have a game, discord, or a video/stream playing, my computer runs the chance of just freezing all my screens and needing to be rebooted. It wont go into sleep either, so if I happened to walk away when it occurred, I can look at the clock to see when the freeze happened. It has never happened when watching a video/stream, or playing games, or talking in discord with friends, or listening to Spotify. Basically any time there is video or audio playing on one of my monitors (I have 4) it is fine.

that is the opposite reaction to GPU problems. It works fine IF the gpu is running. And well, you would be getting black screens and other signs it was GPU.

freeze is more storage. WE have tested the drives but software tests don't/can't see physical problems.

try unplugging the 2 hdd and see if it still freezes.

980 isn't going to be sata cables so I can't really suggest replacing its cables

 

[ClassV]

I don't think a GPU would cause a freeze.


that is the opposite reaction to GPU problems. It works fine IF the gpu is running. And well, you would be getting black screens and other signs it was GPU.

freeze is more storage. WE have tested the drives but software tests don't/can't see physical problems.

try unplugging the 2 hdd and see if it still freezes.

980 isn't going to be sata cables so I can't really suggest replacing its cables

Ok I'll give this a go and let you know. Also wouldn't think it was the GPU but just listing it as the only 2 unchanged things

 

[ClassV]

I don't think a GPU would cause a freeze.


that is the opposite reaction to GPU problems. It works fine IF the gpu is running. And well, you would be getting black screens and other signs it was GPU.

freeze is more storage. WE have tested the drives but software tests don't/can't see physical problems.

try unplugging the 2 hdd and see if it still freezes.

980 isn't going to be sata cables so I can't really suggest replacing its cables

Ok, sorry for the long delay but it was hard to find a time to unplug the HDD and SSD to test since I am a student and use alot of the programs on those drives etc... HOWEVER, today I was able to test it, and with just the M.2 SSD in I froze while browsing google chrome within 15 minutes about. This M.2 has carried over since the last PC, I am beginning to wonder if it has something to do with the drive itself. Do you think it would be worth it to try using a brand new SSD with a fresh install of windows seeing if the problem still occurs with that drive? I don't mind purchasing one if we think that it may be the best chance at a solution.

 

[Colif]

Do you think it would be worth it to try using a brand new SSD with a fresh install of windows seeing if the problem still occurs with that drive? I don't mind purchasing one if we think that it may be the best chance at a solution.

Yes, its worth a try.