Question PC freezing issue - - - I am going absolutely crazy and have tried everything ?

[ChaosPhoenix]

I have been having this issue for probably well over a year now. I have scoured the internet for many months to no avail, and last night I finally bit the bullet and reset my Windows.... and I am still having issues.

So there are two major issues with my system, one that largely doesnt affect operation and one that is so annoying that it inspired all this. The less annoying one is simple enough but ive never seen it and couldnt find anything about it online--My windows log in page shows 2 accounts, both with my name. One is the normal account that ive used for a long long time, one is the same name but prompts for a username and password instead of a PIN so ive never been able to use it, even if I wanted to. If I look in my users folder, or check the users in Windows, it only ever shows my normal user. No idea why, but like I said--I log in like normal and it works fine.

Heres the insane issue thats been driving me up the wall. At COMPLETELY RANDOM intervals, my PC will freeze in a unique way. All videos stop loading, but if im in the middle of one, the audio will continue for a couple of minutes. All of my applications and Start menu, etc. keep running, but will no longer load any new content. (for instance, I can open Settings, but it will only show me blank screens where the settings normally would be) and once this happens, it stops letting me shut down or restart the PC thru the Start menu. Ctrl-Alt-Delete and all similar shortcuts also stop working in this state. The only recourse is to hard shut down the PC with the power button.

Then, as if that wasnt bad enough, a good chunk of the time, when I shut down my PC, I will wait a few moments, then start it back up, and as soon as it gets past the BIOS, it just shows an illumnated black screen. (as in, the monitor and PC are on, but Windows wont actualy load for whatever reason) Then if i turn it off and back on 1-3 more times, it will usually work fine, sometimes it prompts me to troubleshoot or reset Windows but ive usually skipped that (troubleshooter couldnt find anything anyway) and the PC is then back to "normal". I've had times where this has happened 3 seperate times within 40 minutes, and ive had times where I will use my PC for 5+ hours straight with no signs of issues whatsoever. I havent been able to find a single person with the exact same behavior for their crashing/freezing despite searching for months.

After this crash occurred twice last night, I finally bit the bullet and did what I figured might be the final solution: I reset my Windows. I've been using the same Windows 10 since the month it came out, so i figured this could be it--So I did it. Took a few hours, and it nuked all of my installed programs (holy shit when youve been on the same PC so long reinstalling stuff like this is a huge pain) but this evening, it happened aagain, even after the reset. I'm at a loss at this point as to what could possibly cause this. Please, any insight yall can give would be amazing. I've used this site for troubleshooting for a really really long time, but this is the first time that ive felt the need to actually post seeking advice, ive been building and troubleshooting PCs for over 20 years now and ive NEVER seen an issue quite like this. Either of them, really.

I've done all the basic shit already so dont ask: memory test, temp checks, disk checks, Event Viewer (only ever seems to show Kernel Power 41, which obv im gonna get if im forced to hard shut down the PC) power settings, ive set RAM to default instead of 3000Mhz (their max according to the packaging) and NOTHING has touched the issue or made the issue clearer to me.

Specs:
Ryzen 5 3600
16 GB DDR4 Vengeance LPX RAM
Nvidia Geforce RTX 2080 Super
ASUS Tuf Gaming X570 mobo
A bunch of assorted drives, C;/ is a Samsung 970 Evo Plus 500GB

 

[bwest7000]

My first reply ever and this one caught my attention. I feel your pain.

Was the Windows refresh using a USB stick? Did you update drivers, etc., online as part of the refresh process, or was the refresh solely based upon the code from the USB stick? (essentially, to what extend was Win10 restored? with or without ASUS and/or Nvidia website drivers?)

 

[ChaosPhoenix]

My first reply ever and this one caught my attention. I feel your pain.

Was the Windows refresh using a USB stick? Did you update drivers, etc., online as part of the refresh process, or was the refresh solely based upon the code from the USB stick? (essentially, to what extend was Win10 restored? with or without ASUS and/or Nvidia website drivers?)

I tried to do it in the way that impacted my settings and files the least (honestly should have just made a backup and done a clean reinstall but I hate doing that and I’m without external drives atm) so I did the bog standard Windows Reset from within the OS, it downloaded a new copy of Windows as part of it, I’ve had to do drivers totally separately, It’s been 5 years give or take since I’ve had to do new drivers besides GPU, so all I’ve really done so far is make sure my USB devices have the right drivers, update the GPU drivers thru GeForce Experience, then shortly after i made this post I flashed my BIOS to a new one since the one that was showing on cpu-z was a few years old. No idea if that will make a difference. I usually only bother with drivers as they’re needed for specific things, is there a tool that shows me what drivers i should be looking for and grabbing, especially outside of the really obvious, like GPU?

 

[bwest7000]

Ok, no worries. A clean re-install is probably best.

I am a believer in using the latest drivers for the essential core hardware: chipset, network, GPU. Those are the big 3 for me. Prior to anything else or any other software installs.

MB manufacturer to get the latest BIOS and drivers for most everything else, and then to the AMD/Nvidia website to get the GPU updates.

I'm not aware of a one-stop location to specify exactly what's outdated for everything, and the device manager will tell you if its "working correctly" or not, but there are so many potential culprits that, at a minimum, I want to make sure the latest drivers help reduce potential issues.

Your specific issue certainly is a head-scratcher.

 

[deborahj]

I have been having this issue for probably well over a year now. I have scoured the internet for many months to no avail, and last night I finally bit the bullet and reset my Windows.... and I am still having issues.

So there are two major issues with my system, one that largely doesnt affect operation and one that is so annoying that it inspired all this. The less annoying one is simple enough but ive never seen it and couldnt find anything about it online--My windows log in page shows 2 accounts, both with my name. One is the normal account that ive used for a long long time, one is the same name but prompts for a username and password instead of a PIN so ive never been able to use it, even if I wanted to. If I look in my users folder, or check the users in Windows, it only ever shows my normal user. No idea why, but like I said--I log in like normal and it works fine.

Heres the insane issue thats been driving me up the wall. At COMPLETELY RANDOM intervals, my PC will freeze in a unique way. All videos stop loading, but if im in the middle of one, the audio will continue for a couple of minutes. All of my applications and Start menu, etc. keep running, but will no longer load any new content. (for instance, I can open Settings, but it will only show me blank screens where the settings normally would be) and once this happens, it stops letting me shut down or restart the PC go thru the Start menu. Ctrl-Alt-Delete and all similar shortcuts also stop working in this state. The only recourse is to hard shut down the PC with the power button. Then, as if that wasnt bad enough, a good chunk of the time, when I shut down my PC, I will wait a few moments, then start it back up, and as soon as it gets past the BIOS, it just shows an illumnated black screen. (as in, the monitor and PC are on, but Windows wont actualy load for whatever reason) Then if i turn it off and back on 1-3 more times, it will usually work fine, sometimes it prompts me to troubleshoot or reset Windows but ive usually skipped that (troubleshooter couldnt find anything anyway) and the PC is then back to "normal". I've had times where this has happened 3 seperate times within 40 minutes, and ive had times where I will use my PC for 5+ hours straight with no signs of issues whatsoever. I havent been able to find a single person with the exact same behavior for their crashing/freezing despite searching for months.

After this crash occurred twice last night, I finally bit the bullet and did what I figured might be the final solution: I reset my Windows. I've been using the same Windows 10 since the month it came out, so i figured this could be it--So I did it. Took a few hours, and it nuked all of my installed programs (holy shit when youve been on the same PC so long reinstalling stuff like this is a huge pain) but this evening, it happened aagain, even after the reset. I'm at a loss at this point as to what could possibly cause this. Please, any insight yall can give would be amazing. I've used this site for troubleshooting for a really really long time, but this is the first time that ive felt the need to actually post seeking advice, ive been building and troubleshooting PCs for over 20 years now and ive NEVER seen an issue quite like this. Either of them, really.

I've done all the basic shit already so dont ask: memory test, temp checks, disk checks, Event Viewer (only ever seems to show Kernel Power 41, which obv im gonna get if im forced to hard shut down the PC) power settings, ive set RAM to default instead of 3000Mhz (their max according to the packaging) and NOTHING has touched the issue or made the issue clearer to me.

Specs:
Ryzen 5 3600
16 GB DDR4 Vengeance LPX RAM
Nvidia Geforce RTX 2080 Super
ASUS Tuf Gaming X570 mobo
A bunch of assorted drives, C;/ is a Samsung 970 Evo Plus 500GB

It sounds like you've been through quite a bit of troubleshooting already, but it seems like there might be some underlying issues that haven't been resolved. Let's address the problems one by one:

1. Duplicate User Account on Login Screen: This could be due to a variety of reasons, such as a corrupted user profile or a glitch in the Windows system. Since you've already reset Windows and the issue persists, it's possible that there are remnants of the old user profile causing the duplicate account to appear. You might want to consider creating a new user account and transferring your files and settings to see if that resolves the issue.
2. Random System Freezing and Boot Issues: This issue could be related to hardware or software problems. Since you've already checked memory, temperatures, and disk health, and reset Windows without improvement, it's possible that there could be a problem with your hardware configuration or drivers.

Here are some additional steps you can take:

• Update Drivers: Make sure all your drivers, including motherboard chipset drivers, GPU drivers, and any other critical drivers, are up to date. You can download the latest drivers from the manufacturer's websites.
• Check Hardware Connections: Ensure that all hardware components, including RAM, GPU, and power connections, are properly seated and connected. Sometimes loose connections can cause intermittent issues.
• Check for BIOS Updates: Make sure your motherboard BIOS is up to date. Sometimes BIOS updates can fix compatibility issues and improve system stability.
• Monitor System Performance: Use monitoring tools to keep track of system performance, temperatures, and resource usage. This might help identify any patterns or triggers that lead to system freezes.
• Consider Hardware Testing: If you suspect a specific hardware component might be causing the issue, consider running hardware diagnostic tests or swapping out components to isolate the problem.
• Check for Windows Updates: Ensure that Windows is fully up to date with the latest patches and updates. Sometimes Microsoft releases fixes for specific issues that could be related to system stability.

If you've exhausted all these options and the problem still persists, it might be worth seeking help from a professional technician who can perform more in-depth diagnostics and troubleshooting. Given the complexity of the issue and the fact that it's been ongoing for a long time, professional assistance might be the best way to identify and resolve the underlying cause of the problem.

 

[JasonovichClone]

If all of the above doesn't work, consider fresh reinstall of Windows 10/11

 

[beyondlogic]

I have been having this issue for probably well over a year now. I have scoured the internet for many months to no avail, and last night I finally bit the bullet and reset my Windows.... and I am still having issues.

So there are two major issues with my system, one that largely doesnt affect operation and one that is so annoying that it inspired all this. The less annoying one is simple enough but ive never seen it and couldnt find anything about it online--My windows log in page shows 2 accounts, both with my name. One is the normal account that ive used for a long long time, one is the same name but prompts for a username and password instead of a PIN so ive never been able to use it, even if I wanted to. If I look in my users folder, or check the users in Windows, it only ever shows my normal user. No idea why, but like I said--I log in like normal and it works fine.

Heres the insane issue thats been driving me up the wall. At COMPLETELY RANDOM intervals, my PC will freeze in a unique way. All videos stop loading, but if im in the middle of one, the audio will continue for a couple of minutes. All of my applications and Start menu, etc. keep running, but will no longer load any new content. (for instance, I can open Settings, but it will only show me blank screens where the settings normally would be) and once this happens, it stops letting me shut down or restart the PC thru the Start menu. Ctrl-Alt-Delete and all similar shortcuts also stop working in this state. The only recourse is to hard shut down the PC with the power button. Then, as if that wasnt bad enough, a good chunk of the time, when I shut down my PC, I will wait a few moments, then start it back up, and as soon as it gets past the BIOS, it just shows an illumnated black screen. (as in, the monitor and PC are on, but Windows wont actualy load for whatever reason) Then if i turn it off and back on 1-3 more times, it will usually work fine, sometimes it prompts me to troubleshoot or reset Windows but ive usually skipped that (troubleshooter couldnt find anything anyway) and the PC is then back to "normal". I've had times where this has happened 3 seperate times within 40 minutes, and ive had times where I will use my PC for 5+ hours straight with no signs of issues whatsoever. I havent been able to find a single person with the exact same behavior for their crashing/freezing despite searching for months.

After this crash occurred twice last night, I finally bit the bullet and did what I figured might be the final solution: I reset my Windows. I've been using the same Windows 10 since the month it came out, so i figured this could be it--So I did it. Took a few hours, and it nuked all of my installed programs (holy shit when youve been on the same PC so long reinstalling stuff like this is a huge pain) but this evening, it happened aagain, even after the reset. I'm at a loss at this point as to what could possibly cause this. Please, any insight yall can give would be amazing. I've used this site for troubleshooting for a really really long time, but this is the first time that ive felt the need to actually post seeking advice, ive been building and troubleshooting PCs for over 20 years now and ive NEVER seen an issue quite like this. Either of them, really.

I've done all the basic shit already so dont ask: memory test, temp checks, disk checks, Event Viewer (only ever seems to show Kernel Power 41, which obv im gonna get if im forced to hard shut down the PC) power settings, ive set RAM to default instead of 3000Mhz (their max according to the packaging) and NOTHING has touched the issue or made the issue clearer to me.

Specs:
Ryzen 5 3600
16 GB DDR4 Vengeance LPX RAM
Nvidia Geforce RTX 2080 Super
ASUS Tuf Gaming X570 mobo
A bunch of assorted drives, C;/ is a Samsung 970 Evo Plus 500GB

Basic reset isn't enough to fix broken software full system wipe if get another harddrive and navigate files over to that drive.

Other hardware issue could be due to freezing a stray standoff when the board was installed in case can cause a short. ( Happened to me once)

Also newer bios may be needed

 

[ChaosPhoenix]

ww

Ok, no worries. A clean re-install is probably best.

I am a believer in using the latest drivers for the essential core hardware: chipset, network, GPU. Those are the big 3 for me. Prior to anything else or any other software installs.

MB manufacturer to get the latest BIOS and drivers for most everything else, and then to the AMD/Nvidia website to get the GPU updates.

I'm not aware of a one-stop location to specify exactly what's outdated for everything, and the device manager will tell you if its "working correctly" or not, but there are so many potential culprits that, at a minimum, I want to make sure the latest drivers help reduce potential issues.

Your specific issue certainly is a head-scratcher.

Happy to report that after flashing BIOS to the newest build and hitting all the drivers I could find, I have now gone a week without crashes--Longest Ive had in over a year.