[SOLVED] Windows 10 freezes but I can still use mouse and keyboard

[Husty]

I am at my wit's end as I just reset my windows installation and the problem persists. The weird part of my problem is that I am able to use my mouse and keyboard to open task manager and event logger but I see nothing wrong. When it freezes chrome won't open any tabs and any sort of video/stream will load indefinitely. The zoom class or discord call I am will have its window freeze and audio will cease. Lastly, after opening Task Manager and Event Viewer, I can dig around then it will cease to work. To "fix" it, I have to force a shutdown with my desktop's button. There are unrelated warnings in the event log and there is no BSOD or black screen of death.
The problem is pseudo-random as the problem occurs repeatedly when I am working. When the problem happens I am usually in a discord or zoom call and I have a work application open (ex: MatLab, Excel, Acrobat, Chrome). It is not guaranteed that it will freeze but it usually does so in this state. When I check Task Manager, the memory is at 40% (16 GB ram) and the CPU is below 30%. This problem started after the 20H2 windows update, but the problem does not happen whilst playing any of the games in my library. After trying to find a solution I used Windows Recovery to reset my Windows Installation (this was done recently).

So far I have tried (these were performed before and after reset unless specified):

1. Checking for viruses with windows defender
2. Updated all drivers with Driver Booster 8
3. Ran SFC and came back with no problems
   4)Update display drivers with NVIDIA GeForce experience
4. Updated bios before reset
5. Defrag all drives
6. Updated Chipset with AMD Combined Chipset and Radeon Graphics driver installer
7. Ran Windows memory diagnostic with no problem
8. Used Advanced System care to clean up pc
9. Used Driver booster to update drivers (recently uninstalled before posting this)

Here is a list of installed apps:

• Discord
• Microsoft 365
• iCue by Corsair
• Adobe Creative cloud
  • Adobe Acrobat is the only app downloaded from Adobe CC
• IOBit apps: Advanced System care
• Logitech GHub
• Steam
• Games

I have not checked any of my hardware as many of the possible solutions I saw seemed to be solved with the steps I took above.
So far I am wondering if the software is interfering with something as my games are all on separate SSDs and the freezing occurs on the boot drive. After the reset, I only have a little number of things downloaded aside from the games from the other two ssds. The worst part is that all of this is happening during a Midterm week. Any help is greatly appreciated!
My parts include:
ASUS B450 Prime Plus
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Nvidia 1660 Super
2 Western Digital SSDs
1 Samsung EVO Black SSD
2 8gb Patriot sticks of RAM
EVGA 750 GQ
Peripherals:

• Corsair k65 Keyboard
• Logitech g502
• Corsair VOID wireless w/ wireless dongle

EDIT: I have some events in the log before the most recent crash but they seem unrelated.
The first one is a warning that states: "
The application-specific permission settings do not grant Local Activation permission for the COM Server application with CLSID
{2593F8B9-4EAF-457C-B68A-50F6B8EA6B54}
and APPID "
The last Error happened way before a freeze:
"Failed with 0x57 retrieving AppModel Runtime status for package Windows. Event ID 65."

 

[Husty]

EDIT: I was recommended to update my SSD Firmware and I am running both Western Digital and Samsung firmware tools. I was also told to use windows app wizard to uninstall update: kb5000802, and install the update: 5001657. I am going to wait on trying the uninstall solution until the very end.

 

[Colif]

Used Driver booster to update drivers (recently uninstalled before posting this)

ugh, this can make it worse, it always seems to find 23 or so old drivers even on brand new systems. I have never found that many old drivers on any system

Does it happen in safe mode?

if windows is getting no errors, its not windows to blame. Event viewer isn't always helpful.
have you run magician on ssd to test their health? https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/ssd/download/tools/

 

[Husty]

ugh, this can make it worse, it always seems to find 23 or so old drivers even on brand new systems. I have never found that many old drivers on any system

Does it happen in safe mode?

if windows is getting no errors, its not windows to blame. Event viewer isn't always helpful.
have you run magician on ssd to test their health? https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/ssd/download/tools/

Thanks for the reply!
I am taking your advice and I am checking the health of my SSDs. I am currently running the Western Digital SMART diagnostic on my boot drive that will finish in 10 minutes. I have not tried booting into safe mode and I will do so after the health checks on the SSDs. For the rest of the day, I will try to replicate the situation state that I state in the main post but I will do so in safe mode and I will get back to you after seeing if it freezes again. If the freeze doesn't happen again in safe mode what should I do?

 

[Husty]

UPDATE: I ran the SSD magician and I have come back with healthy drives. I am going into Safe mode with network as I have work. I will update if I get the freeze.

 

[Husty]

ugh, this can make it worse, it always seems to find 23 or so old drivers even on brand new systems. I have never found that many old drivers on any system

Does it happen in safe mode?

if windows is getting no errors, its not windows to blame. Event viewer isn't always helpful.
have you run magician on ssd to test their health? https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/ssd/download/tools/

An update, I am still in safe mode with a few chrome tabs open and acrobat with no crashes as of 3ish hours.

 

[Husty]

UPDATE: I ran the pc in safe mode for 4 hours with no freezes. I am going to try and install update KH50001567 as advice from a friend. I do not know how I will get an update from March as my windows updater is up to date with the windows 20H2 updates.

 

[Husty]

UPDATE: I Tried getting the KH5001567 update installed but both the 2004 and 20H2 version but it didn't work. I am considering giving up and just starting over, reset the two non-boot drives, new mother board, new ram, and new ssd to act as the boot drive.

 

[Colif]

sorry, i had to go to sleep, it was late

if it doesn't crash in safe mode, it could just be drivers
or it could still be hardware as safe mode is less stressing on the pc

problem is you ran Driver Booster so its unclear if it actually installed the right drivers.
I would clean install again using the 20H2 installer and don't use driver booster

There are better ways to get new drivers, I can help there

 

[Husty]

sorry, i had to go to sleep, it was late

if it doesn't crash in safe mode, it could just be drivers
or it could still be hardware as safe mode is less stressing on the pc

problem is you ran Driver Booster so its unclear if it actually installed the right drivers.
I would clean install again using the 20H2 installer and don't use driver booster

There are better ways to get new drivers, I can help there

I am going to do that as I used it before and after the reset, do you think I should also stop using Advanced System Care which is made from the same company as the driver booster. I was recommended by my local National Tech store that starts with a B to use IOBit software to keep my desktop up to date.

 

[Colif]

You don't need Driver Booster, its unsafe, it often thinks you have way more old drivers than I have ever seen on even the oldest PC. IT will also install the wrong ones. I used it twice before and both times it put the wrong drivers on - last time i lost all my sound. Better to do it manually as its safer. Might take longer but its not that hard, and if you unsure, you can always ask.

How I identify drivers on a system, and what might be old -

download and run Driverview - http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/driverview.html

All it does is looks at drivers installed; it won't install any (this is intentional as 3rd party driver updaters often get it wrong)

When you run it, go into view tab and set it to hide all Microsoft drivers, will make list shorter.

Now its up to you, you can look through the drivers and try to find old drivers, or you can take a screenshot from (and including)Driver name to (and including)Creation date.

upload it to an image sharing website and show link here

All I would do is look at driver versions (or dates if you lucky to have any) to see what might have newer versions.

After a clean install -

looking at website for motherboard, the only drivers I would get from there is Armoury crate if you use rgb - https://www.asus.com/au/Motherboard...All-series/PRIME-B450-PLUS/HelpDesk_Download/

i would get latest chipset from https://www.amd.com/en/support/chipsets/amd-socket-am4/b450
I would get latest lan from https://www.realtek.com/en/componen...0-1000m-gigabit-ethernet-pci-express-software
get latest Nvidia driver
that covers most of pc, Windows 10 can get audio drivers, and it will fill in most gaps.
I don't know what else you might want.

 

[Husty]

You don't need Driver Booster, its unsafe, it often thinks you have way more old drivers than I have ever seen on even the oldest PC. IT will also install the wrong ones. I used it twice before and both times it put the wrong drivers on - last time i lost all my sound. Better to do it manually as its safer. Might take longer but its not that hard, and if you unsure, you can always ask.

How I identify drivers on a system, and what might be old -

download and run Driverview - http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/driverview.html

All it does is looks at drivers installed; it won't install any (this is intentional as 3rd party driver updaters often get it wrong)

When you run it, go into view tab and set it to hide all Microsoft drivers, will make list shorter.

Now its up to you, you can look through the drivers and try to find old drivers, or you can take a screenshot from (and including)Driver name to (and including)Creation date.

upload it to an image sharing website and show link here

All I would do is look at driver versions (or dates if you lucky to have any) to see what might have newer versions.

After a clean install -

looking at website for motherboard, the only drivers I would get from there is Armoury crate if you use rgb - https://www.asus.com/au/Motherboard...All-series/PRIME-B450-PLUS/HelpDesk_Download/

i would get latest chipset from https://www.amd.com/en/support/chipsets/amd-socket-am4/b450
I would get latest lan from https://www.realtek.com/en/componen...0-1000m-gigabit-ethernet-pci-express-software
get latest Nvidia driver
that covers most of pc, Windows 10 can get audio drivers, and it will fill in most gaps.
I don't know what else you might want.

Thanks for all the help up until now, I took your advice and got the latest chipset, gpu drivers and I am getting that 3rd party driver viewer. I am going to use the computer as normal for now and I will update the thread if anything happens again. I have a gut feeling that the problem was bad drivers since I had Driver booster both times the problem persisted.

 

[Colif]

All driver view actually does is runs commands already in windows 10 but shows the drivers in a format that is easier to read, as the command prompt output is all vertical and not user friendly.

You probably don't need any Iobit software. Windows 10 is pretty good at keeping itself clean