Computer completely freezing

iviv

iviv

iviv

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Over the past month or so I've had issues with my windows 10 install where it completely freezes. The two monitors go black (Not on sleep mode though, still on), music plays for a second before also stopping, no keyboard response, can't toggle the caps lock lights, and the screen on my G15 also freezes. A simple reboot and I'm back in windows again and everything runs fine again for a while, but since this is happening almost daily it's getting rather frustrating. I've tried updating my graphics card and network drivers to no effect, and short of a full reinstall I'm not sure what else to try.
Unfortunately, since it isn't windows itself crashing there aren't any minidump files created to try and find the root of the problem, and since the freezing seems to be pretty random I'm not sure what to do to find the culprit.
Heck, I just turned my PC on from cold 5 minutes ago and it froze while writing this post out.

System: Windows 10 x64
Gigabyte Z97x-Gaming 7 (With the wonderful killer E2200 network)
R9 290
i7 4790k running stock speeds currently.
 
how are you re installing the GPU drivers?

try the following

1. Download latest AMD Drivers.
2. Download DDU - Link here - http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html
3. Run DDU and it will reboot in to safe mode.
4. Remove drivers and reboot back in to windows normally.
5. install 16.1 Crimson drivers.

Is the PC randomly doing this when your using it or is this happening once you have walked away from the PC for a short space of time?
 
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I hadn't been monitoring CPU temps, however it generally happens while idle, I don't think it's actually frozen while gaming. It usually happens when I leave the PC on overnight, and sometimes while I'm using it. Did just install realtemp though and it's showing 31C across the 4 cores.

GPU drivers I've been uninstalling, restarting, uninstalling the windows 10 attempt at installing drivers, installing the latest then rebooting again. I've always been somewhat wary of drive cleaner programs, since didn't they cause issues where it mucked the registry up and stopped new drivers even being installed again?
 
Well, just froze again :(
At this rate I think I might just go and do a full reinstall. Will windows 10 complain if I format and reinstall to my C:/ ?
 
Hard drive was set to turn off after 20 mins, so I think I can rule that out since I've had it freeze within 5 mins of a cold boot. It's not set to sleep or anything like that either.
 
I viewed some of Microsoft documents, normally, when computer appeared some problems not belongs to normal problem. They will told you do the next 2 things:

(1) Update service package.
(2) update hardware drivers.

Try to find the windows update and drivers update. If cannot solve the problem, reinstall your system.
 
I had issues like this caused by sound card drivers before. What soundcard do you have? Any updated drivers there?

And I was also thinking "Power" though maybe an issue with the power supply. Do you have a spare one that you can test?
 
I'm using a logic g930 headset, so it has its own USB driver thing rather than a sound card. Think I also disabled on board sound in the bios as well.

Going through my order history, pretty sure the power supply is an ocz stealthxstream 2 700w bought in April 2011, so it's certainly showing its age. But if it was the power supply, wouldn't it be more likely to happen during gaming and other times of high load rather than while idle?
 
iviv said:
I'm using a logic g930 headset, so it has its own USB driver thing rather than a sound card. Think I also disabled on board sound in the bios as well.
Click to expand...

What happens if you disconnect the headset?

Going through my order history, pretty sure the power supply is an ocz stealthxstream 2 700w bought in April 2011, so it's certainly showing its age. But if it was the power supply, wouldn't it be more likely to happen during gaming and other times of high load rather than while idle?
Click to expand...

More likely, but not impossible for it to freeze when idle.
 
The headset is wireless, and I leave it turned off overnight and the freezes still happen then. I'll try unplugging the receiver and seeing if that helps.

Unfortunately I don't have a spare PSU to test, but I hadn't realised just how old it is, so it's probably time I replaced it anyway.
I'll also try running memtest overnight. Didn't think it could be a ram issue since I think that would cause lots of different problems rather than the same one over and over, but worth a try. And if it somehow freezes while running memtest that would narrow it down to a hardware issue.
 
iviv said:
The headset is wireless, and I leave it turned off overnight and the freezes still happen then. I'll try unplugging the receiver and seeing if that helps.
Click to expand...

At the first part of the sentence I was about to face-palm, but yes, unplug the receiver and see if that helps. :)

Unfortunately I don't have a spare PSU to test, but I hadn't realised just how old it is, so it's probably time I replaced it anyway.
I'll also try running memtest overnight. Didn't think it could be a ram issue since I think that would cause lots of different problems rather than the same one over and over, but worth a try. And if it somehow freezes while running memtest that would narrow it down to a hardware issue.
Click to expand...

Probably a good course of action to take, yes.
 
Well, memtest ran mostly fine. Gave an error about high frequency row hammer bit flips, though a quick google says this is basically an issue with DDR3 ram in general and not really an issue.
Then left the system running overnight with the receiver unplugged and it still froze. Next plan is the complete reinstall now. Otherwise, I have no idea what could be causing the issue, so not sure what component to replace.
 
iviv said:
Next plan is the complete reinstall now. Otherwise, I have no idea what could be causing the issue, so not sure what component to replace.
Click to expand...
Like I said, get a Linux live running for a few hours and see if it suffers the same problem.
That way you won't have to reinstall Windows and if it doesn't freeze you can rule out hardware.
You will need to use it though as Linux doesn't have background processes hogging resources while you are afk, so it might not necessarily freeze if left overnight.
 
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Was is a fresh win 10 install in the first place? or just an upgrade. I had tonnes of problems with the upgrade, a fresh install fixed most of them.
 
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