This website looked helpful, so I decided to see if I could find some answers here. Thanks in advance to anyone taking the time to read this and/or trying to help!
My problem is that my desktop computer has started freezing a few minutes after booting. The computer works fine, however, in Safe Mode. I have already tried turning off all the startup programs using msconfig, but to no avail. The problem persists even after reformatting.
Here is some information about my computer:
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X48 DS4
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 3.16 GHz
RAM: 4x2GB Mushkin 996599 DDR2 1066
Graphics Card: ASUS ATI Radeon HD 4870
HDD: Seagate ST3250410AS 250GB 7200RPM
I built the computer in 2008 and it has run solid as a rock up until now. The CPU is overclocked to 3.8 GHz (I have an OCZ heatsink, so don't worry) and the RAM is manually set to the advertised frequency and timings (the BIOS default settings were wrong). I haven't tried poking around with my hardware yet, as I figured it would be better to get some opinions first.
Have you installed all drivers (Updated) from the manufactures websites?
This sounds like a driver issue with your graphics card since the issues is not there in safe mode.
Graphics
Chipsets
Audio?
@Five: The computer froze on every RAM stick, so I don't think it's the RAM that is causing the trouble.
@JackBauer_24: I'll try going through and getting my drivers up to date. It's strange, though, that my computer would just all of a sudden start freezing after using the same drivers for months.
I found out that I can't install anything in Safe Mode. So... now what?
The next thing I would try is to test the hard drive. I'm not sure what they usually recommend here but you can use the Universal Boot CD, which has Seatools hard disk testing utility on it.
You need to download the UBCD .iso file and then burn the .iso to a disc, once created you boot off that disc and go to the seatools utility. Once in there try to do a short test first if it passes then do the long test, if it fails than you know what your problem is.
There really is no easy answer, you basically need to narrow down where your issues are occuring until you figure it out. You reformatted so it most likely isn't a software issue, that Universal Boot CD should have other utilities to test other pieces of hardware. Let us know how it goes.
It can be caused if you a a 32bit application installed mainly anti virus. Make sure you have a 64bit anti virus application installed. Most applications should work on cross platforms but some anti virus products are known to cause problems.
Thanks for all the suggestions. So my computer is working now, strangely...
At first, it would freeze within minutes of booting. Then 10 minutes, then 20, then 45. Now it doesn't freeze at all. Such strange computer behavior! I managed to get all the latest drivers installed, but I'm pretty sure that the computer continued to freeze a few more times afterwards.
Anyways, I will post here if my computer starts freezing again.
So, the computer started freezing again.
@Five: That sounds like a good idea. I'll try that next.
@tyza: I'll remember to check my temperatures and voltages next time I attempt to use the computer. I doubt this is the issue, though.
@Maz: What antivirus do you recommend? I don't think this is what is causing the trouble, however, since my computer was freezing before I even got an antivirus installed.
I haven't yet tried the Universal Boot CD, but I'm inclined to think that it may be my power supply that is causing the issue. My theory is that the PSU is supplying inconsistent/weak power to my graphics card, and so my computer freezes in normal mode where the GPU is required to process more graphics than it is in Safe Mode. Does this sound like a legitimate theory?
And if that is the problem, how do I test it? I don't have integrated graphics in my motherboard, so I can't just yank my graphics card and test the computer without it.
I don't currently have access to such a PSU to borrow. I'll see what I can do.
I ran some diagnostics from UBCD. I ran Hitachi's Drive Fitness Test three times, and it reported 0x70, 0x20, and 0x70 respectively. So by and large, it thinks that my HDD has a corrupted sector. So is the problem surely my HDD?
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