Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until reset

Hi all,

The Problem: Over the last week, my computer has randomly frozen about 10 times. I will go to do something, and the computer will become unresponsive. The mouse cursor will still work for about five seconds before locking as well. No keyboard shortcuts do anything, and the computer does not shut it itself down or throw up any kind of error report or BSOD. It just locks up until I force a restart by the button on the tower.

When does this happen: Randomly - more often than not, it's been when I have not been using my PC heavily. It has frozen about 3 times whilst in games - once in 4 hours of total GTA V gameplay, and once whilst alt-tabbing out of Total War Battles : KINGDOM which is a beta game that is eventually designed to run on mobile phones. The rest of the time, it's been as I've been browsing my computer - twice it has happened after my PC has been left on whilst I've been asleep, and it's locked up within a minute of returning to it when I wake up. I've had this computer, which I've built myself, since August 2012 and 99% of the time utilise Sleep Mode when I'm leaving it for any period of time.

My specs are:

CPU: Intel 3rd Generation Core i5-3570K CPU (4 x 3.40GHz, Ivy Bridge, Socket 1155, 6Mb L3 Cache, Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0)
MOBO: ASUS P8Z77-V
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz CL9 XMP (Replaced under warranty in January 2014 after PC kept BSODing under heavy loads whilst playing games. MemTest showed one of the sticks had become corrupted)
GPU: Gigabyte GTX 970 G1 Gaming 4GB GDDR5 Dual DVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E
PSU: Corsair 650W Professional Series Gold AX650
COOLING: Cooler Master 12cm SickleFlow System Fan x2
CASE: Coolermaster Storm Enforcer Mid Tower ATX Case
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB 7200 RPM Internal HDD
SSD: Corsair Force Series 120GB SSD

I started to troubleshoot on 17th April and performed the following actions, getting the following results:

1.) Ran Windows Update (none available - but recently installed a load of important security updates; I don't use any Microsoft security programs)

2.) Checked for Driver Updates (none available, though my GPU had recently updated to the latest version, covering GTA V)

3.) Performed full ESET NOD32 Smart Security 6 scan - scrinject.b.gen revealed and deleted

4.) Installed and ran Malwarebytes scan - PUP.Optional.MyFreeze.A, HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432NODE\Freeze.com revealed, Quarantined, [7036234ad6b4ba7cb1357e5558ab8080],

5.) Reliability Monitor - "Check for solutions to all problems" - no problems or solutions to problems found.

6.) Ran Windows Memory Scanner on restart - No issues found

7.) Left MemTest v5.0.0 running overnight for 4h30m revealing no errors in RAM.

Because the computer just locks up and doesn't throw up a BSOD, I have no idea why it is freezing, and can't remember how to look back at crash logs to see what the problem is. I found something that suggested the PC had run out of virtual memory and so seized up, hence my checking of RAM (especially after I had problems with it last year), but this was replaced last year, and MemTest has found no errors in it in a complete test.

I haven't made any significant software changes to my PC that I can think would be causing this problem, but it did seem to start happening about 2 days after I used CCleaner to delete duplicate and no longer required game files within the registry (on an automatic search). Also, my friends bought me a Razer Naga mouse for my birthday last month - when I first installed it, I had problems with it randomly losing connection and then reconnecting itself 20 seconds later, but I haven't had that for a few weeks now. It is constantly pulsing light though; could it be a power issue?

I've attached my 64-bit DXDiag, and the malwarebytes log. I can't attacher a photo of the MemTest results so here's a link to an upload instead:

http://oi57.tinypic.com/nlbbie.jpg

Thanks for reading, and thanks for any help you can offer.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

If it started happening around April 17th, I'd suspect that perhaps one of the Windows updates (April 14th) was causing the problem.

You gave a lot of info but I don't see what version of Windows you are running.

Have you tried restoring to a time before the Windows updates were installed?

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Heskey...

plodr may be right, but, if not, you may want to consider this:

I suspect that malware could be behind your problem. A-V and anti-malware programs can remove part of a malicious set of files, while leaving a hole in the functionality of the OS, sometimes. Also, some malware is specifically designed to cause freezes, and there could be some other undetected as yet infection on the PC.

Found this thread on a similar topic, and the user had similar symptoms:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/511410/email-sending-out-spam-malware-problem/page-2

If you haven't visited the malware removal board here at MGs, I would recommend you do so. The symptoms you have seem to match the problems on the PC in the thread very closely, leading me to believe that your security scans may not have gotten all of the malware the scans of your PC are reporting.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Hi both,

Thanks for replying.

plodr, I'm running Windows 7 Home 64-bit Edition, legitimate store-bought version. All these updates were installed on 15/04/2015, with the 'Update for Windows 7 for x64 based systems' giving (KB2990214) as the associated number. 23 updates were installed that day.

I haven't tried using a restore point. I've never trusted them as the only time I ever used one, it carved out the contents of my PC and left it as an empty shell; all my folders but no files within them. Anywhere.

What other scan programs can you recommend? And is there anywhere where I can see a log of why my PC froze?

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

It could also mean that either one or more windows files has corrupted and causing the freeze but if it's not coming up with a BSOD then there isn't much to go on. Is there any dust inside your computer try cleaning it out as this sometimes cause problems.

Other than that it's probably left it down to 2 options either system restore or a complete format (Last Resort Action)


Andy

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

I was offered 11 updates on 14 April on Windows 7 64 bit Home Premium.
I hid one, 2990214 because it is probably a nag to upgrade to 10. I prefer to upgrade on my schedule and not be hounded by MS.

These 10 are causing no problems on 4 computers: (two are 32 bit and one of the 32 bit ones in 7 Pro)
3038314
.NET 3.5.1 3037574
.NET 4.5.2 3037581
3046482
3046306
3046269
3045999
3045685
3042553
malicious malware removal tool 890830

What additional 12 updates were installed?

3 optional updates were offered a week later. But those would have an install date of 21 April, well after your problems surfaced.
Those updates are 3013531, 3020370 and 3048761. I did not install 3013531. The other two optional updates, I chose to install.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Here's a screenshot of the recently installed updates. I ran a search last night and found 3 new updates that I just installed, hoping maybe they'd overwrite any issues with the previous updates, if indeed there are any:

http://oi62.tinypic.com/28bfbmg.jpg

Whilst playing GTA V last night after installing these updates, on one occasion the game froze and crashed (not the PC though), and another time I got some ERR_GFX_D3D_INIT error, which from googling isn't uncommon with GTA V at the moment.

I'm going to play some GTA V now, and will log if I get any complete PC freezes.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

22 updates were installed (one of the 23 was cancelled, 3046606, and then installed later; that accounts for 23 entries dated on the same day in April)

The 11 I looked over and most have to do with Office 2010. I'll track down the two I'm unsure of 2952664 and MS filter pack 2 2881026.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Thanks. FYI I've had a few crashes of GTA V today but I think these are down to the game itself. As I said above, it looks like a lot of people are having issues with it at the moment so I'm not too fussed.

Maybe at about 19:30 my PC froze for the first time today? I'm not sure because it was at the start of a cutscene, so I don't know how my cursor was responding at the time - but either way, it needed a full PC restart.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

I'd uninstall 2952664. On my computer it is listed as optional. It has been released 8 times. If you google the number, you'll find problems with it starting in late 2014

http://www.infoworld.com/article/29...cted-daily-telemetry-run-may-be-snooping.html

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Thanks plodr - I've uninstalled it and will see how my PC gets on. I'll keep you posted. Will reply by Wednesday with a result, be it positive or negative.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Hi all,

So I've been back at work and not had as much time to extensively be on my PC as much as I'd like but I think 2 nights ago, at about 8pm I had a crash whilst on Guild Wars 2. I'd been playing for a few hours and left my character /dancing whilst I went to make a drink. When I came back, my char was still dancing and things were still happening on screen. I moved the mouse for about 2 seconds and the whole PC froze up, requiring a restart.

Not happened since, but I'm going to keep this going for a week or so.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Sat here with my brother planning my stag do, with Steam and YouTube loaded with another window of Firefox using to browse. The computer locked up, then the mouse. The computer continued to play music for about 30 seconds until both monitors went into standby mode. Required a reset at the button.

About 5 mins before this, I'd tried to open a Firefox window and got an error saying "can't load firefox.exe as there isn't enough virtual memory (or system resources, can't remember which" - it's a browser for goodness sake.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

What's the size of your swap file/virtual memory?

FF uses lots of resources. (I no longer use it; I've switched to Palemoon).

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Virtual Memory is set to 8147 MB, and I have never altered this setting. It says For my C:\ drive it is system managed, with a min allocation of 16mb, a current allocation of 8147 MB, and a recommended allocation of 12220 MB.

On my D:\ there is no paging file.

I've used Firefox for years, and really like it - never had that error prior to this freezing problem, and again to stress that the problem has occurred whilst in games with no Firefox window loaded.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

It's just done it again, the error begins "There is not enough free memory to load...". My PC froze momentarily but my cursor remained active, my monitor blinked off momentarily and has come back on in aero-mode or w/e it's called, with the light start-bar, but has loaded another window just fine.

And THEN it just froze up as normal on me. God damn it I don't mind it so much - I just want to know what it is and how to stop it :O

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

I used to use FF but they keep "tweaking" it and making it unusable, at least for my purpose so I switched.

Let's change it and see if that cuts down on the error and freezing. It's a bit under 8GB and can go up to a bit under 12GB.
Set max and min to 10240 MB.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-virtual-memory-size#1TC=windows-7

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Done, I'll let you know how I get on!

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

I left something downloading at about 20:00 last night before I went to work. I've just woken up today and there was an error message in the toolbar saying "insufficient system resources to complete the requested service." attached to the download manager.

I could move the mouse for about 5 seconds until the screen flickered, and then an 'L' shape block across the screen started to flicker every time I moved the mouse, but the computer was still usable - I managed to open up a notepad file and save the wording of the error before restarting the PC in the usual way. The 'L' shape effected is denoted below with Xs:

O O O
O X X
X X X

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

From googling that error, I'm finding various threads 2011-2014 blaming memory leaks from either the OS or a programme. There are some threads about the previous version of firefox (36) having leaks, also some threads about svchost.exe

Here's a screenshot of my processes tab: http://oi62.tinypic.com/11m3hwm.jpg

Firefox will rise and fall between 200-250k, svchost rocketed up to 500k for about 10 minutes but is now sat back down at 25k.

This is annoying but I am intrigued to try and find out the problem whilst my PC is still functioning.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

I'm no use trying to find memory leaks.
As I said, I switched from FF to Palemoon more than a year ago.

Just to add to the confusion, your screen shot only shows 39% of memory in use.

Perhaps, the error message isn't telling you the correct problem. It wouldn't be the first time that a Windows error did not pinpoint the cause.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

If you are wanting to stay firefox layout kind of browser i would go with palemoon or waterfox they are quite good browsers and not use much resources.

If you are looking for a chrome like browser - Don't download Google Chrome as this uses alot of resources. I would recommend in using Slimjet Browser as it has its own memory optimization in which you can change when would you like the browser to do this.

My System with firefox was using around 40-45% physical Memory
My System with Chrome was using around 50-60%
My System with Slimjet is using 20%-30%

slimjet has got the same extensions as chrome so nothing has really changed.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Just had another freeze-up. I'd been playing Guild Wars 2 for 4.5 hours without issue whilst watching the UK Election Debates on my 2nd monitor with FRAPS open (to use the frame rate counter) and Firefox windows.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Can you check to see what task manager says when it freezes it sounds to me that cpu usage is 100% or your system resources are very low.

But I could be wrong. :confused

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Sorry guys, I've been checking the thread for days but hadn't noticed it'd gone onto two pages - I thought you'd abandoned me! :cry

Andy, not trying to sound funny - but how can I check Task Manager when my PC has frozen? No key or mouse input works; the whole thing just locks down and then the monitors go into standby mode after about 10 seconds until I restart?

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

does your computer freeze straight away after a reset if not then open task manager and leave it open and see what happens when it freezes

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Okay I'll try and do that with my second monitor, though sometimes it's not in the foreground.

Which tab do you want me to monitor when it freezes before my monitors turn off? Applications, Processes, Services, or Performance?

PS. I've rolled back my Nvidia GeForce Experience drivers to the ones just before the drivers released for GTA V and haven't had a crash since. Yet. Will keep you posted.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

keep an eye on your processes it will show what is taking memory and cpu usage.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

So it doesn't seem to be the graphics driver, although I had a damn good run without crashes this last week. On my back-dated driver I've just had a crash this morning in the same way - but my processes tab was on my second monitor which was turned off at the time so I couldn't see what was spiking.

I've updated my driver again (as GTA V plays like crap with out, and they've released a new driver this morning anywho), and also updated my Mozilla from 37.0.2 to 38.0.01.

If it happens again, I'll give that Palemoon browser a go.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Okay it's just happened again whilst I was playing a BF2 mod called Project Reality, and the only other thing open was Steam. I had no firefox windows open, so I presume I can rule out a Firefox memory leak as the cause?

I've checked device manager again and there are no updates for my hardware.

I've ran ESET Smart Security 6 and Mal-ware Bytes again, and still have no viruses.

I've checked that there are no more Windows Updates to install.

I've leafed through the Event Manager and can't see anything that tells me what the problem is. If there is a program that can record what is happening to my PC at the time of a freeze, we could identify the issue by cross-referencing it with my kernal critical reports in Event Review; I've just tested and these events appear whenever I restart my PC by pressing the 'reset' button which I have to when my PC freezes up and the monitors turn themselves off - so I have an accurate time-stamped list of when I've had to force a restart. FYI there are 20 such reports all beginning from 14th April 2015. There is only 1 prior to that, in August 2014.

I'm assuming it's not a PSU issue because my PC remains in full power when it freezes. It doesn't break the circuit and reset itself.

I'm installing Core Temp to see if there are any abnormalities with my CPU temperature.

Any other suggestions at the moment?

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Heskey, try the following. Download and install WhoCrashed. While the program will show what causes Windows to crash and/or restart, it might show what causes your PC to freeze. It's worth a try.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/whocrashed_free_home_edition.html

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Thanks Eldon, I'm installing it now!

FYI I don't know if it'll be any help but I've attached some pictures I've taken of some of my bios settings (default) re power management and CPU temps. I've seen a suggestion just from googling similar issues that occasionally people have taken a stab at either the mobo or CPU overheating and may need new thermal paste.

I used thermal paste when fitting the CPU near 3 years ago now and it's not something I've ever "replaced" (but nor is it something I've previously replaced) and seems a finnicky job. I don't want to just it as part of trial and error, but rather a last resort. Knowing my luck, I'd break the CPU or something.

---


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
System Information (local)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

computer name: JAMES-PC
windows version: Windows 7 Service Pack 1, 6.1, build: 7601
windows dir: C:\Windows
Hardware: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC., P8Z77-V
CPU: GenuineIntel Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3570K CPU @ 3.40GHz Intel586, level: 6
4 logical processors, active mask: 15
RAM: 8542924800 total




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crash Dump Analysis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Crash dump directory: C:\Windows\Minidump

Crash dumps are enabled on your computer.

You have performed a crash dump test. The test succeeded and the crash dump file was properly written out.

On Fri 22/05/2015 11:40:55 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\memory.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: rspcrash64.sys (rspCrash64+0x108B)
Bugcheck code: 0xDEADDEAD (0x0, 0x0, 0x191F0CC4, 0x3C2A58ED)
Error: MANUALLY_INITIATED_CRASH1
file path: C:\Windows\system32\drivers\rspcrash64.sys
product: WhoCrashed
company: Resplendence Software Projects Sp.
description: Resplendence WhoCrashed Crash Dump Test
Bug check description: This indicates that the user deliberately initiated a crash dump from either the kernel debugger or the keyboard.
This bug check belongs to the crash dump test that you have performed with WhoCrashed or other software. It means that a crash dump file was properly written out.





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One crash dump has been found and analyzed. No offending third party drivers have been found.

---

Prior to this, my minidump file was empty, so I guess it genuinely never crashes, but just freezes - forcing me to restart the PC, thus leaving no as-yet identifiable trace of the cause? How annoying.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Correctly applied quality thermal paste should not have to be replaced after 3 years. Then again, it's a much cheaper option than replacing the CPU or motherboard, or both. If you remove the CPU to clean the surface, do so carefully. Likewise, take care when re-fitting the CPU - you don't want to bend the pins.

http://www.maximumpc.com/how-to-properly-apply-thermal-paste-and-install-a-cpu/

http://www.wikihow.com/Apply-Thermal-Paste

Looking at the images, the third temperature is very high.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

I'm currently running Core Temp and the average temperate reading per core is around 25-30oC. With prime95 running a torture 'blend' test, this rises to 60-63oC on 100% load. The max temperatures break down as:

Core #0: 66oC
Core #1: 69oC
Core #2: 71oC
Core #3: 67oC

Which image and where are you referring to? Do you think it could be a paste issue? I've read those links and could give it a go if we genuinely think it's a potential issue.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

The first image - WP_20150522_001. The temperature is in the red.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Oh! Sorry no that's not temperature; they're pre-defined overclock options for the CPU; I've got it on the middle one (balanced). The left is power-saving and the right is gaming overclock. I used to use that (and slightly overclocked my old GPU) over a year ago, but with problems I had at the time, I figured I valued system stability and hardware longevity to a slight performance increase.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Heskey...

I know you have been at this for awhile, but have you gone through all of your startup programs and turned them off to see if one of them could be causing this problem? Also, I am sure you answered this earlier, but does this happen in safe mode? I guess it would be hard to test, since you don't have access to all of your hardware in safe mode to really test all of the PC under heavy load.

Processors almost never go bad, and I definitely wouldn't be the guy to see that happening. However, maybe this could be something weird with the processor, or in an obscure part of the motherboard. I see you tested the RAM memory, so that seems to be out of the picture...

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Hi AtlBo,

Looking through my start-up programs, there is nothing here that isn't either necessary, or has only been used so temporarily that it may be part of the problem - my number of start-up programs is minimal, and mostly necessary.

I don't know if this happens in safe mode, but I can tell you that the PC doesn't have to be under a heavy load to freeze. It has done this when bringing the PC out of sleep mode, when just browsing the internet. From looking at event viewer, these happen on average every 2-3 days; and I can't put my PC in safe mode for that long without needing to use it, to test.

RAM is definitely out of the picture. I've MemTested it twice, used windows-based diagnostic checkers, re-seated them a couple of times.

My motherboard has LEDs at all major components, and when the PC is turned on it checks through all the areas and then gives one 'beep' if everything is normal, or another sound if it's not. The LED for the respective problem area will stay lit, telling me where the issue is with the mobo - my mobo is not highlighting any problem areas to me, and my tower hasn't sustained any knock, fall, or damage that would suddenly cause anything to become unseated to the best of my knowledge.

My PC temperatures are fine, and it's been through prime95 no problem.

I'm really running out of ideas here guys, and tempted to reformat - but I don't think I have an external HDD big enough to back up all the things I need to, so I'm really hesitant to do it; that, and it takes forever to get your setup just how you like it when you come back! That, and there's no guarantee that reformatting will fix this problem which has just spontaneously started happening. Every other problem I've ever had with this PC, I've managed to resolve without reformatting since I breathed life into it in August 2012.

Does anyone have any more troubleshooting suggestions?

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Heskey...

I looked over the thread, and I could not see an instance where you have run sfc /scannow. If I missed it, apologies.

I think sfc /scannow is your best bet here. I still think this has to do with malware, based on the fact that you had a freeze type of malware, specifically designed to lock up a PC. Here are some thoughts on what could be happening:

I go back to this:

The file MBAM found is listed as a freeze category type infection. ESET revealed and deleted a script that was injecting itself into your system somehow. This looks to me like ESET got the script file and then MBAM a registry key. However, malware, when it is removed can leave a hole in the functionality of an OS. For one thing, just because a malicious script and/or key are identified, I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that all of the malware has been removed. But, most importantly, when malware installs itself, it often changes critical system dependencies in Windows. It reroutes Windows through itself. Then, if part of the malware is gone, the dependency chain is completely broken and Windows malfunctions. Now remember that the malware you had was a created to lock up a computer. Add to that that these events can be run on a pseudo schedule, and you can have a timed event that would cause a freeze if all of the malware were present. However, even without the script there, this type of malware can cause the same type of event and on the same timing, because removal of the script has broken a dependency chain in Windows important to the functionality of your PC. You reboot to reset the system, but, when the malware tries to execute on its timing, even with the main script gone, Windows is interrupted, because the damage to the system dependecies returns.

Your AV/AM software is doing the right thing to go after the script and key, but this is basically an impossible situation for anti-malware writers. This is because once this type of infection is on the PC it's really too late to avoid damage to Windows. However, removing the meat of the infection does mean that you can restore health to Windows if you can restore the normal dependency chain. Not saying it won't come back. That depends on how much if any of the malware remains. Nonetheless, I feel that the integrity of Windows is possible damaged, and I think running sfc /scannow might just resolve the problem.

If you haven't run this already, I also recommend running chkdsk /r. Actually, I think these two Windows based utilities are the go to fixes for most really unexplainable problems. chkdsk does more than just identify bad sectors as it actually performs some similar functions to sfc /scannow, too.

There are also other options like a Windows repair operation that you can run. Because of the malware, I feel fairly confident there is some structure damage to Windows. Luckily, the Windows repair features are ideally designed to address this kind of problem.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Hi AtlBo,

Thanks for that. I've ran an sfc /scannow (attached results) but unfortunately it's found something corrupt but can't auto-fix it.

It's produced a CBS.log but it's too big to upload, and when I put it in a .7z or .Rar and try to upload it, it tells me it's an Invalid File, so I don't know how to show you those results.

I'm off to work now but I've taken a quick look at chkdsk and it seems a bit too involved to do in a rush, how do I go about it? I'll give it a try when I'm back from work.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Heskey...

Here is information on how to run sfc /scannow and have it create a log on your desktop:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/929833

Scroll down to where it says "For more information" and expand that area. That will detail how to get the .txt report onto your desktop. The log you were attempting to zip could have many various entries over a good period of time, but the one sfc /scannow creates on the desktop will be much smaller and specific to that one scan.

I might be wrong, but I think you need to upload the file in the .zip format rather than .7z or .rar. Zip files have always worked at MGs for me.

To run a chkdsk, open the administrator command prompt. If you aren't in an account with admin privledges, you will need to right click on Command Prompt in Start->Programs->Accessories and select "Run as administrator". In the admin command prompt, just type chkdsk /r. Press the enter key and then the y for yes and reboot. The chkdsk will run during the reboot. It does take about an hour.

As far as what sfc /scannow could not fix, you will need an installation disk for your exact version of Windows (version/service pack/32 or 64 bit) for Windows to be able to make those repairs. All you do is drop the disk in the DVD tray and run sfc again. It should make the repairs from the disk.

You are Windows 7 SP1 I see, but I don't see the version there. At any rate, you can also run a Windows repair installation if you can get your hands on an installation disk (if it comes to this). It's a little bit more involved in that it happens during boot, and requires you readd the product key for Windows. It won't remove your files and programs, though, so that's the big thing. Hopefully, sfc /scannow and chkdsk /r will resolve the problem...

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Thanks AtlBo,

I'm going to run chkdsk /r now.

Unfortunately, I can't get the sfcdetails.txt to appear correctly. I followed the instructions in the link but have a look a tthe attached image, showing my results of trying to create the text file. It's created a text file with the file name on my desktop but it is blank.

As for repairing the integrity of Windows, this should be straight forward. I have the install disk (genuine Home edition, Windows 7 64-bit) with genuine CD key safely on my bookshelf.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Heskey001...

When you ran sfc /scannow the last time, was the installation disk in the tray? If not, try that. For a good many things, Windows will use the disk to repair damaged files.

That program really made a mess of the file structure on your PC. I have seen it before, though.

I will mention some things about imaging your drive later. That is really the best defense, but, since you have an installation disk, already, you can run the sfc /scannow and even go as far as a repair installation. The disk is really a great tool to have.

Give the sfc /scannow a try again with the disk in the tray if you haven't done it that way, yet. I'll pass on instructions how to run a repair installation if sfc doesn't fix the problem.

On the sfcdetails.txt file...I can't see your pic to see what instructions you ran, but these are the ones that worked for me. I keep the line in an archives of general fixes I have:

findstr /c:"[SR]" %windir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log >"%userprofile%\Desktop\sfcdetails.txt"

OK, so I can't remember, but I think you type sfc /scannow and then add the line above after a space into the command and press enter. I think that causes the utility to run and then the log to be placed onto the desktop.

Let us know how it goes...

Oh...one other thing you may have to turn off your security programs for the sfcdetails file to copy into the log on the desktop. You can try it without doing so and then run it again with security off if you get no text in the sfcdetails.txt file again...

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Hi AtloBo, thanks for all your help so far.

I've attached the results of chkdsk and also managed to get the sfcdetails.txt. I ran sfc /scannow with the windows disk but got the same results unfortunately.

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Heskey001...

Thanks for the reports. The chkdsk looks OK, but wow, the scf report is showing some butchery there. sfc /scannow will repair almost any and every file/folder structure problem that can be found on a Windows PC.

Anyway, the next thing to try in my opinion would be a repair installation of Windows 7. Here are some links that will help you become acclimated to the process:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

http://www.pcworld.com/article/243190/how_to_repair_a_corrupt_windows_7_installation.html

Read carefully in the first link to make sure your DVD will work. If it is a restore disk from your PC's manufacturer, it will not work for this. However, if it is a retail version of the OS, it will work fine. As you said, it is Home Premium SP1, and I assume the disk you used to install Windows, so the version and bittage should match fine.

One important thing about this process is to note how important it is to back up your important files before running the repair. If you don't have access to a backup device (disk/flash drive, etc.), you should get one and copy your files to that device. Also, it would be a very good idea to create a system image of the system in its current state before running the repair and then store it in the same place. There are plenty of good imagers like Macrium Reflect that will make the job fairly easy if all you need to do is create one image backup. Correspondingly, you will also need a blank CD/DVD to create the bootable restore media (disk) for the imaging program as this is how imagers work. You boot to the disk before entering Windows (boot with the disk in the tray) and the image restoration program starts automatically. You then choose "restore" and find the backup. Running the backup will restore the entire contents of the hard drive back to the exact state it was in at the time of the creation of the image. Very handy to have a good solid image or two around.

If you feel like you are up to this, it's all I know to recommend at this point. Not 100% it will work to fix your problem, but it might. The fact that you will have to reinstall drivers is the untastiest part of this, but, if you had to completely reinstall Windows, you would be into the same situation there. At least this way, you keep your accounts/files/programs in place. At any rate, you might save yourself some time by hunting down the drivers for the PC and placing them on a secondary drive of some sort, so that you can install them quickly after the repair. The main ones to get first are chipset and networking.

By the way, make sure you have the product key handy for this process. You will need it to complete the installation.

It's a big challenge, but, unless anyone else has an idea, it's all I have got. Wish it were a guarantee, but the only other option I can think of is to remove your files to a backup drive and reinstall Windows and your programs...

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Heskey...

Sorry, I called you Heskey001. Helping on another thread, and the user's name ends in 001. I got the threads crossed a little bit. rolleyes

One thing before the ordeal of a repair install or full reinstall. Have you tried Tweaking.com Windows Repair, yet? Since sfc /scannow can't seem to complete the repairs, maybe Tweaking can. Here is the MGs link to the program. This should take you straight to the download:

http://www.majorgeeks.com/mg/getmirror/tweaking_com_windows_repair,1.html

Tweaking is a great program to run in this situation. Not sure it will fix your PC's particular structural issues, which seems to be kind of intricate when I look at the sfcdetails.txt file. However, maybe it will do the trick. It's helped a gajillion others with Windows 7 issues...

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Hi AtlBo,

I'm off to work now and with tomorrow being Bank Holiday Monday I'll be out and about. I'll be back on Monday Night/Tuesday to try your suggestions and let you know how I get on.

PS. I have an SSD where my OS is installed, and a HDD where most of my games and programs are stored.

Am I right in thinking that a Windows Repair will only affect my C:/? Even if I reformatted my entire C:/ by accident, my HDD would be fine and intact, and any installed programs would run straight away when the C:/ was set up again? Or are files installed on my D:/ drive inherently linked to the C:/, and if the C:/ is damaged or severed, then programs on D:/ may not run as expected?

I.E., is my D:/ HDD an "island", or is it connected to the C:/ and what happens to it?

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Heskey...

If you run a repair installation of Windows, all of your programs should still work no matter where they are installed. However, if you reinstall Windows after formatting the C: drive, any programs you have installed to the D drive will no longer function (with the exception of rare programs that don't install anything into the registry...portable type programs).

Some info:

http://superuser.com/questions/512217/can-i-install-all-my-applications-on-d-drive

This is kind of why I was thinking you might want to try the repair installation of Windows. One thing on it. If you have a user account that you have placed somewhere other than in the Users folder, it must be moved back to that folder. I am not experienced with accounts, but that was one thing I noticed in the sevenforums link. Very helpful link there and the one I would pay primary attention to.

The repair installation reminds me of what used to be possible with Windows XP. You could choose to install XP without formatting the main drive, and the OS would install into a new Windows folder, while leaving everything intact. That folder would then use the registry from your previous installation. In any case, you would at least be getting a refreshed version of Windows files if any of those are corrupt. At the end of this type of installation, you will have a Windows.0 folder that will contain your old installation of Windows AND the normal Windows folder. Once you are sure you are in the clear, you can actually delete the Windows.0 folder.

I performed one of these on an XP installation one time, and it really solved the problem I was having. Haven't done this on 7, so I can't say how it will work, but I would guess basically the same. I recommend Googling "Windows 7 repair installation" and then checking for videos and maybe doing some reading. Here is one video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC_5eb9wTfk

On the D drive. It is an island for your files and backups...just not for programs. Much of the program is still installed onto the C (main) drive into the registry in Windows...

Have a good holiday and please do let us know how everything works out...

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Hi all & AtlBo,

I haven't had time to try any of these repair install fixes etc. My wedding is in 4 weeks and most of my free time is taken up putting the finishing touches to that.

I'm hoping that with Win10's release at the end of next month, it will give me an excuse just to backup what I need from the PC and do a full reformat and upgrade. I wouldn't have opted for this, had Win 10 not been so close. Just seems like a good excuse, to me!

 

Re: Computer randomly freezes, followed by cursor freeze, followed by nothing until r

Heskey...

No problem. Good luck with the wedding and all the surrounding ruckus. rolleyes

I am thinking about taking a look at Windows 10, myself. Let us know if you will need some assistance with any of that. You can start a new thread or just post back here...