[Win11] Hard reboot when I launch specific programs

[EarthDog]

Well, the HDD doesn't put an image on the screen... but maybe reinstall the graphics driver on that? Not sure why your screen looks that way... weird. Did you try to put another image as the background to see if it goes away?

When installing Windows, I always disconnect any other drive with an OS on it.

 

[trents]

You should disconnect all other storage drives but the system drive when installing Windows. It may come back to bite you if you don't as when you replace the other drive.

 

[TheGreySpectre]

All other drives were disconnected for the current install, just not a prior install where I was experimenting with putting it on a different drive.

Other wallpapers have loaded fine.

 

[EarthDog]

Other wallpapers have loaded fine.

Maybe that image is corrupt? I'd bet you can find it online and replace it.

So, to be clear, you can switch wallpapers, they work... but when you switch back to windows default, it does that?

 

[TheGreySpectre]

Maybe that image is corrupt? I'd bet you can find it online and replace it.

So, to be clear, you can switch wallpapers, they work... but when you switch back to windows default, it does that?

The corrupt wallpaper image has only happened once. It was fine one day, not fine the next. I'm not worried about that particular image, it's one of the stock windows wallpapers. I switched to my own wallpaper after that. The fact that a default windows wallpaper got corrupted does seem to indicate an issue though. I am grasping at straws a little to see if I can find a connection that would link it to the chrome/vlc issues that I still haven't isolated.

 

[EarthDog]

The fact that a default windows wallpaper got corrupted does seem to indicate an issue though.

Does it? Things happen. If it happens again (windows reinstall, or updating that file and it corrupts again), you may have some traction.

I am grasping at straws a little to see if I can find a connection that would link it to the chrome/vlc issues that I still haven't isolated.

Maybe. But, I agree with your assessment that's grasping at straws.

 

[The_Jizzler]

Try using an Ubuntu live boot, or any Linux live, and see if chrome and vlc play nice together there. A hard reboot like you describe, no bsod, points to power issues in my exp. Could be psu, could be power circuit on motherboard. Also, could be cpu. I had a machine the other day that would not complete a boot into any OS. It would post fine, be able to run diags, bios, etc. But as soon as you tried to boot windows or Linux ( tried Ubuntu and debian) it would boot loop. After much troubleshooting turns out it was the CPU. Like you theorized earlier, must've been some feature in the CPU was broken.

 

[shadowdr]

Kind of an old post but have you tried running sfc /scannow from command prompt? The command implies repair so if it finds a problem it should fix it.