Windows 7 randomly Freezes

[Bsouro]

Hi, for all, Iam a newbie in overclockers.
I have experiencing randomly systems total freezes after 4 months of windows 7 installations with flowless stability, playing the latest games.
Actually Iam trying to update my BIOS to the latest in Windows 7 and nothing. I try to install the AFUDOS to update BIOS and I got: Motherboard support CD does not support this operating system.
I run Windowns 7 with generic drivers (that automatically installed by windows 7, except by Nvidia driver) since january (4 months) and now Iam experience randomly freezes, being need to mechanicaly reset the computer. Other day i run for 24h without any problems, but some days pc freeze at start screen.
I already do all kind of stress test (memory, GPU, CPU, power) and nothing. I do a complete format of system and nothing, memtest is ok, no errors.
My memory configs are DRAM Voltage to {2.1}/DRAM Timing to 5-5-5-18 (CAS-TRCD-TRP-TRAS),2T Mode to {Enabled}, ganged/unganged automatic/ 1066 Mhz.
I have my onboard sound card disable and Iam using a Genius c-media.

My main concern is: Why my entire system was stable for 4 months and now it start freeze, there is some plausible explanation for this??? and how can I solve this??

My hardware:

M3A Mother board
AMD Phenon 9750 (AM2+)
2 Gb (4 Gb) OCZ Reaper DDR2 PC2 8500 1066 (PN OCZ2RPR10664GK)
Geforce GTX 260 896 Mb
650W OCZ PSU
OS Windows 7 Ultimate.

Any help will be usefull,
thanks since now and my best regars.

 

[Joeteck]

No overclocking?

Try re-seating the RAM...

Run crap cleaner, Then do a Virus scan.

 

[Nebulous]

I would also check the cpu fan. Dust could build up and gunk up the fan/fins on the sink.

 

[Bsouro]

Hi again, thanks for replies.
I do a fresh windows installations with format so I think I can discard virus infection.
Sorry, I don't know what re-seat RAM means, could mean reset CMOS?

Some weeks ago, when I have strong in game and start windows freezes, I open PC chassi, to check PSU, video card and processor fans, and I try to clean all them, but I could observe that the processor heatsink was dusty, but I cant reach the internal spaces of heatsink.

I have thought in some problem like this too, one time the nature of freezes are intermittent, and appear after 4 months of stability.

One example, of all my concerns is that I have played hours of Need for Speed Shift and Battlefield Bad Company 2 last day (in maximum configs), so when I play 10min of Dungeons&Dragons Online (a very low stressing game) my PC freeze. PC support all kind of stress tests, and seems to freeze in no stress conditions. Appear more a software problem or a mechanical intermittent problem)

txs.

 

[Nebulous]

Reseating of ram means removing the ram from the slot and reinstalling it back.

As for not being able to reach the heatsink to clean it, use a can of compressed air with the attached straw/thin tube. Be sure to not shake the can and keep the can upright when you're using it.

 

[Joeteck]

Sometimes random freezes is caused by a badly seated RAM chip. Just trying the simple things first...

Also what Neb said. Your CPU could be inundated with dust causing it to overheat....

 

[Bsouro]

Hi, is very interesting this observations.
When I open the chassi the first thing I do was remove the RAM from the slot and reinstalling it back (I put in the same, but I think in change slots, of course keeping dual-channel). AND i could observe a little misalignment of the second RAM from the first, I try to push but the misalignment keep at same. Could this cause problem after 4 months of use. I will try move RAM to another slots, keeping Dual-channel, and will buy some compressed air device to clean up. This night I go sleep five morning (and wake at nine) waiting the memtest.

Txs again buddies.

 

[Bsouro]

Hi again, today I follow Neb instructions and procede with cleanup of my fan and heatsink processor (actually I do a strong cleanup of internal chassi and a lot of dust was removed), to do a better dust cleaning I remove heatsink and for my surprise the Thermal grease was completely dry, with some regions without grease actually. So I clean all with isopropyl alcohol and put new fresh thermal grease (there is an amount of time I need to change my thermal grease??)
Do you think this could be the cause of system freeze, even at windows start?

I will procede with stress tests, and try to do the same things that push my machine to freeze and see what happens.

Thanks again by help.

 

[QuietIce]

Hi, for all, Iam a newbie in overclockers.
I have experiencing randomly systems total freezes after 4 months of windows 7 installations with flowless stability, playing the latest games.

I'm a little confused about what happened when. You installed Windows 7 four months ago and everything worked fine? Then maybe a week or a few days ago the system started to freeze? What was the last thing you did before the system started freezing?

Did you try installing a new BIOS and then it started freezing?
Did you install or change hardware?
Did you install or update software?
Did Windows do an automatic update just before you started having freezes?
Have you tested your HDD to make sure it's still good?


Try installing OCCT and running it for at least 5 minutes then look at the CPU core temperature and report back, please ...

 

[Bsouro]

Hi, thanks by reply and sorry by my late, I work all day.

I don't remember all things, but my first freeze was after update of BattleField Bad Company 2, but I did games installations all time and
did windows 7 updates always when I was asked for it by windows. But
after the first Battlefield freeze (2-5 min in game) the computer begin
to freeze even in windows start screen and even at idle. I did the
installation of a game in the same day I update BattleField, the name
is CODA, this game proceeded with diretcx9 installation (I had 11
instaled) and first I thought this was the problem, but I dont think
so. After this day even formating doesn't solve.

I doesn't update BIOS.
I doesn't install any new hardware (but one thing is curious, whend I
installed windows 7 for the first time all devices in Devices Manager
were ok, but this time, even at format and re-installation an Unknown
device appears). I solve this with a driver update, following a number in
this device.
I install and update softwares all time, as I told above.
I do Windows updates, yes, but I assign the ask option, but I do.
The only device i doesn't test was my HDD, I format and re-install
windows. How can I test it?

Last night I did a cleanup as Neb told me to do and actually my
heatsink CPU and fan was full of dust. When I remove the heatsink I see
that the thermal grease was dry, so I clean and reapply. I run FurMark
v1.8.2, and Prime95 and nothing happens. I play Need for Speed shift
and BattleField for several hours and nothing happen. So I start a
download and go sleep, when I wake up morning the computer was totally
freeze again. I don't understand, freeze happen at almost system idle
the only thing running was the download. Today i read something about
windows 7 freezing at idle condition related to energy management.

Below follow OCCT report after 10 min (CPU processor was reported for Everest). I attached the screen reports output too.

(ºC) Before / After

CPU Processor (everest) 50 / 77

CORE 1 (OCCT) 33 / 55
CORE 2 (OCCT) 33 / 55
CORE 3 (OCCT) 33 / 55
CORE 4 (OCCT) 33 / 55

I have a sound device (C-Media CMI8738/C3DX Audio Device) and I disabled
the onboard sound card.

I have no words for the help U guys are giving me.
My best regards.

 

[QuietIce]

Whoever manufactured your HDD should have a test program available for it on their website. I know Western Digital, Seagate, and Samsung all have them for sure - I assume others will also have one.

You should also install just one stick of RAM and run MemTest86+ on it. If it passes then take that one out, install the other stick, and run MemTest86+ again. This will make sure both of your RAM sticks are good.


If you think energy management may be a problem then go into Windows and pick the performance option (whatever it's called) instead of energy savings ...

 

[Bsouro]

Hi, I do all of it and nothing (memory and HD test), yesterday my PC freezes all time.
I start to think the processor is the problem. Maybe the dry of thermal grease could be damaged the CPU.

Txs.

 

[AlabamaCajun]

May be unrelated but Win 7 uses hardware acc on the GPU all the time unlike XP which ran in standard software modes. I have an issue with my Video card locking up making it look like windows went ooha's up but if I wait about 20 secs it does a GPU recover most of the time. Realize running games has different effects on the video hardware that normal windows does not use. It may not be your issue but I would attempt putting in another video card and seeing if the problem occurs still just to rule out the possibility

 

[Bsouro]

Hi again, and sorry by the late, my PC was in technician, but he don't found nothing.
Today after a freeze, I found in google an windows 7 application to look for event files and I find the follow at freeze moment:
Level: Critical
Source: Kernel-power
EventID: (41)
Task Category: (63)

and the same at all freezes day I remember.
If someone know something, please help me.

Txs.

 

[QuietIce]

Turn the RAM down to DDR2-800 ...