Experiencing random restarts and freezes on your PC can be incredibly frustrating. It disrupts your workflow, gaming sessions, and overall computer usage. Many users face similar issues, and pinpointing the exact cause can feel like a daunting task. You’re not alone in this, and fortunately, there are systematic steps you can take to diagnose and potentially resolve these problems.
Let’s break down the issues described and explore potential troubleshooting steps. The user is experiencing two primary problems:
- Random Restarts at Windows Startup: The PC restarts unexpectedly at the Windows login screen, often multiple times before eventually booting normally. This has been ongoing for three months.
- Hard Freezes During Usage: The PC freezes completely, requiring a forced restart. After a freeze, the system may fail to detect a bootable device, requiring a full shutdown and wait period before restarting. This is a more recent issue, occurring in the past week.
It’s understandable to wonder if these issues are connected. While seemingly separate, they could stem from a shared underlying cause, such as a failing hardware component or system instability. Let’s investigate potential culprits and troubleshooting strategies.
Potential Causes and Troubleshooting Steps
Given the symptoms and the user’s hardware configuration (Asus P8H61-M motherboard, Intel Core i7-2600K CPU, NVIDIA GTX 970, 8GB RAM, SSD storage, and a Seventeam 750W PSU), here are some areas to investigate:
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Power Supply Unit (PSU): A failing PSU is a common cause of random restarts and freezes. As components demand power, an unstable PSU might not deliver consistent voltage, leading to system instability, especially during startup or under load.
- Troubleshooting: While you mentioned checking PSU cables, consider testing with a known good PSU if possible. However, since hardware is expensive, this might be challenging. Look for other signs of PSU failure like unusual noises (clicking, buzzing) or if the issues worsen under heavy load (gaming).
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RAM (Memory): Faulty RAM can also cause system instability, leading to random restarts and freezes. Memory issues can manifest intermittently, which aligns with the user’s description of the problems occurring randomly.
- Troubleshooting: Run Memtest86+ again, ensuring you let it complete several passes (at least 8-10 hours for thorough testing). While the user mentioned “no luck” with memtest, it’s crucial to run it extensively to rule out RAM issues definitively. Try testing with one RAM stick at a time to isolate if a specific module is faulty.
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Overheating (CPU or GPU): Although the user can game for hours after the initial boot issues, overheating could still be a factor, especially during startup when system checks are performed. Dust accumulation or failing thermal paste can lead to temperature spikes.
- Troubleshooting: Monitor CPU and GPU temperatures using monitoring software (like HWMonitor or MSI Afterburner). Check temperatures during startup and under load. Ensure heatsinks are properly mounted and free of dust. Consider reapplying thermal paste to the CPU and GPU if they are old.
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Storage (SSD) Issues: While less likely to cause random restarts at startup specifically, failing SSDs can lead to freezes and boot issues, especially the “no bootable device” error.
- Troubleshooting: Use manufacturer-specific SSD diagnostic tools (like Sandisk or Kingston’s tools) to check the health of both SSDs. Look for SMART errors or other indicators of drive failure. Check SATA cables again to ensure they are securely connected and consider trying different SATA ports on the motherboard.
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Motherboard Issues: Motherboard failures are harder to diagnose without replacement parts. However, given the age of the motherboard (P8H61-M), component degradation is possible.
- Troubleshooting: Visually inspect the motherboard for any signs of damage, such as bulging capacitors or burnt components. Ensure all power connectors are firmly seated on the motherboard. Unfortunately, thorough motherboard testing often requires component swapping, which is challenging due to hardware costs.
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Driver or Software Conflicts: Although a clean Windows install was attempted, driver or software conflicts can sometimes persist or re-emerge.
- Troubleshooting: Ensure all drivers, especially graphics drivers, are up to date but also consider rolling back to older, stable driver versions to rule out driver-related instability. Check Windows Event Viewer for error logs around the time of the restarts and freezes, which might provide clues about software or driver issues.
Connecting Problem #1 and #2
The fact that problem #2 (hard freezes and no bootable device error) emerged more recently and often follows problem #1 (random restarts at startup) could indicate a worsening underlying issue. It’s possible that a component is gradually failing, leading to more severe symptoms over time.
Seeking Further Assistance
Troubleshooting hardware issues without spare parts can be challenging. If you’ve exhausted software-based troubleshooting and basic hardware checks, consider seeking help from local PC repair shops or online communities specializing in hardware diagnostics. Providing detailed information about your symptoms, hardware, and troubleshooting steps taken will be crucial for getting effective assistance.
While the keyword “Does Farbar Recovery Scan Tool Require Restart Upon Uninstall” is not directly related to the troubleshooting steps for random restarts and freezes, it’s important to ensure any software removal processes are correctly followed, including system restarts when prompted, to maintain system stability. However, in this scenario, hardware diagnostics and systematic troubleshooting are paramount to resolving the described PC issues.
