Windows 8.1 Constant Freeze

Hi, This is a follow up from my Hardware Post, since I think, not 100% sure though the Hardware issue is solved.
I can boot into Windows, but then it can freeze before I get the chance to boot into Safe mode, since 8.1 has no more F8. I have been trying to change that so I can use F8 again but it will freeze up on me before I am finished typing in the command line.
My Audio, Graphics, and Network drivers are up to date.
After first booting into Windows after replacing the PSU I had half, to one and a half hours before a freeze, after the time span would shorten every time I'd boot into windows.
I don't want to do a clean install if I can help it.
hawk22

 

Thanks Evan, one question though, What will happen if it freezes up during that process.

 

Hi Evan, thank you, but that is not what I actually meant sorry, what I wanted to know is what ramifications could happen to the OS if it should happen to freeze up during the process of the clean boot.

I am on holidays at the moment for another 3 or 4 days before I get back home. I only have occasional Internet access.

 

Sounds very much like heat buildup to me. Cooling - Thermal heat transfer or motherboard connection. Neil.

 

Hi guys, and thank you, yes Evan, that is what I was concerned about, so when I get back home I will get stuck into it.
Hi Neil, no chance of overheating here, that case is as cool as Antarctica on a sunny day. Especially after I cleaned every filter and fan-blade. I replaced the PSU, so had to reseat every cable.
hawk22

 

Bill, I mean heat buildup can occur in circuits as well. I had a motherboard my son gave me about 3 years ago. He said he thought it was OK but i found that the motherboard had a very small mark on it (caused when installing in case chassis) and the unit would just freeze/go black after some minutes of use. It would restart then cut out again at a lesser time. New M/B fixed the problem and more care when inserting in that particular case. The case was unusual in that there were vertical hooks to hold the board - no screws were used to hold the board. A sharp edge on one of the hooks had caused the damage. Neil.

 

Hi Thanks Neil, I don't believe heat has anything to with it, faulty Motherboard yes.
Evan I done the clean boot, booted up and then within seconds froze, it has got to the stage now that only every 4th or so boot attempt it will actually boot before freezing up. Again 20 seconds into the BIOS it will freeze up.
Several times the Boot_Device_LED red light will stay on, other times it will go off but still freeze up.I replaced the cable for the SSD, but no change, changed over graphics card no diff. I come to think that it is either the SSD or the ASUS Motherboard of which some people warn you about, but then I have been using ASUS boards for years without failure.

 

Sorry for the delay, had a short holiday.
Well today I disconnected the CD/DVD drive SSD and the 3TB WD, booted straight into BIOS and it did freeze up within a minute or so. I tested that with 2 different video cards, same each time. Mobo or CPU, I think more likely mobo.
The ASUS M5A99FX Pro R2.0 board is less than 2 years old.

 

Have been working on a similar issue with an HP Envy laptop running OS 8.1 for a week or so. When it was first brought to me it would freeze up within minutes. I was able to get into it long enough to set it to boot to safe mode and then ran Virus and Malware Scans, neither reported any problems. Tried a few other ideas I located on the net and though I could get it to run longer it would eventually lock up again. Resource Monitor showed the CPU and DISK usage erratically increasing and decreasing until the DISK usage finally hit 100% and locked the system up. I tried a system Refresh but that did not correct the issue. I finally decided I had nothing to loose so after backing up all of the personnel files I did a full Reset of the OS. So far so good. System has been up and running with no issues for almost 24 hours. I've got most of the programs reinstalled and the personnel files put back and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 

Hi Rod, similar in some ways yes, but mine has been freezing up in the BIOS with no CD/DVD drive and no hard disk connected so it is impossible for the OS to be the problem.
Just to update, I had contacted ASUS support and they came back and told me to commence RMA with the supplier of the Motherboard as it is less than 2 years into its 3 year warranty. After contacting the supplier, they requested that I bring in the Motherboard for testing.
Cheers

 

Thanks for the further information. Sorry to report that my solution was not a lasting fix. Things went well until late yesterday afternoon. I had downloaded and installed about a third of the pending Windows Updates and the reboot went as expected. As I began the next download of updates the system locked up tight as a drum and had to be hard booted. Upon reboot it says it is trying to repair itself, but nothing ever happens. Ran HP Hard Drive test and it appears the hard drive has gone belly up. que sera, sera.

 

Hi Rod, If you have trouble getting your info off the HDD, don't forget the cooler trick. My daughters Acer laptop HDD failed and I renewed the HDD for her but couldn't get the old drive to read. So nothing ventured - nothing gained, I put the failed HDD in the refrigerator overnight (inside a Glad wrap bag) and the next day I was able to get it going long enough to extract the Data she wanted. Fairy tale or not - it's worth a try if all else fails. Neil.

 

No Fairy tale Neil, I know it works, (well sometimes anyhow) done it once myself, but had it in a ante static bag in the freezer.
hawk22

 

Neil, Thanks. Luckily I was able to pull everything off before I did the restore. So all I'm out is the drive. All of the data has been transferred to another system.

 

Bill, I didn't think about Statics in the fridge - it's just sooo cold in there Neil.