Solved completely random freezing

badwolf1009 · Jan 14, 2024

I'm hoping someone can help. I'm not a tech type of person and only know the basics about computers.

I have a Dell XPS 8940. It's about 2 years old.

Windows 11, updated from windows 10

Windows 11 Home build 22621.3007

Processor 11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-11700K @ 3.60GHz 3.50 GHz

Installed RAM 96.0 GB (95.6 GB usable)

System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070

Hard drives are:

NVMe PM9A1 NVMe Samsung 1024GB

ST2000DM008-2FR102

I don't know what else you need.

My computer started randomly freezing a few days ago. I'll just be watching a movie or just something as simple as checking my email and it will freeze and make a loud buzzing type noise if I'm watching a movie. It will continue to remain frozen until I force shut it down. It does this several times a day since Jan 6 or 7. I'll check in the morning and it will have froze sometime in the middle of the night. It's just completely random. It will go 20 hours without freezing then I'll use it for 4 hours and it will freeze twice during that time. It just went 15 hours without freezing, went to bed and it was frozen when I woke up.

It was a good computer with only minor issues before this.

I tried searching for the problem and doing a few things.

Updated all drivers. I even switched from game ready driver to studio driver on Nvidia GeForce Experience . Didn't help. Installed all the latest windows updates ( I still don't have 23H2. It showed up in updates and then disappeared and I haven't seem it since). I've ran virus and malware scans, different scans for hardware through a few programs, did sfc scannow. All appears fine. My temperature seems fine.

Everything seems fine until it freezes. It freezes checking my email, it freezes streaming a movie, it freezes at night when no ones using it.

I found maybe it was the GameInput services doing it because it showed errors in in event viewer so I followed instructions to fix that. No more errors, but it still freezes.

Event viewer shows a few other errors:

The server {8CFC164F-4BE5-4FDD-94E9-E2AF73ED4A19} did not register with DCOM within the required timeout.

The server {AB8902B4-09CA-4BB6-B78D-A8F59079A8D5} did not register with DCOM within the required timeout.

And a few warnings like:

The application-specific permission settings do not grant Local Activation permission for the COM Server application with CLSID

{2593F8B9-4EAF-457C-B68A-50F6B8EA6B54}

and APPID

{15C20B67-12E7-4BB6-92BB-7AFF07997402}

to the user GagnonDesktop\badwo SID (S-1-5-21-3837957091-2534941205-3899143363-1001) from address LocalHost (Using LRPC) running in the application container Unavailable SID (Unavailable). This security permission can be modified using the Component Services administrative tool.

The hypervisor did not enable mitigations for side channel vulnerabilities for virtual machines because HyperThreading is enabled. To enable mitigations for virtual machines, disable HyperThreading.

Disk 2 has been surprise removed. (sometimes it says disk 1 or disk 3, I don't even have any disks 1,2,or3?)

There was no warnings or errors listed at the time it froze last.

I read to turn off Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling so I did that. Freezes.

Read that maybe it was an audio driver so I disabled the Nvidia audio driver. Didn't work. Then I read it might be the Realtek driver so I uninstalled or disabled that, can't remember. Still froze and I had no sound at all so that's back.

This all started after I did a few updates and also after I tried playing Sims2. That's the first time it started freezing on me. Someone said to use graphicsrulesmaker to fix sims2 , but I haven't really tried it since because I'm trying to fix the random freezing. The only other thing I did different than normal was to install a live wallpaper and have since uninstalled graphicsrulesmaker and uninstalled the wallpaper. Looking at control panel the things that were installed the day this started were: Killer Ethernet Performance Driver Suite UWD, Adobe Acrobat, Killer Wireless Driver UWD, Microsoft visual C++ 2013 Resdistributable, Microsoft Windows Desktop Runtime, Dell SupportAssist Remediation, Microsoft visual C++ 2013 Resdistributable( it shows it twice), and Intel Management Engine Components. Could it be any of those??
The only other thing I did was to remove a college account from it so I didn't have to keep putting my pin in it every time I was away from it for a few hours.

I've read about doing a clean install, but I'm clueless and scared on how to do that and honestly afraid it would freeze during that. And from what I've read, it didn't help other people who have had random freezing. How do I make this stop?

wgt40w · Jan 14, 2024

Sorry, I do not know the answer - can only say that I have suffered from an identical problem with the same Event Viewer entries for the last 18 months - PLUS - since updates in the last few days, KB5033920 & KB5034123 (after 22H2 update), computer, especially YouTube, running very jerkily and slowly - Anyone else suffering a similar problem ?

trumpy81 · Jan 14, 2024

Please read the link below and follow the instructions:

BSOD - Posting Instructions

BSOD - Posting Instructions This will show you how to help provide needed information about your system and dump files. It will not contain any personal or sensitive information about you or your data. To get better help with your Windows BSOD issue, please read these instructions and follow...

www.elevenforum.com

I realise you are not reporting any BSOD issues, but this is close enough.

badwolf1009 · Jan 14, 2024

GAGNONDESKTOP-(2024-01-14_10-20-30).zip

drive.google.com

Hope I did that right

kelper · Jan 14, 2024

Try running SFC /SCANNOW in an elevated command prompt. Press Win + X and use Terminal or Command Prompt.

badwolf1009 · Jan 14, 2024

kelper said:
Try running SFC /SCANNOW in an elevated command prompt. Press Win + X and use Terminal or Command Prompt.

Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

kelper · Jan 14, 2024

See what happens if you use 'safe mode with networking'?

Scott · Jan 14, 2024

badwolf1009 said:
( I still don't have 23H2. It showed up in updates and then disappeared and I haven't seem it since)

You can download the Enablement Package and install it manually to get 23H2 and it's features.

windows11.0-kb5027397-x64.msu (ZIP)

KB5027397 Enablement Package for Windows 11 version 23H2 Feature Update

Microsoft Support: Summary Windows 11, versions 22H2 and 23H2 share a common core operating system with an identical set of system files. Therefore, the new features in Windows 11, version 23H2 are included in the latest monthly quality update for Windows 11, version 22H2 but are in an inactive...

www.elevenforum.com

Spunk · Jan 14, 2024

Your Seagate disk ST2000DM008-2FR102 maybe starting to fail.
Download Crystal Disk Info and or DiskGenius in my signature. View the SMART info on both the SSD and the Seagate HDD.
If either reports that it is any less then Good, the drive needs to be replaced.

MartinR · Jan 15, 2024

Hmm, maybe we're on to something here. Found your post when googling Windows 11 freeze and what do you know, I have pretty much the same spec as you (Dell XPS 8940, i9-11900k, RTX3070).

Freezes started happening not long ago, unfortunately can't pinpoint when exactly or what I did previously. Have similar events in the log although I'm not convinced they are related. There are no disk events though. I've made sure to update drivers again (using the Dell tool as well as optional updates from Windows Update) but still freezing -- even got worse if anything (four times tgis morning alone).

I'm suspecting my secondary monitor to be "involved" somehow because this morning it happened once when I turned it on and another time when I clicked there. Have turned that off for now and will monitor. But even if that turns out to be a valid symptom, the cause is unclear. Do you have a multi-mon setup?

(Also just found this, another Dell XPS 8940:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows11/comments/18g2c7k

)

badwolf1009 · Jan 15, 2024

MartinR said:
Hmm, maybe we're on to something here. Found your post when googling Windows 11 freeze and what do you know, I have pretty much the same spec as you (Dell XPS 8940, i9-11900k, RTX3070).

Freezes started happening not long ago, unfortunately can't pinpoint when exactly or what I did previously. Have similar events in the log although I'm not convinced they are related. There are no disk events though. I've made sure to update drivers again (using the Dell tool as well as optional updates from Windows Update) but still freezing -- even got worse if anything (four times tgis morning alone).

I'm suspecting my secondary monitor to be "involved" somehow because this morning it happened once when I turned it on and another time when I clicked there. Have turned that off for now and will monitor. But even if that turns out to be a valid symptom, the cause is unclear. Do you have a multi-mon setup?

(Also just found this, another Dell XPS 8940:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows11/comments/18g2c7k
)

I do have two monitors hooked up.

badwolf1009 · Jan 15, 2024

Spunk said:
Your Seagate disk ST2000DM008-2FR102 maybe starting to fail.
Download Crystal Disk Info and or DiskGenius in my signature. View the SMART info on both the SSD and the Seagate HDD.
If either reports that it is any less then Good, the drive needs to be replaced.

Both say Good

badwolf1009 · Jan 15, 2024

MartinR said:
Hmm, maybe we're on to something here. Found your post when googling Windows 11 freeze and what do you know, I have pretty much the same spec as you (Dell XPS 8940, i9-11900k, RTX3070).

Freezes started happening not long ago, unfortunately can't pinpoint when exactly or what I did previously. Have similar events in the log although I'm not convinced they are related. There are no disk events though. I've made sure to update drivers again (using the Dell tool as well as optional updates from Windows Update) but still freezing -- even got worse if anything (four times tgis morning alone).

I'm suspecting my secondary monitor to be "involved" somehow because this morning it happened once when I turned it on and another time when I clicked there. Have turned that off for now and will monitor. But even if that turns out to be a valid symptom, the cause is unclear. Do you have a multi-mon setup?

(Also just found this, another Dell XPS 8940:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows11/comments/18g2c7k
)

Well, it's not the second monitor. I unhooked it earlier and it just froze on me again.

MartinR · Jan 16, 2024

Same here. Trying older BIOS versions right now as I remember updating it not too long ago. However, not sure which one I had before. 2.16.x and 2.13.x are freezing on me, will keep trying for the lack of other ideas.

zbook · Jan 16, 2024

Please perform the following steps: (in sequence)

1) Run Tuneup plus > post a share link using one drive, drop box, or google drive

https://www.tenforums.com/attachments/bsod-crashes-debugging/360139d1645183596-batch-files-use-bsod-debugging-tuneup_plus_log.zip

Batch files for use in BSOD debugging - Windows 10 Help Forums

Information This thread is for use by the BSOD team to store batch files that can be used to collect additional data, fix settings or anything else that is useful in debugging BSOD problems in Windows 10. The way I see it working is the first

www.tenforums.com

Batch files for use in BSOD debugging - Windows 10 Help Forums

Information This thread is for use by the BSOD team to store batch files that can be used to collect additional data, fix settings or anything else that is useful in debugging BSOD problems in Windows 10. The way I see it working is the first

www.tenforums.com

2) Turn off Windows fast startup:

Turn On or Off Fast Startup in Windows 11 Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off fast startup in Windows 11. There are three startup modes in Windows: Cold (traditional) Wake-from-hibernation Fast Starting with Windows 8.x, the default shutdown and restart scenario has been updated and named fast startup. Fast startup...

www.elevenforum.com

3) Create a new restore point:

Create System Restore Point in Windows 11 Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to manually create a restore point in Windows 11. Turning on system protection for a drive allows System Restore to include the drive when restore points are created so you can undo undesired system changes by reverting to a previous point in time. System...

www.elevenforum.com

4) Detach all non-Windows drives continuously for 3 days

If there is any freezing during the 3 days then report into this thread the date and time of the freezing.

Make sure that no drives including flash drives are attached during the 3 days.

5) If there are any freezes then plan to run the Dell custom diagnostics > post a share link using one drive, drop box, or google drive displaying the tests performed with results

6) If there are no freezes during the 3 days then reattach non-Windows drives > report any new freezing

Code:

------------------------
Disk & DVD/CD-ROM Drives
------------------------
      Drive: C:
 Free Space: 533.8 GB
Total Space: 955.4 GB
File System: NTFS
      Model: NVMe PM9A1 NVMe Samsung 1024GB

      Drive: D:
 Free Space: 1483.0 GB
Total Space: 1907.6 GB
File System: NTFS
      Model: ST2000DM008-2FR102

      Drive: E:
      Model: ATA PLDS DVD+/-RW DU-8A5LH
     Driver: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\CDROM.SYS, 10.00.22621.0001 (English), 5/7/2022 00:19:03, 204800 bytes

Code:

Event[1089]
  Log Name: System
  Source: disk
  Date: 2024-01-03T20:57:40.2150000Z
  Event ID: 154
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic,
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: GagnonDesktop
  Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x0 for Disk 3 (PDO name: \Device\00000074) failed due to a hardware error.

Event[1090]
  Log Name: System
  Source: disk
  Date: 2024-01-03T20:57:40.2180000Z
  Event ID: 154
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic,
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: GagnonDesktop
  Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x0 for Disk 3 (PDO name: \Device\00000074) failed due to a hardware error.

Event[1091]
  Log Name: System
  Source: disk
  Date: 2024-01-03T20:57:40.3210000Z
  Event ID: 154
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic,
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: GagnonDesktop
  Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x0 for Disk 3 (PDO name: \Device\00000074) failed due to a hardware error.

Event[1092]
  Log Name: System
  Source: disk
  Date: 2024-01-03T20:57:40.3230000Z
  Event ID: 154
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic,
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: GagnonDesktop
  Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x0 for Disk 3 (PDO name: \Device\00000074) failed due to a hardware error.

Event[1093]
  Log Name: System
  Source: disk
  Date: 2024-01-03T20:57:40.5970000Z
  Event ID: 154
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic,
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: GagnonDesktop
  Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x0 for Disk 3 (PDO name: \Device\00000074) failed due to a hardware error.

Event[1094]
  Log Name: System
  Source: disk
  Date: 2024-01-03T20:57:40.5990000Z
  Event ID: 154
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic,
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: GagnonDesktop
  Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x0 for Disk 3 (PDO name: \Device\00000074) failed due to a hardware error.

Event[1095]
  Log Name: System
  Source: disk
  Date: 2024-01-03T20:57:40.6020000Z
  Event ID: 154
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic,
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: GagnonDesktop
  Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x0 for Disk 3 (PDO name: \Device\00000074) failed due to a hardware error.

Event[1096]
  Log Name: System
  Source: disk
  Date: 2024-01-03T20:57:40.6050000Z
  Event ID: 154
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic,
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: GagnonDesktop
  Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x0 for Disk 3 (PDO name: \Device\00000074) failed due to a hardware error.

Event[1097]
  Log Name: System
  Source: disk
  Date: 2024-01-03T20:57:40.9730000Z
  Event ID: 154
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic,
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: GagnonDesktop
  Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x0 for Disk 3 (PDO name: \Device\00000074) failed due to a hardware error.

Event[1098]
  Log Name: System
  Source: disk
  Date: 2024-01-03T20:57:40.9750000Z
  Event ID: 154
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic,
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: GagnonDesktop
  Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x0 for Disk 3 (PDO name: \Device\00000074) failed due to a hardware error.

Event[1099]
  Log Name: System
  Source: disk
  Date: 2024-01-03T20:57:40.9770000Z
  Event ID: 154
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic,
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: GagnonDesktop
  Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x0 for Disk 3 (PDO name: \Device\00000074) failed due to a hardware error.

Event[1100]
  Log Name: System
  Source: disk
  Date: 2024-01-03T20:57:40.9790000Z
  Event ID: 154
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic,
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: GagnonDesktop
  Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x0 for Disk 3 (PDO name: \Device\00000074) failed due to a hardware error.

Event[1101]
  Log Name: System
  Source: disk
  Date: 2024-01-03T20:57:40.9830000Z
  Event ID: 154
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic,
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: GagnonDesktop
  Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x0 for Disk 3 (PDO name: \Device\00000074) failed due to a hardware error.

Event[1102]
  Log Name: System
  Source: disk
  Date: 2024-01-03T20:57:40.9860000Z
  Event ID: 154
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic,
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: GagnonDesktop
  Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x0 for Disk 3 (PDO name: \Device\00000074) failed due to a hardware error.

Event[1103]
  Log Name: System
  Source: disk
  Date: 2024-01-03T20:57:40.9870000Z
  Event ID: 154
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic,
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: GagnonDesktop
  Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x0 for Disk 3 (PDO name: \Device\00000074) failed due to a hardware error.

Event[1104]
  Log Name: System
  Source: disk
  Date: 2024-01-03T20:57:40.9890000Z
  Event ID: 154
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic,
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: GagnonDesktop
  Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x0 for Disk 3 (PDO name: \Device\00000074) failed due to a hardware error.

Event[1105]
  Log Name: System
  Source: disk
  Date: 2024-01-03T20:57:40.9910000Z
  Event ID: 154
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic,
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: GagnonDesktop
  Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x0 for Disk 3 (PDO name: \Device\00000074) failed due to a hardware error.

Event[1106]
  Log Name: System
  Source: disk
  Date: 2024-01-03T20:57:40.9930000Z
  Event ID: 154
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic,
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: GagnonDesktop
  Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x0 for Disk 3 (PDO name: \Device\00000074) failed due to a hardware error.

Code:

Event[7449]
  Log Name: System
  Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Boot
  Date: 2024-01-13T08:45:32.3450000Z
  Event ID: 29
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: Info 

  Keyword: N/A
  User: S-1-5-18
  User Name: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
  Computer: GagnonDesktop
  Description:
Windows failed fast startup with error status 0xC00000D4.

badwolf1009 · Jan 22, 2024

So, I think I fixed it. It's been several days now and I have had no freezing. I'm not sure exactly what the problem was, but I did a few things and haven't had a problem since. The couple things I did after the last freezing:

uninstalled Sims 2, uninstalled EA app, uninstalled GeForce Experience, turned off vertical sync in Nvidia control panel, uninstalled Nvidia drivers using display driver uninstaller and did a clean install downloading and using the 536.40 nvidia driver downloaded from Dell, Nvidia audio drivers were also uninstalled and I had no sound so I reinstalled the Realtek HD Audio driver from Dell website. Been zero freezing/lock up since then.

zbook · Jan 22, 2024

The thread can be closed or you can post a new V2 share link in one week.

MartinR · Jan 24, 2024

I'd just like to add that I immediately followed what you were doing. Uninstalled Nvidia-Driver using DDU and installed 536.40 from Dell page. PC has been running for two days straight where it would freeze every hour or so before.

I'm very glad it's a software issue after all. Cleanly reinstalling the GPU drivers is definitely worth trying before anything else for anyone arriving here through Google

brianko · Jan 31, 2024

I'm not a pro tech person. I'm a home desktop PC user who knows how to do some amount of troubleshooting, and how to do a complete wipe and raw reinstall of my PC. I started having random, chronic freeze ups with no rhyme or reason sometime in early January 2024. The only way to get my PC to work again was to hold the tower's power button down until the machine shut down, and then start it again. I thought the problem was because of issues with the newest January Windows updates that came in, so I tried doing a system restore back to before the freeze ups started. No help. I also ran sfc /scannow and a Windows Defender offline scan, but neither found anything. I've worked with Microsoft & Dell tech support before and, sometimes, they've been a great help. But, oftentimes, they just reinstall Windows or go through a whole bunch of trying this and that which ends up taking hours. So, I did a wipe and raw reinstall myself, but my system was still freezing up. So, I read through some Microsoft & other forums and found that the BIOS firmware and video card graphics drivers were mentioned the most as the culprits. Users said they rolled their BIOS back to the previous version. Others uninstalled their video card drivers and then reinstalled them from their computer manufacturer's support website instead of the video card manufacturer's website. So, I did both. I also uninstalled my Intel motherboard video card software just in case there were any potential conflicts between that and my Nvidia card software. Further, I did an "Express" install of the Nvidia software instead of a "Custom" one, just because. After that, I reinstalled the latest version of my BIOS firmware again. These downloads were all initiated from the Dell support site for my specific desktop PC. That was over a week ago and, so far, the freeze up problem is gone. I guess there was some kind of conflict or corruption that got overwritten by the uninstall/reinstall process, though I don't really know what ultimately caused the freeze ups in the first place. Good luck to all!

zbook · Jan 31, 2024

Please open a new thread in the General Support forum room and update the website "My Computer" section.

Post a Speccy report share link using one drive, drop box, or google drive.

Download Speccy | Find your computer specs, free!

Speccy - find the details of your computer's specs. Great for spotting issues or finding compatible upgrades. Download the latest version today.

www.ccleaner.com

Post a Tuneup plus share link using one drive, drop box, or google drive.

https://www.tenforums.com/attachments/bsod-crashes-debugging/360139d1645183596-batch-files-use-bsod-debugging-tuneup_plus_log.zip

Batch files for use in BSOD debugging - Windows 10 Help Forums

Information This thread is for use by the BSOD team to store batch files that can be used to collect additional data, fix settings or anything else that is useful in debugging BSOD problems in Windows 10. The way I see it working is the first

www.tenforums.com

Batch files for use in BSOD debugging - Windows 10 Help Forums

Information This thread is for use by the BSOD team to store batch files that can be used to collect additional data, fix settings or anything else that is useful in debugging BSOD problems in Windows 10. The way I see it working is the first

www.tenforums.com

Make sure that all links are available without sign in.