Solved PC doing some strange things!

BrianInEngland · Oct 2, 2023

Final thing to test - I'm using a different keyboard to see if that makes a difference. It's entirely possible I guess, considering how much cat hair I've just pulled out from between the keys of my Logitech!

So far it stayed on the lockscreen for about 15 minutes without showing the PIN login.

Watch this space....

Ghot · Oct 2, 2023

@BrianInEngland

You have a seriously nice comp.
It might be time to... just do a clean install, with backups along the way.

I assume you already have a backup... so you can "try" a clean install.
If things are better, keep the clean install.
If not... restore from your backup.

If a clean install doesn't fix things... then you can pretty much assume it's hardware related.
If the cause is some 3rd party program, you'll discover that when you're setting things up, after the clean install.

Side note...

My method...

1. Disconnect all internet and all "other drives".
2. Clean install Windows with "Local" account. (See Clean Install tutorial). (You can switch to MS account later if desired).
3. During install... skip, say NO, or uncheck, everything.
4. Install motherboard and vid card drivers, and things like printer, camera, keyboard/mouse drivers if you require them.
5. Make a full OS backup.
6. Reconnect the internet and do the Windows Updates (if any)
7. Make a full OS backup.
8. Do all your program installs, tweaks, personalizations, etc.,
9. Use REVO uninstaller to remove all the un-needed MS junk. (See pic below).
10. Then make your final, full OS backup. The previous two backups were just temporary ones.

If this is a laptop or other prebuilt computer, export your drivers, first. Some companies use proprietary drivers.
See the tutorial for how to accomplish this.

Of course these were MY choices of things to remove. Diff folks will have diff choices.
Some things are best removed right after a clean install, like... OneDrive (see step #3 also).
After you remove something with REVO... make sure to do the... "scan for leftovers" too.

This method.... "works fine, lasts a long time".

BrianInEngland · Oct 2, 2023

Ghot said:
@BrianInEngland

You have a seriously nice comp.
It might be time to... just do a clean install, with backups along the way.

I assume you already have a backup... so you can "try" a clean install.
If things are better, keep the clean install.
If not... restore from your backup.

If a clean install doesn't fix things... then you can pretty much assume it's hardware related.
If the cause is some 3rd party program, you'll discover that when you're setting things up, after the clean install.

Side note...

My method...

1. Disconnect all internet and all "other drives".
2. Clean install Windows with "Local" account. (See Clean Install tutorial). (You can switch to MS account later if desired).
3. During install... skip, say NO, or uncheck, everything.
4. Install motherboard and vid card drivers, and things like printer, camera, keyboard/mouse drivers if you require them.
5. Make a full OS backup.
6. Reconnect the internet and do the Windows Updates (if any)
7. Make a full OS backup.
8. Do all your program installs, tweaks, personalizations, etc.,
9. Use REVO uninstaller to remove all the un-needed MS junk. (See pic below).
10. Then make your final, full OS backup. The previous two backups were just temporary ones.

If this is a laptop or other prebuilt computer, export your drivers, first. Some companies use proprietary drivers.
See the tutorial for how to accomplish this.

Of course these were MY choices of things to remove. Diff folks will have diff choices.
Some things are best removed right after a clean install, like... OneDrive (see step #3 also).
After you remove something with REVO... make sure to do the... "scan for leftovers" too.
View attachment 72825

This method.... "works fine, lasts a long time".

I'm not ready to do a clean install, but yeah it's the nuclear option if needed. Takes too long to setup after, and re-installing huge games is a ball-ache

Ghot · Oct 2, 2023

BrianInEngland said:
I'm not ready to do a clean install, but yeah it's the nuclear option if needed. Takes too long to setup after, and re-installing huge games is a ball-ache

Remember it's just a test sort of.
You have a backup... so any time you want you can restore back to present.

Even if you decide not to keep the clean install... the process may point to a 3rd party App or driver, that's IS causing the problem.

You do the clean install, and you're install drivers then Updates then Apps.
If somewhere along the way... things start to get weird again... you'll then know what the culprit was.

Then, if you want... restore your backup and remove that culprit, or just keep going with the clean install.

Don't think of it as a clean install. Think of it as a troubleshooting technique.

It's just another way to "use" backups, really.

BrianInEngland · Oct 2, 2023

Ghot said:
Remember it's just a test sort of.
You have a backup... so any time you want you can restore back to present.

Even if you decide not to keep the clean install... the process may point to a 3rd party App or driver, that's IS causing the problem.

You do the clean install, and you're install drivers then Updates then Apps.
If somewhere along the way... things start to get weird again... you'll then know what the culprit was.

Then, if you want... restore your backup and remove that culprit, or just keep going with the clean install.

Don't think of it as a clean install. Think of it as a troubleshooting technique.

I'll see how it goes with this other keyboard. So far it hasn't done anything it shouldn't

I noticed earlier that when I was deleting a line of text, the cursor stopped, I had to release the key and press it again. Like something interfered with it. Same when I was scrolling through the Services list the other day.

Ghot · Oct 2, 2023

BrianInEngland said:
I'll see how it goes with this other keyboard. So far it hasn't done anything it shouldn't
I noticed earlier that when I was deleting a line of text, the cursor stopped, I had to release the key and press it again. Like something interfered with it. Same when I was scrolling through the Services list the other day.

It could very well be those cat hair Poltergeists.

I had the Escape key stuck on a keyboard once. It messed everything up.
Couldn't even log in. LOL

That's when I switched to mechanical keyboards. ^^

BrianInEngland · Oct 2, 2023

Ghot said:
It could very well be those cat hair Poltergeists.

I had the Escape key stuck on a keyboard once. It messed everything up.
Couldn't even log in. LOL

That's when I switched to mechanical keyboards. ^^

I've used mech keyboards for years, both this one and the one I just took off are mech

Ghot · Oct 2, 2023

BrianInEngland said:
I've used mech keyboards for years, both this one and the one I just took off are mech

Dirt can still mess them up.
It eventually killed my Steel Series mech kbd.

So far... the Ducky Shine II and III seem to really be indestructible.
I type like a pile driver, and I could probably grow potatoes in the keyboard, but it just keeps on trucking. ^^

I finally retired the Shine II I bought in 2013, cause I wore the "black" off the common keys.
I then broke out the Shine III that I bought at the same time.

P.S. I'm gonna really clean the Shine II and just order a new set of key caps. The keyboard still works fine.

BrianInEngland · Oct 2, 2023

I've had a Logitech G810 for years, it's doing (done?) me well.
Currently using an Asus keyboard.

BrianInEngland · Oct 3, 2023

Well since I posted here yesterday, I've not had any issues, I've done 3 restarts and it seems ok so far.
Looks like a problem with my Logitech keyboard