Random Crashes to a Black Screen. No Errors.

I'm a little stumped on this one and I'm not even sure its a Windows issue, but for a couple months now when I run some software my screen will go black and the sound will stop randomly. There's no way out of this black screen, there's no errors given, no BSOD, no warning, no feed back that pressing keys is doing anything, and it happens with multiple programs. Because of how random it is I can't even recreate it.

A couple months ago it was happening in just one game I play where at least once a session my screen would go black and then a second or two later the sound of the game would stop. And it was only that game until this past weekend where it happened again playing a different game, and happened yet again with a 3rd game today. It doesn't happen with any non-game software. I've tried unplugging the monitor and plugging it back in to no luck. The only way out of this is to completely reboot my computer. I've also thought it might have to do with video drivers, but its happened across multiple driver versions.

@ZeroC00l


Whenever I get a black screen, the first thing I check is the RAM.
I remove the RAM, use an artists brush to dust out the RAM slot and then reseat the RAM.

I don't know if that will solve your problem, but it has for me, a number of times.

Also, here's ten points for filling out your computer specs.

Ghot said:

@ZeroC00l


Whenever I get a black screen, the first thing I check is the RAM.
I remove the RAM, use an artists brush to dust out the RAM slot and then reseat the RAM.

I don't know if that will solve your problem, but it has for me, a number of times.

Also, here's ten points for filling out your computer specs.

Click to expand...

I will give the RAM cleaning a try and see what happens. Like I said it seems random and I can't recreate it so it might be a day or two before it happens again (if the ram cleaning doesnt work). I guess in this case no news would be good news.

1) Please run the V2 log collector > post a share link





2) Add WMIC:





3) Run Tuneup plus > post a share link


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

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





4) Open event viewer > system and application > post share links





5) Create a new restore point:

Create System Restore Point in Windows 10

Ghot said:

@ZeroC00l


Whenever I get a black screen, the first thing I check is the RAM.
I remove the RAM, use an artists brush to dust out the RAM slot and then reseat the RAM.

I don't know if that will solve your problem, but it has for me, a number of times.

Also, here's ten points for filling out your computer specs.

Click to expand...

Went to play a game and test things out. Black screen crash twice. After the second crash I reseated the RAM, 2 more black screens and after the last one while the computer was booting it POST but the screen stayed black. Had to force another reboot to get it to work again.

Tried Memtest64 and would quickly get a "Memory Locking failed (might be reserved by other apps/kernals)" even though nothing else was running and it gave the same error no matter the test memory allocation. Errors at Max, 32GB and 16GB.

I was also going to run a Memtest86, but will wait to see what these other logs and tests show.

zbook said:

1) Please run the V2 log collector > post a share link

Click to expand...

I started this process. BSOD zip is too big to attach.

1) BSOD .zip

2) trying to install the WMIC gave an error, but I think I might already have it set up so I skipped ahead.


3) Tuneup log attached to post

4) Share links to the Application and System logs.

Application Log link

System Log link

5) System restore point has been created.

Windows had predicted that the RAM would fail and blocked the use of many areas.



1) Run Memtest86+ for 8 or more passes > take pictures > post images or share links

Memtest86+ | The Open-Source Memory Testing Tool

Just 1 error is a test fail and testing can be aborted.

The more the passes the better the testing conditions.

It sometimes takes passes into the 20's to detect malfunctioning RAM.

The RAM can be tested all at one time or one at a time in the same DIMM.

Memtest86+ | The Open-Source Memory Testing Tool

MemTest86+ - Test RAM




One of the drives reported a bad block.



2) Run Sea Tools Long generic test (all drives) > post images or share links




3) Run HD Tune (all drives) (old version) > post images or share links



a) Health

b) Full error scan




4) Open administrative command prompt and copy and paste:

chkdsk /b /v

Run these chkdsk switches on all drives using the syntax: chkdsk /b /v C: or chkdsk /b /v D: or chkdsk /b /v E: etc.

Make sure that the windows drive runs overnight while sleeping.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>chkdsk /b /v
The type of the file system is NTFS.
Cannot lock current drive.
Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another
process. Would you like to schedule this volume to be
checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)

Type: Y

Reboot as needed.




5) After completing all chkdsk /b /v run:

https://www.tenforums.com/attachmen...-files-use-bsod-debugging-chkdskfromevent.bat

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

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





Make sure that this runs only after the prior three steps for each drive.



6) Run HD Sentinel (all drives) > post images or share links (do not run until posting results for each steps 5, 6, 7 and 8)

Hard Disk Sentinel - HDD health and temperature monitoring
a) Overview
b) Temperature
c) SMART



Please make sure that all of the above steps are performed in sequence


7)These steps / tests can be performed overnight while sleeping:
a) Memtest86+
b) Sea Tools Long generic test
c) HD Tune Full error scan
d) Chkdsk /b /v

In Windows 11 you can also test your RAM

• On your keyboard, select the Windows logo key + R to open the Run application function. Enter mdsched to open the Windows Memory Diagnostic app.

zbook said:

1) Run Memtest86+ for 8 or more passes > take pictures > post images or share links

Memtest86+ | The Open-Source Memory Testing Tool

Just 1 error is a test fail and testing can be aborted.

The more the passes the better the testing conditions.

It sometimes takes passes into the 20's to detect malfunctioning RAM.

The RAM can be tested all at one time or one at a time in the same DIMM.

Memtest86+ | The Open-Source Memory Testing Tool

MemTest86+ - Test RAM

Click to expand...

I've ran Memtest over night twice but it never makes past 3 passes before I need to use the computer again. I'm also not seeing where the log files are being kept for the test. But the 6 total passes (two sets of 3 passes) ive ran have passed so far. I can run it again if necessary.

Here are the other test results of what i've done so far. Because of how long some of them take I havent been able to run all tests but will try the Chkdsk later today.

zbook said:

2) Run Sea Tools Long generic test (all drives) > post images or share links

Click to expand...

Did long generic test for all:

zbook said:

3) Run HD Tune (all drives) (old version) > post images or share links

Click to expand...

SanDisk Health.txt file.


Samsung SSD Health.txt File.



Seagate BarraCuda_Health.txt file.




HD Tune shows no info for the health tab. I think I read something that it doesnt support NVMe drives?


I will update this past after the chkdsk, but mainly wanted to see about the lack of log files for the memtest.

Looks like the Drives and the RAM are heathy. It must be something else

It could be dust or something else bridging contacts on a motherboard component, such as dust between capacitor leads. (underside on a capacitor)
(Looks for a dust bunny that's big enough to go from one lead to the other lead of a capacitor) (capacitors that are of the normal barrel-type, not SMD. Polymer caps on ATX motherboards, usually are the barrel shape with two leads on the bottom, just like caps before the polymer era)

I was getting random freezes back in very-late-2012, IIRC, on my Asus P5QL Pro and found a dust bunny bridging capacitor legs. A Linux distro would randomly freeze and I also at other times after rebooting, got bogus errors. Then I found the culprit. It coincidentally happened after I upgraded the CPU. Somehow, a dust bunny got right down where it shouldn't ever be! IIRC, I used some form of a brush to get it out of there!

1) The computer has four RAM modules (16 GB each).

Please remove two RAM modules.

Leave the other two RAM modules undisturbed (do not reseat).



2) Run Tuneup plus > post a share link.




3) After posting a tuneup plus share link open administrative command prompt and copy and paste:

bcdedit /deletevalue {badmemory} badmemorylist

Post results.



4) Rerun Tuneup plus > post a share link.




5) Use the computer with only two RAM modules (32 GB) for one week
(Plan to use the other two RAM modules the following week unless there is an access problem)


6) For any new BSOD please post a new V2 share link into the newest post

zbook said:

5) After completing all chkdsk /b /v run:

Click to expand...

I've completed the chkdsk. txt file attached. That should be the last of the steps for now until you give the go ahead to run the Hard Disk Sentinel

RJARRRPCGP said:

It could be dust or something else bridging contacts on a motherboard component, such as dust between capacitor leads. (underside on a capacitor)
(Looks for a dust bunny that's big enough to go from one lead to the other lead of a capacitor) (capacitors that are of the normal barrel-type, not SMD. Polymer caps on ATX motherboards, usually are the barrel shape with two leads on the bottom, just like caps before the polymer era)

Click to expand...

Its possible. I have a cat that loves to shed especially right now in the summer. But my case also has dust screen built in that stop the big chunks and when I opened it up to reseat the RAM it didn't look abnormally dusty. I'll go back through it and try and be more thorough.

By capacitor you're talking about these things?



I can re-seat the RAM again along with the video card. The processor has an AIO over it, so i'd be really amazed if a significant amount of dust got under there.

ZeroC00l said:

By capacitor you're talking about these things?
View attachment 142604

Click to expand...

Yes, where you can see anything crossing between the leads! Just like in that picture.

Also crashes during operation like that, would normally be the video card GPU core boost, if overclocking the GPU core. It means you need to back off on GPU core OC. Same with CPU, if using PBO, but using PBO on Ryzen, isn't as easy as OC'ing GPU.

For GPU, OTOH, an unstable OC does not cause POST failure. As with the usual GPU OC'ing, it's done by software. It usually would crash under a 3D-demanding task, such as a black screen crash when running GTA V, for example. It usually wouldn't crash at the desktop. So, if OC'ing GPU core with Afterburner, you should be able to easily tone it down.

This rarely happens because of RAM, except in a rare circumstance that the RAM "disappears" from the system while in operation. To check for this, be on the lookout for an LED indicating DRAM, and failure to POST on power cycle. Had that happen once on my Asus ROG Strix B550-F Gaming.

Known symptoms of RAM slot(s) needing to be cleaned or RAM needing to be reseated, that are far more common:

1: Random and frequent "PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA" BSOD or "BAD_POOL_HEADER" BSOD.
2: Windows Update fails with "PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA" BSOD and causes Windows Update to attempt a rollback on reboot.
3: "BAD_POOL_HEADER" or "PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA" BSOD when running the Windows installer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's also possible to get "MEMORY_MANAGEMENT" BSOD due to RAM instability.

All chkdsk were good.
(only cleaning)

zbook said:

2) Run Tuneup plus > post a share link.

Click to expand...

Here's a link to the Tuneup.log file (ran it after removing two of the sticks.)

RJARRRPCGP said:

Also crashes during operation like that, would normally be the video card GPU core boost, if overclocking the GPU core. It means you need to back off on GPU core OC. Same with CPU, if using PBO, but using PBO on Ryzen, isn't as easy as OC'ing GPU.

Click to expand...

I dont have anything overclocked. It should all be running at default.

RJARRRPCGP said:

Known symptoms of RAM slot(s) needing to be cleaned or RAM needing to be reseated, that are far more common:

1: Random and frequent "PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA" BSOD or "BAD_POOL_HEADER" BSOD.
2: Windows Update fails with "PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA" BSOD and causes Windows Update to attempt a rollback on reboot.
3: "BAD_POOL_HEADER" or "PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA" BSOD when running the Windows installer.

Click to expand...

The problem with these crashes is that there are no errors, no BSOD. The screen just goes black and after the reboot it acts normal. No suggestion of safe mode, no errors, no nothing. Its like the computer gets narcolepsy.

ZeroC00l said:

I dont have anything overclocked. It should all be running at default.
No suggestion of safe mode, no errors, no nothing. Its like the computer gets narcolepsy.

Click to expand...

This reminds me of the bug I saw in 11 before, where at low loads, especially when running Edge. (and thus I suspect Chromium)
Also this can happen if you change the refresh rate. (what appears to be a bug in 11)
With this bug, however, there's a major difference:

It crashes with a blank/gray screen and the monitor backlight is still lit. The monitor still thinks there's a signal.

This bug would be if there aren't suspected RAM problems, where everything else comes up clean, but crashes like that when switching a tab in Edge, or when changing the refresh rate.

RJARRRPCGP said:

It crashes with a blank/gray screen and the monitor backlight is still lit. The monitor still thinks there's a signal.

Click to expand...

Shortly after the screen goes black the monitor briefly shows me a message that says "No signal. Entering the power saving mode shortly". Its a message built into the monitor, not from Windows or any software i was running. And its a different messagethan if I were to unplug the DisplayPort cable, then it says a different but simple "No signal" message.

I also don't use any Chromium based browsers. I use Firefox, but do have a g-sync monitor so its constantly changing the refresh rate to match the games fps.

ZeroC00l said:

Shortly after the screen goes black the monitor briefly shows me a message that says "No signal. Entering the power saving mode shortly". Its a message built into the monitor, not from Windows or any software i was running. And its a different messagethan if I were to unplug the DisplayPort cable, then it says a different but simple "No signal" message.

I also don't use any Chromium based browsers. I use Firefox, but do have a g-sync monitor so its constantly changing the refresh rate to match the games fps.

Click to expand...

The bug I was talking about is where you don't get the no-signal message from the monitor, but Windows does not respond to anything. With the mentioned bug, the monitor don't go to standby. With that bug, the monitor's backlights are still lit.

If the monitor has the dreaded no-signal message and goes to standby, then it's a usual hardware-related crash.

Can you use the Motherboard internal graphics connection to test?

I had an EVGA card that would black screen due to a corrupt card bios, but internal graphics ran fine....

Just a thought

One trick that's helped me in the past with screen problems: Use a smartphone to remotely view and control your PC's screen while the computer is running. (For example, you can connect to your PC with VNC.)

Then in your case, the next time the screen goes blank, you can still operate your PC remotely with your smartphone. If everything is still working properly, it starts to look like a bad video card is the problem.