Windows 7 CPU Bottoming Out

[Ruemer]

Here's the low-down:

Winows 7 Professional 64-bit
Intel Core2 Duo 3.00GHz
ATI Radeon 3870 512MB
MSI P35 mo'bo
3GB RAM

After installing the official release of Windows 7, my CPU will bottom out at 0% and the computer will lock up. I know its bottoming out because I have a Logitech G15 keyboard that can display my CPU percentage and RAM usage percentage.

This has happened three times since I installed Windows 7. It never used to happen on the RC, which I used since it was released. Immediately after installing Windows 7 I changed the power settings to NEVER turn off my hard drives. I don't see the use for that on a personal desktop, and since I run ALL of my programs from a second hard drive, there's no point for that to be enabled.

So after installing Windows 7, my CPU will just stop running, and the PC locks up. This commonly happens if I have let the PC sit for quite a while without using it. This morning, I went to use it after having slept about 7 hours, and the PC was locked up again, and CPU usage was at 0%.

Shaking the mouse brings the monitors back up, which are fine, and the desktop displays. But I can't get the task bar to come up (I have it set to automatically hide). The mouse bounces around just fine. But I get no response. So I hit CTRL + ALT + DEL, and after a couple seconds, the CPU starts to respond, popping up to 3-5% usage. But it never fully recovers. It continues to drop back down to 0% and the PC continues to freeze. I can get it to continue to pop back up to 3-5% usage, but it never retains that usage, thus the computer continues to freeze.

I dump the PC with the power button, and restart it. Boots fine, albeit the "Windows did not shut down correctly" message, and I can select to Start Windows Normally. Log in to my account, and poof, desktop is fine. I can use the PC like normal.

I've come to the conclusion I should just turn the PC off overnight, but I do all of my scheduled anti-virus scans at 3am. So I would like to leave it on. If anybody has ANY idea what is going on here, please let me know.

Oh, just as a little FYI, I was having this problem a while back when I was still using Vista Ultimate 32-Bit.

Thanks in advance!
~Ruemer

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like your Windows 7 Professional 64-bit system is experiencing freezing issues where the CPU bottoms out at 0% leading to a lockup. This problem occurs particularly after the PC has been idle for a while. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve this issue: 1. Check for System Errors: - Check the Event Viewer for any critical errors or warnings that might indicate the cause of the freezing. - To access Event Viewer, press the Windows Key + R, type "eventvwr.msc" (without quotes), and press Enter. 2. Update Drivers: - Ensure that all your drivers, especially those for your Intel Core2 Duo CPU, ATI Radeon 3870 GPU, and motherboard (MSI P35), are up to date. - Visit the manufacturers' websites to download and install the latest drivers compatible with Windows 7. 3. Check for Malware: - Run a full system scan using your antivirus software to check for any malware or viruses that could be causing the freezing. 4. Power Settings: - Although you've disabled the hard drive turn off feature, consider checking other power settings that might affect system stability. - Reset the power settings to default and see if the issue persists. 5. Temperature Monitoring: - Monitor the temperatures of your CPU and GPU to ensure they are not overheating, as overheating can cause system freezes. - Use tools like HWMonitor or SpeedFan to check the temperatures. 6. System Stability: - Run Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to check for any potential RAM issues. - Test the system stability using tools like Prime95 or memtest86. 7. Background Applications: - Check for any background applications that might be consuming excessive CPU resources. - Disable unnecessary startup programs using Task Manager. 8. System Restore: - Consider performing a system restore to a point before the freezing issue started occurring. 9. BIOS Update: - If applicable, check if there's a BIOS update available for your MSI P35 motherboard and consider updating it. 10. Power Options: - Additionally, check the advanced power settings and ensure that any settings related to CPU performance or power management are appropriately configured. By following these steps, you may be able to diagnose and resolve the freezing issues on your Windows 7 system. If the problem persists, seeking help from a professional technician might be beneficial.