Windows 7 Windows 7 freeze all the time. (long post)

[DJ Rebel]

Hi all.

The last two weeks of my life have been very frustrating.

I have bought a brand new gaming computer over eBay, with the following specs:

CPU: Intel 920 2.66GHz
GPU: nVidia GeForce GTX 295
RAM: 12GB G-Skill 1333 MHz
HDD: 750GB Western Digial
PSU: 750W Corsair
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy
Case: Antec nine hundred two

Now, all I own when it comes to Windows is Windows XP Proffesional, 32-bit.
So because I have bought a new computer with 12GB of RAM, I decided to install Windows 7 RC 64-bit.

I got my computer, installed windows XP, downloaded Windows 7 RC, burned Win7 to a blank DVD, and began a clean installation.

Then my problems began...

Halfway through the installation, my computer froze. I thought it was just taking a long time to copy the files, so I waited for around half an hour. Nothing happended, the computer was frozen.

I restarted the computer, and begang installing from scratch, again. This time it worked like a charm and the instllation was quickly done.

I was a happy boy, this was the first time I had seen Windows 7 first hand, and I was impressed with the loading speeds (compared to Vista, which I loathe... Before I got my new comp, I made a thread, asking whether I should use Vista 64bit or Windows 7 RC 64bit. It can be found here).

Im glad I didn't purchase Vista. That would have been a waste of money, especially since Windows 7 will be released later this year.

Anyway, the installation was done and I began to use my new system. I quickly discovered that there was a problem, my computer just kept on freezing! On average, the computer froze once or twice each hour of use. Sometimes it froze after just 5 minutes, other times after 5 hours! And it was no matter what I did, Gaming, youtube, Word or even standing idle made the computer freeze at seemingly at total random times!

That was really frustrating, a brand-new computer system should not freeze! And I simply wouldn't belive it had anything to do with high temperatures, since the Antec ninehundred two is practically a small windmill!

I soon began planning a trip to Michigan to commit murder on a certain computer seller... I was very angry.

I tried anything I could think of. I benchmarked the entire system several times, tested my CPU, checking the RAM for errors and so on. No errors (well, the computer froze a few times like it always did, but I managed to complete all the tests without error).

I tried Google, and the most common reason for a computer to freeze, was new hardware just added, or a malfunctioning harddrive.

As luck would have it, I had a spare Western Digital 500GB HDD laying in one of my drawers, so I switched that with the 750GB HDD.

I installed Windows 7 on my old hardrive. After around 6 hours, there hadn't been a sinlge freeze. I thought I had now located the problem, and could now (finally) use my new computer without error.

But sadly, the joy was short. Later that same day, the computer began freezing again, and it now acted excatly like it did on the 750GB HDD.

Damn

I had formated and re-installed Windows 7 on both HDD's several times, and the problem just wouldn't go away.

It had now been nearly two weeks since I got the computer, and I haven't been able to make full use of it yet. I wanted to contact the seller, but I wasn't sure what to say, since I couldn't locate the problem. If it had only been a malfunctioning HDD, and could have shipped that back and exhanged it for a new one. But alas, that was not to be.

Yesterday I got an idea... it didn't make much sense, but I had ran out on options.

I plugged in the new 750GB HDD, formated it, and installed my copy of Windows XP 32bit.

It has been more than 24 hours now, my computer have hardly been turned off in that period, I have benchmarked everything on my system... and NO FREEZE !!!

Oh joy! My computer is actually working! Well, it seems so anyway.

But I just don't understand... why does my brand new system run perfect on Windows XP, and like a crippled, suicidal mule on Windows 7 ???

I re-installed Windows 7 several times, and the problem remained. Could it be a bad download? Bad burn to disc? But, if that is indeed the case, why could I even install Windows 7 in the first place?


The point of this long post is, I really want to run Windows 7 on my new system (I love what I saw, and I want to make full use of my RAM). Besides, I have been using Windows XP for nearly a decade now, it's time for that relic to retire.

What shoud I do ??

Right now, I am downloading another copy of Windows 7 RC, using my girlfriends e-mail. Then I will try to make a clean installation with that.

Any hints/advice/help would be much appriciated!

 

[Spectralist]

When you say freeze do you mean everything, including the mouse stops moving? Do programs stop responding, with the mouse still working? Or possibly the programs stop responding, the mouse still moves for a few moments then it also stops working?

What happens to your sound(assuming any is playing when it happens) does it repeat the last sound snippit over and over for a few seconds or more? Does it continue the current sounds for a few moments or minutes?

Such random problems are incredibly difficult to diagnose. Especially over the Internet. But if you are 100% sure that the crashing doesn't happen with XP32bit but does with Win764bit my guess would be drivers. Specifically i would look at graphics drivers first. Try the newest version(if you haven't already). Try a few different older versions. Try with the driver CD that came with the card. Try running with whatever Windows7 uses from a clean install.

Try running only one stick of ram(cycle through all of them, if necessary). I've had completely random freezes/crashes from bad ram before. I know you said you tried some testing software, but it's always worth a shot. to move the hardware around.

It also might be worth trying a 32bit version of Windows7 to see if it crashes as well.

 

[DJ Rebel]

When I say freeze, I mean total freeze! I don't dare playing music, because the sound freezes too, and everybody in the room jumps out of the chair in shock. I can't move the mouse at all, and my Logitech G15 keyboard turns off the same split second as the freeze.

My machine just stop responding to anything, but a reset.

I am 110% sure that this problem is ONLY with Windows 7. My XP still works perfectly.
I have tried running Windows 7 "out of the box" ie. using the drivers that came along with the installation of Win7.
I have also tried finding all the drivers manually, but nothing helps.

I haven't tried cycling through my RAM yet, but I don't belive they are the cause. I can try, but I don't belive it.

Yesterday, I downloaded a fresh copy of Win7 with new product key and everything.

The machine ran well for around 4 hours, then freeze again.

The only thing I noticed was Windows 7 had begun downloading some updates, and notified me that they would be installed when I closed my computer. Few seconds after the download was complete... freeze.

I have been looking through this forum a little, and it seems like I am not the only one that experiences system freezes with Windows 7.

Are Microsoft aware of this? I am 99.9% sure that the error is in Windows 7, not in my computer.

 

[DJ Rebel]

bump.............................

 

[Franciscorssm]

Hello Dj Rebel.

I read the complete thread with your issue and I can assume I have the same problem as you. But I can even add more information to your post! I used the Windows 7 Beta on the very same computer I installed the Windows 7 RC edition since february this year! With the Beta version everything worked perfectly beside the compatibility with some programs. And now with RC it freezes several times randomly, just as it did with Dj Rebel.

I wonder if any measure has been made to work out this problem ?

Thank you for your attention.

 

[slalani]

Similar problem

I am experiencing a very similar problem. I'm using Win7 since the RC1 was released. It worked like a charm. Its only past few days, my computer has been freezing at irregular intervals. First it froze after 7-8 hours, then it begame more frequent and started freezing every 10-15 mins. I donno what changed because I've had no hardware changes. Every time I restart after freezing, it says that Windows experienced an error called "Blue Screen". I can't even keep my computer working long enough to see what the error really is. It just freezes as soon as it boots up. Somebody please help..

PS. I'm using the same version of Windows 7 in a laptop and its working perfect.

 

[digitalexplr]

First place to check is your drivers. If Win7 drivers are not available, use Vista drivers (32bit or 64bit based on version of Win7 you are using.)

Check you cpu cooling fan. Sounds like the cpu maybe overheating. Memory or southbridge could also be overheating.

 

[slavkec]

All of you having problems freezing (same as I did and no one could give me ANY answer that worked) switch to Windows 7 build 7264 AT ONCE!

I was skeptic about ever installing Windows 7 again but I tried it one last time with this build. The main reason I installed it was that change log contained a text saying a "showstopper" bug that was going through all earlier versions was fixed. I hoped that it was the freezing bug I read a lot about and experienced it a lot too. And it was just that.

No more freezing, sound stopping, freezing in the middle of copying files locally or between two computers (unable to do anything except restart manually).

 

[zeus2010]

Hi

I was wondering if anyone has resolved this problem.
I am new with Windows 7, just upgraded from Windows XP professional (I should add that I did not have any problem with XP on my machine).
I noticed as others did, that Windows freezes randomly for several minutes. I know that, because the time on bottom right corner of the machine freezes too and only resets back to the correct time, after reboot!

I have tried updating the drivers but to no avail. Can anyone help?