Desktop Freezing

[markkol]

Last step...

I have an HP Envy  Desktop. Less than 2 years old. About 3 weeks ago it began to randomly freeze. Doesn't matter if it's being used or idle. Doesn't matter if the monitor is on or off The only way to get out of it is a hard shutdown and reboot. It's gotten worse. Now, it can't go more than maybe a half hour without it freezing.

So far, here is what I have done in an attempt to troubleshoot and fix:

1. HP diagnostic tools - hardware, memory, whatever else is in that group.
2. Different monitor in case graphics related.
3. Clean reinstall of Windows 11.
4. Downgrade clean install of Windows 10.

The only think that has worked so far is Linux!. No problem running Linux off a USB stick. I'm using it to move things off my hard drive to an external.

Any suggestions before I trash it and buy an Acer?

Edit: Oh well. Just froze in Linux off a USB.

[BeemerBiker]

Intermittent or random freezes are difficult to debug.  The most likely candidate if overheating.  You 180 watt power supply may have accumulated a  lot of dust.  Please use compressed air can to clean the power supply and get any dust out of the motherboard area especially any sockets that are open.  While accessing the motherboard, remove the memory chip and reseat it.  Touch your finger to any metal part of the chassis before touching the memory stick.  Blow any dust out of the memory socket before reseating.

It is possible your CPU is running in turbo mode all the time.  Try setting the CPU performance to %70 maximum and use %5 for minimum.  

Change the following %100 to %70 to keep your i7-8700 at 3.2ghz instead of turbo of 4.6

Frequently the top turbot speed quickly overheats after a few minutes

a good temperature monitor is tthrottle .

[ub6424]

Hello @markkol 

(1) Update BIOS

HP Consumer Desktop PC BIOS Update (ROM Family SSID 8643)

F.41 Rev.A

13.2 MB

Sep 19, 2021

Download

(2) Update graphics driver ( choose the one you have )

Intel High-Definition (HD) Graphics Driver

30.0.101.1404 Rev.C

667.2 MB

Apr 25, 2022

Download

or

NVIDIA High-Definition (HD) Graphics Driver

30.0.15.1295 Rev.A

1024.0 MB

Jun 6, 2022

Download

(3) Shutdown !

(4) Check CMOS battery (CR2032) - should have 3V otherwise replace !

(5) Enter BIOS and load Setup Defaults, save and exit.

(6) Start your operating system

(7) Test again ...

(8) In Windows Power Options, don't use Sleep mode, change to Hibernate !

best regards

---

Dear Community Member, please click the button [ YES ] on "Was this reply helpful?" to say Thanks and

make it easier for other people to find this type of solution by marking the reply ▶️ [ Accept as Solution ] ◀️

Do this on the post I wrote that helped solve it.

Thank you very much

             ⌨️

[markkol]

Thanks, but those were all done before I asked.

Except I neither sleep nor hibernate. 

[ub6424]

Hello @markkol 

Summary and recommendation:

Could be technical problem of the motherboard and/or components.

=> Analysis and Short circuit test required <=

If you can't do that, you should have it serviced by a professional computer (chip level) repair store.

best regards

---

Dear Community Member, please click the button [ YES ] on "Was this reply helpful?" to say Thanks and

make it easier for other people to find this type of solution by marking the reply ▶️ [ Accept as Solution ] ◀️

Do this on the post I wrote that helped solve it.

Thank you very much

             ⌨️

[markkol]

I suspect that may well be the issue. But if it is, it makes more sense to trash it than fix it. I'm running  some final  tests at this point. Nothing sophisticated. Just "pull this out and see if it works".