HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop Freezing/Locking up

[EricRS75]

I have had my HP Pavilion desktop TG01 since November of 2021, it ran great for two and a half years until about two months ago.   The system would freeze without notice and need to be hard booted.   Sometimes that mouse would stop moving and other times the screen would go blank and after a few minutes the system would reboot on its own.

In that time I have updated the BIOS version, ran the HP UEFI diagnostics (came back clean).   I have also tried running the system in Safe Mode (still crashed) swapped out the graphics card and purchased new RAM (still crashed) and no tracible error is ever recorded in the Event Viewer.   I also reloaded Windows completely with the install data coming from the Internet.

When I tried to run the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics 2.6.1.0 for Windows that Fast tests go through without a problem, but when I try to run the more extensive test the system crashes before it completes, I am not sure if there is a link.

Please help, I am not sure what else it is possible to do other than replace the motherboard and/or the processor.

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @EricRS75,

Welcome to HP Support Community!

We noticed that this thread hasn't had any updates in a while since your original post; while this is rare, we didn't want this post to remain unanswered, so, here's the solution to your query. We hope it helps you and everyone viewing this post 😊

I’m sorry to hear about the frustrating issues you’re experiencing with your HP Pavilion Desktop TP01-2000a. I appreciate the detailed troubleshooting steps you've already taken, including BIOS updates, hardware swaps, Windows reinstallations, and diagnostics.

Since your system continues to freeze, reboot, and crash even after these extensive efforts, and with no clear error logs, it does suggest a deeper hardware-related concern. The fact that the extended HP PC Hardware Diagnostics causes the system to crash further supports this.

Here are a few additional steps we recommend before considering motherboard or processor replacement:

1. Run HP PC Hardware Diagnostics (UEFI) – Extended Test

Since the system crashes during the extended test, this strongly suggests a hardware-level fault—often CPU, motherboard, or power delivery related.

• Action: Try running the System Extensive Test from the UEFI environment (outside Windows):
• Shut down the PC.
• Turn it on and immediately press Esc repeatedly until the Startup Menu appears.
• Press F2 to open HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI.
• Run the System Extensive Test (not just the Fast Test).
• If it crashes here again, it confirms a hardware instability.

2. Check for Overheating or Power Issues

• Use the HP Support Assistant to monitor system temperatures.
• Ensure the power supply unit (PSU) is stable and not underpowered.
• If you’ve added a GPU or other components, verify the PSU wattage is sufficient.

3. BIOS Rollback (if issue started after update)

• If the freezing began after a BIOS update, consider rolling back to the previous version:
• Go to HP Software & Drivers.
• Search your model and download an earlier BIOS version (if available).
• Use the HP BIOS Update utility to roll back.

4. Check for Motherboard or CPU Fault

• Since RAM and GPU have been replaced, and the issue persists even in Safe Mode and UEFI diagnostics, the likely culprits are:
• Motherboard VRM instability
• CPU degradation or thermal throttling
• These issues often don’t show up in Event Viewer or basic diagnostics.

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved, and if you feel this reply was helpful, click “Yes”.

Thanks for being part of the HP Community!

VikramTheGreat

HP Support