HP Spectre x360 15-bl112dx Random Freezing

[jorkki]

Bonjour or multicast DNS is also used by other devices besides Apple's these days. It makes it possible to find printers on the network without manual configuration or Skype clients on the local network and it is also behind the magic how the Google Chromecast devices are located on your network.

Windows 10 probably installs it by default because of the built in Skype. Should not hurt to uninstall if you are not using any of the services but it might bounce back should some build in check decide that it's missing.

[jorkki]

You may indeed be on something as Googling for bonjour event id 100 brings up results where a corrupted installation has been causing freezes.

After uninstalling you should check with Task Manager (right click on the Windows icon to find) that the Bonjour stays away.

If it is running you will see in the Details-view the mDNSResponder.exe running and if you click on Services you see the bonjour service running. You can sort the rows by clicking  on the column header for easier finding.

Malware is yet another possibility so you should use good tools like AdwCleaner by Malwarebytes and maybe the free version of Bitdefender antivirus to check.

I'm still also not counting out the possibility of memory errors.

If the above is not the solution, I would suggest that you create a bootable USB containing the  defacto standard MemTest86 program. You only need a small USB (50MB or above). The contents is totally rewritten with the installation, so be prepared.

The USB creation tool can be downloaded from:

https://www.memtest86.com/

1. Download the Image for creating bootable USB Drive

2. Extract to a folder

3. Insert the USB

4. Browse to the folder with File Explore and double click on imageUSB.exe to start

5. Once the USB is ready, restart the computer and keep hitting Esc until you get the Startup menu

6. Select  F9 Boot Device Options and boot from the USB image

7. Once the MemTest86 has booted, select Test Selection from the main menu and increase the Number of passes  to let's say 100 and then back to main menu and Start Test

8. Let run at least overnight and check for any errors

[GilsOtherHalf]

I will run MemTest tonight as Intel Wireless drivers had another update. Still no fix on the freezing issue. I'll keep digging into it and let you know any information I find tomorrow. Thanks for your help today!

[GilsOtherHalf]

Also, the freezing issue started at 19:39, and the last event shown as an error was at 19:35. Not sure if there was a delay before the freezing took into effect, but this is the information I got from that lone error.

Spoiler

Error Shown @ 19:35, immediately after logging on and signing in. Freezing started at 19:39.

Log Name:      Application
Source:        Application Error
Date:          3/25/2018 19:35:18
Event ID:      1000
Task Category: (100)
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      Anubis
Description:
Faulting application name: AUDIODG.EXE, version: 10.0.16299.248, time stamp: 0x7a3355c2
Faulting module name: audioses.dll, version: 10.0.16299.248, time stamp: 0x2d2c2860
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x000000000000a2d8
Faulting process id: 0x108c
Faulting application start time: 0x01d3c498b9142ea4
Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\system32\AUDIODG.EXE
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\audioses.dll
Report Id: d245775d-3622-4269-911d-d742be27935a
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
  <System>
    <Provider Name="Application Error" />
    <EventID Qualifiers="0">1000</EventID>
    <Level>2</Level>
    <Task>100</Task>
    <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2018-03-26T00:35:18.739036300Z" />
    <EventRecordID>4163</EventRecordID>
    <Channel>Application</Channel>
    <Computer>Anubis</Computer>
    <Security />
  </System>
  <EventData>
    <Data>AUDIODG.EXE</Data>
    <Data>10.0.16299.248</Data>
    <Data>7a3355c2</Data>
    <Data>audioses.dll</Data>
    <Data>10.0.16299.248</Data>
    <Data>2d2c2860</Data>
    <Data>c0000005</Data>
    <Data>000000000000a2d8</Data>
    <Data>108c</Data>
    <Data>01d3c498b9142ea4</Data>
    <Data>C:\WINDOWS\system32\AUDIODG.EXE</Data>
    <Data>C:\WINDOWS\System32\audioses.dll</Data>
    <Data>d245775d-3622-4269-911d-d742be27935a</Data>
    <Data>
    </Data>
    <Data>
    </Data>
  </EventData>
</Event>

[jorkki]

That would be the audio engine crashing for some reason.

The recommendation would be to run the System File Checker to verify the integrity of the system files..maybe tomorrow after the memory tests:

1. Open Admin command prompt

2. Give the command sfc /scannow

[GilsOtherHalf]

Preforming the SFC scan currently, however I did find a post that I may have looked over before... Dived into it as I looked up my freezing issue. Naturally, my ticket was the first to come up on Google. I scrolled a little further and found this...

Spoiler

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Video-Display-and-Touch/My-fix-for-the-freeze-issue/td-p/6496...

Interestingly enough, after looking into it, it seems like it might make sense. If a computer is loaded into Windows Safe Mode, it only loads basic drivers set for Windows, and nothing else like the Intel drivers. For the short period of time that I used the laptop in Safe Mode, I did not experience any freezing issues. I dived into the link mentioned above in the spoiler, and so far have not had any freezing... I will dive deeper and continue to research this issue as time goes on. For all I know, this form might stay open for at least another month as I continue to research and update the issue, if it reoccurs at all.

I will update again with the SFC information, if any corruption is present.

On the other hand, I ran MemTest for 24 hours. Ran about 24-26 full scale tests, and have not had any sort of failure of the RAM. That's a good thing. Checked sectors on the SSD and made sure all blocks were able to write/read properly, and did not have any failures there either.

[jorkki]

Good that you got it sorted, but on a laptop it would sure be nice if the power saving technologies would work. Hope that is eventually solved as well.

[GilsOtherHalf]

sfc /scannow returned no integrity violations, as an update. No freezing issues yet.

[GilsOtherHalf]

More diving in on the sreen freezing issue... I looked into "Intel Panel-Self Refresh" and it appears it's gotta be something with Intel, Windows, and the laptop... Looks like that might have been the culprit all along.

The description in the reddit form matches my issue exactly.. (Links at the bottom) Lots of motion on the screen means that the PSR does not kick in. Not sure the root cause behind it, but it logically makes sense. Perhaps it's the Intel Integrated Graphics telling the panel to not refresh as often when little/no movement is detected on screen, then causing the freezing issue?

We may not 100% know, but I'm having a pretty good hope for this fix as it affected not only this laptop, but Surface Pro laptops as well. Odd, as it may possibly be an issue with Intel itself instead of Microsoft, or the laptop manufacturer.

If this does resolve the freezing issue entirely, I will proceed to make a recapped reply with all the information gatered and mark it as the solution. Hopefully, it can help someone else out there, too.

Links:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/surfpro4-surfdrivers/panel-self-refresh-causes-scr...

https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/66v718/psa_sp4_users_whith_freezing_screens_disable/

 A little knowledge stuff about  PSR as well... It seems like my theory was correct.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/introducing-the-panel-self-refresh-technology/

[pEEAT]

You are 100% correct with the assumption that it is related to the Intel UHD 620 graphics drivers.  Sadly, I've experienced an identical issue with my bl112dx from BestBuy.  I've been tearing my hair out trying to resolve this, I thought the fix posted from KC_Syd or whatever (the WiFi power issues) was the solution, but obviously not.

I'm currently going through the process of guessing and checking various drivers from HP's website.  Unfortunately, we're not able to use the UHD 620 drivers directly from Intel's website, so doing the best I can.  Uninstalling the Intel graphics from within Device Manager (ensure you check the box to also DELETE the drivers from your PC) has given me enough time to at least attempt some troubleshooting, however the problem pops back up within a day.

My machine has currently locked attempting to install the 22.20.16.4836 Braswell (1709) drivers, so it'd be my recommendation to avoid those.  The default drivers from Windows Update worked briefly.  I'm so frustrated at this point, I'm about to get a Dell XP 15 or Lenovo Yoga.  Unfortunate, this was a gorgeous little machine... but i need to be able to work from it.

EDIT:  Thanks for the links!  I'm looking into the Panel Self-Refresh and I would suggest you disable it, as well (on both battery & plugged-in settings) using the following steps:

Now for the real fix:

1. Right-click on your desktop and choose Intel Graphics Settings

2. Choose Power

3. Disable Panel Self Refresh, both for "On Battery" and for "Plugged in"

4. Hit Apply

5. You can now close this settings screen.

Somehow, despite my machine locking, when i forced a restart, I was able use 22.20.16.4836 -- YMMV.