My HP Pavilion Laptop 15s-fq5xxx freezes unexpectedly

[Karam4134]

Hello all,

I'm living a nightmare, my laptop is freezing either after an hour or less or after 5 days, and I can't get any info about what makes it freeze

my laptop is Core I7 12th gen, I just got a year ago,
I used multiple OSs either Windows 11 or Linux

I updated the BIOS, and all the drivers,

I used HP PC hardware Diagnostics tool for checking hardware and all passed,

I tried to investigate the issue myself and here are my Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Performed

1. Memory (RAM) Testing

• Tool Used: MemTest86

• Duration: 13 hours

• Result: 0 errors found.

2. Storage (SSD/HDD) Testing

• Tool Used: CrystalDiskInfo

• Result: Disk health reported as 100%.

• Tool Used: CHKDSK

• Command: chkdsk /f /r

• Result: No errors found.

3. GPU (Integrated Intel Iris Xe) Testing

• Tool Used: FurMark & Heaven benchmark

• Duration: Stress test completed without freezing.

• Temperature: Maximum of 64°C.

• Additional Steps:

  • Updated GPU drivers multiple times.

  • Disabled and re-enabled the GPU in Device Manager.

4. CPU Testing

• Tool Used: Prime95

• Duration: Over 1 hour.

• Result: No freezing during stress test.

5. System File and Driver Checks

• Tool Used: System File Checker (SFC)

• Command: sfc /scannow

• Result: No integrity violations found.

• Tool Used: DISM (Deployment Imaging Service and Management)

• Commands:

  DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

• Result: No issues detected.
  
  I would like to show a phone camera shot of one of the times I had the freeze happening while I was watching a video, kindly notice the scratches that appear on the screen
  
  Please help me find the issue, I have critical work to do and the freeze messes everything

[zoey7886]

@Karam4134, Welcome to the HP Support Community!  

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding your laptop freezing! 

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.  

Here are some advanced troubleshooting steps to help narrow down the cause of the freezing issue:

Check Event Viewer for Clues

Since the laptop freezes randomly, check Windows Event Viewer to see if any critical errors appear before the freeze occurs.

• Press Win + X → Click Event Viewer
• Navigate to Windows Logs > System
• Look for Critical or Error events around the time of the freeze
• Common errors to check for:
  • Kernel-Power (Event ID 41) – Sudden shutdowns
  • WHEA-Logger (Event ID 19, 46, 47) – Hardware failure
  • Display Driver Timeouts (Event ID 4101)

Let me know if you find anything unusual here.

Disable Fast Startup

Windows Fast Startup can cause random freezes, especially on laptops with hybrid power states.

• Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do
• Click Change settings that are currently unavailable
• Uncheck "Turn on fast startup"
• Click Save changes and restart your laptop

Adjust Power Settings

Make sure the system isn’t freezing due to power delivery issues.

• Open Control Panel > Power Options
• Click Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings
• Expand Processor power management:
  • Set Minimum Processor State to 5% (on battery & plugged in)
  • Set Maximum Processor State to 99% (on battery & plugged in)
  • This prevents CPU Turbo Boost, which can sometimes cause instability.

Disable Intel Graphics Power Management

Your Intel Iris Xe GPU might be causing the issue. Try disabling power-saving features:

• Open Intel Graphics Command Center
• Go to Power > Disable all power-saving features
• Also, disable Panel Self Refresh under Display settings

Test Without Intel Management Engine (IMEI) Drivers

Intel MEI (Management Engine Interface) can sometimes cause instability.

• Open Device Manager > Expand System Devices
• Find Intel Management Engine Interface > Right-click > Disable
• Restart the laptop and test stability

Check for SSD Firmware Updates

Even though your SSD health is 100%, firmware bugs can cause random freezes.

• Check your SSD model using CrystalDiskInfo
• Visit the manufacturer's website for any firmware updates
• If it's an HP OEM SSD, check HP Support Assistant

Test with Single RAM Stick (If Upgradable)

If your laptop has two RAM sticks, try using only one stick at a time in different slots. If freezing stops with one stick removed, you might have a bad RAM module or slot.

Check for CPU Throttling Issues

Even though Prime95 passed, check ThrottleStop for CPU throttling:

1. Download ThrottleStop
2. Run the program and check if PL1 / PL2 / EDP throttling is happening
3. If PL1/PL2 Power Limits are too low, it could cause freezing under load

Replace Thermal Paste & Clean the Cooling System

If your laptop is out of warranty and you're comfortable opening it:

• Clean the cooling fan & vents
• Replace the thermal paste on CPU/GPU
• Ensure good airflow

Even though your temperatures seem fine, sometimes uneven thermal paste application can cause random freezes.

Try an Older BIOS Version

If your issues started after a BIOS update, try rolling back to an earlier BIOS version from HP support site.  

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards, 

[Karam4134]

@Zoey7886, Thank you for your response,
I will try it and I hope it makes a difference,
Regards.

[zoey7886]

@Karam4134, Looking forward to your update!

[Karam4134]

Hello Zoey,
Thank you for following up,
I've checked the event viewer and didn't find any event with any ID you mentioned but 41
       The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.

I found Fast Startup enabled, so I disabled it as you recommended,
I adjusted the power settings as you recommended,

I didn't find the Panel Self Refresh in the graphics card configurations

I have disabled Intel Management Engine Interface as you recommended

I weren't able to find any SSD Firmware updates, my SSD is SaiChi G800 NVME as stated in CrystalDiskInfo app

I didn't find these PL1 / PL2 / EDP throttling in the ThrottleStop application

I still am experiencing freezing, so I will work on this solution

Replace Thermal Paste & Clean the Cooling System

[zoey7886]

@Karam4134, I appreciate the detailed update — sounds like you've already done a lot of solid troubleshooting! Since the freezing is still happening, let's dig a little deeper to see if we can narrow down the cause.

Check for High Resource Usage from Apps

Sometimes certain apps running in the background can spike CPU or memory usage, leading to system freezes. Let's check:

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
• Go to the Processes tab and sort by CPU and Memory usage.
• Look for any apps or processes using a high percentage of resources (like 50%+).

👉 If you spot any heavy apps, try disabling or uninstalling them temporarily to see if that helps.

Scan for Malware or Viruses

Malware or rogue background processes can also cause instability:

• Run a full system scan using Windows Defender or any trusted antivirus software.
• If anything suspicious is detected, remove it and restart your laptop.

Try a Clean Boot

A clean boot will help rule out software conflicts:

1. Press Win + R, type msconfig, and hit Enter.
2. Go to the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services, and click Disable all.
3. Open Task Manager, go to the Startup tab, and disable all items.
4. Restart the laptop and see if the freezing persists.

👉 If the freezing stops after a clean boot, you can enable services and startup programs one by one to identify the culprit.

Since the temperatures seem fine, this may not be necessary right away — but if the issue persists, a thermal paste refresh and cleaning out dust from the cooling system could help.

Give these steps a try and keep me posted! We’ll figure this out together. 😊

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards, 

[Karam4134]

Thank you Zoey7886 for your troubleshooting steps, but actually it sounds not harmful for my laptop to spike the CPU, I've already ran heavy load applications that consumed almost 100% of the CPU and it didn't make a problem even for a day (24 hours) continuously,
It would be hard to test the Clean Boot because the freeze may or may not happen even in days, as I can remember it once had 5 days to experience the freeze

Regards,
Mohamed

[zoey7886]

@Karam4134, thank you for getting back to us!

Here are a few questions that might help narrow down the issue further:

1. When the freeze happens, does the system become completely unresponsive (e.g., no mouse/keyboard response), or does it partially work (like sound continuing or the screen responding)?
2. Have you noticed any patterns related to the freezing — like specific apps running, battery vs. plugged-in use, or after waking from sleep?
3. Since the scratches on the screen appeared during a video freeze, have you tried using an external monitor to see if the issue happens there too?

These details can help us figure out whether it’s a hardware, driver, or software conflict. Looking forward to your response! 😊

Regards,

[Karam4134]

Hello Zoey,

1. When the freeze happens, system becomes completely unresponsive, I once figured out that for the first 5 seconds after freezing, I can turn on/off the keyboard backlight, but then it stops too.

2. There's no pattern, I can say that it's completely independent of anything, not apps, not resource stress, not timing, it may take up to 6 days working without freezing, or it may freeze the moment the laptop starts up (both cases happened)

3. I didn't try it, and it would be really hard to try because I'm always moving, so there's no place I can say I'm only going to use the laptop in, and as we agreed, there's no certain timing for freezing.

Regards,
Mohamed

[zoey7886]

@Karam4134, Experiencing unexpected freezes on your HP Pavilion Laptop can be frustrating. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and resolve the issue:

Update Drivers and BIOS:

• Ensure that all your drivers and BIOS are up to date. You can find updates on the HP Customer Support website. Enter your laptop's model number to get the specific updates for your system.

Check for Windows Updates:

• Ensure your Windows operating system is fully updated. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and check for updates.

Run Hardware Diagnostics:

• Use the HP Hardware Diagnostics tool to check for any hardware issues. You can access this tool through your system BIOS or download it from the HP support website.

Check for Malware:

• Run a full system scan using Windows Defender or any trusted antivirus software to rule out malware that might be causing the freezes.

Check for Background Processes:

• Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and check if any background processes are consuming excessive resources.

Perform a System Restore:

• If the freezes started recently, try performing a system restore to a point before the issue began. Go to Control Panel > System and Security > System > System Protection > System Restore.

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards,