SOLVED Instant Random Reboots

[jefboyardee]

I get occasional instant reboots, almost always when launching a program, but not any particular one. Some days it happens a dozen times, other days none at all. Suspecting that it must be a RAM problem, I made a MemTest86 CD. It passes everything, so now I don't know what to suspect... ideas?

By the way, I did chkdsk/f prior, no problems there either.

(originally posted as reply in a closed thread.)

 

[clifford_cooley]

Suspecting that it must be a RAM problem

While reading the title, that was my first thought. If you could possibly find another set of modules to test with, it might save you from the headache I've experienced.

I myself only have 6 days uptime since replacing RAM modules. After fighting system freezes for a long time, I replaced the graphics card and then a few weeks later the motherboard. A family member finally volunteered their machine in troubleshooting. We found the memory modules had different symptoms in a machine with dedicated graphics. My system with dedicated graphics would freeze. My relatives PC with Integrated graphics would freeze with a scrambled display.

With that said about my system freezing, I have also experienced the occasional system shutdown and reboot. In fact each time it did my system time was reset, as if I had a low BIOS battery. This is when I started to suspect my motherboard. After replacement though, the second motherboard had no effect on the issue.

I would do memory test as well as switching them out, and only running one module at a time. All test would pass and switching the modules never changed the symptoms. I finally came across someone that suggested Sandy Bridge didn't play well with 1.65V memory modules. I don't know how true it is, but I was definitely having issues with those RAM modules for some reason. I'm not sure but I think the incompatibility was making them worse. Because in the end they were unbearably freezing 2 minutes after bootup.

 

[jefboyardee]

Appreciate the ugly story, Clifford. Two things for me...

(1) This PC was cutting edge... nine years ago. For all the tinkering I've done, it's a miracle that it works at all. But it's not worth throwing money at by replacing or adding components. When I do need to replace something, it looks like I'll have to replace the whole thing... I'm putting that off as long as possible.

(2) Not only did that MemTest pass 100%, it hasn't crashed since I ran it – knock on wood. I wonder of its testing every bit on the module also served as a wake-up call... wishful thinking, I'm sure.

 

[clifford_cooley]

(1) This PC was cutting edge... nine years ago. For all the tinkering I've done, it's a miracle that it works at all. But it's not worth throwing money at by replacing or adding components.

I can certainly understand where you are coming from. I wasn't anticipating your machine to be an older one. If it crashes again, you could try re-seating components. Older machines often develop bad connection, and sometimes pulling components out and putting them back in helps. It renews all connection that have the potential to go bad over time.

 

[jefboyardee]

Yep, reseating might be called for; it's also free. Meanwhile, I need more wood to knock on, because I've done the cleaning and chkdsking and backuping with nary a twitch... today, so far, is very different than yesterday.

 

[jefboyardee]

Of course, because I got cocky about it, it has started crashing again. Now I'm trying advice from Windows 7 random restarts, which describes a Win 7 setting to automatically restart or not.

(edit) Never mind. Unchecking automatic restarts just turns the job over to the dreaded Blue Screen of Death.

 

[jefboyardee]

In case it will help find the culprit, I now have WinCrashReport running in the tray all day.

 

[clifford_cooley]

Of course, because I got cocky about it, it has started crashing again.

Thats the way my PC was acting. In the end; I never knew if I would get one day, four days, or only 5 minutes uptime before it would freeze.

I am happy to report, I have 7 days uptime on my new memory modules. I've been waiting on this milestone, before re-installing Windows. Now to shake off my procrastination, and get the job done. LOL

Anyway, enough about me. This is your thread. Good luck with troubleshooting.

 

[jefboyardee]

One thing I've noticed is that this seems to happen more often in the day and settles down by evening. That and my free RAM is a bit less in the day as well, mostly due to Firefox. Wonder if all this is coming from my ISP...

Anyway, my thread or not, yours is more interesting.

 

[jefboyardee]

I already marked this thread as solved, but I was wrong – wish I could unmark it. The closest thing I've found to a solution is that I'm almost certain that it's a registry problem. When I switched back to allowing the BSOD, I got:

STOP: 0X00000051 (0X00000001, 0X87C1C008, 0X00D4B000, 0X00000374).

I have no idea what that means, but googling the first part tells me registry registry registry.

 

[jefboyardee]

from the DOS prompt, 'sfc /scannow' did find something but didn't stick around to tell me what it fixed.

 

[clifford_cooley]

from the DOS prompt, 'sfc /scannow' did find something but didn't stick around to tell me what it fixed.

Hopefully that fixed it.

Did WinCrashReport list anything while you were running it?

For update on my end - I'm up and running on a fresh install. I had a few glitches during installation of my apps and updates, but nothing that didn't work itself out. So far so good, no system freezes.

 

[jefboyardee]

Hopefully yes, also so far so good, knock on the Empire State Building.

It tried two of those crash reporters – neither caught a thing.

Drag that you had to reinstall, but glad it worked, or seems to.

Patiently waiting for a Linux platform that attracts third-party devs so I/we can put MonkeySnot in our past.

Meanwhile, I reboot every ten minutes or so just to test the gods.

 

[clifford_cooley]

Two crash reports and nothing caught, damn that sux. W7forums has a subforum for "Crashes, BSODs and Debugging". BSOD usually stores a crash report in what they call a "mini-dump" file. I personally don't know how to read these files, but someone here may can help. I figured they would chime in, but you may need to follow the guidelines posted in the following link.
https://www.w7forums.com/forums/crashes-bsods-and-debugging.31/
How to get BSOD and crash debugging assistance

The re-install may not have been completely necessary, but I have a tendency to clean up my system once a year or so. It helps keep things running in tip top shape. I think I'm good to go for another year.

I've got my eye set on Steam OS, they have a beta version available for download. However I know absolutely nothing about Linux, and I'm thinking I need to wait for a final release. I hear there is a desktop mode, so hopefully it won't be solely for gaming. Regardless though if Steam OS kicks off, it will help the other Distros with better app support.

 

[jefboyardee]

Thx for linx... hopefully I don't need them now and Steam is a bit much for me. As suspicious as I've been trained to be with this problem, I'm starting to get the feeling that something went right this time. I've rebooted about fifty times and launched everything that used to pop its cork, no problems. And now that I've said that... hold on...

I've been curious about an OS I think will never leave the station:

ReactOS® is a free open source operating system based on the best design principles found in the Windows NT® architecture (Windows versions such as Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows Server 2012 are built on Windows NT architecture). Written completely from scratch, ReactOS is not a Linux based system, and shares none of the UNIX architecture.

 

[jefboyardee]

And now that I've said that... hold on...

Thinking all was well, I upped my pagefile. Worked fine for a few boots, then my old buddy the BSoD. At least this time it told me something: "page fault in non-paged area." That is a memory prob, so I reverted the pagefile back... resume knocking.

 

[jefboyardee]

Fixing my registry has become a hobby. The latest miracle is NTREGOPT
NT Registry Optimizer. It has actually sped things up.

 

[jefboyardee]

Just for the record, I got too creative again and wound up starting over again, reinstalled Win7 etc etc...

 

[clifford_cooley]

Sounds like something I would have done. lol

 

[jefboyardee]

NT Reg Opt, by the way, was not the cause of my PC's destruction – I was. In fact. I've installed it again.