Cooling during boot and unexpected restarts while idle
Cooling during boot and unexpected restarts while idle
Over the last week I've experienced some unusual issues: my computer frequently freezes during Windows startup (the spinning stops and nothing happens) or shortly after logging in. It also occasionally restarts on its own when idle. At first I suspected a graphics driver update, but after several troubleshooting attempts without success, I tried installing both the Windows 11 installer and a Kubuntu live USB from a thumb drive. Both versions showed identical freezing during launch. This led me to believe the problem wasn't related to a faulty Windows installation.
I then reset my BIOS settings and updated it, but nothing changed. While doing that, I observed that lowering my RAM speed—from 3200 MT/s to 2133 MT/s—reduced the frequency of freezes. Thinking my memory might be faulty, I switched to a slower, lower-capacity kit (2 sticks at 3200 MT/s, CL16 instead of CL14, 16 GB instead of 32 GB) and it behaved similarly, freezing at the rated speeds but working better at reduced rates.
I also experimented with different RAM slots and single sticks only, without success. This suggests a possible CPU or motherboard issue. Since all four slots are affected, I suspect a hardware fault rather than a motherboard defect. I attempted to resolve this by resetting the CPU, but it didn't help.
During these tests I noticed the CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT error message appeared occasionally, especially when adjusting RAM settings, which sometimes correlates with CPU problems. I attached a minidump file for reference. It seems this issue can also stem from faulty drives; I unplugged all drives and peripherals except the keyboard to test again.
I double-checked temperatures and performed a CPU reset, but nothing resolved the problem. Running MemTest86 and Windows' built-in RAM tester didn't reveal any errors. I also performed SFC and DISM checks, which passed without issues.
Event logs showed two notable entries: "Event 41 – Kernel-Power – The system rebooted without a clean shutdown" and "Event 10010 – DistributedCOM – The server failed to register with DCOM." These hints reinforce my suspicion that the CPU is likely the root cause. I'm still unsure, but these clues point toward hardware rather than software or configuration errors.
I just left my machine running for under five minutes and returned to a frozen Windows logo. I pressed the reset and it rebooted smoothly. A new minidump file appeared, showing code DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION this time. There are additional files from yesterday, including another DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION and two SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED entries. I should have noted today’s behavior: after several attempts, the RAM now runs at XMP speeds/timings, whereas yesterday it was consistently freezing. These crashes/reboots are becoming more frequent, though I haven’t experienced them while actively using the computer. 030523-11203-01.zip