PC display shuts down unexpectedly until a full restart occurs
PC display shuts down unexpectedly until a full restart occurs
My HP Pavillion desktop is experiencing random lockups that prevent normal operation. I've installed various operating systems—Windows 10, Windows 11, Ubuntu—but the issue persists. Most times the machine boots without problems, then suddenly displays a black screen. In rare cases, it boots directly to a black display with the backlight on but no visible image, and the fans continue to run while the keyboard lights stay on. A hard reboot is the only way to recover. A soft reboot using Ctrl-Alt-Del doesn't work at all in this condition.
This problem occurs without warning, across any operating system. The PC was new, purchased in 2019 with 16 GB RAM and 2 TB storage, and began showing these issues about a year after buying it. I ran HP diagnostics on the entire system, but no errors were found. After reinstalling the OS, the process fails even when loading any applications.
I’m trying to preserve this machine and make it stable. If fixing it isn’t possible, I might consider replacing the motherboard or recycling it. I’d rather not waste it but am at a point where it’s no longer functional for my needs.
It seems the GPU might be the issue. Consider switching to another one temporarily to check if the problem continues.
I just placed an order for a used A12-9800 APU on eBay. I plan to begin with it and hope it solves the issue.
When starting from the 2TB hard disk (not an SSD), run CHKDSK C: /F /R to detect file issues and surface errors. If you see "Pending sectors" or "Bad blocks," think about swapping out the drive.
A more affordable option would be a 240GB SATA SSD.
Start the computer using a MemTest86 USB drive and inspect the RAM for problems.
The power supply might be nearing the end of its life, especially if it's a specialized PSU not compatible with regular ATX units without an adapter.
Keep up the effort and avoid disposing of it unnecessarily.
I have more details to provide regarding my concern. I changed the AMD CPU to an identical one, yet the problem continues. Now the PC allows me to begin a Windows 11 setup from a USB drive. Still, it will suddenly stop and display a black screen at any moment during the installation. I’m unable to reach the stage where the system boots into Windows. I’ve repeated this reinstallation process several times without success. Previously, I installed Ubuntu on this machine and managed to finish the installation, getting the PC to boot Linux. However, it would freeze and end with a black screen at random. The PC originally came with Windows 10, and everything seemed normal until I received an HP recommended BIOS update some time ago.
After updating the BIOS to the current version (F.28 - 07/06/2020), the system became unstable. I want to revert to the earlier BIOS version, but I can’t locate it. Even with a copy of the HP BIOS update, I’m unable to boot into DOS.
Is there a method to restore a previous BIOS version from DOS or to reload the current one in case something went wrong during the update?
I’m really trying to get this PC functioning and am running out of options. I might have to replace the motherboard and CPU, but I’m hoping to salvage it.