PC issues: freezing and boot loops detected.
PC issues: freezing and boot loops detected.
My friend is having trouble with his PC and, although not entirely new to troubleshooting, I volunteered to take a closer look. I haven’t encountered anything similar before, so I’m not sure what to do.
During several tries, the computer would briefly power on for a few seconds, fans would spin, and the RGB lights would flash. After about two seconds it would shut off again and restart the cycle. After multiple attempts to get it running, I removed the GPU and unplugged the SSD. Without either component, the PC would turn on but wouldn’t display any video or audio from the internal speakers. I tried swapping out various video cables, monitors, and ports, but the issue persisted. Eventually, I installed a GPU from another PC to test it and it functioned properly.
Then I removed one RAM stick and attempted the process again without the GPU or SSD. This time the speaker emitted a short code—three short beeps, as I recall. After reinserting the RAM in a different slot (the first of two), there was still no video signal, but the speaker produced a high-pitched beep followed by a long, three-short, and one delayed short beep (-...).
I did some research and found that this behavior is typical on Asus motherboards, often signaling a video output issue. Once I confirmed the GPU was working, I reinstalled it, connected the SSD, and tried again. Eventually, the monitor showed the BIOS prompt. I booted into BIOS settings, temperatures were around 30°C, and everything seemed normal. After exiting, I restarted Windows without issues.
I exited and let the PC restart, but after a moment it would freeze. Sometimes it would loop, sometimes it would start but not signal, and occasionally it would boot into Windows only to freeze again after a minute. Every so often it managed to load but became unresponsive. I tried safe mode, which worked without problems.
TLDR: The PC is stuck in a boot loop, running but without any signal, or it boots into Windows but freezes after a minute. Safe mode functions correctly.
A brief boot loop might result from an incorrect power source.