Question Random lockups occur only during browsing or idle, not while gaming?
Question Random lockups occur only during browsing or idle, not while gaming?
Hey everyone.
I've been experiencing this bothersome problem where my computer freezes or stops working for about two minutes while I'm just browsing the internet or navigating through folders on Windows. What bothers me is that it doesn't occur during gaming sessions—I don’t notice any lag or stutter, and I always maintain a steady frame rate.
This issue seems to appear suddenly, without any recent updates or changes in software.
My system temperatures are normal, around 60°C for the CPU and 40°C for the GPU (80°C-ish during gaming).
Event Viewer shows no activity during these periods, but I've observed that my OS SSD usage reaches 100% after the system recovers.
On BIOS settings, I only changed XMP mode and set ASUS "EZ System Tuning" to Fast.
I've performed several disk and memory checks, and both tests came back clean.
I'm considering a Windows reinstall as a last resort, but I'd prefer not to do that unless necessary.
System details:
OS: Windows 11 23H2 (22631.2861)
CPU: Intel i7-8700
RAM: DDR4 G.Skill Trident Z RGB CL16 32GB (4x8GB) @ 3000MHz
GPU: ASUS PRIME Z370-A
Power Supply: Kolink Enclave 700W
Storage: M.2 SATA WD Green 240GB (OS drive)
Storage: M.2 NVME ADATA XPG 8200
SSD: SATA TLC Crucial MX500 1TB
Does this seem like a Windows problem? I’d recommend reinstalling it at the start and then check if the issue remains. You might also attempt resetting the BIOS to its default settings, using your PC for a day or so, and see if that resolves it—especially if a Windows reinstall is the final option on your list as you described. The problem could also stem from an unstable or faulty XMP profile. I had similar issues, so lowering my RAM from 3600MHz to 3200MHz resolved them completely.
Does this seem like a Windows problem? I’d recommend reinstalling it at the start and then check if the issue remains. You might also attempt resetting the BIOS to its default settings, using your PC for a day or so, and see if that resolves it—especially if a Windows reinstall is the final option on your list as you described. The problem could also stem from an unstable or faulty XMP profile. I had similar issues, so I lowered my RAM from 3600MHz to 3200MHz and it completely fixed the issue.
I've been reviewing Task Manager, and the "Process" section only shows the 100% usage of my OS drive when the system starts responding again.
I'll try everything else tomorrow, thank you!
Also, both 1TB drives are half full and the 240GB one has 110GB free.
Maybe I should prepare now. I'll check what @Ralston18 suggested and if nothing works then reinstall the OS.
It occurred again and I had Resource Monitor open. The process "MsMpEng.exe" was consuming the most disk space, so if I had to guess, that might be the cause.
Learned online that this process is linked to Windows Defender scheduled scans.
Could that be the reason for these freezes?
Verify Task Scheduler for any triggers on scheduled scans. Examine Reliability History/Monitor to identify any error codes, warnings, or related events. Proceed with "dism" and "sfc /scannow" to locate and resolve corrupted files. Refer to the provided links for guidance: https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-d...s-10-image https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-use-sfc-...es-2626161
My first assumption, after reviewing Resource Monitor, was that Windows Defender scans were leading to full disk usage. I tested by enabling and disabling them for half a day each, but the problem remained unchanged. I attempted "dism" and "sfc /scannow" as recommended by @Ralston18, yet nothing resolved it. Eventually, I reinstalled the OS, which seemed to work. It might have been an issue with a prior Windows update. I’m relieved it wasn’t hardware-related. Thanks for all the help!