Random writes to C:/ lead to system freezing
Random writes to C:/ lead to system freezing
Hey everyone, I’m feeling really overwhelmed here. Over the past 1-2 years, my setup has been getting more and more unstable, mostly linked to Windows 10. Sometimes every half hour or so, my computer freezes for about 2 to 5 seconds. I’ve cleaned it, reinstalled Windows multiple times, and it still happens, but it keeps coming back after a while. I downloaded the official Performance Recorder and Analyzer, and during one of those crashes I captured some data. From what I see, the problem seems tied to a specific system process—C:/$MFT—which accesses my drive and writes a lot during freezes before the PC comes back online. I’m completely puzzled about why this is happening and would really appreciate your help. I have a lot of evidence to share, but I’m getting really stressed. I might even consider replacing my SSD soon just to stop thinking about this. All the photos below show different freeze scenarios, with various monitoring tools on my secondary screen.
Consider avoiding installing any software on the C:/ folder. Try Steam or EGS instead. If these don’t help, skip installing the game and check if auto-save is causing the issue.
It's a 250GB HyperX Savage SSD purchased in May 2017, as per my receipt. I have older SSDs that still work well, which is why I considered Windows as the culprit. I only use Adobe Suite and Windows on my system drives, with all games and files stored on separate disks—redundancy in mind. You're right about vendor-specific tools; I hadn't thought about it before. I've tried MemTest, chkdsk, and CrystalDiskMark without success. I was planning to replace it but decided to keep this as part of my setup.
I've reviewed the Kingston SSD software now—seems like Kingston and HyperX refer to the same product—and it's functioning perfectly with no errors detected. The only change I plan to try tomorrow is a firmware update, though its impact remains uncertain. I suspect the motherboard might be the issue. About a year ago, I faced a similar problem when large files disappeared from secondary disks and reappeared unexpectedly. After relocating them to my server, everything worked smoothly. Could the motherboard have failed? It's a 2014-15 model, which is quite old.
It might be the MB problem, though I'm not sure. Concerning the secondary disks on the server, was the transfer happening between those drives or with the SSD? If the former is correct, the MB could be the cause. If it's the latter, the SSD seems likely to be involved.
The issue is resolved by identifying the drive concern. Accessing MFT may lead to freezes, indicating a drive-related problem.