System freezes during startup on Windows.
System freezes during startup on Windows.
I'm struggling to get my computer working again. It was built about two years ago, and after installing a Windows update and new drivers, the whole system crashed. Now whenever I try to start it up, it freezes and crashes during the Windows boot process. After several hard resets, it sometimes boots into Windows and lets me log in, but then it crashes again within minutes, requiring another reset. I've tried everything possible—I suspect a hardware issue, though I can't pinpoint exactly which part is faulty. Here are my specs: OS: Windows 11, CPU: Ryzen 9 5900X, Motherboard: Asus Creator ProArt B550, GPU: Zotac 3080ti, RAM: 64GB Corsair Vengeance DDR4 (16GB x4), PSU: Corsair RM750x, SSD: Samsung 860 EVO. I've changed settings, updated the BIOS, replaced the CMOS battery, and even used the SSD on an old PC to boot Windows without problems. I rolled back drivers and updates, ran a system check, and repaired drives, but the boot crash issue still occurs when I switch back to my original machine. I checked the RAM thoroughly—all tests passed. The GPU lights flash on startup, and fans stop spinning during crashes, which might point to a GPU problem. The PSU fan spins up at startup, and I moved the GPU power cable to another port, but it didn’t fix anything. I read online that a failing CPU can cause boot loops and crashes, but my machine is only a couple years old. I'm really unsure what's going on and need advice from someone more experienced.
What method of cooling are you employing? It seems no specific options were provided. If your CPU is overheating, the system may power down to prevent damage.
Thanks for the update. I’m using a quiet air cooler, though I can’t recall the exact model. It seems the issue isn’t related to overheating since the system freezes only when loading Windows. Also, booting into BIOS shows the CPU temperature remains stable at normal levels. If it had been overheating, the motherboard would have cut power automatically, but it stays on despite freezing.
Feel free to test the Linux USB live boot. If it doesn't start, it likely points to a hardware problem. For instance, using Kubuntu temporarily can help check the system's condition.
The freezing occurred after installing a Windows update and updating drivers. I managed to remove the drive from my PC and install it on an older desktop, booting without problems. From there, I rolled back the updates and drivers I had applied. The hardware is only 2-3 years old (as listed in my original post). There hasn't been any recent activity—about a month ago I installed FireStorm for GPU monitoring, but it's functioning properly.
I think the problem could be linked to the Asus graphics card I received. I got a warning in the event viewer when I tried to perform a long operation, so I’m planning to restart from another SSD running Windows 10 first. If that doesn’t help, I’ll reinstall Windows 11 as a backup and check if it resolves the issue, since I believe it’s a software matter.
The update didn’t resolve the problem even when trying a different SSD. After updating the graphics driver in safe mode and restarting, it still didn’t work. No safe mode access has been possible since then. It might be related to the BIOS after the latest version was installed, though crashes occurred before that too. Flashing the BIOS back to an older version could be an option. From your testing, all hardware seems functional except possibly the motherboard or CPU—testing the CPU would require replacing the board, which isn’t ideal just for this purpose. Anyone have suggestions?