The computer appears to shut down unexpectedly at various moments.
The computer appears to shut down unexpectedly at various moments.
Hello. I recently purchased a new computer and it has been functioning well for several months until recently. It would lock up frequently, requiring me to press the power button on the case to restart. At first, I didn't pay much attention, but over time it became more common. The machine can easily freeze multiple times within a few hours. It appears that certain tasks trigger the lock-up more often than others. For example, I can stream YouTube without any problems, visit other websites (without specific issues), and the computer will shut down. However, when drives are actively being used—like browsing Windows Explorer or saving files—the problem occurs much more often. Even accessing Event Viewer usually results in a short window before the system freezes.
This issue has become so frequent that it seems some Windows 10 startup files might be corrupted, preventing the OS from loading properly. I planned to reinstall Windows 10 to fix potential software conflicts, but after doing so, the same problem persists. Therefore, I suspect a hardware-related problem. I also updated my BIOS. Here’s my hardware list:
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend WiFi ax
- AMD Ryzen 7 5700X
- Thermaltake Gravity A2 CPU Cooler
- Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 2x16gb 3200Mhz
- MSI MAG A550BN 80+ Bronze 550w Power Supply
- MSI GeForce GTX 1630 Ventus OC Video Card
- Samsung 980 PRO NVMe M.2 500g for OS Drive
- A few older mechanical drives for storage
No overclocking is in use, and I’m using the BIOS default settings. After rebooting, I encounter a Kernel Power 41 (63) critical error in Event Viewer.
I attempted to read the .dmp file, which was unfamiliar to me, and it seems there are some issues with my symbols and a Bug Check 0x133: DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION. I’m not sure what this means and would appreciate any advice.
Thanks, Jeff
Please upload the dump files to a cloud storage platform such as OneDrive, Google Drive, or OneDrive and share the links here.
Here is the information you provided after reinstalling Windows:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1...drive_link
Appreciate your inquiry.
The freezing is due solely to problems with nvlddmkm.sys, your GPU's main driver. This usually indicates a driver or GPU issue. I recommend starting by uninstalling the Display Driver Uninstaller in safe mode, then installing new drivers from GeForce Experience before checking your GPU more closely.
I removed my drivers using DDU in safe mode and then reinstalled fresh drivers from Nvidia. The issue continues. This suggests a GPU hardware problem. Despite reinstalling video drivers and staying in safe mode, the computer hasn't crashed yet. Since my motherboard lacks built-in video, I'm relying on my card... which is functioning in safe mode. It seems like a software-related issue. I have two of these cards (the other is on my wife's machine), so I'll test swapping them to see if it helps. Thanks.
Windows will rely on the Microsoft Basic Display Adapter driver in safe mode by default rather than the NVIDIA drivers you installed. This alone doesn't really clarify whether the problem is software or hardware-related, as it won't fully utilize the GPU. The issue being outside safe mode usually points to a software problem, though the default driver might not trigger the symptom. Trying to switch the cards is a sensible approach—let me know your experience.
After a significant period of normal operation on my computer, the issue disappeared after switching the GPU with my wife's machine. It's worth noting that her system differs from mine but shares similarities...(Samsung NVMe, etc). The outcome remains uncertain. My GPU previously functioned correctly until it stopped working. Thanks for your assistance, CC. I wouldn't have considered checking the GPU if you hadn't examined my .dmp files.