Gaming Windows 7 randomly freezing after installing SP1

[YayMii]

I've been having issues with my PC after I installed Service Pack 1 on my Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit PC. It randomly freezes when using the CPU intensively (like it doesn't happen instantly, I was able to run Minecraft for 2 hours before freezing). I thought it might've had something to do with my overclock, so I reverted my clocks to normal, and tried again, and no luck.

Tried looking for a fix, and all I could find was a freezing fix that was supposedly integrated into SP1, so it'd refuse to install.

If needed, here are my specs:

Spoiler

[titleC specs]CPU: Athlon 64 3200+ S754 Newcastle 2.2GHz @ 2.42GHz (reverting the clock did nothing. CPU is running at normal temps)
RAM: 2GB DDR400 clocked at DDR333 running at DDR346 (due to overclock)
GPU: ATI Sapphire Radeon HD 4650 1GB DDR2 AGP (overclocked, but reverting didn't make a difference)
Audio: Creative SoundBlaster Live! Value (not officially supported for W7, but I haven't had any problems until now)
PSU: Generic 450W ('tis old. But I haven't had much issues with it apart from limiting my overclock)

Can someone help? Thanks.

EDIT: It freezes when I'm browsing the internet also.

 

[twiztidsinz]

My first thought when I read the post is that your RAM is going...

Then I came across this:

RAM: 2GB DDR400 clocked at DDR333 running at DDR346 (due to overclock)and said "Wat?".
How does DDR 400 run at a slower speed of 333 or 346 because of an overclock?
Either way, I'd say to revert your RAM to factory default settings and then run Memtest86+.

Because you listed a bunch of speeds, some of which aren't normal (346?), I would suggest taking out all the RAM and ensure that they're installed properly.
If you have 2x 400 and 2x 333 and your motherboard supports Dual Channel RAM fill them in alternating pairs (even and odd), Single channel fill them pair 1, pair 2. Like this:
CODESlotÂÂDual|Single
ÂÂ0 = 400 | 400
ÂÂ1 = 333 | 400
ÂÂ2 = 400 | 300
ÂÂ3 = 333 | 300

Less likely, but still a possibility, it could be your graphics card.
For testing that, I would suggest using Passmark's BurnInTest.

 

[YayMii]

How does DDR 400 run at a slower speed of 333 or 346 because of an overclock?

I put a ram-to-FSB ratio, which set the RAM to 333. And because of the increased FSB, it clocks higher than normal.
And I don't really get how it was 346, that was just the number that AIDA64(Everest) was reporting. I had my FSB at 220 (the FSB is at 200 at stock clocks).
But I doubt it could've been my RAM. This PC's dual-booting Linux and Windows, and after the issue started, I have played Minecraft continuously in Linux for 4-6 hours with no errors. So it was just Windows.

And if it makes any difference, I updated to SP1 through the executable. And I've heard that the executable SP1 update is buggier than the SP1 served on Windows Update, so can that be the problem?

 

[twiztidsinz]

I haven't heard anything about SP1 yet, I don't bother with them prior to RTM as they are essentially 'roll up' updates.
But Windows and Linux handle RAM very differently.

Given that you've overclocked so much stuff I'm guessing that there's an issue somewhere with that, and still stand by my 'possible bad RAM' statement. My PC did the same thing when a stick was going, I could play World of Warcraft for 45~60 minutes and it would lock up my PC, but other things like Unreal Tournament 2004 had no problems.

 

[YayMii]

Like I said, even with the clocks at stock (i.e. not overclocked), it still freezes.

 

[Originality]

How does DDR 400 run at a slower speed of 333 or 346 because of an overclock?

My 1666Mhz DDR3 RAM is running at 1333Mhz due to overclocking my Core 2 Duo E8400. I could force the speed back to normal, but there's no point really.

Anyway, try having the Resource Monitor up prior to the freeze. That might give you an indication if the CPU, RAM or HDD is behaving oddly and causing the freeze (personally I think it might be a HDD issue).

Also have a look in the event logs to see if it has any red flags relating to the freeze.

 

[drewmerc]

i think you with problems should read this http://krebsonsecurity.com/2011/02/before-...service-pack-1/

 

[YayMii]

Nope, none of the problems listed there apply to me. And I don't have any of those hotfixes.

EDIT @Originality: It looks like there's only one warning that looks remotely related to the problem (except for the unexpected shutdown error):
[Wininit: Custom dynamic link libraries are being loaded for every application. The system administrator should review the list of libraries to ensure they are related to trusted applications.]

 

[Bunie]

I've been having issues with my PC after I installed Service Pack 1 on my Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit PC. It randomly freezes when using the CPU intensively (like it doesn't happen instantly, I was able to run Minecraft for 2 hours before freezing). I thought it might've had something to do with my overclock, so I reverted my clocks to normal, and tried again, and no luck.

Tried looking for a fix, and all I could find was a freezing fix that was supposedly integrated into SP1, so it'd refuse to install.

If needed, here are my specs:

Spoiler

[titleC specs]CPU: Athlon 64 3200+ S754 Newcastle 2.2GHz @ 2.42GHz (reverting the clock did nothing. CPU is running at normal temps)
RAM: 2GB DDR400 clocked at DDR333 running at DDR346 (due to overclock)
GPU: ATI Sapphire Radeon HD 4650 1GB DDR2 AGP (overclocked, but reverting didn't make a difference)
Audio: Creative SoundBlaster Live! Value (not officially supported for W7, but I haven't had any problems until now)
PSU: Generic 450W ('tis old. But I haven't had much issues with it apart from limiting my overclock)

Can someone help? Thanks.

EDIT: It freezes when I'm browsing the internet also.

Windows Almost Always blue-screens. if its just freezing up, you may have something physically wrong with your PC, like overheating. Also, Ram is overclocked? Don't do that, lol.

 

[twiztidsinz]

Windows Almost Always blue-screens.Uh... no.
Windows only Blue Screens if there's a critical error typically caused by failing hardware or bad drivers (Not Microsoft's fault your hardware vendor can't code for shit).
Aside from when my RAM and Video Card were dying, I haven't seen a software related "BSOD" since prior to Windows XP SP2.

if its just freezing up, you may have something physically wrong with your PC, like overheating.Not always.
A poor connection somewhere that is just enough for the device to work properly and then moves and is no longer responsive can cause a lockup.
Overloading the CPU can cause a lockup, though usually shows as very slow/sluggish and will go away once the app is terminated.

QUOTE(Bunie @ Mar 3 2011, 01:07 PM)

Also, Ram is overclocked? Don't do that, lol.

Overclocking RAM is just fine so long as you do it right.
Also he's said that he undid the overclock and still has the same issue.

 

[spotanjo3]

After installing SP1 for Windows 7... I don't have a problem. I even have RAM of 2GB too and it works fine as far as I can tell.

 

[YayMii]

Windows Almost Always blue-screensNo it doesn't. You must be doing something wrong.

if its just freezing up, you may have something physically wrong with your PCNo I don't. Explain why I can run Linux for over 20 hours straight without any issues after my Windows problem. And why it only started after installing SP1.

like overheating.Dude, it's running 20°C cooler than it should be. I'm using an i7-capable heatsink with a 7-year-old single core CPU.QUOTE(Bunie @ Mar 3 2011, 10:07 AM) Also, Ram is overclocked?

Why, you have a problem with that? The RAM's not even running at full capacity anyways (I had it underclocked to 333 before overclocking the FSB)QUOTE(Bunie @ Mar 3 2011, 10:07 AM)

Don't do that, lol.

IT'S PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE to overclock my CPU without overclocking the RAM. You have no idea how FSB works, do you?

EDIT: Back on topic. I remember having driver update issues with my GPU before the SP1 install (as it would BSOD on boot after installing the drivers), so I rolled back to a more stable release. I looked up that issue, and it's apparently a problem with incompatibilities with Radeon AGP cards and Catalyst 11. This issue is not related.
However, I noticed that my Catalyst Control Center icon is missing. I'm not sure if this is SP1's problem or if I forgot to install it after rolling back from the bad drivers. Could this be causing the problem?

 

[twiztidsinz]

EDIT: Back on topic. I remember having driver update issues with my GPU before the SP1 install (as it would BSOD on boot after installing the drivers), so I rolled back to a more stable release. I looked up that issue, and it's apparently a problem with incompatibilities with Radeon AGP cards and Catalyst 11. This issue is not related.
However, I noticed that my Catalyst Control Center icon is missing. I'm not sure if this is SP1's problem or if I forgot to install it after rolling back from the bad drivers. Could this be causing the problem?

Uninstall the ATI drivers and let Windows use it's own.
If that solves the problem, then you know the problem is/was with the ATI drivers.

I don't think the drivers that come with Windows have all the optimizations/support for games, but IIRC they were pretty decent when I forgot to install drivers for my x1600XT.

 

[YayMii]

I don't think the drivers that come with Windows have all the optimizations/support for games, but IIRC they were pretty decent when I forgot to install drivers for my x1600XT.

The built-in drivers are junk. I can't run Aero with them, I can't even run at my screen's native resolution with them. My video card isn't recognized properly without Catalyst (it'll be recognized as a generic VGA adapter).

 

[twiztidsinz]

I don't think the drivers that come with Windows have all the optimizations/support for games, but IIRC they were pretty decent when I forgot to install drivers for my x1600XT.

The built-in drivers are junk. I can't run Aero with them, I can't even run at my screen's native resolution with them. My video card isn't recognized properly without Catalyst (it'll be recognized as a generic VGA adapter).

Are you sure the drivers get installed?
It should drop you down to shit res and probably kill Aero, but then check the Windows Updates and you'll have an ATI driver.

 

[Lancerguy]

Have you tried just removing SP1? SP1 doesn't really add very much as far as features go and is mostly a hotfix rollup to get everyone up to speed on all the updates they've had for Win7. If you've been running updates regularly, I don't recommend installing it right now. There isn't any software requiring it, very little added features, and very little as far as fixes in the update, if you've been doing all your updates you really shouldn't need it. I work at a repair center and we handle several small businesses in the area. We have had a few users with issues after upgrading to SP1, while most were in a domain environment, I've seen a few other scattered incidents. One example that comes to mind is a corrupted driver that caused an IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL BSOD when accessing the device.

But because you're on older hardware, and you have overclocked in the past, I wouldn't rule out a hardware issue. Your motherboard has several different chips that get hotter when you run overclocked. Not every little chip on the board has a temp sensor. The wear over time of the extra heat can cause failures that aren't always detectable when not stressing hardware to it's fullest. I would expect you to be able to run a light linux install on the system without issue, while still having lockups in Win7 where it's utilizing a much higher percentage of the system buses all the time. I've seen multiple cases of bulged capacitors on motherboards and other failures that a user doesn't actually notice unless under certain circumstances. Your circumstance might be that you only notice the issue when you have a certain load on a certain part of the system. Think about memory errors, they are random, that's why memory is typically tested for multiple passes to guarantee they're good.

I'm sure you've been through the event viewer for issues? If you're interested in testing hardware, might run memtest for a few hours on the ram (I would think you'd be having more issues if it was your RAM), run hd tune over your hard drive (I'd think you might hear it at some point if it was your drive), maybe get a stress test program like everest and run it to see if it has issues. If the problem is not in Linux it might be your video RAM or some other part of the video card that has failed over time. There is a video RAM tester available somewhere on the net, but I would just run 3dmark or something for several passes. I wouldn't think your overclock would be the issue if it's worked so far. Your system is not overclocked by much anyway. Your memory is UNDER clock, but your FSB is what gets the most stress...AKA your motherboard. Those chips aren't under heatsinks like your CPU, so they are prone to failure.

 

[unz]

Checked the CMOS battery on the mobo? Sometimes they gradually run low on juice, and the system becomes unstable, resulting in all sorts of whacky shenanigans, including random freezes.

Test the battery with a voltmeter. If the charge is even a little under 3V, replace it.

 

[Originality]

I know the CMOS battery on my brotherboard is dead, although the only effect is that it forgets the date and I lose my overclock settings when I turn off the power from the wall.

I've never had a random freeze as a result of it.

 

[YayMii]

I just reinstalled the video card driver.
I tried installing the latest one (ATI Catalyst 11.2 for AGP), got a BSOD upon reboot (page_fault_in_nonpaged_area). Tried workarounds some people posted online, and the same BSOD upon reboot. I uninstalled the driver, used Driver Sweeper, then went back to Catalyst 10.12 AGP. It installed fine, and no BSOD. I've been playing Minecraft for the past 2 hours, and no freezing or anything. I even have my GPU overclocking settings from before, and it seems stable. I'm not sure if it's 100% reliable yet though.

@Lancerguy: I'm using a KDE distro with all of the visual effects enabled. I've been running multitasking with CPU-intensive programs in Linux with no issues.
And as far as I know, there is no official way to remove SP1 without reinstalling Windows.
I ran memtest86+, no errors. I'm using a 3-month old 1-terabyte hard drive, and it's running silent. I've run AIDA64 (aka Everest) without issues. My video card was bought new 3 months ago, and I have already been stress-testing it for at least 2 weeks straight trying to find a proper overclocking setting. The GPU's been running stable for a while, at least until I installed SP1.

@unz: I replaced my CMOS battery fairly recently. I doubt that it'd be the issue. Besides, it still keeps time. And also, what Originality said.

EDIT: And 6 hours in, and the computer freezes while watching a YouTube video. Nothing in the error log, and everything's running at normal temps.

 

[unz]

@YayMii: Yeah, I thought you'd probably tried the battery already - but some people (like me) often miss the small, simple things, so it was still worth suggesting.

Sorry I couldn't help you with your "issues".

@ Originality: I had an XP box that was always freezing up. Anytime I hit a webpage with flash embedded, right in the middle of old games like Myst, or even while sitting idle at the desktop. I also experienced graphically glitched and blank BSODs, which led me to suspect bad RAM or a dying graphics card.

Drove me nuts troubleshooting the damn thing. I swapping *everything* but the mobo out, but it was still unstable. The caps on the mobo were all fine, and there were no dry solder joints, so I was out of ideas. The only time the system clock forgot the date was while I was swapping out components, so I missed that clue.

On the recommendation of a friend at the last minute, I put a multimeter on the CMOS battery, which gave a reading of 2.7V - not actually dead, but just weak enough to make things unstable. Replaced that simple little button cell, and all the problems just went away.