Random Freezes after Recent Windows 10 update

Hello everyone. I am new to this forum. I apologize if I have posted in the wrong area. I will describe the issue I'm having as best as I can with the limited information I have.

So with what seemed to coincide with the Windows 10 Creators Update (though not 100% sure), users began complaining that their computers became unresponsive randomly. When I went to examine their machines, I found that they were indeed freezing for long periods of time (some 30 minutes or more). The mouse would move, but they were unable to perform even the simplest tasks. Application windows would freeze while loading (all white, no content). The login screen would freeze so users were unable to enter their passwords. The windows start button quit functioning. Windows hotkeys would stop working, such as Win + R. It literally took me 30 minutes to open a command prompt window when I was troubleshooting. When I was able to get a glimpse of resource utilization, there was nearly none, so it seems as though something was preventing the OS from executing code with no apparent issue with the hardware. We mostly run HP computers, but I also seen the same thing happen on a Microsoft Surface Pro so it doesn't seem to be linked to a particular product. I've seen it happen on about 5 computers so far, some desktops, some laptops, and one tablet. The only common factors are they are running Windows 10, and they have been updated recently. Only domain connected Windows 10 computers seem to be affected. The network environment is a mixture of Windows 7 and Windows 10 machines with a Windows Server 2012 R2 domain controller (fully updated). I have noticed no issues on computers running Windows 7, nor have I seen any issues on Windows 10 machines prior to the recent update. I would prefer to find a fix rather than uninstalling the update. After viewing the event logs, I could find no indicator of what might be causing the problem, only several instances of services failing to start due to timeout issues likely when the freezing occurred at login. I have tried reformatting and restoring factory settings, then performing all updates, then rejoining the domain but the issue still occurs after joining the domain. I have scoured the internet looking for solutions but have surprisingly found very little information to fit this situation. It's also somewhat difficult to duplicate the problem as it happens randomly, though I do have a photo of frozen task manager windows as a result of the problem which are all white with no content in the window. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi drake999,

It sounds a bit strange that Windows 10 would do this. What is your RAM speed do you use a 8GB of RAM and so on? Also is all of your drivers up-to-date? This could be useful to know and another thing to me it sounds a bit like a virus which could cause the Windows 10 system to slow down check it with your anti-virus checker to see if that system has got a virus if not then it could be if I'm not mistaken a hardware issue......

Most of our machines run 8 GB or above DDR3 or DDR4. All device drivers are up-to-date as well and my test system is exhibiting this behavior with no other software installed. I don't believe anything physical is a factor here since it seems to occur across a broad range of hardware. It looks to me like Microsoft simply broke something with the recent update and now I have to struggle to fix it. What has me curious is it only seems to happen to domain connected machines post update. I fully updated the domain controller thinking that might correct the problem, but no dice.

Thanks, I will give your suggestions a try. I don't know for sure if it is the Creators Update, but the timing certainly seems to point to it. I find it hard to believe that I'm the only one out there facing this issue. It's really bizarre.

I have had two freezes on my CU machine not connected to a domain. First was a total hard freeze after screen saver with streaming radio running and sound looping. The second was again after screen saver but a black screen with the mouse still moving but no login box presented so I could not log back into the machine. I didn't wait I just did a hard reset.

I spent most of yesterday updating drivers despite being on CU there are still some later drivers. One such driver Logitech caused a blue screen when I tried to re-install the old driver so had to settle with the latest and find a solution for too much CPU use with the new driver which I found.

So it is worth re-checking driver versions.

Just an update. After exhausting several options it looks as though I found the solution. Our centrally managed anti-virus software was in need of a manual critical patch to allow deployed clients to co-exist with the new Windows Defender included in the Creators Update. It's early yet but it looks as though the issue may be resolved. It looks as though the two pieces of software would clash so hard that they prevent pretty much anything else from executing in the OS, including a command prompt window or task manager, essentially turning effected machines into a powered paper weight. Anyway, thanks for your input.

drake999 said:

Just an update. After exhausting several options it looks as though I found the solution. Our centrally managed anti-virus software was in need of a manual critical patch to allow deployed clients to co-exist with the new Windows Defender included in the Creators Update. It's early yet but it looks as though the issue may be resolved. It looks as though the two pieces of software would clash so hard that they prevent pretty much anything else from executing in the OS, including a command prompt window or task manager, essentially turning effected machines into a powered paper weight. Anyway, thanks for your input.

Mind if I ask which anti-virus software is being used? I have the same exact issue with our Windows 10 machines.