Freezes but mouse cursor and keyboard still work - must reboot

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  1. Posts : 36
    Windows 10
       #1

    Freezes but mouse cursor and keyboard still work - must reboot


    Greetings,

    I have what I think is a pretty unusual freezing problem on my Windows 10 machine that I'm hoping someone can help me with. This only started happening after I upgraded from Windows 7 64-bit to Windows 10 64-bit last fall. I did a fresh install on a brand new Samsung 860 SSD.

    Here's what happens: At random times, the computer will freeze. But it freezes in a very particular way. I can still move the cursor around with the mouse. In whatever window was active at the time of the freeze, I can click around and do things, execute parts of the program, etc. I can click into other windows if they're on the screen but not from the taskar. Once I'm in those other windows, though, I clicking with the mouse does nothing.

    The keyboard, however, works fine. I can use Alt-Tab to move between windows. If I can figure out the keyboard commands, I can do things in those other windows. And I am able, by clicking the Windows button and tabbing around, restart the computer.

    From what I can tell, it's random when it happens. Sometimes I'll get a freeze and then after rebooting, the freeze will re-occur. But not always. I've gone weeks between freezes, but sometimes they're very frequently where I have several in only a few days.

    Here's what I've tried to do to fix this but didn't help:

    • Swapped out my mouse with a wired mouse
    • I reseated my GPU into another slot months ago hoping that would solve this. It did not.
    • After I installed Windows, there were no chipset drivers listed on the Asus website under Windows 10, so I installed the versions for Windows 8 64-bit. For reference, here is the support website with drivers listed: SABERTOOTH 990FX R2.0 Driver & Tools | Motherboards | ASUS USA
    • BIOS is up-to-date and has been this whole time (version 2901).
    • No problems noticed with overheating. I have good airflow through my case and check temperatures regularly.
    • My virtual memory is custom set with initial size 3954 MB and maximum size 35850 MB. The C-drive is a 500 GB SSD.


    Event Viewer - I don't notice any errors associated with the freezes. Like none at all. I do have quite a few DCOM errors, but they don't co-occur with the freezes. This one, for example, happened almost 10 minutes before the freeze:

    The application-specific permission settings do not grant Local Launch permission for the COM Server application with CLSID
    Windows.SecurityCenter.WscBrokerManager
    and APPID
    Unavailable
    to the user NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM SID (S-1-5-18) from address LocalHost (Using LRPC) running in the application container Unavailable SID (Unavailable). This security permission can be modified using the Component Services administrative tool.

    I also don't notice any additional errors in the Reliability History.

    My suspicions from googling (though this is a hard one to google for):
    • Something PSU-related. Would there be a good way to look into this more beyond getting a new one?
    • I got my motherboard and CPU way back in 2014. Is it possible these just aren't compatible with Windows 10 and I'd need to upgrade?
    • My previous computer was also an Asus motherboard, and at the time there seemed to be compatibility issues with Samsung SSDs that manifested in weird audio pops, not freezing. I thought these issues had been resolved, but I'm wondering if there might be more Asus-Samsung compatibility issues that have sprung up.
    • After I upgraded to Windows 10, I noticed that Windows wasn't showing my full RAM. I have four sticks of RAM installed. I had to swap them around (basically reverse which slots the two pairs were in), but Windows then did see the full amount.
    • I've seen mention of disabling C-states in my BIOS, but I don't want to mess with that unless I think it could work.


    I appreciate any help you can all provide me. Now that I'm working from home, having a computer I can rely on is a lot more important, so I'm hoping to get this figured out.

    Thanks in advance!!
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 3,506
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit 21H1 (May 2021 build 19043.1083)
       #2

    I had similar symptoms in my laptop. I then opened it, blew all dust away and replaced the thermal paste between the CPU and the heatsink. It is a good idea to try this first. If you are unsure of how to do it, you can find a disassembly video in YouTube for your model or ask a professional to clean it for you. Next I would check the PSU and replace if needed. If the symptoms persist, post again to help you further.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 30,120
    Windows 11 Pro x64 Version 23H2
       #3

    I very much doubt that this is hardware related (older hardware) issue, could be but I doubt. Your machine was running 100% on Windows 7, correct me if I'm wrong.

    Then a new clean OS, on a different drive and boom, freezes.

    Now you were in systems so reseating cables wouldn't hurt.

    Interesting your comment on memory. Is it installed in correct slots as per manaul?

    If you go into BIOS is all memory recognized? How much memory is noy recognized?

    Did you install the SATA driver on the Asus site or did windows just install what it thought was best.

    While a general pain in the .... I would swap back in your HDD. If freezing continues you know it has nothing to do with SSD. Elimination is key to getting to root cause.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 36
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Caledon Ken said:
    I very much doubt that this is hardware related (older hardware) issue, could be but I doubt. Your machine was running 100% on Windows 7, correct me if I'm wrong.

    Then a new clean OS, on a different drive and boom, freezes.
    The coincidence is odd. I thought about doing another fresh install, even buying a new SSD to do it on. But if I did that and then got another freeze, I'd probably pull all my hair out. I want to at least see if this is something that can be fixed on my current install first, for my hair's sake.

    Caledon Ken said:
    Now you were in systems so reseating cables wouldn't hurt.
    Did that.
    Caledon Ken said:
    Interesting your comment on memory. Is it installed in correct slots as per manaul?

    If you go into BIOS is all memory recognized? How much memory is noy recognized?
    I believe they are in correct slots. They're two pairs installed in every other slot. I believe I did check the manual before reseating because I was baffled as to what was wrong.

    The BIOS recognizes all the memory now. What I didn't mention in my original post was that I first noticed that not all of the memory was being recognized while doing something in the BIOS (not memory-related).

    I have two sticks of 8 and two of 4, for a total of 24. The 4 sticks weren't being recognized. They are all recognized now, though.
    Caledon Ken said:
    Did you install the SATA driver on the Asus site or did windows just install what it thought was best.
    I installed the SATA driver from the Asus site. Do you think I should try reinstalling that?
    Caledon Ken said:
    While a general pain in the .... I would swap back in your HDD. If freezing continues you know it has nothing to do with SSD. Elimination is key to getting to root cause.
    That might be tough as that drive is doing something else now. I'll see if I can move everything off of it for now, though.

    I'd be cloning my current drive onto that one, right? The goal here is just to make sure it's not my SSD that's causing the crashes. The old one is nearly the same model, though -- Samsung 850. So it would only reveal if it was the particular SSD I bought or that specific model iteration. If it was the latter, I'd think this would be a more widespread problem.

    Thanks!
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 3,506
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit 21H1 (May 2021 build 19043.1083)
       #5

    Random freezes are usually caused by overheat of either CPU or the VGA. It is usually solved by cleaning the computer thoroughly from dust (air spray or blower) and replacing the thermal paste between the CPU and the heatsink. Replacing the thermal paste in a VGA card is more difficult and could void your Warranty, try blowing the dust first. Ask a professional if not familiar with these tasks. You can also use a dry unused paint brush or toothbrush to gently remove dust from difficult areas, then blow again.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 36
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #6

    spapakons said:
    Random freezes are usually caused by overheat of either CPU or the VGA. It is usually solved by cleaning the computer thoroughly from dust (air spray or blower) and replacing the thermal paste between the CPU and the heatsink. Replacing the thermal paste in a VGA card is more difficult and could void your Warranty, try blowing the dust first. Ask a professional if not familiar with these tasks.
    I think I will be taking your recommendation and replacing the thermal paste on the CPU, though I'll have to wait to do it this weekend when I'm not working.

    I do blow out the dust pretty regularly, so I don't think that's the issue.

    Thanks! I'll update on progress. If anyone has other suggestions, I welcome them.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 30,120
    Windows 11 Pro x64 Version 23H2
       #7

    Is this a freeze? You said you can do a bunch of things if I read your first post correctly the machine is still responding. Certainly some stuff is not responding. I accept we each have our own definition of freeze.

    I wouldn't clone.

    Myself I would use Macrium to backup existing and restore to HDD.


    I would check that Windows 10 accepted your SATA driver install and that it didn't just update it a couple of days after you installed.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 36
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Caledon Ken said:
    Is this a freeze? You said you can do a bunch of things if I read your first post correctly the machine is still responding. Certainly some stuff is not responding. I accept we each have our own definition of freeze.
    Yeah, it's like a semi-freeze. I don't know how else to describe it, though, which has made searching for solutions difficult.

    I'm not sure how functional it still is in that state because I'm limited by keyboard commands.

    Caledon Ken said:
    I wouldn't clone.

    Myself I would use Macrium to backup existing and restore to HDD.
    By "restore to HDD" you mean to my old SSD?


    Caledon Ken said:
    I would check that Windows 10 accepted your SATA driver install and that it didn't just update it a couple of days after you installed.
    I believe the drivers are still installed. In Device Manager under Storage Controllers I see three entries:

    Asmedia 106x SATA Controller
    Asmedia 106x SATA Controller
    Microsoft Storage Spaces Controller

    The Asmedia entries I believe are the drivers from Asus.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 30,120
    Windows 11 Pro x64 Version 23H2
       #9

    Yes SSD.


    Functional might not have been best word but it is not locked and think you said "execute some of program"


    To bad you weren't imaging machine, which you should be doing, as you could just restore 7 as a test.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 36
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #10

    Caledon Ken said:
    Yes SSD.


    Functional might not have been best word but it is not locked and think you said "execute some of program"


    To bad you weren't imaging machine, which you should be doing, as you could just restore 7 as a test.
    I actually kept an image of my Windows 7 drive before I fully switched over. A test would be difficult, though. I need to use my computer for work, so going back to Windows 7 for who knows how long is not really workable. Plus, isn't 7 unsecure and unsupported now? It also wouldn't rule out that Windows 10 might somehow be to blame, and I want to move over to Windows 10.
      My Computer


 

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