Re-installed Windows, now random problems

barneybarnyard · Dec 2, 2013

About 2 weeks ago I decided to do a clean install of Windows 7 because my Windows Backup wasn't working and I just wanted a fresh install. I regret it now because I didn't even end up using Windows Backup and now I have these random problems.

Problem 1 = My wireless mouse will randomly lag. By lag I mean, I'll be moving the cursor to a certain spot and it just stops for a split second and then moves to the spot. I didn't have this problem until after the re-install of Windows. I've tried uninstalling the driver, restarting, and letting Windows install the driver, but it still will randomly lag.

Problem 2 = Sometimes when I shut down my computer, on my monitor there's no signal as if it's off, but my fans and lights are still on as if it's still on. There are also times when I'm turning it off where it will make a beep sound and turn back on as if I restarted it. I tried clearing the CMOS and I don't think it's done the thing where it acts off, but everything is on. It has done the beep and then turns back on as if restarting though.

Problem 3 = My music will randomly stop for 1-2 seconds and then I hear a click in my computer and the music comes back on. I haven't noticed if it actually pauses the song or just mutes it. It's so random that it normally happens when I'm playing FIFA on 360 so I don't have the time to check real quick if it pauses in iTunes or if it shows audio in the audio icon at the bottom right in the notification area. I've already tried uninstalling the audio driver and reinstalling it. I did change speakers when I did the re-install of windows, but I don't see how that could be the problem since there's a click in the computer that turns the music back on.

I posted this on Reddit and someone suggested that it may be a misconfiguration of RAM timings. I wanted to see what you guys thought.

A few specs,

mobo - ASRock x79 Extreme3
SSD - Samsung 830 128GB SATA III
RAM - G.Skill 16GB DDR3 1600
Video card - EVGA GeForce GTX 670
CPU - Intel Core i7-3820 Quad-Core Processor 3.6 GHz 10 MB Cache LGA 2011

Any help is appreciated, thanks!

Tom Tancredi · Dec 2, 2013

Problem 1: Does not mean it is Windows just because Windows changed. To test this issue, try with a wired mouse ONLY (no wireless), does it 'lag' too? If not then the batteries need to be changed or maybe something is messing with the wireless signal (known problem with 802.11b/g networks and devices like wireless mice, wireless house phones, microwaves, etc. crossing signals).
If it still lags then something in WINDOWs is lagging not the mouse is laggins.

Problem 2 - It sounds like you actually may be pressing the power button and accidentally putting it into SLEEP mode. Sound like you may not have set the power settings. Click the power icon in the tray, select More Power options. Select Show Additional plans and select High Performance. Now select the options on the left like Change when the computer sleeps, or choose when to turn off the display and most importantly Choose what the power buttons do. Set them to what you want them to do and then see if when you leave it sitting does it have a problem now?

If still yes then are check your network card (wired or wireless) Device Management Properties, and turn off WAKE ON under the Power Management tab. IF it still has this problem then it is a short in the PSU / Case causing a issue most likely, You can try to eliminate the Memory by running jsut one stick and see if this repeated but sounds liek a component went bad / problem. and you should 'breadboard' the Mobo/Ram/CPU and see if you can replicate the issue.

Problem 3: See 1 above, if there is a Windows Lag that means it affects EVERYTHING by doing other things in the background. You can check Task Manager, but your alluding to somehow playing FIFA on a XBOX affects your WINDOWS PC playing itunes. This would ONLY be true that if your STREAMING iTunes AND playing FIFA multiplayer (online) then your probably either maxing out the wireless router OR the Internet connection, but you need to be more SPECIFIC to narrow this down. Again has NOTHING to do with reinstalling Windows or not.

barneybarnyard · Dec 2, 2013

Tom Tancredi :

Prob. 1: The battery indicator is green so I don't think it's the batteries, I'll test it out later when I'm back from work though. Like I said everything was fine before I re-installed. The mouse doesn't lag like crazy just randomly every like 5 minutes for a split second.

Prob. 2: These problems do not happen every time. It staying on has not happened since I cleared CMOS, but it has beeped and restarted once. It has only happened once since I cleared the CMOS sometime last week though. My power settings are fine.

Prob. 3: I was saying that I'd be playing FIFA at the time of when the audio cuts out so I don't have time to check if it is iTunes pausing it or my audio card messing up. I know FIFA isn't causing the problems. I tried re-installing iTunes and it still has the problem. And also it doesn't occur very often so I'm never ready for when it happens. Like I said in the original post, my computer makes a clicking noise and the music comes back so it must be something in my case, but it just doesn't make sense that the computer was fine until I re-installed Windows.

Edit: Right after posting this, the music stopped, and I noticed it paused in iTunes and then my computer clicks and it comes back. I don't think it's iTunes, seems like my computer just hangs for a second or two.

Tom Tancredi · Dec 2, 2013

Okay the computer 'click' is that actually a sound from the CASE or in the SPEAKERS? This is important. Also when testing this open Task Manager , click processors, check the check box at the bottom to see ALL processes, then click on CPU so you can watch what it is processing the most. Do you have something SPIKE (consume CPU) every 5 minutes (mouse issue) or when running iTunes?

At this point I am highly suspicious either a rogue application is running in the background OR your system has a 'short' in it (PSU/Mobo/Case) that is causing it to 'click' (power surge / spike / short) then recover. Have you checked for dust bunnies, cleared ALL vents including the PSU?

barneybarnyard · Dec 2, 2013

Tom Tancredi :

The click is coming from a part in my computer case. I just changed the battery on my mouse so we'll see if that fixes the mouse problem. I'm going to keep the processes tab open at all times to see if anything spikes up when the music stops. I really hope none of my parts have shorted. Just doesn't make sense to me that they are perfectly fine and then I do the secure erase with samsung magician and then re-install and have these problems.

Tom Tancredi · Dec 3, 2013

Yes I heard you the first three times that you feel the reinstall of windows somehow caused multitude of issues, but that is unrealistic as when someone says they replaced their mouse now all the games keep crashing (which actually is due to the HDD failing but they wont' hear that answer).

No there is no "if I reinstall windows I have problems 1, 2, 3 happen and just need to XYZ to fix everything back to the way it was". The click from the computer case is VERY IMPORTANT, and your stating also REPEATABLE. We need you to have the case open now, and 'cause' the click to occur repeatedly so you can narrow down where it is originating from as you listen carefully. Is it the CPU Fan? Is it the PSU? Is it when you see a nice blue spark occur?

Depending on where it is coming from will help alot.

barneybarnyard · Dec 3, 2013

Ok well this morning when it kind of froze, no process jumped up in CPU use so I will try keeping the case open and see if I'm able to find out where the noise comes from. I don't really have anything that causes it to happen, it just randomly happens. Like last night it didn't happen at all, but this morning it did. I'll try opening my Photoshop, After Effects, etc. to see if they help make it freeze so I can hear the noise. Thanks for the help so far, I'll update when I'm able to pinpoint where the noise is coming from.

Tom Tancredi · Dec 3, 2013

Yeah this is important. It can be a 'spark' (short) occuring, or it can be the one of the Fans is defective, or worse the PSU is failing.

barneybarnyard · Dec 3, 2013

Ok so I had my computer on sleep, I woke it up and noticed the sound. It seemed like it came from my HDD. I have my OS on the SSD and my music on the HDD. So I decided to check the health on it, downloaded CrystalDiskInfo and it says it's "Good". Should I try turning it off and unplugging the cords to the HDD, then plug back in? Or what do you think?

Tom Tancredi · Dec 3, 2013

Okay repeat the 'test' and have the HDD unplugged during this, does it have the same problem? If not then you isolated the HDD as a problem. Though it is 'Good' health, if it makes a 'POP' (normally it is a 'click') that is indicative of a problem internally physically (parts are sticking, parts are broken, etc.). Replace the HDD.

barneybarnyard · Dec 4, 2013

damn, so yeah that click is gone and my mouse movement seems normal. gonna have to backup the stuff on my HDD asap then. any suggestions on an HDD?

Edit: Ehhh, mouse seemed normal at first, but I felt like it lagged again. I might have been tripping. I'll probably just order a wired one anyways.

Tom Tancredi · Dec 4, 2013

BEST solution is a SSD as a main drive, then a 7200RPM HDD as the storage drive. Takes more maintenance when installing applications, and redirecting Temp/Log to the HDD. I would stay away from Western Digital, had too many die from them.

barneybarnyard · Dec 6, 2013

So Problem 2 still exists. Last night when I shut it down, it beeped once and then rebooted. I'm wondering if I should try clearing CMOS again.

Tom Tancredi · Dec 6, 2013

Problem 2 may not be a problem

Click on your 'Wired/Wireless' icon in tray Open Network ... Click the 'Connections' in the middle right then properties then configure then you will see Power Management tab. Turn off any Wake on... selected. Done.

barneybarnyard · Dec 6, 2013

Under power management for my wireless adapter I just have "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" (which is checked) and "Allow this device to wake the computer" (this is unchecked, but also faded so I can't check or un-check it). In the advanced tab next to power management, it has a Wake-Up Mode that has a value of Magic & WakeUp Frame. I can change the value to a few options; All, LossOfLink, Magic Packet, MagicPkt & LinkLoss, None, Wake Up Frame, WakeUpPkt & LinkLoss, not sure if those will fix it.

Edit: I can uncheck the "Allow this device to wake the computer" in my Broadcom Network Gigabit Ethernet, but I'm not using ethernet, just a wireless adapter so I don't know if that will make a difference.

Tom Tancredi · Dec 6, 2013

Yeah it may still have triggered it. But for the first one under your wireless Wake-Up Mode Change it to NONE. See that is probably what is waking it up.

barneybarnyard · Dec 6, 2013

Alright well it only happens like once a week so I'll eventually post again if it doesn't work. Thanks!

barneybarnyard · Dec 7, 2013

Well it didn't do the beep and restart, but it did the thing where it acts off (on the screen), but it sounds/looks like it's on. And it's not in sleep mode because pressing buttons on the keyboard or moving the mouse do nothing.

Tom Tancredi · Dec 7, 2013

During this is the HDD installed / plugged in?

barneybarnyard · Dec 7, 2013

Yeah because I still have been using it for music. I guess I'll use spotify and keep the HDD unplugged to see if it still happens. Unfortunately it also happens only like once a week.

Edit: Just turned it off to unplug the hdd and it did the beep restart. so maybe the HDD is causing that problem too.

barneybarnyard · Dec 18, 2013

Okay well my new HDD came in. I got it hooked up. Went to Disk Management to format it and it was extremely slow, sometimes would stop responding (only Disk Management, I could browse or open other things perfectly fine). Eventually got it going. Even after the format, Disk Management seems to be a little slow (I don't need it for now, but still found it weird). Also when I right click certain things (folders, desktop) it takes longer than usual for the pop up menu to show, but some stuff I right click it comes up right away. Those are the only weird things I've noticed since it's been installed. Tried looking for newer drivers, but there aren't any. I've transferred files over to the new HDD and they transfer fast so I'm not really sure what's up.

Tom Tancredi · Dec 18, 2013

You do remember that your small (128GB) SSD is alot faster then the large (1-2TB) mechanical drive right? I had to remind myself that recently when moving files around between large mechanical drives, as compared to my 256GB SSD as my main drive in my PC. There aren't "drivers" perse for HDD unless you got something unique (like that new combo SSD and HDD drive).

Let's not worry about that. GO back the main issues, are we resolved now?

barneybarnyard · Dec 18, 2013

I just feel like most random threads I looked through, ppl would be like "download latest drivers blah blah" so I just checked to be sure.

And yes I believe so. I only installed it last night, but hasn't happened in the I think 3 times I've shut down.

Edit: Never mind, when I tried shutting down, it beeped and came back on.

Re-installed Windows, now random problems

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