Lock Up Problems Killing Me Dead - Please Help

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FattyLumpkin

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Sep 27, 2013
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My computer is locking up many times per day. I was recently on these forums asking for help with what I thought was the fix after trying numerous other things…a new video card. I’ve listed everything I’ve done and hope this is not annoying to read. I’m desperate. Then I included some error messages that have appeared over time (the problem is well over a month old).

The recent NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM makes me think it’s a HD issue but I analyzed those with Seagate tools and they passed the tests.

If anyone has a solid idea about what this could be please let me know. I am besides myself.

Here is everything I’ve done none of which has worked.

1. Updated add drivers manually and with SlimDrivers.
2. Reinstalled Windows 8.1.
3. Swapped out the keyboard (it was blinking prior to locking up).
4. Reseated all the components in the computer.
5. GPU test with FurMark 1.11.0 (Ok after 30 minutes).
6. HD analysis on both drives with SeaGate tools (PASSED).
7. Windows Memory Diagnostic (Both sticks in differing slots always found problems. Awesome Corsair replaced both sticks. Reran the tests. Same problems).
8. Video card test with LinX software v0.6.4 (Stopped due to an error “Memory 772” after 43 seconds. MSI has been kind enough to do an RMA).
9. Purchased an inexpensive NVidia GT 720 video card to get me by. It did run games and video but after a couple hours of stress testing the system crashed to blue screen with the NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM error message.

The system has not yet locked up with this temporary video card. It does "stick/slide" while in games like Minecraft and a little even in Word and FireFox. To be fair, I have not run it long enough to know if it will still lock up like the good one I am returning to MSI.

Other Error Messages Along the Way:

Reference Memory Error (I don’t remember the exact error message. It showed up in a windows dialog box).

NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM (During blue screen crash)

Error driver_irql_not_less_or_equal windows 8.1 (During blue screen crash)

Additionally, a number of USB Not recognized errors out of nowhere and some intermittent sound issues.

Full System Specs:

Operating System - Windows 8.1.
Processor - Intel® Core™ i7 4820K Processor - 4x 3.70GHz/10MB L3 Cache - Intel Core i7 4820K.
CPU Cooling - Liquid Intel - ARC Dual Silent High Performance 2 Fans.
Memory - 16 GB (8 GB x2) DDR3-2133 Memory Module - G.SKILL Ripjaws X. P: Heatspreader, X79, XMP1.3, 1.5V
Video Card - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 - 3GB - Single Card.
Motherboard - ASRock X79 Extreme9 -- 5x PCI-E x16, 8x SATA 6Gbs, 4x USB 3.0.
Power Supply - 1200 Watt - NZXT HALE90V2 1200W - 80 PLUS Gold, Full Modular.
Primary Hard Drive - 512 GB ADATA SX900 SSD - Read: 540MB/s, Write: 465MB/s - Single SSD Drive.
Data Hard Drive - 3 TB HARD DRIVE -- 64M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s - Single Mechanical Drive.
Optical Drive 1 - 12x Blu-Ray LG BLU-RAY Reader, DVD±R/±RW Burner Combo Drive.
Optical Drive 2 -2nd Optical Drive - 12x Blu-Ray LG BLU-RAY Reader, DVD±R/±RW Burner Combo Drive.
Flash Media Reader-Writer - 12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader-Writer.
Internal Expansion - 6-Port NZXT Internal USB Expansion System.
Sound Card - 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard.
Network Card - None - Onboard LAN Network -Gb or 10/100.
Overclocking - 10% Overclocking.
 
Solution
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You won't believe what the problem was. After replacing the motherboard (a RAM slot tested as bad), the video card (it melted), and the RAM the problems persisted. It continued to shut down and would try to restart. The keyboard would blink out. Many other symptoms were present with only a small number of them posted in this thread. The power supply continued to test as perfectly functional. Out of nowhere it occurred to me that a burnt rubber smell continued to plague my basement office. It was the outdoor extension cord and it was melting. It could not provide enough power to the computer. Not only that but plugged into the extension cord were 2 computers, a TV, a lamp, and a printer on the with two old surge protectors. Now the...
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Jak_Sparra

Jak_Sparra

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Mar 31, 2006
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Whenever you get any sort of fault that you can't quickly isolate then get rid of any overclocking. A lot of people have no idea how to overclock and it ends up causing problems. Change it back to stock and test and report back please. Especially if you let your motherboard 'auto-overclock' or 'one button push overclock' the CPU. The motherboards with these 'user friendly' overclocking devices are notorious for screwing things up.

(From what you have tested so far the error is pointing to a motherboard fault)
 
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FattyLumpkin

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Sep 27, 2013
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Hi Jak_Sparra...thank you. I will look into how to turn off the overclocking, although at this point I have no idea. I'll see if I can find a way to turn it off and re-post here.

I've been worried it's the motherboard for a long time. How do you find out if it is?

 
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Jak_Sparra

Jak_Sparra

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Rule out everything else you can.

Which you have been doing.

This is like the 3rd thread I've read today with all the evidence point to a faulty ASRock motherboard. I was about to flipping buy one. Holding back now looking at other options and waiting until the big Microsoft windows 10 live event on Wednesday.
 
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FattyLumpkin

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Hi Folks... iballew on these forums has been VERY helpful on the other thread I started about the graphics card. He just suggested it could be the Power Supply Unit. I had no idea they could cause problems like this but if you follow the link you can see people on newegg complaining about this type of PSU. I suppose that would be easier to fix than the motherboard but I don't know. First thing is to follow Jak's advice and nix the overclocking. Jak, if it ends up being the PSU instead of the motherboard I'll report back.

iballew PSU comments....
No, if the same thing happens with both cards, then they are not at fault. I suspected your power supply might somehow be causing these problems, so I looked it up on amazon and newegg. It turns out, it has awful reviews that all consistently say its unstable and only lasts a few months on average. I would definitely suspect that to be the problem and would get it replaced regardless.

Your psu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...


Rule out everything else you can.

Which you have been doing.

This is like the 3rd thread I've read today with all the evidence point to a faulty ASRock motherboard. I was about to flipping buy one. Holding back now looking at other options and waiting until the big Microsoft windows 10 live event on Wednesday.
[/quotemsg]

 
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FattyLumpkin

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Sep 27, 2013
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You won't believe what the problem was. After replacing the motherboard (a RAM slot tested as bad), the video card (it melted), and the RAM the problems persisted. It continued to shut down and would try to restart. The keyboard would blink out. Many other symptoms were present with only a small number of them posted in this thread. The power supply continued to test as perfectly functional. Out of nowhere it occurred to me that a burnt rubber smell continued to plague my basement office. It was the outdoor extension cord and it was melting. It could not provide enough power to the computer. Not only that but plugged into the extension cord were 2 computers, a TV, a lamp, and a printer on the with two old surge protectors. Now the machine is plugged directly into a new high-end surge protector which is connected directly to the wall socket and all the problems have vanished. Huff. At least I know.
 
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Solution
Jak_Sparra

Jak_Sparra

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WOW!! I've never, in 20 years of PC related stuff, ever heard of that happening before! On the plus side at least there was not a potentially deadly fire! Glad you finally got it sorted! Certainly something I will ask people to check in the future.

 
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westom

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Code says a wall receptacle must exist so that one is at most six feet from any nearby appliance. Extension cords used for anything other than temporary (less than 30 day) power are not only problematic. They are also a major human safety threat. As you should have learned from this event.

Some observe this, ignore it, and call it normal. If any incandescent bulbs were changing intensity when other appliances power cycle, then a wiring problem exists. In your case, a single bulb powered from that same extension cord (apparently) would have dimmed to well less than 50% intensity. In rare cases (and especially true in your case), dimming bulbs may be reporting a major human safety threat. An example of how a light bulb can be a powerful diagnostic tool.
 
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