I've been dealing with a really unpredictable crashing problem on my tower that's kept the poor thing sidelined for the better part of a year. The symptoms seem to change from day-to-day, and the exact cause is something that several different PC triage groups can't pinpoint. The crashes occur as follows:
- In some cases, the entire computer will operate perfectly fine, running games, browsers, music, and even streaming without a problem - until I shut it down, where the following conditions will occur on the next startup. (This case is very rare)
- After boot, the system will run through startup tasks and make it through 15 minutes of internet or gaming before it involuntarily restarts - not a hard shutdown, just rebooting from bios - without any sort of BSOD in-between. When this happens, the system will be stuck in a perpetual loop of booting, operating for 5-15 minutes, then soft-restarting until I shut it down myself. (This occurs most often)
- Occasionally, Windows 7 will begin its boot cycle only to hang infinitely on the "Starting Windows" screen. This can happen following a fresh startup or after several reboots of the previous condition. This one renders the computer completely inoperable, and the only short-term fix I have for this one is to shut it down and wait an indefinite amount of time. (This is also rare, but occurs more often than the first condition)
SPECS:
- Processor: Intel Quad Core i5 Q9450 2.66Ghz
- Memory: 6GB DDR2
- GPU: GeForce GTX 460 (a later addition to the system that was added a year before the crashes started)
- Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EP35C-DS3R
- Power Supply: Seasonic 600W
It's been suggested that the problem could be corrupt Windows 7 files, corrupt RAM, overloading the power supply, overheating, and even a faulty motherboard. However, I'd rather not rebuild the entirety of the tower from the ground up if most of the system is and has been operating fine, especially if I'm strapped for cash. If anyone knows or can suggest a fix, I'd appreciate the help.