Hey everyone! Lately, my tower PC running Windows 11 has been acting up. It freezes completely at random times and occasionally shows BSODs (Blue Screen of Death) while under light or heavy workloads. Sometimes, it even crashes right after I log in! I've seen a few different BSOD error codes, including 'WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR', 'KERNEL_MODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED', and 'IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL'. I took it into a repair shop, but they couldn't find any problems. Here's what I've tried:
- I ran MemTest86, and it showed no issues.
- DiskGenius indicated only one severe sector on my SSD, with no damaged sectors.
- The Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool passed all checks.
Here are my PC specs for reference:
- CPU: 12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-12900K 3.19 GHz
- RAM: 64 GB Kingston DDR5
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
- Hard Drive: Samsung 980 1TB SSD
- Motherboard: MSI PRO Z690-A
- Power Supply: CORSAIR RM850x
The BSODs vary in type, so I've gathered some files from the Minidump and Live Kernel Reports, which I can share if needed!
2 Answers
It sounds frustrating! Considering you’ve already tested your RAM and SSD, the CPU might be the next thing to check out, especially since you’re getting those WHEA errors. You might want to look into updating your BIOS or resetting it to see if that helps. Just make sure to back up your data beforehand, as BIOS changes can be risky. Also, keep an eye on temps; if things are overheating, it could cause those freezes too!
Besides the CPU, it's worth checking your drivers, especially GPU drivers. A corrupt or outdated driver can also cause freezing and BSODs. Make sure everything is up to date. If possible, try testing with an older GPU driver version if you recently updated. And while you’re at it, check for Windows updates that might contain important fixes!
Great advice! I’ll roll back the GPU driver to see if that does the trick. Thanks!
Thanks for the tip! I hadn’t thought about checking the BIOS or cooling issues. I’ll definitely look into that!