My PC used to run normally, with only occasional crashes during demanding games. After I bought Minecraft and joined a Realm, it started restarting a few minutes into almost any game. Sometimes Windows boots normally afterward, but other times it gets stuck diagnosing the system, reports that startup failed, or says the computer needs repair. I tried using Windows Reset to erase and reinstall everything, but the process fails at around 30% every time. Could this be repaired at home, or is it time to take the PC to a technician?
3 Answers
There are too many possible causes to diagnose confidently without the actual stop code or hardware information. Since Windows cannot complete a reset, I would avoid repeatedly reinstalling until important data is backed up. If you are not comfortable checking the drive, RAM, temperatures, and power connections, a reputable technician should be able to test the system fairly quickly.
The blue-screen dump files would provide the most useful evidence. If you can start Windows or Safe Mode, look in C:WindowsMinidump and save any files there. Those logs can identify whether a driver, memory problem, or hardware component caused the crashes. Also check Event Viewer under Windows Logs > System for critical errors recorded when the restarts happened.
The failed reset at about 30% is a strong sign that the storage drive may be failing, although overheating or bad memory could cause similar crashes. Back up any important files as soon as possible, then check the drive's health with a tool such as CrystalDiskInfo. If it reports a warning or failure, replace the drive and reinstall Windows. If the drive checks out normally, test the RAM and temperatures or have a repair shop run hardware diagnostics.
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