I've been struggling with my PC for several months now, and I could really use some assistance. My PC used to go through an "automatic repair" cycle every time I turned it off, which often led to freezes, but eventually, it would boot up. However, one day it just stopped working altogether. I've tried to reboot it countless times, but nothing seems to help, as it keeps freezing up.
Here's a rundown of what I've attempted so far:
- Booting from a Windows flash drive, but it freezes each time.
- Resetting the BIOS settings, even though I didn't notice any issues there to start with.
- I replaced the motherboard and inspected the components, and everything seems fine, but that didn't resolve the problem. I checked for any bent CPU pins or similar issues.
- I even consulted ChatGPT for help, but it didn't provide accurate advice.
- The BIOS settings work fine, and sometimes Windows manages to boot up to the partition selection screen, but it freezes whenever I try to proceed.
Additionally, I have two hard drives: my older SSD, which is about 3-4 years old, and a newer one that uses the faster primary NVME slot.
I'd appreciate any guidance you can offer! You've helped me before, and I'd be happy to compensate you for your expertise again if that's possible. Here's my build for reference: [my PC build](https://pcpartpicker.com/user/JCMiller23/saved/#view=nFMcxr)
3 Answers
It definitely sounds like your system is at a point where reinstalling Windows is your best bet. I get that it’s frustrating, especially if it kept trying to repair itself before. Just make sure you back up anything important beforehand because that custom installation will wipe everything. If your bootable flash drive doesn't work, it might be a good idea to try using a different USB drive or slot, or double-check to ensure the ISO file isn't corrupted.
Honestly, it seems like your OS needs a clean slate. If you've been letting it get stuck during repairs without waiting too long, that could have caused some problems. Backup your data if possible, and just reinstall the OS completely. Keep in mind that if you go this route, you'll wipe everything on those drives. It's the best chance to get your PC running smoothly again!
It sounds like your operating system has become corrupted, and you probably need to reinstall it. You should follow the guide from Microsoft on creating installation media for Windows. When you’re reinstalling, make sure to go with the "Custom" option and delete all the partitions on your Disk 0 until it shows as "unallocated space" before hitting next to install. Just be careful, as this will erase all data that isn't backed up. If you have important files, check out this video from Britec09 on how to back things up first!
In the future, remember to troubleshoot software issues before jumping into hardware swaps; reinstalling the OS should have been one of the first steps you tried.
Thanks for the advice! I actually tried using the bootable flash drive first, but it freezes as well, which made me think it might be a hardware issue, like with the motherboard.
What do you mean by "not letting it do its thing?" How long should I ideally wait when it freezes during the repair process?