Desktop turns on for a few seconds, then repeatedly restarts
My desktop computer was working normally yesterday, but today it powers on for a couple of seconds, shuts off, and immediately tries to start again. It keeps repeating…
RAM testing
PC keeps rebooting at the motherboard logo—hardware or Windows issue?
Earlier this week, I restarted my PC and it began restarting repeatedly at the ASRock motherboard logo. Occasionally it displays "Preparing automatic repair," but it never reaches Windows.…
PC keeps crashing with ntoskrnl.exe BSODs during gaming and shutdown
My five-month-old PC has been crashing with blue screens for about two months. It can happen while playing a game, closing or launching one, or sometimes while shutting…
How can I tell whether my CPU, motherboard, or RAM is causing random memory-management crashes?
My PC crashes unpredictably and sometimes behaves strangely before failing with MEMORY_MANAGEMENT blue screens. I analyzed several dump files and found multiple 0x1A subtypes, including 0x404, 0x411, 0xA,…
Laptop keeps crashing with many different BSOD errors—what could be causing it?
My ASUS ROG Strix G15 G513IE-HN075W has been suffering from increasingly frequent crashes and blue screens. The errors include DRIVER_OVERRAN_STACK_BUFFER, IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION, SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION (0x3B), PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA, MEMORY_MANAGEMENT, ATTEMPTED_EXECUTE_OF_NONEXECUTABLE_MEMORY, KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE…
Is Buying Used DDR5 RAM a Safe Way to Save Money on a First PC Build?
I'm building my first PC with a budget of around €800–€1,000, but RAM has become surprisingly expensive. I've found several people selling DDR5 kits for about €100, which…
Windows 11 Installation Fails at 75% After BIOS Update
A computer built in 2022 began experiencing random crashes, game errors, and other instability. Reinstalling graphics drivers, verifying game files, and running SFC and DISM did not help.…
Windows 11 Installation Fails at 75% After BIOS Update
A friend's PC, built in 2022, had been experiencing random crashes, game errors, and other instability. We verified game files, completely reinstalled the graphics drivers, ran SFC and…
Repeated BSODs with different stop codes and new display lines
My PC has been crashing repeatedly for the past two days with several different blue-screen errors, including SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION, KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE, KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED, and PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA. Windows Memory Diagnostic found no RAM…
Is It Safe to Test RAM That May Have Been Exposed to Water?
A backed-up in-wall mini-split AC unit leaked roughly a liter of water into my PC case while I was away. The motherboard has heavy corrosion around the CPU…
How Can I Diagnose Random DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION BSODs During Idle?
My computer has been randomly crashing with a DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION (0x133) blue screen, and the crashes have become more frequent this year. Before each crash, programs stop responding even…
Black-screen crashes and WHEA 18 errors after upgrading to a Ryzen 7 5800X3D and RX 9070 XT
Since installing a Ryzen 7 5800X3D and Gigabyte RX 9070 XT, my system has been randomly crashing with a black screen, frozen audio, and an automatic restart. Before…
PC randomly restarts when launching demanding games
My PC sometimes shuts down and immediately restarts, occasionally with a brief blue screen, when loading into Total War: Warhammer 2 or 3, ending a turn in Civilization…
PC Restarts During Certain Demanding Games but Passes Stress Tests
My PC suddenly shuts down and restarts, occasionally with a brief BSOD, when loading into battles in Total War: Warhammer 2 or 3, ending a turn in Civilization…
PC Suddenly Won’t Boot With the Motherboard CPU Light On
My PC was working normally until today, when the display stopped waking from sleep. Moving the mouse and pressing keys did nothing, so I held the power button…
Several Different BSODs Persist After a Clean Windows Install—Is the RAM or Motherboard Failing?
My Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga (20LF000KUS) has been crashing randomly with several different blue-screen errors, including MEMORY_MANAGEMENT (0x1A, with corrupted PTE/PFN structures), DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION (0x133), SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION (0x3B), KERNEL_THREAD_PRIORITY_FLOOR_VIOLATION (0x157), and…
My PC crashes during every game, and now it barely starts
Every game I play has started crashing, usually during a match or sometimes during startup. The problem originally seemed limited to one favorite game, but it now happens…
Computer Freezes at Gigabyte Logo and Won’t Run the Windows Installer
My custom-built PC was working normally until yesterday, when it began freezing on the Gigabyte splash screen with a spinning loading icon. Restarting produces the same result, and…
Is OCCT a Reliable Faster Alternative to MemTest86 for Used RAM?
I'm considering buying two used 16GB DDR4 memory sticks from someone locally. The seller says they came from an Acer Nitro V laptop and has offered to install…
PC powers on but shows no display after accidental unplugging
My PC was working normally until the power cable was accidentally pulled while it was running. Since then, pressing the power button makes it start, shut off briefly,…