Windows 11 freezes shortly after startup despite multiple reinstalls
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MellowPine47
I recently installed Windows 11 on a new PC. It runs normally for a few days, but after shutting it down and starting it again, the system freezes about three seconds after booting. Sometimes Windows also reports that it cannot connect to the network and points to C:WindowsSystem32LogfilesSrtSrtTrail.txt.
So far I have updated the BIOS, run MemTest86 on the memory, reinstalled Windows five or six times using different USB drives, deleted the partitions during installation, and tried chkdsk C: /f /r and sfc /scannow from the recovery environment.
The system has a Ryzen 5 9600X, MSI PRO B850M-A WIFI motherboard, one 16 GB DDR5-6000 module, a 2 TB Samsung SSD, an Intel Arc B580 graphics card, and an 850 W power supply. What would be the best way to determine whether the SSD or another component is causing the freezes?
Answers
Since you are already deleting the partitions during reinstall, the next step is to test the SSD itself. Use the drive manufacturer’s diagnostic utility or bootable hardware-testing environment to check its SMART health, firmware, and surface condition. Also verify that the SSD is firmly seated and that the motherboard’s storage settings are correct.
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A bootable troubleshooting environment such as Hiren’s BootCD PE can help test components without relying on the installed Windows copy. It includes tools for checking drives and other hardware. Testing with the spare SATA SSD is also a useful comparison: if Windows works normally from it, the NVMe drive or its connection becomes the main suspect.
MellowPine47: MemTest86 did not report any memory errors, and I’ll try the SATA SSD next to see whether the original drive is responsible.
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MellowPine47: I was wondering if there is a tool I can put on a USB drive to test the SSD. I also have another SATA SSD, so I plan to install Windows on that and see whether the problem follows the original drive.