My Windows 11 PC keeps freezing and then restarting at seemingly random times. It can happen on the login screen, desktop, in a game, or while I'm only using small apps like Discord, File Explorer, or Settings. I've temporarily disabled third-party apps such as Steam, Discord, and Epic Games, but the crashes continue. My built-in Wi-Fi card also doesn't work, so I'm using a Netgear USB Wi-Fi adapter. I wondered if the RAM might be the problem because memory usage gets very high while gaming, but the crashes also happen when the computer is barely doing anything. The PC seems stable in Safe Mode. Windows should be up to date. I don't know much about computers, so please explain any troubleshooting steps as simply as possible.
2 Answers
Open Event Viewer by typing it into the Windows search box, then check the Windows Logs sections for errors around the exact time of a crash. The error details may identify a driver or hardware-related problem. Also note the exact time of each restart so you can match it to the log entries. Since the system is stable in Safe Mode, checking drivers and startup software should come before assuming the RAM is faulty.
Since the computer is stable in Safe Mode, that points more toward a driver or program that loads during normal startup than immediately proving the RAM is bad. Try disabling startup programs one at a time, especially anything related to the Wi-Fi adapter, graphics card, antivirus, or hardware utilities. You can also reinstall or update those drivers from the manufacturers’ websites. If the crashes stop after disabling one item, you’ve probably found the cause.
Could a startup program still cause this if I can launch a game and play for about five minutes before the computer crashes?
I’m using Windows 11 and it appears to be up to date. I’ll check Event Viewer for errors from the most recent crash.