# Computer freezing a few minutes after boot. Works fine in safe mode + networking



## tonyri0 (Feb 13, 2013)

Please help me with this issue with my computer. I got home from school today and tried to use my dell desktop, and it seems to work fine for about 60 seconds and then it just freezes, like caps lock light wont toggle and requires a hard shutdown kind of freeze. It appears to work fine in safe mode. I tried to fix it myself by disabling all the non-Microsoft drivers, but it still freezes in normal mode. The only part in the system that isn't stock is a nvidia graphics card, but it has worked fine for a few months, plus I disabled the nvidia driver in msconfig along with everything else non-Microsoft to no avail. This seems to have come out of nowhere, because it worked fine this morning. I left it on during the day though. Please help me, I've done all I know how to do. 

Edit: Forgot to mention one last thing. The Norton 360 subscription ran out today, so I tried to uninstall it, but the computer would always freeze before I could run something for that long. Safe mode doesn't allow uninstalling either.


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## makinu1der2 (Jan 1, 2008)

Hello,

Try clean booting the PC and see if we maybe narrow down what is causing the freezing.

How to perform a clean boot to troubleshoot a problem in Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8

Once we have the freezing issue resolved you can then uninstall Norton using there uninstaller. Norton Uninstaller


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## tonyri0 (Feb 13, 2013)

Ok, I've done a clean boot. Still freezes in normal mode. I had to hard shutdown again.


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## makinu1der2 (Jan 1, 2008)

Does the PC have integrated graphics?

If so try removing the graphics card and using just the integrated to see if you still get the freezes.


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## tonyri0 (Feb 13, 2013)

The video card doesn't appear to be the problem either.


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## tonyri0 (Feb 13, 2013)

I also thought to add, when the computer is about to freeze up, you can tell a few seconds ahead, because the mouse pointer will start to lag and skip, so it doesn't seem to be an instant thing


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## tonyri0 (Feb 13, 2013)

I tried removing the graphics card and plugging it back in. It didn't have any effect on the crashing unfortunately. Any other ideas?

Edit: For some reason, the norton driver keeps reactivating itself after I disable it. Hmm


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## makinu1der2 (Jan 1, 2008)

Try running a System Restore from Safe Mode back to a point before the freezing started.


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## tonyri0 (Feb 13, 2013)

Tried that earlier today. Didn't help. I used a restore from early last week, much before I had problems.


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## Tomken15 (Dec 7, 2011)

Have a good read through this (including links) Resplendence Software - WhoCrashed, automatic crash dump analyzer and then run the program to see if it comes up with anything.

Go into Norton if it will start and try disabling the AV aspect in Settings.


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## makinu1der2 (Jan 1, 2008)

What model Dell is this?


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## tonyri0 (Feb 13, 2013)

makinu1der2 said:


> What model Dell is this?


Inpiron 560, plus I added the graphics card from amazon. 



I ran the program that was linked and there are no crash reports from today.

P.S. I managed to uninstall Norton with their uninstaller from safe mode, but i'm still crashing


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## tonyri0 (Feb 13, 2013)

It seems to me that one of the microsoft drivers is causing it, because it crashes when I boot normal mode with just microsoft drivers, but it works fine in safe mode. Any suggestions?


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## makinu1der2 (Jan 1, 2008)

Go back through the clean boot process this time without selecting hide microsoft services.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

In Safe Mode go to Start/Search and type *CMD *Right click the *CMD* icon in the search results and *Run As Administrator*. In the *Elevated Command Prompt* type *SFC /scannow* and press enter. This will replace any missing or corrupted files. 
If this still fails, from the Clean Boot in normal mode, try adding one Startup Item and rebooting, at a time until the computer fails, then you will know which is the culprit.


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## tonyri0 (Feb 13, 2013)

It said it found corrupted files, but was unable to fix them.


Also, the computer was crashing when I was using only microsoft drivers. I can probably disable them, but some of them are probably critical to running the machine.


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## makinu1der2 (Jan 1, 2008)

When you performed the clean boot earlier did you also follow the steps to remove the startup items?

If removing the startup items didn't correct the issue then it may be a Microsoft service causing the issue.

You can perform the steps and uncheck the microsoft services one at a time to see if this is the case.


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## tonyri0 (Feb 13, 2013)

There has to be about 100 microsoft drivers on my computer. Isn't there an easier way to determine which one is breaking my system without manually disabling each one one at a time to find the solution? Even if one of them is broken, how would I go about fixing it? I'm not sure I have the capability to solve this problem. I might have to have it looked at in person by a professional. This is a factory built machine, so I don't even have an activation key for the OS, cuz Dell locks them to the BIOS. I've spent like 6 hours tonight trying everything I know. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow when I'm not so frustrated with technology.


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## Tomken15 (Dec 7, 2011)

When sfc /scannow cannot complete repairs, it usually means a reinstall but if you can back up your files onto DVDs or an external HDD - then you can factory reset the computer.

You can also see which files sfc /scannow was unable to repair by following these steps to view the cbs.log How to Find What Files SFC Could Not Repair - For Dummies


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## makinu1der2 (Jan 1, 2008)

> Isn't there an easier way to determine which one is breaking my system without manually disabling each one one at a time to find the solution?


You can disable a few at a time.


> Even if one of them is broken, how would I go about fixing it? I'm not sure I have the capability to solve this problem.


If we are able to determine a specific service causing the problem we can then fix that service.


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## tonyri0 (Feb 13, 2013)

Breakthrough! I appear to have fixed the crashing issue by disabling the wireless antenna on my desktop. Unfortunately, I don't know why it was crashing, or if it will stay stable. 

The device I disabled was WLAN PCIe Card DW1525.any advice on how to fix it or test it?


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## tonyri0 (Feb 13, 2013)

Ok scratch that. I think the new reason it is crashing is CPU related. The cpu is running very oddly with spikes and dips, plus it is spending way too much time on 100%. Also, if you try to do anything while it is at 100%,it will crash. 

I can't reconnect to the Internet either. The adapter shows up as enabled, but when I try to connect, it just says I can't connect, but gives no reason why. In the processes, it says that svchost.exe local is using 33% and System Idle is using 45%.


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## makinu1der2 (Jan 1, 2008)

> The device I disabled was WLAN PCIe Card DW1525.any advice on how to fix it or test it?


Where did you disable the device? Services tab or through Device Manager?

Are you connecting to the internet using the wireless card?


> Ok scratch that. I think the new reason it is crashing is CPU related. The cpu is running very oddly with spikes and dips, plus it is spending way too much time on 100%. Also, if you try to do anything while it is at 100%,it will crash


Is the inside of the case clear of dust/debris?


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## tonyri0 (Feb 13, 2013)

I disabled it by right clicking it in the control panel and clicking disable. And the inside of the case is clean, I opened a few times to rearrange different components to see if they were the problem. Dust doesn't explain insane CPU usage and spikes


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## makinu1der2 (Jan 1, 2008)

> Dust doesn't explain insane CPU usage and spikes


Heat could though.


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