Recurring computer freeze + crash. Need help.

[Thomas_24]

Hey everyone,
This is my first post so let me say thank you in advance for reading it. I have had the same issue with this computer for a while and I would really like to fix it. This is my mini itx setup:
OS: Windows 7 Professional 64bit
Mobo: Gigabyte H55N-USB3
Processor: Intel Core I5 760 @ 2.80GHZ
RAM: 4GB DDR3
Video: Nvidea GeForce GTX 460
Hard drives: OCZ-VERTEX2 ATA SSD (boot) + Seagate 500gb HD
The PSU is a 80 PLUS Bronze certified 600W@50℃ PSU with single +12V rail which came with my Silverstone SG07 case.

Symptoms:
The computer will freeze and all programs will "not respond". There does not seem to be any "triggers" as it can happen while I'm simply typing in Word or playing a game. After a minute or so I restart my computer and the following can occur:
-Stuck on the Gigabyte screen
-Stuck on a black screen after the BIOS loads with "Disc read error occured Press Ctrl-Alt-Dlt to restart"
-"Disk Boot Failure insert system disk and press enter"
When I have those errors, I go to my BIOS and look at my hard drive page and it does not recognize them as being there. It simply says "None" for all my SATA connections.
When these crashes occur, I unplug my hard drive + SSD, turn off my PSU and then plug everything back. This seems to work from time to time (although I have no clue if it actually does anything). Some days my computer will take 10+ reboots to actually load the OS but that number varies from day to day and even crash to crash.
I read my mobo does have a lot of issues so I thought it could be a Northbridge temperature issue. According to my temperature monitor, my core and CPU temps never go above 45C (my computer case is opened on my desk next to a window + I have an external fan blowing on the case).
My BIOS is the last version Gigabyte has on their website. I ran a disk check which was negative. I ran a Memtest which was also negative.
----------
Booted my computer this morning, wrote a few emails and everything was fine. I launched my MMO and in the middle of a battleground, the computer froze/crashed. Upon rebooting I got
"Disk Boot Failure insert system disk and press enter" a few times. Another few times I got a black page with Loading Operating System... and nothing more.
I was then able to go Safe Mode + Networking option. I logged on this website to post all this and as I was typing, the computer froze/crashed again.
I noticed that sometimes, unplugging some of my USBs when the computer is freezing resolves the issue for a couple minutes. This is not always the case, however.

Please let me know if you have any ideas as to what the issue is and how I can fix it.
I would be happy to provide more information if needed.
Thanks!

 

[pete1229]

I am almost certain your problem is with the SSD, you'll need to re-install (unfortunatley} by doing the following:
First download the F6 intel driver (Ver 9) and put it on a thumb drive.
(1) Do't use default IDE mode, Set controller 2 AHCI
(2) Disconnect HDD when doing the Install or Win 7 will move a part of installation to HDD that is best left on the SSD.
(3) Select custom install
(A) delete any pre-existing partition
(B) check the box for additional needed drivers (Have Intel F6 (Ver 9) drivers ready
.(C) Redo Partition ( should show 2, a little 100mb system partition and the remainder ofthe SSD in a second Partition - which you want to select for installation.
(D) Browse to where F6 drives are and select the intel ahci driver
(c) When installation is complete, let windows do it's updates and then install the Intel RST (ver9 ) driver set.
(4) When you have win installation complete
(a) power down and reattach your HDD
(b) Install your programs.

I got all this from the following link, you might want to check it out first
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/264193-32-vertex-problem

Good luck and welcome to the forum.

 

[Thomas_24]

Hey, thanks for your reply.
I will do what you listed as soon as I get Windows on a drive or get an internal CD drive (I don't actually have a CD/DVD drive on this computer). In the meantime, I just had a quick question.
When the computer freezes and I restart it, I go into the BIOS to take a look at my HDD and SDD and I get:
IDE Channel 0 Master: None
IDE Channel 0 Slave: None
IDE Channel 1 Master: None
IDE Channel 1 Slave: None
When my computer actually does work, it shows both drives. I suppose my question is, would a problem with my SSD cause my HDD to not be displayed on the BIOS?

 

[Athadeus]

It should not, but I suppose it is possible if the system checks the SSD first and it causes the check to fail and skip any other devices.

 

[Thomas_24]

Thanks for your answer. I will try the fix Pete proposed.
Something I forgot mentioning which might be of importance. When I first built this computer I put the SSD on my Channel 0 Master slot on the Mobo. I had the exact same issue but it would occur very frequently. Currently my SSD and HDD are both on the 1st Channel Master/Slave slots. When I try plugging them to Channel 0 slots, my computer never actually loads the OS. It seems like out of my 4 SATA slots, I get the errors more frequently on 2 out of the 4.
I don't know how relevant that is.

 

[pete1229]

This seems to be re-accuring theme on this and other forums with reference to the OCZ Vertex2 SSD's. Be sure you have the latest firmware installed for the drive also before you attempt the re-install of Win 7. If you can, google the vertex for a clearer picture on the issues with the drive.

 

[Thomas_24]

I am not very good at finding the right drivers. I will follow your explanations and re-install Win 7 ASAP, but do you know where I can get that F6 intel driver (Ver 9)? I wasn't sure what to look for on the Intel website. Thanks.

 

[pete1229]

Here is the link for the driver:

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/SearchResult.aspx?lang=eng&ProductFamily=Software+Products&ProductLine=Chipset+Software&ProductProduct=Intel%c2%ae+Rapid+Storage+Technology