Windows 8 hard freezing

[dguy6789]

Hi all. Running on an Asus G73JH laptop(Core i7 Lynnfield, HM55 chipset, Radeon 5870M, OCZ Vertex 3) that is rock solid stability wise in Win 7(passes every benchmark and stability test(Prime 95, LinX/Linpack, Memtest, furmark you name it) for any duration).

With the Windows 8 RTM, things have been a bit interesting to say the least. I only do clean installs. Everything seems to go perfectly during the actual install process.

Once the OS was done setting up, I began to start installing some very basic programs and drivers. Pretty much just Google Chrome, official Radeon Windows 8 drivers, and the latest Realtek Windows 8 audio drivers(every other driver seemed to be perfectly fine with Windows 8's default install).

I didn't get to installing much more than that and the machine completely locked up. No bluescreen, no error message, nothing. Just a complete freeze where the mouse wouldn't move and the keyboard couldn't even toggle numlock on or off. Had to do a hard power off and reboot. From this point on within 60 seconds or so of booting to the desktop the machine would consistently hard freeze.

I reinstalled Windows 8 altogether. The weird thing is now it worked for days perfectly fine. Got to a point where I had every single program and setting and game I wanted set up right and things were perfect. Then seemingly completely random probably two days after I last installed something or changed a setting the machine begun doing the same hard freeze about 60 seconds after boot that it did the first time. I reinstalled Windows 8 once more and this time it began doing the hard freeze not 20 minutes after the install completed.

I installed Windows 7 and everything is as perfect as can be(I mainly did this because I wanted to be sure something in my hardware didn't fail by coincidence so I could verify the problem was exclusively software). Googling this issue didn't turn up anything that seemed related to what I was experiencing. Anybody here ever heard of anything like this or have any ideas?

 

[Chiefcrowe]

Have the event logs shown anything unusual?

you may also want to consider running some hardware diagnostics. very odd though.. could be some kind of driver issue with your hardware & win8?

 

[dguy6789]

I didn't look at the event logs; when the issue starts happening there really isn't time to do anything in Windows at all before it freezes. Driver issue definitely seems possible but if that's the case I wouldn't think it would have worked fine for four or so days without issue then completely stop working with no change.

 

[Chiefcrowe]

also do you think a Hard drive problem, small one perhaps, could be causing it?

 

[hclarkjr]

my guess would be the realtek drivers. i let windows install them itself and did not install the latest from realtek. when my install was done i had sound so i did not install anything from realtek.

 

[dguy6789]

The stock Win 8 drivers only make one of my laptop speakers work otherwise I wouldn't install the Realtek stuff.

 

[hclarkjr]

did you fix your problem? realtek has released new drivers http://www.station-drivers.com/page/realtek_audio.htm

 

[Infraction Jack]

I had a few hard locks while playing Skyrim also had Skyrim minimize to desktop a few times. I checked the event viewer but I do not see anything I can distinguish as the problem. I am running the 90 day enterprise x64 trial btw.

 

[Skywaulker]

I was hoping you may have found a solution as you have not posted any furor details.

I have the exact same problem with the exact same setup - even the same SSD.

I have done nothing but clean installs of x64 Windows 8 Pro on the Asus G73 and after just driver installs, it will just to start to freeze within 60 seconds of boot.

The only solution is doing another clean install, which only gives me a few days of usage before the same problem begins to happen.

I am by no means a PC novice but this has me completely stumped.

It is becoming extremely aggravating and I really see no other option but returning to Windows 7 until I can afford a new laptop.

Reading your post, I am beginning to think it's just with this model of laptop.

I have tried multiple different sources and versions of drivers and the problem relentlessly returns regardless of what I do. Considering Asus has not directly released Windows 8 drives for this laptop, I have had to dig a little but I have found the exact drivers I require from different manufacturers websites and some newer models of Asus laptops that use identical hardware. I know all my drivers are correct and are the Windows 8 compatible versions. But as I said, I have tried a multitude of different configurations and have yet to find a solution.

I really hope somebody has a solution to this issue!

 

[szvwxcszxc]

Put it near open flame. That should thaw it

 

[Skywaulker]

Not exactly the solution I was hoping for. I may just go ahead and toss it right into an open flame and leave it there.

 

[szvwxcszxc]

Not exactly the solution I was hoping for. I may just go ahead and toss it right into an open flame and leave it there.

Solution:

Phase A: WIPE

1) Insert Gparted Live CD (burn on another PC)
2) Boot into Gparted. (Just press enter on everything except choose 02 for English)
3) Enter Gparted, wipe whole HDD. (Delete all partitions. Apply. Do not create any partitions. Will say "unallocated".)
4) Exit Gparted

Phase B: INSTALL

5) Smash Windows 8 DVD (or feed it to a live sea monster)
6) Insert Windows 7 Ultimate x64 DVD
7) Install Windows 7 Ultimate x64
8) SUCCESS!

 

[Skywaulker]

Can anyone offer some real advice to help me out?

Help me dguy6789. You're my only hope! [Hologram disappears]

I'm really hoping that you have found a solution and that is why you haven't posted any further info.

 

[Mem]

also do you think a Hard drive problem, small one perhaps, could be causing it?

I was thinking this,infact had similar sort of issue on Win7 ,the HD would freeze and mouse lockup and I had to hit the power button,in the end I had a faulty HD(only 12 months old),replaced the HD and then it was all working fine,even did an upgrade to Win8 with the new HD,no issues.

 

[uallas5]

I have done nothing but clean installs of x64 Windows 8 Pro on the Asus G73 and after just driver installs, it will just to start to freeze within 60 seconds of boot.

What driver installs? Were they from Windows Update, Asus, 3rd party? If there are multiple drivers to install, are you installing them one-by-one so you can identify a problem driver easier?

 

[Skywaulker]

It can't be the hard drive as it works just fine with Windows 7.

As far as the drivers go, I have obtained some of the drives from Asus' support page such as the ATK_Driver, KBFilter and some other Asus-related utilities. My chipset drivers came from Intels support site but I have tried using the Asus provided ones for Windows 7. My audio driver came from Realteks support site but I have also tried using the Asus signed driver for Windows 7.

As I said, Asus doesn't provide any Windows 8 drives for this model but I have not had any problems finding drivers from some new models that use identical hardware.

I have been trying to figure out which driver it is but it just starts to happen at seemingly random times. However, once it starts to freeze on boot, it won't stop. The only fix is doing another clean install.

I have tried just installing the absolute basics and it still happens eventually.

Doing some research online, it appears quite a few people are having this issue with the G73 models and Windows 8. Is really getting disappointing.

I want to send dguy a PM in hopes that he may be able to help but it appears I do not have the ability to contact the "Administrators group" on this forum.

 

[Mem]

I didn't look at the event logs; when the issue starts happening there really isn't time to do anything in Windows at all before it freezes. Driver issue definitely seems possible but if that's the case I wouldn't think it would have worked fine for four or so days without issue then completely stop working with no change.

Did you try looking at reliability history in action centre?...it gives you a graph and little circle with red cross of any issues,click on that might point towards the issue if there is a pattern.

 

[Hugo Drax]

This is why 90% of Users never upgrade windows and only get the new version when it ships with a new computer preinstalled by the vendor.

 

[Kristijonas]

This sounds like the issue I had with Windows 8 Release Preview version. A windows update helped. It should be a fixed issue in RTM version though...

 

[Skywaulker]

The problem with checking the reliability history, or any kind of log for that matter, is that the system locks up cold before any kind of log can be initiated. That's why I'm having such a problem pin pointing the issue.

The only thing I know for certain is that no matter what I do, the problem always comes back at some point on every single fresh install.

This is also a purchased retail copy and not the RTM - not that it should matter much aside from being that if in fact there was a bug in the RTM causing this issue, is should already be fixed in this version I would think.

I have installed all available updates every time and the issue still arises eventually.

 

[Mem]

I would still try a different HD to try ruling out hardware,it could be certain hardware is having issues with Win8.

As I said, Asus doesn't provide any Windows 8 drives for this model but I have not had any problems finding drivers from some new models that use identical hardware.

I used Win8 default ones for my Asus board and got latest Win8 Intel drivers (for my RST,LAN)via Intel download software manager.

 

[ThunderPumpkin]

I had a very similar problem with my G73 after I upgraded to 8. If you're willing to take a few steps back and lose some installations, you can try what I did. The problem with my install was that the Windows updates it was installing corrupted when I tried to install them in the OS. If yours is as bad as mine was, you might only have a minute or two to go in and check to see if any updates failed. To do this, you:

1. Open up the right toolbar in 8 and go to Settings, then Control Panel.
2. Click on System and Security.
3. Then, under Windows Update, click on Update History.

If ANY of your updates say "Failed" or whatever it is, I recommend you try this.

1. Perform a system restore to prior to all the updates Windows did (there should have been one automatically saved there).
2. Once you're done, boot Windows and don't install anything. Don't even let Windows install another update. Instead, once all the OS updates are downloaded, do a Restart and Update. Then, once that's all taken care of, you can start installing things in the OS.

I honestly don't know why the updates kept corrupting, but performing the updates outside the OS seemed to prevent any corruptions from happening.


Best of luck!

 

[deant]

I second ThunderPumpkin's explanation: I had the same problem and a corrupted windows update was the cause.

If I recall correctly, I tried rebooting in safe mode several times (safe mode is still there, just buried under menus now), and running windows update as soon as possible after boot, and eventually the problem fixed itself. (I think it was an update to Bing desktop that was causing the problem).

(I may also have deleted the windows update cache, I can't remember...)

 

[pedro5antos]

I've had the same problem multiple times. I can't tell you how to fix it permanently, but I can tell you how to make do.
Right after boot, press fn+F2 or find any other way to disable the bluetooth radio and the wireless receiver.
With them off, my computer doesn't freeze anymore.
I tried switching off the bluetooth only, but it froze after a minute.
Now I'll try the wireless only and keep you posted...