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Problem description: A couple days ago I finished putting together a new machine. While I was installing Windows 8.1, it restarted abruptly with no warning and no error message. Second time, I successfully installed Windows. After an hour or so of use, it restarted again. Generally it seems to happen at random intervals, but I've discovered it happens reliably whenever I try to open a large file in Photoshop (or just as soon as I open the Photoshop Minibridge). The restarts appear in the Event Viewer like this:  Attempted fixes: Initially it was rebooting constantly. It occurred to me that, in addition to my SSD with the OS installed, I had 3 additional HDDs in the machine that were connected to the power supply but not to the motherboard (I disconnected them while installing Windows since the last time I installed Windows w/multiple drives it got weird and installed itself on all of them somehow). I removed the power cables connecting those drives, and the constant rebooting stopped for a few hours. Later, it happened again. On the advice of a friend, I ran memtest86 and got this result:  Thinking it was probably the RAM causing the problem, I took out two of the sticks and ran memtest again, and it gave me a clean result. I was fairly sure the problem was fixed until I tried to open a big image in Photoshop again and immediately got the same restart. I tried disabling automatic system restart, and also tried updating the GeForce drivers, but I get the same instant restart with no error. I'm supposed to be using this PC for work and am starting to feel pretty desperate here. Anyone have some ideas? Recent changes: It's a new machine, problem's been here since I first started it. Operating system: Windows 8.1 64-Bit System specs: Custom-built CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K Haswell Quad-Core 4.0GHz Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H-BK PSU:EVGA SuperNOVA 750G2 GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 Hard Drive: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB*) *currently 2 x 4GB Location: California, USA I have Googled and read the FAQ: Yes Thanks in advance! Haledjian fucked around with this message at 00:00 on Aug 10, 2014 |
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Aug 9, 2014 23:39
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| # ? May 8, 2024 19:08 |
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Verify that you have all 8 pins of the CPU power cable and 24 pins of the ATX power cable connected to the motherboard, as well as the supplemental SATA power cable to the lower half of the board, and both PCI-E power cables to the graphics card. If that's all connected try updating the motherboard BIOS, but it sounds like you have a motherboard issue. In general terms Gigabyte motherboards are not recommended due to their power delivery problems, and trying to use four DIMMS is also not very reliable.
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Aug 10, 2014 00:57
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You might want to check your temperatures and CPU fan/heatsink/thermal paste too. Several years ago I had a laptop that would just randomly die due to overheating and wouldn't leave any error messages. It seems like overheating would throw some other errors, but it almost sounds like the system takes a crap when you tax the CPU and is OK for a while after you change/remove hardware (which would allow things to cool off a bit). Do you have speedfan or anything installed?
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Aug 10, 2014 15:51
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I updated the BIOS and it actually seems to have worked! I can't be 100% sure unless and until it reboots again, but I've been running Photoshop and ARMA 3 and other intensive stuff and it hasn't done it once since the BIOS update. Thanks for the help! Just in case it happens again, would it be better to try and get the motherboard replaced, or go for a different manufacturer?
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Aug 10, 2014 20:12
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If the problems continue replace the board with one from a different manufacturer.
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Aug 10, 2014 20:17
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FOUR MONTHS LATER UPDATE: I've been using the computer without issue since resolving the restart problem, until today. Today, I got a new wireless card and a pair of new HDDs. I installed the wireless card and figured since I'd fixed the crashing problem, I might as well reconnect the old HDDs and get the files off before I put in the new ones. I reconnected the HDDs, and the computer is now back to restarting after a few seconds. Except now, it doesn't show the BIOS or anything--the monitor light stays orange, nothing on the screen. I disconnected the hard drives again and made sure all the cables are secure, and it has continued doing exactly the same thing. I tried moving the monitor cable from the GPU connector to the motherboard connector, still nothing on the screen. I guess I'll have to order a new motherboard, but is there anything else I can do for the time being? I was counting on this PC for final projects this week and it'd be nice to get it back to how it was for a couple days, as unlikely as that seems at this point. 
Haledjian fucked around with this message at 00:56 on Dec 17, 2014 |
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Dec 17, 2014 00:52
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As to different brands, I would recommend Asus motherboards, they have been consistently good-best for awhile now. If you can not wait until your new motherboard arrives and insist on trying to make this work, I would remove everything non-essential items (HDs, all cards, use onboard video if you have it) and try getting the system to POST and get into the BIOS screen. Then try hooking up your 1 boot drive and try getting it to boot into Windows fine. If you get this far, don't play with it any more and do your projects, and wait for the new motherboard. Once you get the new motherboard you can play around some more. If you need files from those hard drives, see about getting a USB enclosure for the drives and connect them that way.
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Dec 17, 2014 17:15
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Thanks for the recommendation! I tried some things you suggested and there's been some weird developments: I took everything apart and started putting it back together again, and I seem to have isolated the restarting without anything on the screen issue to the new wireless card being plugged in. It connects to a slot I haven't used before, so it seems safe to conclude that plugging stuff in that slot = DISASTER The computer booted okay with the old WiFi card in, but then it started giving me a blue Windows 8 error screen with a giant sad face. Did that a few times until it asked if I wanted to "refresh windows", so I did. Seemed to be working normally, except performing pretty badly. While I was downloading drivers I figured hey, why not initialize and partition those new HDDs I put in. As soon as they finished partitioning, the computer shut off again, no error. Kept instantly shutting off until I pulled the SATA cables out. Now it boots again, but its giving the Windows 8 sad face error and shutting off (not restarting). Tomorrow I guess I'll see if installing a new BIOS/motherboard drivers does any good, but I'm still going to replace it as it'd be nice to be able to use all slots on it without rendering my machine unusable? I left a mean review on Newegg and now they want to call me and set things right but I'm not holding my breath. EDIT: Flashing the BIOS didn't help and it's continuing to chug and then BSOD/shutoff when under any kind of load (games, too many browser tabs, etc). It's spitting out a ton of these though: 
Haledjian fucked around with this message at 21:57 on Dec 21, 2014 |
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Dec 20, 2014 09:13
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OP, I know correlation is not causation but I have a similar motherboard and can describe the exact same issue but with Windows 7. I have been though a process of diagnosis, pulling out components, swapping out RAM etc. I'm in the process of moving to an ASRock motherboard if I can gather the strength to pull myself away from my macbook.
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Dec 23, 2014 10:29
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| # ? May 8, 2024 19:08 |
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Haha I wish you luck Graic, I'm glad I'm not the only person with this issue. I actually just filled out an RMA request, and if that doesn't work out I'm just gonna order a new one. Someone suggested to me that the motherboard might have a busted SATA controller, which could explain both the HDDs = boot failure problem and the mountain of driver errors as a result of faulty installations. I did finish my project, at least. Now I'm mostly just mad I can't play Elite.
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Dec 24, 2014 02:26
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