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[xDarkz]

The title says it all. I've never experienced this issue up until today. I was playing a game (League of Legends) and suddenly it froze on me, with the background sound looping. I figured I'd just shut it down by holding the power button. It worked, booted up normally and I went back to it. The same thing occurred again and I repeated the process. Once more, it occurred and I figured I'd just stop playing all together.

I loaded Firefox to try and figure out what the hell was going on. It froze then too. I kept trying, persistence overwhelming me. After a couple of more reboots, it now just freezes a few seconds after start-up. It usually loads the background and the icons for a split second, but then freezes. Sometimes, it doesn't even get as far as that, freezing at the Windows 7 start-up logo screen.

I'm not sure what I can do... I do not have the original IOS disk, otherwise I'd have reformatted already. I can't run anything, not even in SAFE MODE. Yes, it freezes even in safe mode. I don't know how I feel like paying for a $199 Windows 7 disk. I've got Windows XP and Vista disks, but I'd like to keep it Windows 7. I'm not advocating nor am I saying I will, but I've been so desperate that I've even looked into the pros/cons of pirated Windows 7 disks.

Do you guys have any help you can offer me...?

[The Fool]

It sounds like your disk is fragmenting at a very fast rate. Either that or it's a very persistent virus, but I'd say that a disk fragmentation sounds more likely.

Even with a disk of Win7 you'd have a problem. Any data would start fragmenting as soon as you install it if it's that far gone. I don't know what to say. Your hard drive might be toast if I'm right, but you might be able to wipe it and use it again if there isn't anything physically wrong with it.

Hopefully someone else has a better sounding idea of what's happening.

[eerr]

The way I see it, it's like 90% chance a hardware problem.

Try booting to a linux flash drive.

Literally all I did was backup my entire computer through a usb drive, put in a new hard drive, then copy it back.

10 hours of copying a hard drive through a usb port, more than twice because.... eh, I did not simply get a new hard drive.

Just hope that fixes your problem!

Also note that even if the drive is truely corrupting, they have at least good error checking and making it through a boot is a good sign.



Oem windows machines install a specific version of windows (7 or whatever) without requiring you to input a product key.

Various utilities can make a windows 7 install disk.

As far as I know, mismatched versions of windows 7? will ask for a product key but run anyway. Far enough for a reinstall over the internet!



I'm not sure how it could be anything other than hard drive problems.

[G-Flex]

Try booting to a linux flash drive.

This. The best diagnostic thing you can do right now is see if you can at least boot from another OS on a USB drive or CD/DVD.

[xDarkz]

The way I see it, it's like 90% chance a hardware problem.

Try booting to a linux flash drive.

Literally all I did was backup my entire computer through a usb drive, put in a new hard drive, then copy it back.

10 hours of copying a hard drive through a usb port, more than twice because.... eh, I did not simply get a new hard drive.

Just hope that fixes your problem!

Also note that even if the drive is truely corrupting, they have at least good error checking and making it through a boot is a good sign.



Oem windows machines install a specific version of windows (7 or whatever) without requiring you to input a product key.

Various utilities can make a windows 7 install disk.

As far as I know, mismatched versions of windows 7? will ask for a product key but run anyway. Far enough for a reinstall over the internet!



I'm not sure how it could be anything other than hard drive problems.

I'm creating a Linux bootup flash drive right now to see if I can run it on another OS. Can you please elaborate and clarify what you're saying? I'm not particularly tech-savy ._. I bought this computer from a friend who rigged it up with some hardware. I'm not sure if it's almost completely custom made, but it looks like it. I'm still waiting on UNetbootin to finish. Are OEM OS versions expensive? I'm not sure how I can create a Windows 7 Installation Disk without forking up a considerably sum of cash .

[G-Flex]

Are OEM OS versions expensive?

It doesn't matter, because you can't get them... unless you're a major manufacturer of Windows PCs, anyway.

I have, however, used a retail Windows XP CD to install Windows onto a computer that has an OEM license, though, but changing the license type requires certain tools that may or may not be available for Windows 7.

[Tellemurius]

Are OEM OS versions expensive?

It doesn't matter, because you can't get them... unless you're a major manufacturer of Windows PCs, anyway.

I have, however, used a retail Windows XP CD to install Windows onto a computer that has an OEM license, though, but changing the license type requires certain tools that may or may not be available for Windows 7.

GFlex umm hate to break it to you but microsoft does provide OEM licenses+discs available to purchase for windows 7, full install to boot. lowest price is 100 bucks for Home Premium right now.


As for the windows disc issue, if you can get a iso running on the computer and can match the Service pack and the type of install (retail/OEM) you can do a repair installation that will not ask for the product key. Even if it does ask the code it will take it as microsoft does authentication online now instead of disc so the code should still work just need to activate online.

XDarkz i suggest you download this http://www.hirensbootcd.org/ and run the linux live image, theres hardware diagnostics you can use to see if the HD is toasted or something else, also boot miniXP and see if you can find some crash dumps incase HD is still good.

[eerr]

Uhhh, what I should say, is that:

It should be a valid install if it was sold as a windows computer. Sorry to confuse you.

Replacing hard drive:

Make linux boot thingamybob.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Flash drives and cd's are easy to boot from these days.
Flash drives are usually more convenient.

Buy usb backup drive(How I do it), back up whole hard drive.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

An ordinary flash drive that holds your whole hard drive is probably doable as well.
I don't know what a cd can hold.

Buy ordinary hard drive (Microsoft makes sure hardware companies make very compatible drives)

Boot off linux disk. Pray to the hardware gods. Copy hard drive to back up drive.

Turn off computer.
Open box

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Most computers open without a screwdriver. Do some searching on it, or look it up online.

Oremove old hard drive from cable and power supply. Add new hard drive to cable and power supply

Boot off linux disk. copy backup drive to hard drive.

Turn off computer.

Boot into what is hopefully a 100% intact windows install.

-Profit.

[Sir Finkus]

Are OEM OS versions expensive?

It doesn't matter, because you can't get them... unless you're a major manufacturer of Windows PCs, anyway.

I have, however, used a retail Windows XP CD to install Windows onto a computer that has an OEM license, though, but changing the license type requires certain tools that may or may not be available for Windows 7.

GFlex umm hate to break it to you but microsoft does provide OEM licenses+discs available to purchase for windows 7, full install to boot. lowest price is 100 bucks for Home Premium right now.


As for the windows disc issue, if you can get a iso running on the computer and can match the Service pack and the type of install (retail/OEM) you can do a repair installation that will not ask for the product key. Even if it does ask the code it will take it as microsoft does authentication online now instead of disc so the code should still work just need to activate online.

XDarkz i suggest you download this http://www.hirensbootcd.org/ and run the linux live image, theres hardware diagnostics you can use to see if the HD is toasted or something else, also boot miniXP and see if you can find some crash dumps incase HD is still good.

The product key is already embeded in the computer!

There is a tiny tiny device in the computer, that, if you remove it, will make your computer not recognized as oem.

A tiny little thing with a serial printed on it.

Don't fucking touch the little thing with a serial on it, if you like having a valid windows install.


OEM comes with the computer, in the form of said tiny hardware component.

Otherwise- if you are a student you can download a free copy of Vista.

What? No...

[Thief^]

A computer outright freezing is normally either the CPU halting due to some serious fault, or the graphics card halting due to some serious fault. It's often power-supply related, but it could be any bit of the computer.

Less serious faults trigger bluescreen crashes. A freeze is much worse.

EDIT: Check if your numlock key still makes your keyboard's numlock light change (assuming wired keyboard). If it does, your cpu is still working, and it's probably the graphics card that's faulting. The numlock light is actually controlled by the pc, so when the computer is properly frozen even that doesn't work.


Also you can buy OEM windows on disks and it comes with the serial on a sticker. Officially you're only supposed to install it using Microsofts deployment tools, but it's just a normal windows disk and you can use it normally. The only difference is that the OEM version you only get one of x86 or x64, and the retail boxed version you get both.

[MarcAFK]

My last laptop had serious freezing problems that i'm quite certain was GPU related, why?
First sign was freezing while attempting to play games, then came freezing while playing videos.
There were obvious signs of graphics corruption, colour bleeding, streaks, artifacts etc.
Reinstalling windows and replacing hard drive + ram = exact same problems.
My last option was to attempt to reflash the BIOS, which would probably have fixed it (I'm pretty sure i merely corrupted the BIOS with static while screwing with it's insides)
However due to it's age and other problems i just bought a new replacement.
Soooo, TLDR, were there obvious signs of graphical artifacts?
If you can get it booted through a linux disk it's probably a hard drive/ OS problem.
If that doesn't work you might try changing the ram around, if you have several sticks try removing all but one of them, try each one in turn, you might get lucky and find that it's just that.
Every 3-4 years i'll find a RAM problem like that. HDD's never seem to last more than 3 years. and i'll never have windows going more than 2 years before the OS get's corrupted requiring reinstall.
Graphics don't seem to last me more than 5 years. Processors never seem to wear out for me, generally i'll assume because i upgrade too often, though my old p4 started having problems with the 50% overclock i was running it at for the last 3 years of it's life (go figure).

[Trapezohedron]

Less serious faults trigger bluescreen crashes. A freeze is much worse.

Oh f**k. I've been having a lot of that recently. Somehow, to make my rig turn back on in near-tip top shape, I'd need to move the wires inside around a bit.

Either that, or wait until the rig cools down a bit. Or both.

[xDarkz]

After a few days of trying everything, I decided to forgo everything and attempt a reformat now that I managed to get a Windows 7 installation disk from my friend. I'm not sure if there were any freezes during the process, but it was PAINFULLY slow. It took ten minutes alone just to get past the Windows Logo and the whole "setting up" thing. I'm really worried now that it's a hardware issue and not something less... serious. After the whole setting up "Welcome to Windows 7" thing, it was back to normal. Except one thing... Windows 7 is failing to recognize the SSD card. I'll link you guys to a thread that poses almost the exact same problem.

Thread (Post #5 has images): http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/29713-no-partitions-showing-what-am-i-doing-wrong.html

No partitions are showing... Some people suggest changing my SATA mode option until it can recognize the SSD, but my BIOS (Phoenix - Award BIOS) doesn't have a clear defined "SATA Mode" option. Furthermore, some have suggested I wiped the SSD clean of any partitions, and it'll begin showing up as "Unallocated" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AFDDokBJZ8), but using boot-up partition managers doesn't seem to go all the way through and they simply lag and stall during the initiation process! Tried all manners of partition wiping and nothing was successful. They either didn't detect the partition or outright refused to start up. Last but not least, others have also suggested downloading the SATA controller driver from the manufacturer's website, the problem is that I'm not sure how I can find the appropriate SATA controller driver, the friend who sold it to me is not reachable right now and because he built the computer from the ground up... It's quite a situation.

My SSD: http://www.ocztechnology.com/ocz-vertex-2-sata-ii-2-5-ssd.html
BIOS ID: 05/24/2006-alienware-6A61HP22C-00

The BIOS detects my SSD but Windows 7 does not. To make matters worse, we pulled out the SSD card from inside my tower and placed it into my brother's laptop. We tried the installation process and it ran perfectly. We did not sit there for ten minutes waiting for it to "prepare" itself like it did on my system.

I'm not sure what happened, it was working PERFECTLY a couple of days ago. It just started recently when it just froze on my during a session of League of Legends and forced me to manually restart. This really sucks :/. Do you guys have any advice or idea of what the problem might me? Or how in the world am I going to reformat based everything? If only I could find the drivers for my SSD card....


EDIT: And yessir, the first signs of freezing occurred a while ago after I tried to watch some Youtube videos in fullscreen mode. The screen tore up and the computer froze, prompting a manual restart.

[Tellemurius]

05/24/2006-alienware-6A61HP22C-00

You're pushing your luck there, in Bios you have to change the bus settings to SATA or RAID mode to detect the SSD for windows 7 and the drivers i did find were only IDE so i think it comes to show, its too old man time to give up............

I found some RAID drivers, load these to the root of a usb drive, if you can't see it still give up man.
ftp://ftp.evga.com/bios/9.92_RAID_Vista.zip

Wait can you give me a motherboard brand and model before you try that link? Its on the motherboard easy to read.

[xDarkz]

05/24/2006-alienware-6A61HP22C-00

You're pushing your luck there, in Bios you have to change the bus settings to SATA or RAID mode to detect the SSD for windows 7 and the drivers i did find were only IDE so i think it comes to show, its too old man time to give up............

I found some RAID drivers, load these to the root of a usb drive, if you can't see it still give up man.
ftp://ftp.evga.com/bios/9.92_RAID_Vista.zip

Wait can you give me a motherboard brand and model before you try that link? Its on the motherboard easy to read.

I didn't see an option to change any bus settings at all, would you happen to be able to narrow in on where it's located and what it's probable "name" for it is? As for the drivers and the motherboard make/model, I'm not able to test or check it right now because my station is at a friend's house while he checks it out, but I can get back to you with the answer as soon as tomorrow. How on earth did you find a driver? I didn't even know where to look . I will get back with the results as soon as I can... I just hope it works.