TC-885 freezing and/or blue screen. Trying to do system restore and freezes while doing it..

Not sure if I have a hardware problem or what ?

Desktop had been sitting for months. Plugged it in and started doing windows updates and brought norton up to date. It kept freezing up while updating - sometimes blue screen ('kernal data inpage error', then 'critical process died' both multiple times), sometimes it just froze.

Disabled norton, uninstalled all recent updates. Still same issue. Researched and used windows diagnostic tools but they would not be able to finish before it locked up. Did run memory check in command prompt and said everything was good.

Decided to reinstall windows since nothing to loose on system - it just had firefox, office 2019 on it (had never used computer much due to covid slowing work down). Would not make it through install (in windows 10) without freezing up. Tried multiple times.

I ended up out of windows (ALT FN F10 will bring you to this menu). Still cannot get through an install without freezing up. I have tried all options of reinstalling except the super long option that completely wipes it clean for resale.

Anyone have an idea?

Thank you!

Joe

Accepted answers

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ttttt

@Joebnc,
I have a TC885-UA91, and I have read your other thread too. Seems like your PC's hardware is still O.K. but the updates hurt it.

Do you have a System Image previously created that can be tried?

Since you decided to do a clean install and have tried AL+Fn+F10 recovery but still could not do it, I'll suggest go to Microsoft site https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 to download the

Windows 10 installation media.

Be sure to have an USB flash drive ready before doing it, as this will be your bootable drive later.

Boot to this flash drive and try to install Win 10 (When bootup, hold down Fn and continue to tap F12 key to reach the Bootmenu and select to boot from the flash drive).
There will be Repair option before really activating the install process.

If I were you, I'll try the Repair option here first see if it can salvage your previous setups. If everything fail, then I'll go with the real clean install and let Win 10 wipe out the previous version. You will be asked for a Win 10 product key.
Choose " I don't have the Product Key" even though you really have the Win 10 Digital License embedded in the motherboard. Win 10 will recognize it anyway.

Then, do the clean Win 10 install.

Hope this will do it. This is the last effort you can try unless some experts here can point out other better methods.

Joebnc

ttttt said:

@Joebnc,
I have a TC885-UA91, and I have read your other thread too. Seems like your PC's hardware is still O.K. but the updates hurt it.

Do you have a System Image previously created that can be tried?

Since you decided to do a clean install and have tried AL+Fn+F10 recovery but still could not do it, I'll suggest go to Microsoft site https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 to download the
Windows 10 installation media.
Be sure to have an USB flash drive ready before doing it, as this will be your bootable drive later.

Boot to this flash drive and try to install Win 10 (When bootup, hold down Fn and continue to tap F12 key to reach the Bootmenu and select to boot from the flash drive).
There will be Repair option before really activating the install process.

If I were you, I'll try the Repair option here first see if it can salvage your previous setups. If everything fail, then I'll go with the real clean install and let Win 10 wipe out the previous version. You will be asked for a Win 10 product key.
Choose " I don't have the Product Key" even though you really have the Win 10 Digital License embedded in the motherboard. Win 10 will recognize it anyway.

Then, do the clean Win 10 install.

Hope this will do it. This is the last effort you can try unless some experts here can point out other better methods.

No system image - this computer was not used much. I bought it right before covid.. got it up and running.. updated it, loaded norton, firefox etc. Used it just enough to know this issue was not there. Been sitting since then unplugged in my home office.

I did get it to do the full sytem wipe (from internal sshd) but it warned me not all of my personal settting was erased. I did get it up and going but same issue.. sits there idle and will get a blue screen. I did see that it still had some of the new updates which seemed odd.

So I did a clean install of windows 10 last night from USB as ttttt described. It installed smoothly. Computer is running on Windows again. I did not any updates yet or download anything (turned off wifi). I let it sit idle overnight on purpose and this morning it was frozen again. No blue screen, just froze.

Any ideas?

billsey

If you boot into the BIOS and just wander around there does it eventually freeze? If so it's a hardware issue. If it doesn't freeze in the BIOS try booting on the Windows install flash drive, enter Repair mode and wander around there. If it still doesn't freeze then we are looking at a Windows or app/driver issue and a reinstall is likely the best choice for expediency's sake.

ttttt

@Joebnc

I may try three things.

1) Uninstall Norton
2) Double check memory by unplugging and reseating RAM sticks firmly, check SSD/HDD connection good
3) In Windows power setting, I will not set the sleep mode yet. Have HDD set to never shut down.

Try leave it on overnight and see.

Joebnc

ttttt said:

@Joebnc,
I have a TC885-UA91, and I have read your other thread too. Seems like your PC's hardware is still O.K. but the updates hurt it.

Do you have a System Image previously created that can be tried?

Since you decided to do a clean install and have tried AL+Fn+F10 recovery but still could not do it, I'll suggest go to Microsoft site https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 to download the
Windows 10 installation media.
Be sure to have an USB flash drive ready before doing it, as this will be your bootable drive later.

Boot to this flash drive and try to install Win 10 (When bootup, hold down Fn and continue to tap F12 key to reach the Bootmenu and select to boot from the flash drive).
There will be Repair option before really activating the install process.

If I were you, I'll try the Repair option here first see if it can salvage your previous setups. If everything fail, then I'll go with the real clean install and let Win 10 wipe out the previous version. You will be asked for a Win 10 product key.
Choose " I don't have the Product Key" even though you really have the Win 10 Digital License embedded in the motherboard. Win 10 will recognize it anyway.

Then, do the clean Win 10 install.

Hope this will do it. This is the last effort you can try unless some experts here can point out other better methods.

No system image - this computer was not used much. I bought it right before covid.. got it up and running.. updated it, loaded norton, firefox etc. Used it just enough to know this issue was not there. Been sitting since then unplugged in my home office.

I did get it to do the full sytem wipe (from internal sshd) but it warned me not all of my personal settting was erased. I did get it up and going but same issue.. sits there idle and will get a blue screen. I did see that it still had some of the new updates which seemed odd.

So I did a clean install of windows 10 from USB as ttttt described. It installed smoothly. Computer is running on Windows again.

Had a few problems while it was updating windows.

Had a couple major problems when it updated 2 drivers (windows 10 update) from intel dated 1969 and 1970. Had to roll back one and the other I could not find. I instead started using driver from acer.

It is running ok now. Still freeeze up once in awhile. Running WD SSHD utlity will cause it to lock up everytime even though it is the latest version and made for the HD I have.

Still messing with it here and there. Was kind of frustrated with it for a week so had to step away.. lol.

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