Windows 10: Black screen every Thursday, PC quit sleeping this past week.

I'm running an Asus Essentio Desktop with 8GB, that I free-upgraded in July, from Win 7 to 10. Ever since, there have been all kinds of problems ( see my other threads - haven't been solved ) This is my personal PC and I use it for my home business, which is crucial to earning a living.

I'm getting a black screen lock up at least once a week, and especially on Thursdays ( just restarted from one ), apparently after Windows 10 does the non-consensual updates that we have no control over. I come in and the screen is black, and moving the mouse or hitting the power button on the case have no effect. I have to shut off the UPS power, then turn it back on and start the PC again. If it hasn't finished an update, then it does, or sometimes it just restarts normally.

Some of the problems have apparently been caused by video drivers or my USB wireless adapter, which companies consider "end of life" and won't update for Windows 10. SO do I need to throw my PC away now, because this just goes on and on and Microsoft apparently created a new OS that won't work with old drivers and no one will update them?

I don't know what to do anymore. I'm disgusted. Help?

:)

 

Handling synch of repeated appointments from Outlook?

manta is quite correct (as usual )

i have a 3250, in outlook 2003 i set up a recurring meeting that takes place on a monday and a thursday and saved this to my calendar. i synced with pc suite and it appeared in my phone as a recurring meeting on a monday and a recurring meeting on a thursday.

ino outlook its easy to setup as you normally would, you just tick the day of the week you want to have the recurring meeting on (monday & thursday in this instance) and save it. pc sync then moves the whole lot onto the phone for you.

 

windows 10 install

I have tried downloading windows 10 3 times over the past few weeks and it has failed every time i hit a black screen during install then have to restart and it restores previous windows. i have an nvidia graphics card and windows 8.1 on an asus pc.

 

Yikes. Sorry to hear you are having such a go of it. I run Windows 10 on devices that were built for XP however I think the trick is to stop Windows from updating the drivers past the point where they worked. I experimented a bit and found working drivers that I keep in my download folder and if something gets updated in a major release like the Anniversary update I pull them out and execute.

If you are wireless then you can also stop all updates by telling windows you are on a metered connection. I believe its the drivers.

If you want you can shut off the driver updates as well. Here is the process and you can undo just as easily.

Right click on Windows Start
Click on Control Panel
Click on System and Security
Click on System
Click on Advance system settings
Click on Hardware tab
Click on Device Installation Settings
Click on No
A menu appears (first time) click Never Install driver software.
You may get a warning. Click the option that says I’ll take care of it (not exact words)

Then I would suggest "Rolling Back" your drivers especially for your USB wireless. I'm chasing another machine that won't sleep and read about devices being the culprit. Before I threw my PC away I would investigate a newer wirelesss unit.

First things first, lets find a video driver that works and a USB wireless adapter. Not sure of everyone's comfort or skill level doing this, I will assume you know how to roll back drivers as this experience has forced you to learn. If not post back and we will get you instructions.

Is there a model number for your Essentio?

 

Speaking of sleep, this PC just quit going into sleep mode in the last 2 weeks, after updates. I've checked pwrcfg -requests, and the settings, and nothing is shown as stopping it.

Oh, the model is: ASUS CG5270-BP004 MOTHERBOARD E4576_P5QL-VM EPU

 

Thanks. I will look up. If this block of trouble started two weeks ago could you please invoke a system restore to a point around Dec 6th. This gets you further back than December 13th. The second Tuesday of each month updates are released. Critical one are released as required.

Once restored please disconnect from Internet until you have looged in and disabled the driver updates following the process in my first post.

Then reconnect and you can initiate the Windows updates. This should just be windows as you will have disabled drivers.

Let us know how it went. I'll have a look at your machine at Asus.

 

I've never done a system restore. Will it destroy any work I've done, like documents?

 

No. It sets the registry back. Personal documents are not changed. That said if you recently installed a program you will have to re-install.

I know you are taking backups of your data, correct? External 1TB drives are cheaper than a even a small data lost, make it a business expense.

You should also be using a product like Macrium Reflect to capture images.

Read my signature, it is 100% true.

 

I have Carbonite. I also have a spare drive, but rarely remember to clone it. Been using Acronis, but people here have suggested that Macrium.

But there are two issues above, that I think are separate. The black screen unresponsive issue, is since July 26th when I upgraded from 7 to 10.

And the lack of sleep issue just started happening like 2 weeks ago, after an update. It's reached the point now, where I come in here and find the screen on, with the screen saver image, at any hour of day or night, after the screen shut off after 10 minutes when I left, but it comes back on again.

Part of my problem is being swamped with work all the time, and not having the time to understand this in depth.

 

When you walk in and find your computer on, enter a command prompt(admin) and type powercfg /lastwake

This will tell you what gremlin in your computer issue the wake up order. Note the pattern and post.

 

I googled that specific device and did not get results. You said you had had a old USB Wireless adapter. Please find it in your device manager, left click once on it, then right click, then properties, Power management tab. Uncheck everything.

While you diagnose which device is awaking computer it may be an idea to have only essential, like mouse and keyboard, connected. So disconnect scanner, printer, label maker etc. Just leave mouse, keyboard and wireless dongle (with settings changed). Then you can test keyboard and mouse, one at a time, by shutting off their ability to wake up computer.

 

It's not THAT "old" actually, but Asus considers it "EOL" - "end of life", which means they didn't make Windows 10 drivers for it. Phhhhtttt! Cop out. Translation: They want people who upgrade to Windows 10 to have to buy new adapters.

I'm unable to do that, because AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, the device manager window is still blinking the list up and down, but now, it's off screen for maybe 3 seconds and on screen for maybe half a second, so there's no time to even click on that. Wait...I got it.

Asus USB-N53. Driver date 10-28-15. Everything was unchecked already. I think someone suggested that before.

Wait, here's something interesting?:

Under the Events tab: 9-24-16, all at 2:15 AM:



Driver Management has concluded the process to add Service netr28ux for Device Instance ID USB\VID_0B05&PID_179D\1.0 with the following status: 0.


Driver Management has concluded the process to add Service vwifibus for Device Instance ID USB\VID_0B05&PID_179D\1.0 with the following status: 0.


Driver Management concluded the process to install driver netr28ux.inf_amd64_9d775036bc0afa79\netr28ux.inf for Device Instance ID USB\VID_0B05&PID_179D\1.0 with the following status: 0x0.

Relevant?

This got me to poking around some more. There's another USB controller here. I plugged in a 4 port adapter, so I can hang all kinds of stuff on it. *Tongue Is THAT what the following is?:





Now THAT has the power stuff checked. Uncheck that too?

I also have a Conexant USB D400 modem from 2010 but that doesn't appear to have sleep involved settings.

Snooping around more...my video controller had some stuff going on in September:





Also have a Logitech wireless keyboard, and separate Logitech wireless mouse that are set to allow them to wake the computer, but I don't think they do. I always have to push the button on the top front of the case.

 

That event around 2:15 appears to be a driver installing. Did you shut this process off? Do you have any software like Driver Detective installed to update drivers.

The device under where you mentioned the kids four port device is your Wired network controller from Realtek. Yes you can disable these as well. You don't get Wake timers on a Lan and the small amount of power you save is minor.

While you are at it go into the advance settings in your power plan, head to sleep, sub category Wake Timers, Disable. I don't believe you have any scheduled tasks and it does not sound like you remote into system.

September is a video driver being installed. AMD has dropped support for the HD gear but have provided a last set of drivers. That said there have been quite a few last sets as they work out some things.

If your keyboard and mouse don't wake machine up no harm in disabling.

The goal is see see which USB devices is acting up. Modems, Port Extenders (4 for the kids) etc could be the devices hence the request unplug them all and run some controlled tests. Yes it is a pain to have to connect.

Please also record what you do so it can be undone.

 

Nope and nope.

Ok, did...

Did that awhile back.

No. I do transfer photos from my phone, with Airdroid, over the wifi.

Hmm.

Ok thanks! Let's give it some days now, and see...