Windows 10: Crash/Freeze Seems Random after adding a second USB external NTFS HDD

[/quote] Here's my Ccleaner results:















Also seen this when rebooting occassionally:

 

1) Choose one of the temperature monitoring software applications: Speecy, HW monitor, Speed fan:
Speccy - Free Download - Piriform: Speccy - System Information - Free
Speccy - System Information - Free Download
HWMONITOR | Softwares | CPUID: HWMONITOR | Softwares | CPUID
HWMONITOR | Softwares | CPUID
SpeedFan - Access temperature sensor in your computer: SpeedFan - Access temperature sensor in your computer
SpeedFan - Access temperature sensor in your computer

Post images of the temperatures under load if there were/are any abnormal temperatures

2) Run HD Sentinel: (free or trial edition)
Hard Disk Sentinel - HDD health and temperature monitoring
Hard Disk Sentinel - HDD health and temperature monitoring
Post images of each of these tabs into the thread:
Overview tab
Temperature
Disk performance

3) Backup all files to another drive or to the cloud
4) Make a backup image using Macrium:
Macrium Software | Macrium Reflect Free
5) Create a brand new restore point
6) Read these links on Windows driver verifier (do not use the tool until it is communicated in the thread)
Driver Verifier-- tracking down a mis-behaving driver. - Microsoft Community
Enable and Disable Driver Verifier in Windows 10 Windows 10 Tutorials
7) Please update the specs in the "My Computer" section:
System Specs - Fill in at Ten Forums:
System Specs - Fill in at Ten Forums Windows 10 Tutorials
In the left corner below in your post you find 'My System Specs'.
After clicking it you can find a link a little below that says 'Update your System Spec', click on this link to get to the page where you can fill in your system specs.
System Info - See Your System Specs - Windows 7 Help Forums


Include PSU. cooler, case, peripherals and anything attached to the computer by wired or wireless (mouse, keyboard, headset, printer, xbox, USB wireless network card, etc.)

 

zbook, make an image of just the C: drive? Is that in addition to 3) backup all files?

 

When backing up files you can copy the files to another drive or to the cloud.
An additional method is to make a backup image or clone.
Doing both adds 2 layers of protection.

The Windows 10 build 1607 + Windows driver verifier + Windows defender offline were incompatible. The incompatibility was manifested by a boot loop which was not fixed until the 1607 > 1703 upgrade.

When using Windows driver verifier which is designed to have repetitive BSOD having at least 1 backup option is important and the more layers of protection that you have the more comfortable you may be using the tool.

 

Here are the Speedfan, HD Sentinal displays. Backups are done, restore point set.

 

Windows driver verifier is a tool that stimulates drivers to find misbehaving drivers.
It will repetitively produce BSOD until misbehaving drivers are fixed or until the tool is turned off.

When a misbehaving driver is found it will be uninstalled and then the tool will be restarted to find the next misbehaving driver. Drivers can be reinstalled after they are uninstalled or after all drivers have been uninstalled.
The end results should be the same.

After each BSOD run the beta log collector and post a new zip for troubleshooting.
The tool will be run for 48 hours and after the last BSOD for an additional 36 hours.
If there are no more BSOD the tool will be turned off and that will conclude the use of the tool to find misbehaving drivers.

During the use of the tool the computer may become sluggish or the boots may be slow.
If there are problems the number of active tests can be modified to reduce the sluggishness or slower boots.

Use this link for the customized test settings:
Driver Verifier-- tracking down a mis-behaving driver. - Microsoft Community

Use this link for the methods to turn off Windows driver verifier:
Driver Verifier-- tracking down a mis-behaving driver. - Microsoft Community
All methods to turn off the tool are performed using the Windows advanced troubleshooting menu.
The methods used to turn off Windows driver verifer should be done in order advancing to the the next step only if the prior step fails to turn off the tool.
a) startup options (not startup repair) > click restart > select #6 safe mode with command prompt > type:
verifier /reset
b) command prompt > Administrator X:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe > X:\Sources> type:
verifier /bootmode resetonbootfail
c) system restore
System restore is used as the last option as very often the dump files are lost and little progress is made in the troubleshooting

Once you are comfortable with the methods to turn off the tool you can start using it.
Let us know whether the problem with freezing and crashes gets better, worse, or the same after fixing the misbehaving drivers.

 

I started the verifier, checked all boxes as appropriate and rebooted. It did not take long before it blue screened & collected logs for about a minute till 100%, then I rebooted again, and same thing happened. Both times it did not get far enough to get logged on to Windows, so I could not collect any logs to post. Third time, it only gave me an option to repair. Now it is attempting repair, from what I assume is the most recent recovery point. Hopefully it comes back soon...

 

After each BSOD > open the windows advanced troubleshooting menu > turn off windows driver verifier using the steps in the link startup repair: (verifier /reset ) > return to the desktop > run beta log collector > post zip into the thread

In the BSOD window it should display a bugcheck. At times it may display the misbehaving driver in the form *.sys
If you see the misbehaving driver > record it > post it into the thread

 

I don't think it gave me any option for bug check when I got the bluescreen. I'll take a photo next time but it really dies fast, before any menus or clickable stuff is available. All I could do was power cycle which repeated until the only option was recovery.

I collected the logs anyway, just in case: LARRY-PC-Fri_03_09_2018_120201_72.zip

 

In the left lower corner search type: system > open system control panel > under startup and recovery > click settings > make sure that automatically restart is un-checked.
With automatically restart unchecked it should display the BSOD window.

 

OK, done. I'll start the process again.

 

The misbehaving driver was: hecix64.sys

Update the Intel management engine interface driver: hecix64.sys

Updating a driver. - Microsoft Community

Code: meix64 Intel(R) Management Engine Interface c:\windows\system32\drivers\hecix64.sys Kernel Driver Yes Manual Running OK Normal No Yes[/quote]

 

I just noticed in the driver verification choices, there's a lot of AVAST drivers. I thought those should have been removed with the remove tool?

 

That indicates the drivers were not uninstalled.
Please use the uninstall tool :
Avast Uninstall Utility | Download aswClear for Avast Removal