Windows 10: Frequent freezes and BSODs despite clean install and change of SSD

I have been having very frequent freezes and BSODs over the last several days, as well as other problems that were making my backup software malfunction. The problem with the backup software I resolved by replacing the dead CMOS battery and re-flashing the BIOS, but the freezes continue, even after a completely clean install of Windows on a different SSD. This makes me wonder whether the corrupted BIOS may have caused permanent damage to the hardware. Here is my V2 log: Attachment 338052 BSODs: Even though I get frequent BSODs with all kinds of stopcodes, not one of them has led to a successful memory dump. The progress stays at 0% and I have to hold down the power button for 5 seconds to turn the machine off. The stopcodes have included: "critical process died", "unexpected store exception", "kernel data inpage error" (in gdxkrnl.sys one time and hidusb.sys another time), and "registry filter driver exception" (in wdfilter.sys). My hardware: My hardware is an ASRock 980DE3/U3S3 motherboard with an FX-8350 processor. 8GB RAM. GT-610 graphics card. I have noticed freezes often happening very soon after starting to use Ableton Live, which suggests a possible connection with my Focusrite Scarlett 4Pre USB audio interface, but most of the freezes have happened while this has been switched off. Two different installations of Windows on different disks: Just to clarify: I took various steps, starting with sfc /scannow and chkdsk, going by way of replacing the system partition with a backup of it (that my backup software had confirmed as a valid image) made a few days before, and ending by reinstalling Windows while keeping my already installed apps, to try to resolve the problem on the system SSD. I then did a completely clean install of Windows on a different SSD (which I had used previously in a different computer, but noticed trouble with). When the freezes and blue screens continued with this clean installation on a different disk, I reverted to the original SSD. This was because reinstalling my software on a new installation would literally take me several days. Disks: As I have already said, I have tried two different SSDs, but got the same problem. I also ran chkdsk, HD Tune, Seatools and (in Ubuntu) Badblocks, but none of them detected a problem with the original SSD. Memory: Before I had discovered the problem with the BIOS (which means that several errors could have been at play), I ran memtest86 for 8 hours. It found no errors, but when I tried to interact with it in the morning, it froze. I have since tried to run memtest86+, but that freezes every time within a few seconds of launching it. I don't know if this is connected to the freezes that occur while I am using Windows or if it is just that memtest86+ is not compatible with my motherboard. Freezes without BSODs: Even though I have frequent BSODs, most of the freezes do not lead to a BSOD. A couple of freezes were unusual. Once today, while using Windows, the screen froze except for the mouse pointer. I was able to continue moving the mouse pointer for several seconds, perhaps as long as a minute, before that too froze. I also, in the course of troubleshooting, tried booting Ubuntu from a flash drive and used it for several hours. I did not have a complete freeze, but at one point everything on my desktop froze, except for the mouse pointer. Even after this, I was still able to ping the computer from another machine on the network, which means that the kernel was still functioning. For some reason, perhaps just a coincidence, when I was using the clean installation of Windows on a different disk, the freezes were much more frequent. I had 4, I think, in the hour or perhaps a bit more that I was using it. Interestingly, 2 of those were within a couple of minutes of powering up the machine, as were some of the freezes and BSODs in the older installation of Windows. This reminds me of a problem I had on my other computer where I would frequently get BSODs shortly after booting or waking from sleep. That problem was due to poor contact between the wireless card and the motherboard. CPU: I ran Prime95 for an hour in Windows and stress-ng in Linux, also for an hour, but they detected no problem with the CPU. Graphics card: I ran Furmark, but that detected no problems. I also suspected that perhaps the latest Nvidia driver could be to blame, so I reverted to the driver installed by Windows by default, which dates back to 2017, but that did not resolve the freezes and BSODs. So what is going on? The problem doesn't appear to be software unless there is something fundamentally wrong with 21H1 and the problems I have had using Ubuntu and memtest86 are coincidences. It doesn't appear to be memory. There are no obvious problems with the CPU or the graphics card. So does that mean that I have a problem with my motherboard? or with the power supply? Or does it mean that some component is poorly installed? But the problems started after the computer hadn't been physically moved for a while. Or to put it another way, how can I be sure enough that the problem is the motherboard (or the power supply) to be at the point where it is worth taking a chance on buying a replacement motherboard on eBay?

:)

 

Change out to SSD and a Clean install

Want to change out a HDD to SSD and also do a clean install (with no risk to licenses)
of W10.

What is best sequence.

Install SSD first, do clean install pointing at SSD or do Clean install on HDD then move to SSD ?

 

Clean Install Workaround for Vista

You may remember this news story on techPowerUp! a couple of days ago relating to the lack of clean installs when using the Upgrade Editions of Vista, which required an old OS to be installed. However, Paul Thurrott has managed to find a workaround for this issue, which ironically lets users do a clean install Vista without any previous version of Windows, albeit a little tedious. Here are the steps:

• Boot from the Windows Vista Upgrade DVD as normal
• When prompted for a product code, leave this blank
• Select the version of Vista you have purchased and let Vista install
• When you boot to your desktop for the first time, run the Vista setup from Windows
• This time enter your product key
• When asked whether you want to do an Upgrade of Custom install, select custom and choose a clean install
• Windows will now install for a second time and you should be able to activate it

Remember, these steps are only advised for use in order to achieve a clean install of Vista, it is only legal to use the upgrade editions if you have previously purchased the appropriate version of Windows.

Source: DailyTech

 

BSOD and freezing

Yesterday I started up my laptop from hibernating and it freezes, after restarting several times I get a BSOD which freezed on the BSOD one time.
After restarting again the laptop freezed at the Welcome screen.
I have had the freezing before, it was gone for about 2 months.
I did not install any new hardware.
Now it seems to run fine again.

But what is causing the freezing and the BSOD?
I bought this laptop last January.