Windows 10: Interpret Windows logging to determine cause of system hang of headless system

This turned out to be most likely more a Windows issue than something else.


I have a headless system running Windows 10 Pro for my Domoticz home automation. Every now and then the system completely stops responding.

I cannot get to my home automation website. I don't see the machine in my network. If I connect a screen, keyboard and mouse, I don't see anything. The screen stays black.


However, the machine itself has the LED light on indicating that it still switched on. And the Z-Wave stick connected to it also is lit like it is when it is operating normally.

And if I want to switch it off, I have to push the power button for a long time. And after it has booted up the logging shows that has not been properly shut down the previous time.


I have a longer thread on this in Dutch on this forum: Headless PC reageert niet, hoe oorzaak te achterhalen? - Client Software Algemeen - GoT tweakers.net


What can I do to determine what is going on here? Other than connecting a screen using the HDMI and hoping it will happen soon enough

:)

 

Windows Update causes system to hang

I agreed to help a family friend with her Acer E5-574G-54Y2 laptop with Windows 10 Home x64. It had an issue that caused it to permanently lock up after a few minutes of use, even after disabling all non-Microsoft services. I noticed the issue stopped if
I booted to Safe Mode, and ultimately I found that disabling the Windows Update service in System Configuration stopped the system from hanging. I took the steps outlined in article ID 971058, but this had no effect. I also ran SFC and was unable to find any
problems, and the issue persisted after a doing a reset. I tried formatting the hard drive and reinstalling Windows, this too had no effect on the issue. At this point it seems that I will have to leave Windows Update disabled in the interest of having a functioning
machine. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

***Post moved by the moderator to the appropriate forum category.***

 

GPU-Z causing system hangs

So i've recently added a second GPU to my system, for 280x + 7970 crossfire.
The 280x, regardless of crossfire seems to hang the system with GPU-Z running.

If i launch it before starting a game it seems fine, but if i alt tab out of a game or while a youtube video is running and launch GPU-Z, it hangs the system immediately.

 

System Keeps Hanging

You know the old saying, beggars can't be choosers.

Bill has a tendency to get technical, and he's absolutely correct in what he says...that doesn't mean what he suggests here is absolutely is necessary, just only so if you want to announce that the items you state as conclusively good and stable are in-fact truly that. I believe @Jetster put it best on how to take what was said.

In an era where both can be buried in EFI/firmware (looking at you Lenovo!), you can never be too safe here. Fresh install or not, I'd make damn sure it's all clean... MBAM, Defender, Avast, whatever. Pick 2, use them. Maybe you have...but again, your comments are vague and without detail...I'd rather get that info, and press you to post it, than assume.

Definitely do that, and hopefully it helps and resolves the issue...I have seem bugged BIOS/EFI/UEFI cause some crazy problems over the years so it never hurts to do.

This issue overall sounds like a possible PSU issue, I recommend downloading OCCT and start with the CPU Linpack test for 1 hour, with RAM usage at 0%/12MB or whatever it will let you do minimally.

If pass, re-run OCCT CPU Linpack test with 90% memory used.

If pass, run OCCT GPU test for 1 hour.

If pass, run OCCT PSU test for 1-3 hours (usually enough to bring out PSU issues).

If fails at any step, report back, check for BSOD's in event logs. Usually if the system just shut down/rebooted with no record of the event then I have found it to be a PSU issue, if there's a BSOD, it is usually a component issue (probably mainboard in this case).

Well if the chipset on the mainboard is failing, that could be causing issues as well...do you have a secondary SATA controller onboard you can test with to bypass the Intel one?

Definitely check event logs...so much happens in these logs that people look past or don't know what they're looking at when the issue is right there, which ultimately can help find the answer. Not always the case...but too many folks skip or half-ass this step and could've saved time in the end by looking here. Hopefully we can verify an issue in your system logs...if not...it's still a good practice for future diagnostics.

*Toast :toast: