PC hangs after startup, windows frozen, explorer crashes, blue screen

[SHB]

This is a long description but any help would be very appreciated.

A few weeks ago my PC has been struggling to boot up normally with no obvious cause.

What I mean by "boot normally": I would be able to login and then start opening windows a few seconds after with no issues except with a bit of delay which is to be expected at startup, and I would not have any issues with my computer after which.

But I think after a windows update which I think didn't install right - I'm not to sure if that is the cause but I think it's the most likely - my computer keeps experiencing a huge delay after the login screen.

What I think may have caused these series of issues is when I was prompted to install a windows update but something was off. Typically I get the two options: "Update and shutdown" and "Update and restart" but this time I only got the option for restarting. I thought ok maybe it needs an immediate restart to finish installing? So anyway I did so but after rebooting the option remained. I also didn't get the configure message after the restart. It normally says it's configuring the update before shutting off and after powering back on.

Since then - again I think - this is when I have been experiencing problems.

I'll login just fine, get to the desktop which loads just fine but then I can't open anything. Task manager? Nope. My taskbar highlighting-graphic-thing will freeze over a icon and not update, Control + Alt + delete won't open the menu and then maybe after a few seconds everything will go blue which indicates that explorer has crashed. So it's kinda like explorer is not responding after logging in even if I let the computer sit at the desktop and not press anything.

Sometimes I can open task manager and a few things work but after a while it'll just freeze and all windows will stop responding. I have had some instances where it has been able to recover but that has only happened a few times.

The only solid way of resolving this is manually shutting off and on again.

What have I done to resolve this? A lot.

I've tried using "sfc /scannow" in command prompt (as an admin) and the first time it did say that there were corrupted files so I used "DISM" to fix this. I confirmed with "sfc" after and the corrupted files were fixed. But this didn't resolve it.

I've tried installing newer windows updates. Nope.

I've tried booting in safe mode and the freeze doesn't occur but I'm still not sure on how I can identify the problem.

I've tried using troubleshooting methods with repair and that but that hasn't worked.

So in desperation I did a windows reset (not a complete reinstall but resetting windows whilst keeping files) and at first I thought it fixed the issues as I restarted my PC a few times without the issue, but then I got the blue screen of death.

It stated that the PC ran into problems and would be restarted. It also said it was collecting data (but it never did) and after the restart it wouldn't boot. The underscore / cursor that appears before the windows logo was blinking continuously where I then hard reset and now it's been working fine.

I can't understand why it keeps freezing after startup. Just to clarify I can still move my mouse cursor around but nothing will react to my mouse presses and like I said, windows and programs that are open will stop responding.

Any thoughts on how I could resolve this? Thank you.

 

[Regedit32]

Have you gone into Device Manager to verify if there are any Drivers that need updating?

It sounds to me like whatever update you ran may have changed a driver, or needs a newer version of a driver to function.

That could be a display driver, or something else altogether.

BTW, which update are you referring to in particular?

Have you attempted to uninstall the update you believe may be the cause of your troubles, and then run your computer for a day or so without that update installed - to test whether things are ok?

 

[SHB]

I did have a few unknown devices appearing on device manager but now they do not show (and the issue remains).

I have updated my graphics driver several times.

I'm not sure of which update I installed as I just update when I shut off my computer so the update number is a mystery to me. My best guess is an update that was rolled out maybe 2 or 3 weeks ago. Like I said, I'm not sure.

I tried to uninstall a windows update - but I'm fairly certain it was not the update that I originally installed as I attempted this a few weeks after the original - and it wouldn't even allow me to do so.

 

[Regedit32]

Go to Settings app | Update & Security | View update history

Failing that you may need to consider a clean install

 

[Snuffy]

try this to fix: yes command prompt (as admin)
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth


DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth


Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth


sfc /scannow


If install.wim use

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /source:WIM:G:\sources\Install.wim:1 /LimitAccess


if install.esd use

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:esd:G:\sources\install.esd /LimitAccess

sfc /scannow

copy the bluescreen dmp so we can read what the issue is.

 

[SHB]

Update.

My PC is no longer experiencing the freezing issue but I am now experiencing another annoying issue that I can't seem to resolve.

Every time I turn on my computer my mouse will not turn on. I check device manager and it says "Device Descriptor Request Failed". It does this every time I turn on the computer regardless if it's plugged in after or during boot up. Does anyone know why this could be happening? And a way of fixing this as well. Also to note I plug the mouse into my laptop and I have the same issue, but I know for a fact that the mouse works as I've been able to use it normally after I get it to work. So is it the mouse or just my computer?

One a side-note, when my pc is booting up, I use to see the cursor blink a bit in the top left corner of my monitor and then disappear showing the windows logo (indicating that windows is beginning to load). Now the cursor blinks in the top left corner, then goes to the middle of the monitor (not quite middle but close) and then back up to the top left and then the logo shows. This doesn't seem to be a massive issue as my computer still functions but was just wondering what this could mean?

 

[Regedit32]

If you are using a USB mouse you may be able to resolve your Device Descriptor error by reinstalling your USB Root Hub drivers.

1. Type Device Manager in your search bar then press Enter
2. In the Device Manager dialog expand the Universal Serial Bus Controllers
3. Right-click on USB Root Hub and select Uninstall Device
   
   If more than one USB Root hub is present, repeat for each one
   
   
4. Close Device Manager, and any other open programs
5. Shutdown, then restart computer to allow the USB Root Hub(s) to be detected and reinstalled automatically

On a side note - How did you manage to resolve your freezing computer?

 

[SHB]

If you are using a USB mouse you may be able to resolve your Device Descriptor error by reinstalling your USB Root Hub drivers.

1. Type Device Manager in your search bar then press Enter
2. In the Device Manager dialog expand the Universal Serial Bus Controllers
3. Right-click on USB Root Hub and select Uninstall Device
   
   If more than one USB Root hub is present, repeat for each one
   
   
4. Close Device Manager, and any other open programs
5. Shutdown, then restart computer to allow the USB Root Hub(s) to be detected and reinstalled automatically

On a side note - How did you manage to resolve your freezing computer?

I'll try that.

To be honest I don't know how I resolved it. I tried to update windows using the media creation tool but that didn't work. But I don't remember doing anything else that could've resolved it. All I did was turn it on the next day and everything was fine except for my mouse not working. It still could happen again but I've restarted several times now and it still hasn't froze so idk.

Regardless I appreciate the help from everyone here