PC Hangs and Full Power OFF/ON is only way out

Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
33
Reaction score
1
I run Win 10 Home which came pre-installed on the HP pc I have been using since 1-13-20, a little over a year. I have never intentionally installed an update. The disease I am chasing is:
  1. Oct 2020 first incident. I run 2 screens. Left one went black, right one went greyish blue. Stayed that way. Only way out is to reboot full power down/up.
  2. Happened again 3/5/21. Happened again twice today 3/31/21. Always unable to recover except via power down.
  3. I recognize the dark left/greyish blue right screen appearance as one of the momentary stages while the PC is powering Up. It is there only briefly.
So my thinking is it is getting hung in coming back on. I typically use SLEEP when I am going to be away from the PC for more than a half hour or so. Have done that every day for more than a year.

The latest time this hit (today) I had MS Defender running a full system scan which goes on for hours as you know. In todays' diseased incident that Scan was the only thing I could find still running (it was going right along having scanned 171000 files and still going. I could find NO WAY to bring up anything else, to move the scan dialog box to the left screen, or to start up ANY other software. Stopped it and Power Booted again.

NOTE: while running (like right now) I have no stoppage or issues. Seems happy and runs everything just fine. But If I walk away for a while it will hang.

Of course my first belief is that MS installed some unwanted #$%^& update and those updates are the culprits but I want to gather other' opinions and experiences.

Anyone seen this disease?
 

bassfisher6522

Moderator
Joined
Sep 22, 2014
Messages
2,066
Reaction score
395
I typically use SLEEP
Yah....it works great for laptops....but not so good with actual towers. Most of us just leave our PC's on all day and when we retire for the evening....then we turn it off.

I was like you, used sleep mode all the time....but then it started giving me issues like yours and eventually, some BSOD's from it. So I just do the above and have been for quite some time now.
 
Joined
May 6, 2015
Messages
2,848
Reaction score
501
I never use sleep. PC on when I get up on off when I go to bed. My I5 based PC boots in well less than 30 seconds if it needs to restart after an update.

You say you have never intentionally installed an update. ?? but you have kept the PC uptodate with all the monthly and daily ( Security centre) updates I hope including 20H2. Winver should show 19042.906

I have never run a full scan with Windows security, It runs a quick scan every day and I use Malwarebytes once a week or so.
 

bassfisher6522

Moderator
Joined
Sep 22, 2014
Messages
2,066
Reaction score
395
I never use sleep. PC on when I get up on off when I go to bed. My I5 based PC boots in well less than 30 seconds if it needs to restart after an update.
Exactly....sorry it took me so long to get to that point of reasoning and logic. LOL.
 
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
33
Reaction score
1
I run Win 10 Home which came pre-installed on the HP pc I have been using since 1-13-20, a little over a year. I have never intentionally installed an update. The disease I am chasing is:
  1. Oct 2020 first incident. I run 2 screens. Left one went black, right one went greyish blue. Stayed that way. Only way out is to reboot full power down/up.
  2. Happened again 3/5/21. Happened again twice today 3/31/21. Always unable to recover except via power down.
  3. I recognize the dark left/greyish blue right screen appearance as one of the momentary stages while the PC is powering Up. It is there only briefly.
So my thinking is it is getting hung in coming back on. I typically use SLEEP when I am going to be away from the PC for more than a half hour or so. Have done that every day for more than a year.

The latest time this hit (today) I had MS Defender running a full system scan which goes on for hours as you know. In todays' diseased incident that Scan was the only thing I could find still running (it was going right along having scanned 171000 files and still going. I could find NO WAY to bring up anything else, to move the scan dialog box to the left screen, or to start up ANY other software. Stopped it and Power Booted again.

NOTE: while running (like right now) I have no stoppage or issues. Seems happy and runs everything just fine. But If I walk away for a while it will hang.

Of course my first belief is that MS installed some unwanted #$%^& update and those updates are the culprits but I want to gather other' opinions and experiences.

Anyone seen this disease?
Fresh info: It got worse the last few days. Got so bad today 4/2/21 that even a full power down cycle would not clear it. Essentially at that point I had totally lost the machine. My problem (likely differing from others who spoke) is clearly multi-monitor related. By experimenting I unplugged 1 of my 2 screens , powered back up and all is fine. The problem was gone. Tried it again unplugging the other screen -- still OK. So none of it was a bad monitor nor the HW driving either monitor. I investigated Win 10 updates and I had two. One was 3/1 right before this mess started and got frequent. That was update KB9601554. The other update was 3/11 which was a Servicing Stack update 10.0.19041.860 My next step -- if this issue persists-- will be to uninstall those two updates and test with them removed.
 
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
33
Reaction score
1
I never use sleep. PC on when I get up on off when I go to bed. My I5 based PC boots in well less than 30 seconds if it needs to restart after an update.

You say you have never intentionally installed an update. ?? but you have kept the PC uptodate with all the monthly and daily ( Security centre) updates I hope including 20H2. Winver should show 19042.906

I have never run a full scan with Windows security, It runs a quick scan every day and I use Malwarebytes once a week or so.

There have been numerous updates never at my request and never notifying me. As usual. The Settings show version 2004 and OS build 19041,867 The machine is about 15 months old. What is a 20H2 and why would I need to know?
 
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
33
Reaction score
1
On the 3rd day of mass silence... there is a lot of credence to the several guys mentioned "never run Sleep" policy. [Whether that had much of a role in my original catastrophic bug/failure we may never know.] However, the core point that power up from Sleep starts ANYTHING that was running at Sleep time begins to seem like the universal source of potential trouble.
Recent example: MS big brother has tuned up the MS Edge Browser so that it stays humming along in it's own Sleep mode when not in use "so it comes up faster." Yeah right. So it becomes more of a hard to avoid pain in the ass than it already is. That move was made at some undisclosed 'recent' time. It means Edge browser will come up anytime you power up from Sleep for sure but also no matter When or How you power up.

Anyone know how to eradicate the MS Edge browser and stop it from running?
 
Last edited:

bassfisher6522

Moderator
Joined
Sep 22, 2014
Messages
2,066
Reaction score
395
Anyone know how to eradicate the MS Edge browser and stop it from running?
This one is easy.....in windows go to settings, Apps, look for internet explorer and uninstall.....if that's Internet Explorer your actually referring to and not Edge Chromium. Those are 2 different browsers and both are from MS.

Since this is an OEM PC, have you checked for any driver updates and see if there is a BIOS update. I would check for you but you don't list what HP model you have.

Then I would reset the CMOS....to do this, just find the quarter size watch battery and pull it out for 5 minutes and then reattach it. Then set the BIOS to default settings.
 
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
33
Reaction score
1
I'm talking MS Edge not IE. MS is not shoving IE at you now & instead does that with Edge. No user should have to go around playing PC technician to keep a simple desktop running. I have not checked for driver updates for anything. No idea how to look for BIOS update. The PC is an HP desktop TP01-0034. Intel i7 core, 8GB mem and 256GB SSD.
 

bassfisher6522

Moderator
Joined
Sep 22, 2014
Messages
2,066
Reaction score
395
'm talking MS Edge not IE
There's 3 of them....IE, Edge and Edge Chromium. The first one is being removed from service by MS as we speak. The 2nd one turned/morphed into Edge Chromium and depending on what OS version and updates one has installed. The system can still have both or all 3. So no....there's no way to remove Edge or Edge Chromium as those are tied to the OS. Meaning, if your find a reg hack to remove it.....it might break the OS, stop it from working.


No user should have to go around playing PC technician to keep a simple desktop running.
Totally agree with you on that point. That's why the EU sued MS and won....all the OS in the EU has the browser removed and something else if I remember correctly. I don't remember so good any more....LOL! That OS is referred to the N version....ie Windows 10 N. I think we need the same deal the EU received.

I have not checked for driver updates for anything. No idea how to look for BIOS update. The PC is an HP desktop TP01-0034. Intel i7 core, 8GB mem and 256GB SSD.
This info will get me to show you were you need to go.....for drivers and the BIOS.
 

bassfisher6522

Moderator
Joined
Sep 22, 2014
Messages
2,066
Reaction score
395

bassfisher6522

Moderator
Joined
Sep 22, 2014
Messages
2,066
Reaction score
395
Dang....there's 3 BIOS in less than 60 days....not good but at least they are on top of it.

The 3 big ones you need to check and install before any others are these: 1. Chipset driver 2. Firmware 3. BIOS. 1 and 2 you can do yourself....3 you might want to research on "HOW TO" update the HP BIOS on Youtube. It can be intimidating for the first time but after you done a few, it's not so bad.....still hazardous but not bad.
 
Joined
Jun 8, 2017
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
I have a Dell Inspiron 13 Laptop. I have lost count of the number of times I have been using the computer when it just freezes up. Nothing can break this ice. I can not run Manager because I can't get there. The Window key does not work. I have tried all the key combinations I can think of! The only way to get out of the ice is to turn the machine off, wait, turn it on, wait for the password prompt. This is a pain, but I can not take it to any repair shop because it is unpredictable.
 
Joined
Jul 29, 2015
Messages
126
Reaction score
12
Sleep has always been an issue with windows in general. I Personally believe the problem is in the HP design itself.
Hp is known more for making PRETTY computers than for quality.
My sister bought one a few years ago and it didn't even have a dual band wifi card in a brand new unit. This leads me to believe they are using old tech designs so you get old bugs. I have a 10 year old Lenovo T series, that has dual band wifi
She stole one of the Lenovo's I picked up one day so I sold the HP. The buyer saw it was 1 week out of warranty and asked about that and why it was so cheap. Just covering what I paid for the one she stole from me.
 
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
33
Reaction score
1
Sleep has always been an issue with windows in general. I Personally believe the problem is in the HP design itself.
Hp is known more for making PRETTY computers than for quality.
My sister bought one a few years ago and it didn't even have a dual band wifi card in a brand new unit. This leads me to believe they are using old tech designs so you get old bugs. I have a 10 year old Lenovo T series, that has dual band wifi
She stole one of the Lenovo's I picked up one day so I sold the HP. The buyer saw it was 1 week out of warranty and asked about that and why it was so cheap. Just covering what I paid for the one she stole from me.
Waldoo99 -- Your experience differs from mine. I have had 3 or 4 desktop HP in the last 20 years. My wife's (which I installed for her) is coming up on 13 years of age now with zero HW problems. The only HW problem I ever had was about 15 years ago a motherboard burned up in an HP early in life and the whole machine was replaced no questions asked. Most if not all the brand name PCs are simply packaging and selling other people's parts with some exceptions in motherboards. HP support over the years has been my court of last resort and has NEVER failed to be able to fix my problems, always software and always some mess left laying around by Microsoft. That will eventually be where I go with this rather serious current Win 10 issue.
 
Joined
Jul 29, 2015
Messages
126
Reaction score
12
Waldoo99 -- Your experience differs from mine. I have had 3 or 4 desktop HP in the last 20 years. My wife's (which I installed for her) is coming up on 13 years of age now with zero HW problems. The only HW problem I ever had was about 15 years ago a motherboard burned up in an HP early in life and the whole machine was replaced no questions asked. Most if not all the brand name PCs are simply packaging and selling other people's parts with some exceptions in motherboards. HP support over the years has been my court of last resort and has NEVER failed to be able to fix my problems, always software and always some mess left laying around by Microsoft. That will eventually be where I go with this rather serious current Win 10 issue.
LOL Since you mentioned packing, you clearly know little or nothing at all about Lenovo Thinkpads. I'd let you pick your favorite HP laptop and I'll use my T420 lenovo, hold them both 6' above a concrete slab and drop them.
Now as far as the insides go, if you think the case is the only difference, why do they all have their own drivers, why can I pour a glass of water on my keyboard, dry it off and still use it? Try that with your HP wit ha shot glass of water, I bet it doesn't have drains to run it out the bottom. One of my clients spilled an entire mop bucket full of water on his and yes, that killed it, but it did run for another 10 minutes.
I don't know who told you that the insides were the same, but I wouldn't let them change the battery in my flashlight.
As far as desktops go, they do package a decent PC but after having worked on too many of their laptops, I still won't sell them either.
I'm glad you got lucky, don't get me wrong, I just know that a lot of their parts are older than other companies are using and yes, they do all design their own motherboards. On most HP and Dells, they use a different power plug to the mobo so if the power supply dies, you can't just go buy one off the rack and use it, you either need to order it from them or an adapter from Amazon and then a lot of dells use a reversed motherboard, so if that dies, you need to order that. Of course these proprietary parts do cost 3 times as much
I am yet to meet a tech who will use an HP laptop, as their personal computer. My clients who work in the industry such as IBM, SAS and even a guy from Google, all want the lenovo X T or W series, and 1 engineer who write code for Tesla's uses the W520's and 530's and 1 Dell Precision. That Dell is not a laptop you want to carry around if it can be avoided, but you can install 2 sata hard drives and an M2.
The units I sell are mainly for people who work with them.
 
Joined
Nov 7, 2016
Messages
12
Reaction score
2
None of the replies here have mentioned the use of the Restart option from the Power button. This will restart Windows but not from its last activity. When a Windows computer has been powered off and then powered on the normal way there will be some left-overs from previous activity that are still present. This occurs because when normally powered off some activity information is saved so that Windows can start faster the next time. Sleep mode saves ALL previous activity information so if a problem exists Sleep mode saves the problem and reloads it when the computer awakens. Using the Restart function flushes ALL previous activity, giving Windows a clean start at the expense of taking a much longer time to load. Even if you always power the computer down at the end of the day it appears that some of the information saved to enable the faster power-on load can be accumulated and can cause problems. When any of my friends call me for help because their computer is not working properly the first thing I have them try is a Restart. Most of the time that solves the problem. I have taken a pro-active approach with my own computers and do a Restart once every week or so even if no problems have occurred.
 
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
33
Reaction score
1
LOL Since you mentioned packing, you clearly know little or nothing at all about Lenovo Thinkpads. I'd let you pick your favorite HP laptop and I'll use my T420 lenovo, hold them both 6' above a concrete slab and drop them.
Now as far as the insides go, if you think the case is the only difference, why do they all have their own drivers, why can I pour a glass of water on my keyboard, dry it off and still use it? Try that with your HP wit ha shot glass of water, I bet it doesn't have drains to run it out the bottom. One of my clients spilled an entire mop bucket full of water on his and yes, that killed it, but it did run for another 10 minutes.
I don't know who told you that the insides were the same, but I wouldn't let them change the battery in my flashlight.
As far as desktops go, they do package a decent PC but after having worked on too many of their laptops, I still won't sell them either.
I'm glad you got lucky, don't get me wrong, I just know that a lot of their parts are older than other companies are using and yes, they do all design their own motherboards. On most HP and Dells, they use a different power plug to the mobo so if the power supply dies, you can't just go buy one off the rack and use it, you either need to order it from them or an adapter from Amazon and then a lot of dells use a reversed motherboard, so if that dies, you need to order that. Of course these proprietary parts do cost 3 times as much
I am yet to meet a tech who will use an HP laptop, as their personal computer. My clients who work in the industry such as IBM, SAS and even a guy from Google, all want the lenovo X T or W series, and 1 engineer who write code for Tesla's uses the W520's and 530's and 1 Dell Precision. That Dell is not a laptop you want to carry around if it can be avoided, but you can install 2 sata hard drives and an M2.
The units I sell are mainly for people who work with them.
LoL to you too Walldoo... First, I find "you clearly know little or nothing at all about Lenovo Thinkpads" or about anything else a comment I would not make to anyone. You know nothing of which you speak. I have owned nothing but Lenovo Thinkpads and my 3rd one is in GREAT shape right now after a good decade of usage. My comments regarding HP were strictly about desktops. As an electronics engr I know quite well how the mfrs operate, stuffing their chassis with subsystems, display boards, etc. available to every manufacturer. All fairly far from the core of this thread -- which is the current serious mess in Windows 10 with startujp.
 
Joined
Jul 29, 2015
Messages
126
Reaction score
12
LoL to you too Walldoo... First, I find "you clearly know little or nothing at all about Lenovo Thinkpads" or about anything else a comment I would not make to anyone. You know nothing of which you speak. I have owned nothing but Lenovo Thinkpads and my 3rd one is in GREAT shape right now after a good decade of usage. My comments regarding HP were strictly about desktops. As an electronics engr I know quite well how the mfrs operate, stuffing their chassis with subsystems, display boards, etc. available to every manufacturer. All fairly far from the core of this thread -- which is the current serious mess in Windows 10 with startujp.
I own nothing except lenovos and anytime there is an issue with an HP, I have to assume it's a hardware issue. I don't see these issues in other makes, laptop or desktop. As for my knowledge of lenovos, I have refurbished a few hundred laptops because they come from colleges, not because there was anything wrong with them.
I also find you to be full of yourself and if you were so smart, you'd fix your own problems, but if they were all you think they are, your HP's wouldn't have these issue.
I know that when they Lenovo laptops were made here in Durham, the guy who did the drop test on the units was named Allen and he now teaches web design. I Know that IMB has taken their lenovo laptop from the employees and given them Mac's because of the work they are now doing for Apple and many of those employees came to me to get Lenovo laptops.
When I see someone has and HP I have to presume it was really cheap or very pretty and the wife picked it out.
 
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
33
Reaction score
1
Yah....it works great for laptops....but not so good with actual towers. Most of us just leave our PC's on all day and when we retire for the evening....then we turn it off.

I was like you, used sleep mode all the time....but then it started giving me issues like yours and eventually, some BSOD's from it. So I just do the above and have been for quite some time now.
Bassfisher: I wanted to report back to you on my chronic "failure to be able to restart the PC" problem. As reported before it got worse during March 2021 and eventually a full power down/up cycle would not fix it. I have read a large numbers of articles, hints and theories and finally came to some conclusions: 1) MS knows about it and apparently has no intention of fixing it. It is clearly a Win 10 issue but has complications. 2) Many users just shy away from Sleep, finding that things get awakened that create problems , often apps they had no idea existed. 3) Got to the bottom of Sleep definition and found that I have no need to EVER use it again. Probably no one does. By going to the settings and having your monitors shut off after about 20 minutes and your harddrive shut down after about 60 min (my choices) you essentially have your own automatic Sleep with no diseases. And finally 4) The smoking gun is MS admits the stupid mess and just acts like we users need to cope with it forever !!! They make this incredible admission at the site https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...eep-mode-6cf5b22f-5111-92c3-4a28-eec6e6ff908e ... just act like ho-hum, you guys ought to know this and we've done our duty. There are quite a few different circumstances where wakeup is deffective as you can see at that page. And it is not really limited to waking up from Sleep either. Incredible !!!!
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Top