Forum Discussion
@hxymxnx This could be a RAM or storage issue, neither of which would be solved by reinstalling Windows. It's worth running diagnostic tests for both, and be prepared to have the computer unavailable for some time while it's occupied. You can do the tests in either order. For the drive(s):
- Hit Windows key-X
- Choose either “PowerShell (Administrator)” or “Windows Terminal (Administrator),” whichever option is offered
- Inside the window that appears, copy and paste "chkdsk /f /r c:" without quotes, and enter
- You'll be asked to allow a restart; say yes
- When the scan is done, use this guide to find the results
- Repeat for any other drive installed, for example use "chkdsk /f /r d:" without quotes if you have a drive D
You should be able to attach the report to a post as well. Running chkdsk will take some time, so you may want to leave it while you're doing something else.
For the RAM, the gold standard is MemTest86, testing each module separately and in at least two different slots on the motherboard.
https://www.memtest86.com/index.html
https://www.overclockersclub.com/guides/memtest86_memory_guide/
Since this is time-consuming, you can start with chkdsk and see what you get, and you can also use Microsoft's built-in memory diagnostics first:
I wouldn't consider a pass from Microsoft's tool to be even close to definitive, but if it does flag an error, that's probably accurate. Let me know what you find here too.