Win7 freezes: kicks all other PCs off network

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Hi,

I’ve turned here after searching the internet extensively for anyone who might have a clue whats going on.

I have an Intel i5-750 on an Intel motherboard with 4gb corsair ram. Periodically and randomly the Win7 machine freezes. No messages, no symptoms leading up to it, nothing. I’ve monitored temperatures, run memory tests and even swapped the hard drive out and reloaded the OS fresh 3 times. Still no joy.

The only clue that I have is that when it does freeze, 2 other machines lose connectivity on the LAN. I have a Server 2003 machine as my DNS and have not changed anything on the network other than this one machine. When I had XP Pro everything ran fine, and since I run Win7 at home connected with a WHS, I don’t think it’s win 7. I’m leaning toward a hardware issue.

I’m thinking it just might be the integrated LAN on my motherboard. I tried updating the drivers for the LAN, but it still freezes. Then I tried un-plugging this machine from the LAN overnight and it didn’t freeze! And, it usually freezes at some point every night. So I was thinking I might try a separate LAN card and disable the on-board LAN?

Hopefully someone has some insight into what I might try? :confused:

Thanks,
Randal

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It seems you quite likely found cause of the problem. Did you try it more than once? Does it freeze while you are not using the PC?

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I did not try unplugging the LAN cord more than once as I’m usually trying to flee the office at the end of day but will try again several times to be sure.

It will freeze whether I’m using the PC or not. Never freezes at the same time or point of operation. Never freezes when specific programs are open. Will freeze at the log-in screen just as much as when logged in.

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I would either unplug it or even disable the network adapter for a reasonable amount of time, just to be sure it’s the network adapter causing it.
What specific motherboard are you using?

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The motherboard is a DP55SB. I will try disabling the on-board LAN over the weekend and see if it still freezes.

I know that when this machine is disconnected from the LAN (either off or unplugged), the rest of the network runs flawlessly.

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Ok, let us know how it goes then.

It doesn’t seem like there are general issues with this motherboard, so if it is a problem with the card, must be your card.

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UPDATE –

Well, I disabled the LAN (Control PanelNetwork and InternetNetwork Connections) over the weekend. When I came in Monday, PC was operating fine. Just to make sure, I disabled the LAN again last night and when I came in this a.m. the PC was still up and operating without a problem. So, with these 2 tests I have established that the freezing problem has something to do with the network adapter. Since it’s on-board I’ll try picking up a card at my local Best Buy and see if that makes a difference.

The bigger question is why the problem would exist in the first place; ie: the network runs fine 95% or the time and then all of a sudden freezes. What would be causing this particular behavior with a LAN adapter? I think I’ll send Intel an email and see what they think.

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How are they networked? Are they connected to a Switch and just running as a simple peer-to-peer network or do you have some sort of server.

If it is just the former, have you tried swapping around the Switch ports to see if the problem moves or changes?

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I have 5 machines connected on a domain all connected through a switch. There are 3-Win2k, 1-WinXP Pro SP2, 1-Win7 connected through a switch.

Like I mentioned before though, there was never a problem when I had a WinXP Pro machine in this office. It only started when I installed the Win7 machine. But, what the hay. I’ll try switching the position on the switch.

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It will be interesting to see if the switch has any influence over it.

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I had a very similar random Win7 freezing problem that bugged me for months.

the problem in my case turned out to be using Zone alarm pro firewall (not security) in combination with Microsoft Security Essentials.

uninstalled ZAP, reverted to windows firewall, no more freezes.

… just in case you, or anyone else has a similar problem.

Vern

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Vern,

I’ll look into the firewall bit. I am using MSE in conjunction with Symantec Endpoint Protection on the Domain. But, this is how I had it with WinXP Pro before with no issues. Then again, this is Win7.

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It will be interesting to see if the switch has any influence over it.

Ok, heres the latest.

I tried changing the position on the switch…..absolutely no difference.

I had to wait a week to get a network card from New Egg since no one local had PCI-e 1x cards! Everything in the local store caters to wireless!

I installed the card yesterday and so far have had no problems with freezing.

That said though; when I disabled my internal LAN 2 days ago through the Windows interface, it still froze at some point during the night! So I’m really hoping that this add-in card will correct things, since the internal LAN gets disabled at the BIOS level instead.

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Ok, heres the latest.

I tried changing the position on the switch…..absolutely no difference.

I had to wait a week to get a network card from New Egg since no one local had PCI-e 1x cards! Everything in the local store caters to wireless!

I installed the card yesterday and so far have had no problems with freezing.

That said though; when I disabled my internal LAN 2 days ago through the Windows interface, it still froze at some point during the night! So I’m really hoping that this add-in card will correct things, since the internal LAN gets disabled at the BIOS level instead.

One small thing of which you should be aware – depending on how old the computer actually is and what caused the onboard networking port to go haywire, you may have a dud motherboard. If a new NIC card makes it all work well and if still under warranty, I’d be replacing the whole motherboard were I you. See, where I live, lightning over Summer is a constant worry and some people seem to think that though THEY wouldnt be on a landline in a thunder storm, it is quite OK to have their modem online in one. Thus, if connected with an ethernet cable, they can – and often DO – get a zap up the phone line that kills the modem more than not (curiously, sometimes NOT) and the networking port. Having done that, even WITH a new NIC put in, the computer invariably goes legs up in short order, not even making 12 months from initial problem. If yours wasnt caused by a zap up the phone line, I would say it came faulty and where the is one gremlin, there are usually others.

Greg.

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I wanted to go back and update my thread (since we all see so many of these threads go unresolved).

It turns out that Greg had the right answer. After going through several tests with Intel. It turned out that it was indeed a bad motherboard. Not from a lightning strike, but bad from the start since this behavior had gone on since I built the machine.

But, I literally had to threaten buying a competitors motherboard before Intel would agree to the replacement. They wanted me (as part of the troubleshooting process) to replace the hard drive, then the memory, then the graphics card, then the power supply and finally the processor to rule out defects in those before they would agree to send me a warranty replacement. I had to point out to them that replacing the graphics card or processor would be double the current cost of the motherboard! :rolleyes:

And the worst part? They wouldn’t send me a replacement until they got my board back even if I gave them a CC number! So I had to line-up a replacement computer as a loaner and transfer over everything I would need (programs, drivers) before I could send it in. What a pain. Anyway problem solved and I now have a perfectly running machine.

One small thing of which you should be aware – depending on how old the computer actually is and what caused the onboard networking port to go haywire, you may have a dud motherboard. If a new NIC card makes it all work well and if still under warranty, I’d be replacing the whole motherboard were I you. See, where I live, lightning over Summer is a constant worry and some people seem to think that though THEY wouldnt be on a landline in a thunder storm, it is quite OK to have their modem online in one. Thus, if connected with an ethernet cable, they can – and often DO – get a zap up the phone line that kills the modem more than not (curiously, sometimes NOT) and the networking port. Having done that, even WITH a new NIC put in, the computer invariably goes legs up in short order, not even making 12 months from initial problem. If yours wasnt caused by a zap up the phone line, I would say it came faulty and where the is one gremlin, there are usually others.

Greg.

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I would run thorough test of your memory modules.

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Have you checked your BIOS settings for LAN-specific tasks (Wake on LAN, etc.)?

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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The only LAN tasks available in the BIOS were enable/disable and Wake on LAN. I disabled wake on LAN and I’ll see if that makes a difference.

The hardest part in this type of detective work is that I have to wait at least 24-48 hours to see if a single change has made the difference. I’ll go through days where it won’t freeze at all, and then I’ll have periods where it freezes 2-3 times in an 8 hour period!

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Thanks for updating us! Glad you got through that painful mess. I might consider doing a follow up letter thanking them for making good on it, but letting them know how disappointed you were with all the mess they put you through. and let them know (if you are so inclined) that in no uncertain terms that you would never buy from them again. For the few bucks it costs them to make good on their product, they are sure risking losing their return customers.

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