My self-built PC occasionally freezes during windows startup, around 5-10% of the time.
The freeze always happens around the same time, shortly before the windows desktop should appear. The dots under the user name stop spinning, the computer freezes completely and I have to restart manually. Sometimes after the next boot the AMD graphics driver is deactivated and reverted back to the Microsoft basic display driver. I then have to manually re-activate the "AMD Radeon graphics" device in the device manager, which suggests to me that the freeze may be related to the graphics driver. Usually the freeze does not leaves a trace in the event log, but very occasionally the freeze may generate a blue screen like this:
==================================================
Dump File : 110921-5359-01.dmp
Crash Time : 09.11.2021 12:13:57
Bug Check String : THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER
Bug Check Code : 0x100000ea
Parameter 1 : ffffa10d`e264c080
Parameter 2 : 00000000`00000000
Parameter 3 : 00000000`00000000
Parameter 4 : 00000000`00000000
Caused By Driver : amdkmdag.sys
Caused By Address : amdkmdag.sys+1ae5ab
File Description :
Product Name :
Company :
File Version :
Processor : x64
Crash Address : ntoskrnl.exe+3f72a0
Stack Address 1 :
Stack Address 2 :
Stack Address 3 :
Computer Name :
Full Path : C:\Windows\Minidump\110921-5359-01.dmp
Processors Count : 16
Major Version : 15
Minor Version : 19041
Dump File Size : 1.877.340
Dump File Time : 09.11.2021 12:16:21
==================================================
The freeze only happens during startup, once the Windows desktop appears the system is stable (tested with Prime95, Furmark, Memtest...)
Configuration:
- AMD Ryzen 5700G
- Asus B550-F Gaming Wifi, latest BIOS 2423
- 32GB RAM Crucial DDR4-3200
- Seasonic Prime Fanless 500W
- Windows 10 Home, Version 21H2, latest updates installed
- Windows fast boot deactivated
- Latest AMD chipset drivers
DXDiag: https://pastebin.com/Y6R5pmk7
I have tried the following so far:
Hardware measures:
Swapping everything that could cause a hardware-related crash:
- CPU: with another 5700G
- RAM: With a different 2x16GB kit from a different manufacturer
- Mainboard: With another Asus B550-F Gaming Wifi
- PSU: With another Seasonic Prime Fanless 500W
- SSD: With an SSD from a different manufacturer + reinstall Windows
Nothing made a difference. So now I am pretty confident that the issue is not caused by faulty hardware.
Software measures:
- Reinstalling Windows (several times...)
- Disabling all autostart programs
- Disabling all non-Windows services during startup
- Reinstalling latest WHQL AMD drivers from AMD website (after removing previous driver with AMD cleanup utility) (did so several times...)
Again, nothing made a difference. Currently I am using the latest driver that I installed manually via Windows update after a clean Windows install, but the issue remains the same.
I am out of ideas what else to troubleshoot, nothing seems to make a difference. The evidence so far suggests that the freezes are most likely caused by the graphics driver, but what can I do besides doing a clean reinstall of different driver versions (including the one provided by Microsoft Windows update), none of which solved the issue?
See if by following Citrix Troubleshooting procedures might fix your problem: https://docs.citrix.com/en-us/citrix-virtual-apps-desktops/director/troubleshoot-deployments/user-is...
@amdman is correct the Citrix has caused many problems with other drivers.
If possible try booting into a Clean Windows environment. This basically running Safe Mode on a regular Windows desktop with all 3rd party startups disabled. If Windows boots up fine then start enabling 3rd party startups to see which one is causing Windows to freeze during loading of Windows OS: How to perform a clean boot in Windows
EDIT: Have you tried to use Asus own AMD VGA Driver and install the latest Asus AMD CHIPSET Driver package?
You can open a AMD Support ticket from here: https://www.amd.com/en/support/contact-email-form as for Asus Support I suggest you use the Chat feature which is fastest under Asus Warranty: https://rog.asus.com/us/motherboards/rog-strix/rog-strix-b550-f-gaming-wi-fi-model/helpdesk_warranty
You will need your Asus Motherboard S/N to start the Chat session.
If Windows freezes before reaching the desktop does indicate a driver or startup program issue or possible a hardware issue.
This Tech site gives several tips for Windows freezing: https://helpdeskgeek.com/help-desk/windows-10-keeps-freezing-up-9-ways-to-fix/
also this site: https://www.easeus.com/computer-instruction/fix-windows-10-freezing-randomly.html and https://www.partitionwizard.com/partitionmagic/win10-freezes-randomly.html
Image from the last link - Partition Magic:
All three pretty much the same troubleshooting tips. Some that you have done already.
EDIT: I believe running Windows Verifier is your best bet to see if it is a driver causing the problem or verify it is the AMD Driver.
@elstaci Thanks again for your help. I may actually have found the culprit. After letting Windows Driver Verifier run for hours without issue I started up the Citrix Workspace App and logged into my account. Before the virtual desktop finished loading the PC crashed with this BSOD:
...which with the "damaged graphics" look reminded me of the one I encountered at a crash during a Windows boot some weeks earlier (see post 1). The minidump showed the following:
==================================================
Filename : ctxusbmon.sys
Address In Stack : ctxusbmon.sys+e000
From Address : fffff807`93f50000
To Address : fffff807`93f73000
Size : 0x00023000
Time Stamp : 0x611a964a
Time String : 16.08.2021 17:46:02
Product Name : Citrix XenApp & XenDesktop
File Description : Citrix Client-side Usb Monitor Driver for Windows.
File Version : 7.31.0.49
Company : Citrix Systems, Inc.
Full Path : C:\Windows\system32\drivers\ctxusbmon.sys
==================================================
==================================================
Filename : VerifierExt.sys
Address In Stack : VerifierExt.sys+2702b
From Address : fffff805`359b0000
To Address : fffff805`35a51000
Size : 0x000a1000
Time Stamp : 0x2a7d1250
Time String : 03.08.1992 12:02:40
Product Name : Betriebssystem Microsoft® Windows®
File Description : Treiberüberprüfungserweiterung
File Version : 10.0.19041.1415 (WinBuild.160101.0800)
Company : Microsoft Corporation
Full Path : C:\Windows\system32\drivers\VerifierExt.sys
==================================================
I repeated this 2 more times, with exactly the same BSOD result. The minidumps can be downloaded from here.
The misbehaving driver seems to be ctxusbmon.sys, a "Citrix Client-side Usb Monitor Driver for Windows". I checked the boot log and this driver is loaded during Windows boot even with Citrix Indirect Display adapter and autostart entries disabled. So for now unfortunately the only solution seems to be to completely remove the Citrix Workspace App. I will report the issue to Citrix and hope they can do something about it.
Unfortunately I had to remove the "solved" status as the Bluescreens keep happening even after I removed Citrix.
Here is an excerpt from a bluescreen view of a crash still with the AMD graphics driver from Windows Update:
==================================================
Dump File : 011722-5312-01.dmp
Crash Time : 17.01.2022 08:58:14
Bug Check String : SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION
Bug Check Code : 0x0000003b
Parameter 1 : 00000000`c0000005
Parameter 2 : fffff801`3ccd2b70
Parameter 3 : ffffd781`1f35eb90
Parameter 4 : 00000000`00000000
Caused By Driver : dxgmms2.sys
Caused By Address : dxgmms2.sys+d2b70
File Description : DirectX Graphics MMS
Product Name : Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
Company : Microsoft Corporation
File Version : 10.0.19041.1466 (WinBuild.160101.0800)
Processor : x64
Crash Address : ntoskrnl.exe+3f72e0
Stack Address 1 :
Stack Address 2 :
Stack Address 3 :
Computer Name :
Full Path : C:\Windows\Minidump\011722-5312-01.dmp
Processors Count : 16
Major Version : 15
Minor Version : 19041
Dump File Size : 492.873
Dump File Time : 17.01.2022 08:58:54
==================================================
I then tried again with the latest version of the graphics driver from AMD directly from 7 January and also removed the old one beforehand with DDU in safe mode. But today I had another blue screen shortly after booting up. Strangely, the boot logo is displayed again in the lower half, although the Windows desktop was already running before the bluescreen:
Here is an excerpt from Bluescreenview:
==================================================
Dump File : 013122-5265-01.dmp
Crash Time : 31.01.2022 08:34:50
Bug Check String : THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER
Bug Check Code : 0x000000ea
Parameter 1 : ffffc504`ae99a280
Parameter 2 : 00000000`00000000
Parameter 3 : 00000000`00000000
Parameter 4 : 00000000`00000000
Caused By Driver : dxgkrnl.sys
Caused By Address : dxgkrnl.sys+445ad
File Description : DirectX Graphics Kernel
Product Name : Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
Company : Microsoft Corporation
File Version : 10.0.19041.1466 (WinBuild.160101.0800)
Processor : x64
Crash Address : ntoskrnl.exe+3f73b0
Stack Address 1 :
Stack Address 2 :
Stack Address 3 :
Computer Name :
Full Path : C:\Windows\Minidump\013122-5265-01.dmp
Processors Count : 16
Major Version : 15
Minor Version : 19041
Dump File Size : 523.267
Dump File Time : 31.01.2022 08:36:29
==================================================
Minidumps complete:
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AiCg1jUcK9R_zQEuhF-Jo5DoRnxH?e=Yh8lAl
DXDiag: https://pastebin.com/EKAseVED
Does this provide any new clues as to what might be causing this?
