Windows 10 Reboot Loop

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Seth1968
You tried it without the UPS right? Although it could still be a line issue.

The other factor is it happened once at Memex (that we know of). I say that because like any repair tech, we shudder at intermittent issues.

Yeah I tried two different PSU power cords, with the UPS but in a non-battery backup slot, without the UPS straight into the wall, and without the UPS straight into the wall using an extension cord to an outlet I am pretty sure is on a different circuit. Also, as you brought up, the issue happened at the service desk at Memory Express when I dropped the computer off for diagnostics, which theoretically would rule out my house power being the issue. Unfortunately the issue did not happen on the tech's bench a day or two later when he ran all the tests.

Only thing I haven't done is move it to a different house, and see if it works. Problem there is if it works, I won't know for many days if it's just behaving temporarily or not. Also, it worked for over a month at my house without issue prior to the shutdowns.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Running on a new, identical PSU now (EVGA Supernova 650 P2).

The more I think about it and exactly how it happens, the more I think it's my mobo. Fingers crossed the PSU works but I'm not too optimistic...stay tuned...

[Swank]

When I had flakey power issues it was the mobo too. Every once in a while the power button would do nothing, and it wasn't the power button itself. I'm really curious about the outcome here.

[Mitsu3000gt]

We'll see what happens throughout the rest of the week. I will do my best to re-create scenarios where it failed (coming back to it after a long period of non-use, and clicking any application).

My UPS Software actually tells me the voltage, power quality, load/wattage, etc. and that all looks great so I'm pretty confident it has nothing to do with the wall power either.

[cam_wmh]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt


Yeah I'd be curious.

I keep circling back to power supply just because of the nature of the hard power cuts, but then enough other stuff happens that makes me think it can't be the PSU Mine would also crash (hard power-off) if you tried to select safe mode, but would stay in the safe mode options screen indefinitely, which would suggest it is not the PSU haha.

My PC has been good to me for 5 years, I can't ask much more of it. If it turns out I need a new one I won't be upset, but I remain optimistic for the time being. Maybe it just needed a different environment for a while at MemEx haha who knows. It's probably something silly still.

MemEX rooted it to Win10 update.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by cam_wmh


MemEX rooted it to Win10 update.

Interesting so his was software then I guess. Mine is 100% for sure hardware unfortunately.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Power is at the moment working fine but I have a new problem. Windows is completely fucked. It worked fine yesterday and I did a normal shutdown last night. Started it up after work today and I get this error:

"Recovery" a required device isn't connected or can't be accessed. Error code 0xc0000000e. You will need USB recovery tools blah blah blah"

When it restarts it "collects some data" and then restarts into the above message in a loop. "Stop Code"
0xc000021a

I can't get past those screens even in safe mode.

My feeling is something got corrupted in the last power cut before I replaced my PSU because when it did an auto repair, a bunch of programs were fucked. They wouldn't uninstall, windows thought they were there when they weren't and vise versa and I had to revo-uninstall a ton of stuff and reinstall it. After that all seemed ok and I shut down normally. At best it's looking like I need to do a fresh windows install again.

Only other thought is that there's a bad windows update floating around.

EDIT: I disabled "Driver signature enforcement" and it worked....now to find out why...

Windows is also hung on this update:

Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems (KB3206632) - Error 0x800f081f

EDIT 2: So it appears my computer works as normal except for the following 4 issues:

1) It will not boot without disabling driver signatures. I get the "stop code" error twice while it "collects data" and then the third restart gives me the boot options to disable driver signatures.

2) Windows update KB3206632 won't install. I've tried forcing windows to re-download it by deleting the software distribution Windows file contents but no improvement.

3) One of my spinner HDD's wont write data any faster than ~12.0 MB/s anymore. Confirmed with Crystal Disk. This is a brand new problem. Curiously, Samsung Drive Magician says this hard drive "SATA 3.0 Available" under a little caution exclamation mark which does not appear on any of my other 3 drives. Maybe one of the hard power cuts damaged it.

4) Nothing I do will make my eSATA ports work again (SOLVED: Rebooted with external drive running and windows "repaired" it, now it is discoverable)

5) Every single time the computer starts up, it gives me a prompt about Windows OOBE.

Tried updating mobo chipset drivers, didn't do anything. BIOS is the latest available version. Probably going to have to try do a full system restore again. Or maybe I should just put my old SSD in and see if that puts me back to normal...

[bookem]

Sounds like the mobo might be f'ed.

[Swank]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
Maybe one of the hard power cuts damaged it.

I wouldn't doubt it. Storage drive or not, everything spins up when your PC powers up, then you set up power profiles to shut down certain discs after x amount of idle time (or let the default power settings do it). I'm pretty sure the lowest you can set is 1 minute (like my storage drives) and your reboot loops are almost certainly shorter than that. Back up that drive that is breaking ASAP and keep all HDDs disconnected as much as possible until you get to the bottom of this gremlin.

And your new windows problem, holy hell, the plot thickens

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Swank
I wouldn't doubt it. Storage drive or not, everything spins up when your PC powers up, then you set up power profiles to shut down certain discs after x amount of idle time (or let the default power settings do it). I'm pretty sure the lowest you can set is 1 minute (like my storage drives) and your reboot loops are almost certainly shorter than that. Back up that drive that is breaking ASAP and keep all HDDs disconnected as much as possible until you get to the bottom of this gremlin.

And your new windows problem, holy hell, the plot thickens

Yeah I *think* my power issue is gone (I've been using it enough that I would expect it to have happened by now) but I won't be sure until it works perfectly for a week or so. I have already started backing up that HDD, just in case it's physically damaged and not just a driver/mobo/SATA issue.

Yeah I'm pretty tired of this. I've probably done a lot more than many would have patience for at this point. I'm going to just put in my old SSD and see if that works now that (hopefully) the power issue is solved. If that doesn't work I'm going to fresh install windows again on the new SSD. If that doesn't work I am going to buy a new computer lol.

Even more annoying is that I have until Monday to return the new power supply to Memory Express, but I can't initiate a RMA with EVGA on the old PSU until I am sure the PSU is the issue, because I have to pay ~$40 to ship it back to EVGA. So there will be a period of time where I am completely without a PSU, probably for a week or so.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Put the old SSD back in and things seem to be OK, assuming no more hard power-downs. I can test it again tonight in the same scenario that it likes to reboot in the most.

Hopefully, after all this, I just have to get a RMA PSU. If that's actually what failed I will be a little bit surprised.

Dec 20 EDIT: 5 days later still no issues on the new PSU.

EVGA customer service is still amazing. They said they wouldn't get anything processed or shipped until the new year because they closed on the 23rd, and that the replacement would come via UPS ground shipping. Turns out they did process my RMA, and shipped it to me via overnight shipping Glad to see they are still keeping up their legendary customer service. I'm really surprised my PSU failed though, given that it was new and they are some of the best ones available but I guess everything has lemons.

I'm just happy it wasn't my mobo, or so I think (knock on wood).