How do I solve the problem of my monitor displays freezing and my PC randomly restarting?

Question

How do I solve the problem of my monitor displays freezing and my PC randomly restarting?

Emma Bryan 0

Hello. This is a problem that I dealt with back in April of this year and have previously gone to Microsoft Support for help with. I was able to fix the issue then, so hopefully I can fix it now.

Back in April, I started to experience a strange phenomenon where my monitor displays would freeze and would be forced to restart my PC. Over the span of a few days it went from annoying to making my computer unusable. I couldn't go a several minutes without things freezing on me, and worse, my PC had begun to restart automatically whenever this would occur. When I went to Microsoft Support, a helpful man named Bernard guided me through the process of updating my graphics and processor drivers. My problem was solved and finally I was able to rest easy knowing my computer just needed some updating.

Fast forward to the beginning of August, four months later, and my computer starts freezing again. It was upsetting, but this time I knew what I needed to do. I updated my graphics and processor driver and, because it was something I had suspected back in April as being the cause before finding the solution, I bought myself a new mouse and keyboard. However, to my surprise and dismay, the issue has not been resolved and I'm starting to worry again. For the first time since April today, my monitors froze and my PC restarted by itself. My computer is 3-4 years old and definitely not in any condition to be dying on me, I don't think.

Do I need new monitors? Is there something wrong with my display ports or the cables? I remember replacing one of them back in April but it didn't provide a permanent solution. I've added screenshots from my event viewer and of my system information down below:

event-viewer-crit-2

system-info-2

I'm not an expert when it comes to these things, but in the event viewer I did notice the Critical event from AppModel-Runtime. The description says, "0x3D55: Package family Microsoft.Edge.GameAssist_7wekyb3d8bbwe runtime information is corrupted. Attempting to correct the issue." I don't use Microsoft Edge nor Game Assist, at least not consciously, but I do have Razer Cortex installed. Could that be the source of my problem?I appreciate any answer, even if this does happen to be a hardware issue. Thank you so much!

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Answer 1

Hello! Emma , Kimberly here, and I’m eager to jump in and help you fix this.

Your PC freezes and restarts are most likely due to hardware instability or driver-level faults, not your monitors or cables.

Why not monitors/cables?

If the entire PC restarts, the issue is upstream, likely GPU, CPU, RAM, PSU, or motherboard, not display hardware.

Why driver updates didn’t work this time:

In April, updates may have temporarily masked an underlying hardware or stability problem that’s now resurfaced.

Event Viewer error:

The “Microsoft.Edge.GameAssist” message is likely unrelated to the crashes. Razer Cortex might contribute but is not the main cause, disable it for testing.

Troubleshooting steps:

Check overheating: Monitor CPU (<85°C) and GPU (<80°C) temps with HWInfo/HWMonitor.

GPU stability: Use DDU to fully remove GPU drivers, reinstall from the manufacturer’s site, and stress test with FurMark.

RAM integrity: Run Windows Memory Diagnostic or MemTest86 overnight.

Power supply health: Check voltage stability under load or test with a known-good PSU.

System file integrity: Run sfc /scannow and DISM /RestoreHealth.

Software isolation: Boot in Clean Boot mode; re-enable services one by one.

If still failing: Likely failing GPU, PSU, or motherboard VRM.

Quick check: If you have integrated graphics, remove the discrete GPU and run the system, if crashes stop, GPU/power delivery is the culprit.

Should you have more questions, please let me know.

Best regards,

Kimberly

Emma Bryan 0 Reputation points

2025-08-17T19:05:38.18+00:00

I appreciate the succinct answer. The memory diagnostic test didn't show anything, and both system file integrity commands also solved nothing. Back in April I did a clean boot and it solved nothing, so I decided not to do it again. I will be taking a look at the inside and dusting it out with my dad who is better versed in these things, but I would also like to report some new occurrences:I found some more events in the Event Viewer right before a system shutdown pertaining to PerfDiag Logger having reached a maximum file size and stopping due to the error code 0xC0000188. I don't know if this could be related, but it seems significant. There is also a much bigger issue at hand that leads me to believe this is definitely a hardware problem, and that is the fact that one time after my computer froze and I restarted it, it booted up before immediately shutting down. Now it won't turn on at all. I feel like it's less of a GPU/CPU problem because I had my task manager open while streaming my browser on Discord in a voice chat and I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. My computer also didn't freeze that entire time.This is most likely a fault with the PSU or motherboard, in all honesty, especially now that it won't start again. It's just slightly bewildering to me that it can run intensive games but fails on me when the only thing I have open are two Chrome tabs, trying to write a spreadsheet.

Answer 2

Dear Emma Bryan,

It’s clear you’ve done a thorough job updating your graphics and processor drivers, and even replacing peripherals—those are excellent first steps. Given that the issue has resurfaced after several months, we’d like to help you explore a few additional areas that may be contributing to the instability.

Check for Windows Updates
- Ensure your system is fully up to date by going to Settings > Windows Update and installing any pending updates.
Run Hardware Diagnostics
- Use the built-in Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool to check for memory issues.
- If your PC manufacturer offers a hardware diagnostic suite, we recommend running a full scan.
Inspect Display Connections
- Try swapping out display cables and ports again, especially if one was previously replaced.
- If possible, test with a different monitor to rule out hardware failure.
Review Event Viewer Logs
- Open Event Viewer and check under System Logs for critical errors around the time of the freeze/restart.
- Look for entries related to Display, Kernel-Power, or LiveKernelEvent.
Check for Overheating or Power Issues
- Ensure your system is well-ventilated and free of dust buildup.
- Sudden restarts can sometimes be triggered by thermal shutdowns or unstable power delivery.
Consider a Clean Boot
- Perform a clean boot to rule out software conflicts:
- Type msconfig in the Start menu, go to Services, check Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all.
- Restart your PC and observe behavior.

I hope this helps. Just kindly tick Accept Answer that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

Best regards,
Domic Vo

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How do I solve the problem of my monitor displays freezing and my PC randomly restarting?

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