[SOLVED!] Searching cause of repeated freezes and crashes

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[SOLVED!] Searching cause of repeated freezes and crashes

Postby Can80 » Nov 17th, '18, 00:29

Dear community,
I would like to call on your opinion and advice to help me resolve an issue that I have been stuck with for several months.

I have a tower that I had upgraded this year (CPU, Motherboard & RAM), and ever since, I keep having problems of stability with my systems. I first gave Fedora 27/28 a run, but I wiped it off after several months because it was just too unstable and buggy. I replaced it with a fresh install of Mageia 6, which fares a lot better bugg wise, but unfortunately it struggles too.

Here are the main symptoms:

- Graphical interface freezes
This is the biggest one. My desktop environment will just freeze at random and the system becomes totally unresponsive, I can't even switch to a command line session. So I'm forced to do a hard reboot each time. It tried with different environments (KDE, GNOME, Cinnamon, Xfce) but it makes no difference.

- Firefox crashes
For some reason, Firefox is quite unstable. On Fedora, it was just unusable, and even Chrome was bad. Here with Mageia, Firefox fares better but it will crash (either a Tab, or the whole Firefox) at random quite frequently. Usually, rebooting fixes it for a while but it happens again. Thunderbird, on the other hand, causes no problem at all.

- Unstable when two programs or more run simultaneously
This happened many times when I work with Libreoffice while listening to music (Audacious), or when I watch a video (SMPlayer or VLC) and I choose to run anything else. It can work fine for a while, then either i) one or all of the programs running will shut off, or ii) the whole system freezes and I have to hard reboot.
I don’t even run multimedia and Firefox together anymore because I know that something will crash very soon.

Considering that I have experienced the same problems with both Fedora and Mageia (but make it 10 times worse with Fedora), which on my other machines work flawlessly, I have come to the conclusion that my problem is related to faulty hardware or at least, bad communication between the kernel and the hardware. What do you think?
Also, is there a way I could find out for sure, before I send the computer to be diagnosed?

I need to mention that I updated the BIOS to its latest version and it changed nothing.
The only thing I haven't tried yet is test how a Windows install would fare on it, but I'd rather save that as the very last option.

Thank you very much!

Here are some specification of my tower:
Code: Select all
$ inxi -Fx
System:   Kernel: 4.14.70-desktop-2.mga6 x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.5.0)
      Desktop: Xfce 4.12.4 (Gtk 2.24.31) Distro: Mageia 6 mga6
Machine:   Device: desktop Mobo: MSI model: H81M-P33 (MS-7817) v: 1.0
      UEFI: American Megatrends v: V1.9 date: 03/30/2015
CPU:      Quad core Intel Core i5-4690S (-MCP-) cache: 6144 KB
      flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 25598
      clock speeds: max: 3900 MHz 1: 3851 MHz 2: 3555 MHz 3: 3548 MHz
      4: 3567 MHz
Graphics:   Card: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller
      bus-ID: 00:02.0
      Display Server: Mageia X.org 119.5 drivers: v4l,intel
      Resolution: 1440x900@59.89hz
      GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Haswell Desktop
      GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 17.3.9 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:      Card Intel 8 Series/C220 Series High Definition Audio Controller
      driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
      Sound: ALSA v: k4.14.70-desktop-2.mga6
Network:   Card-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
      driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: e000 bus-ID: 02:00.0
      IF: enp2s0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full
      mac: 44:8a:5b:d8:ca:d8
      Card-2: Realtek RTL8192CE PCIe Wireless Network Adapter
      driver: rtl8192ce port: d000 bus-ID: 03:00.0
      IF: wlp3s0 state: down mac: bc:ee:7b:e7:61:54
Drives:   HDD Total Size: 500.1GB (37.4% used)
      ID-1: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD5000AAKX size: 500.1GB
Partition:   ID-1: / size: 50G used: 8.3G (18%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda5
      ID-2: /home size: 404G used: 163G (41%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda7
      ID-3: swap-1 size: 4.29GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda6
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 29.8C mobo: 27.8C
      Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 188 Uptime: 6 min Memory: 566.3/15919.9MB
      Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: N/A
      Client: Shell (bash 4.3.481) inxi: 2.3.11
Last edited by Can80 on Nov 23rd, '18, 17:43, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Seraching the cause of repeated system freezes and crash

Postby daniewicz » Nov 17th, '18, 05:16

I would run some diagnostic software to check your hardware. Maybe this or something similar? http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

In particular, I would test your memory with memtest.

Do you know how to clear the CMOS on your motherboard? This is painless and should be your first step when dealing with hardware problems. See your motherboard manual.
The dude abides.
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Re: Seraching the cause of repeated system freezes and crash

Postby xboxboy » Nov 17th, '18, 05:17

I'd try two things: Run a memory test program for like 24 hours/over night.

Check that hard disk condition with SMART. I'm lazy and use gsmartcontrol, to install, as root from command line

Code: Select all
urpmi gsmartcontrol


or use MCC to install.

Then it should appear in your menu under Tools -> System Tools -> GSmartControl
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Re: Searching the cause of repeated system freezes and crash

Postby Can80 » Nov 17th, '18, 16:49

OK,
I will try those and get back to you with the results.

Thank you for replying so quickly!
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Re: Searching the cause of repeated system freezes and crash

Postby JoesCat » Nov 18th, '18, 04:06

As mentioned above, run memtest, let your computer warm up, so run it overnight or 24hrs.
If it appears to be hardware related, like RAM or a separate graphics card, you can rub a pencil eraser over the contacts on the cards to clean possible gunk that may make poor contact with the motherboard. For the motherboard, shine a flashlight at an angle at the contacts, if some connector pin is defective, the reflected light will be a little different than the other pins.

Memtest will test RAM, but not a separate graphics card - you will probably want to try testing your graphics card, this appears to show some suggestions:
https://www.raymond.cc/blog/having-prob ... ts-memory/
Assuming the graphics passed, try another type of graphics card if possible, if not, then try running it in a lower resolution for a while, example, try vesa mode.
As you indicate integrated graphics - you can skip this.

After installing Mageia 6, add all updates and patches.
While running, check CPU temperature, verify fans are running. Today's CPUs use a lot of Watts, and if you don't get the heat dissipated, they stop.
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Re: Searching the cause of repeated system freezes and crash

Postby Can80 » Nov 23rd, '18, 05:33

Ok, I finally found some time to look into this.
Thank you all for your advice!

I am running memtest86, as you suggested me to do first, and after just 1 hour (1 pass +25%) it found 5569 errors so far, and tells me they are between 12544.0MB and 14028.8MB.
It seems clear that there is an issue with one of my RAM bars (or the slot on the motherboard).

I will try some more and try to identify the source of the issue.
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Re: Searching the cause of repeated system freezes and crash

Postby Can80 » Nov 23rd, '18, 17:42

Well, a good probing with memtest86 allowed to find the source of the problem.
I have found that my two 8GB RAM bars work very well. I tested them individually and memtest reported no error on either one.
The problem is with one of the slots on the motherboard. One is fine, but on the other, the Errors with memtest go through the roof, regardless of which RAM bar I place in it. And the errors are always in the same area between 12544.0MB and 14028.8MB.
Lucky me, this thing is still under warranty, so I'll have it replaced.

I think I can call the issue as RESOLVED. :D

Guys! Thank you so much for your help!
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