Overview
Looking at the questions in the Microsoft community, there are quite a few questions about errors caused by abnormalities in PC hardware. Off-the-shelf PC hardware usually doesn't break down that badly. However, unfortunately, it is also a fact that it may break down very rarely.
Problems in Windows can also be caused by software problems such as inconsistencies in the file system of the drive or abnormal Windows system files. However, it is common to first check that the hardware is working properly, then identify the cause of the problem and take appropriate countermeasures.
Unfortunately, Windows currently does not have the tools to rigorously inspect memory on modern architectures, nor the ability to read SMART information, which is diagnostic information for hard drives. And Microsoft's support page doesn't show how to support them. Thus I divided the procedures for hardware health verification that should be performed in order for Windows PC to operate normally into Part 1 and Part 2, and summarized them by item. Help troubleshoot your Windows PC hardware.
Problems with PC hardware that usually occur are mainly narrowed down to the following four points.
Installation/Operation/Environment
Memory
Hard Drive/SSD
Power Supply Unit
Installation/Operation/Environment
Installation, operation, and environmental issues are the first things to check when trouble occurs. Non-PC operational malfunctions such as cables, connectors, sockets, routers, switching hubs, and external power failures are often the cause of this problem.
Modern PCs and peripherals are very reliable. However, in rare cases, it may malfunction. Failures occur regardless of whether the equipment is new or old, as they can also be caused by early failures of components, commonly referred to as infant failures. However, many of these installation, operational, and environmental problems are caused by humans. For example, there are many people who are unable to insert their PC connectors and cables correctly, and there are cases where the power cable connector is not inserted all the way in. In addition to the monitor, keyboard, and mouse, are the parts you added or replaced working correctly? In particular, he needs to be careful about adding or replacing SSDs and HDDs, cameras, and video peripherals.
The hardware checkpoints in this section are relatively simple:
Remove all peripheral devices that are not necessary for the basic operation of the PC and check the operation.
Check all sockets and connectors for correct and tight connections.
If a specific peripheral device or communication behavior is abnormal, it is effective to replace the cable and try again.
Memory
Even PCs that appear to be working properly at first glance often have memory problems. Even if it works normally at first, malfunctions and compatibility problems may occur while using it. Memory modules called SIMMs are convenient because they can be easily obtained, replaced, and expanded, but there may be compatibility issues in choosing a connection destination that works properly. Many PC hardware other than server machines do not verify the normality of memory during operation, so it is difficult to understand even if a problem caused by a memory abnormality occurs. Memory can be inspected using Windows Memory Diagnostic, which is included as a Windows administrative tool, but it is not very accurate. You may miss memory access errors under high load or in specific patterns. Therefore, here we will show you how to check using a software tool called "Memtest86+". The steps are described below.
Preparing and downloading Memtest86+
First, prepare a Windows PC and a USB memory (capacity of 1MB or more) that can be initialized.
Then open http://memtest.org/ in your browser and click
Click Windows USB Installer (32/64 bits) to download the zip file.
Install Memtest86+
Run downloaded mt86plus_6.10_USB_Installer.exe (file name varies depending on the version) and check the User Account Control and start the installation.
Click I Agree to confirm the license.
Select the destination USB drive, check We will format, and click Create. Writing to the USB memory starts.
Select the destination USB drive, check We will format, and click Create. Writing to the USB memory starts.
Check UEFI BIOS settings
Before running Memtest86+, you have to check your UEFI BIOS settings. Confirm that secure boot is disabled and boot from USB memory. Note that these methods are different for different PCs or motherboards. After completing the memory test, restore the previous settings.
See Windows 11 and Secure Boot .
Start Memtest86+
Start the PC under test using the written USB memory. In some cases, it may be possible to start the PC simply by inserting the USB memory and turning the power on again. Depending on the environment, it may be necessary to temporarily change the UEFI BIOS boot device to USB Storage/Flash by pressing a special key such as "F1" when the power is turned on.
The memory test will automatically start and proceed. Depending on the environment, it takes about 3-5 hours to complete a series of tests. To quit in the middle, press the ESC key. If the cycle of Pass: becomes more than 2 times as shown below, you can think that there is almost no problem with the memory environment of the PC.
If there is an error in the memory environment, an error will be reported on the screen with a red background as shown below.
There are several memory testing tools, including the aforementioned Windows Memory Diagnostic, his Memtest86+, and similar Memtest tools. However, this Memtest86+ is updated quite frequently for the latest test content and environment, and when tested in the same environment, it has been confirmed that it finds problems faster and more severely than other tools. Therefore, it is a useful tool to know.
This time, as the first part of the normality verification of PC hardware, I first showed the basic installation, operation, and environment confirmation and the memory test procedure with his Memtest86 +. Continue to Part 2.
Reference)
PC hardware health verification Part.2 (Hard drive/SSD, Power supplies, Other Notes)