Computer freezes/lags constantly. It didn't for an entire year before this.

[Thureos]

Windows is freezing from anywhere to a few seconds to a minute. This happens often, but not always, when doing very simple things as switching from watching Youtube on any browser to a Steam chat window. Also when clicking start, opening any folder, resizing any window, any program... but doesn't happen while playing a game. Audio never freezes and video only sometimes. Only hardware difference is an NVMe drive. Somtimes I have to hard-restart, but very rarely. I would get some BSOD while updating WIndows, but not after.

 

The solutions I've tried so far: The m.2 drive on and off, 3 fresh installs on both my old Sata SSD and my new NVMe one, different Sata ports for both my SSD and HDD, newest windows updates and they took forever to install due to the freezing. Latest BIOS... still freezed.

 

One thing worked, but it's not a final solution. I have a very old HDD with Win 10 from my old laptop. I plugged it as an external drive and booted with it. The freezing does not happen with it!!. As I type I'm terrified to turn it off and possibly triggering some damn update that will freeze this too. I need to figure out a way to save and copy this windows to my SSD and just forget this weeks long nightmare. I would like to know exactly WTH is causing it, but I don't mind remaining ignorant as long as it never comes back.

 

Excuse my rambling. I drove 8 hours today and would like to just relax with a working computer.