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5 unsolved PC issues that have left me clueless
Being a PC user, you must expect to come face-to-face with seemingly inexplicable behavior. Over the last two decades, I've encountered and fixed multiple issues with my PCs. One way or the other, I was able to either pinpoint the root cause and eliminate it, or at least get rid of the issue if I couldn't figure out the actual reason behind it. The fixes to the issues listed below, however, have managed to elude me over the last three years. These problems come and go as they please, and I'm no closer to solving them than I was 3 years ago.
Disappearing restore points
A curious case indeed
Many of you might take Windows restore points lightly, but I've always had the habit of using them to revert my system to earlier states if something goes wrong. Using System Restore on my Windows 10 PC has been a ritual for me ever since I got this PC back in 2022. However, I've not been able to use it to the fullest since most of my restore points disappear a few days after I created them. The first time I realized what was happening, I started creating new restore points every Monday, and decided to confirm my suspicions.
Sure enough, by the time the next Monday came along, my previous restore point didn't exist — it was as if I had never created it. Obviously, I checked how much space was reserved on the drive for the restore points, and that wasn't the problem. I came across a few threads online that claimed that using scheduled imaging on Macrium Reflect wiped restore points on Windows. However, numerous users denied the claim, so I'm still unsure why my restore points keep disappearing into the ether. Well, at least I have my system images in place in case things go super awry.
Crappy mic quality on my wireless headphones
Should I just get a wired headset?
This one is a more troubling issue than some disappearing restore points. Ever since I got my WH-1000XM4 headphones, I've loved using them while traveling, during my morning tea time, and when I'm walking around my apartment complex. The only time I fail to get them to work properly is when I connect them to my PC via Bluetooth. I can hear everything alright, but speaking to friends on Discord or getting on work calls with the XM4 is impossible.
Everyone promptly tells me my voice is coming from far away, even when I've dialed everything up to 11, investigated all the sound settings in Windows and Discord, and updated the firmware of the headphones. This problem is present on my Razer Barracuda X headset with the 2.4GHz connection, too, as my friends tell me that my voice keeps cutting in and out whenever I'm using it during a gaming session. I've tried updating the drivers on Windows and changing a bunch of settings, but to no avail. At this point, I might have to invest in a pair of wired headphones.
CPU running unusually hot when idling
Is it an 8-core thing? I really don't know
I knew my Ryzen 7 5700X would run hotter than my previous Ryzen 5 1600, but I didn't expect how much. Despite having an AIO liquid cooler and living in a city where the ambient temperature stays below 30℃ most of the year (except in summers), my 65W CPU never seems to drop below 60℃. I realize this is not a problem, but when I'm not running a game or any other intensive program, what's the reason behind these high temps?
Checking with other Ryzen 7 5700X users online showed me that most people have their chip running below 40℃ at idle. I don't have any needless background processes that could cause this, nor does the CPU usage exceed 25% when I see these high temps in HWiNFO. I don't overclock it or use PBO either, and my case has plenty of airflow and space, so that isn't the cause either. I've removed the CPU cooler and repasted the CPU as well to eliminate any mounting errors. I've just made peace with the issue now — at least, the CPU isn't thermal throttling.
PC waking up from sleep on its own
I have a ghost
Around a year ago, I used to struggle to put my PC in sleep mode — the RAM, GPU, or fans always kept running even when everything else was turned off. I tried a bunch of fixes, but the only thing that worked was updating my BIOS. However, I'm now facing a new issue where my PC wakes up from sleep without any input from my end. It's not my network adapter since I have disabled Wake-on-LAN and checked the Ethernet settings, and it's not my mouse or keyboard because no one's in the room whenever I notice my PC's RGB lights are on.
I've checked Event Viewer on multiple occasions to find the root cause, but I've failed to find any details on which component is the culprit. Even when Event Viewer points to, say, a peripheral or the network adapter, I can't figure out how that could have happened. This weird behavior is rare, so I'm not terribly annoyed right now, but it's something that I want to fix ASAP.
Ethernet link speed randomly dropping to 100Mbps
I'm now open to unusual solutions
The weirdest unresolved issue on my PC, hands down, is my Ethernet link speed dropping to 100Mbps from 1Gbps. There's no rhyme or reason to when this happens — I often go weeks without any problem, and then one day, I notice reduced download speed. I've endlessly messed around with my network adapter settings, updated the drivers, and double-checked that I'm using a CAT6e cable.
The only way to force the connection to revert to 1Gbps link speed (so I can use the full speed of my 200Mbps plan) is to remove the LAN cable on the router end, wait for some time, and plug it back. However, the problem always comes back, and sometimes, even removing and inserting the cable doesn't do anything. I'm out of ideas, and I know I might have missed a fix that others online might have mentioned, so I'll resume the hunt for the solution when I feel like it.
What's next in my Windows journey?
I love Windows 10 to the point that I've still not moved to Windows 11. That said, longstanding problems are piling up, and forcing me to consider a switch. I don't know whether Windows 11 will get rid of each of these problems or not, but it's worth a try, considering I've failed to solve these long-running issues on my PC. If migrating to Windows 11 doesn't fix these issues, I always have Windows 10 to come back to.
