New PC keeps freezing

So I just picked up this new PC, wiped it, and installed Windows (cracked version), grabbed my drivers, and loaded up a few basic apps. But here's the kicker: every few minutes—sometimes after just 5 minutes, sometimes after 20—the whole thing just freezes solid. The only way I can get it to respond is by hitting the power button on the case.

I’ve already tried all those standard fixes from here and even that first suggestion in the comments:
https://www.drivereasy.com/knowledge...ndomly-easily/

On top of that, I'm getting the occasional crash with a "clock_watchdog_timeout" error message.

I'm honestly at a loss. This machine is basically a paperweight right now, and I really don't feel like nuking everything and starting the whole installation process from scratch again...

You need to download Windows directly from the official Microsoft site before you even think about installing it.
It was the exact same deal when I set up my new rig.

Seriously, why bother? You can grab a Windows license on eBay for like five bucks. Stop being pirates...

If you really think about it, there’s no such thing as "pirated" software—there are just all these random versions floating around on torrent sites. People take an ISO and bake all sorts of weird modifications into it, which usually ends up being total garbage and leads to the exact kind of headaches you're dealing with. Honestly, at the end of the day, having a valid product key matters way more than the OS itself 😁
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I won't drone on too long, but just grab the official version of Windows 10 Pro directly from the Microsoft website
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https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Once you get it installed, take a page out of my colleague's book and just pick up a product key for Windows 10 on eBay. You can usually find them for maybe $4 or $5—and I know they work. I've personally used them on ten different computers now, and I haven't had a single issue where the key expired or needed replacing, despite what some people claim 😁
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If your computer is still acting glitchy after that, then it's 110% a hardware issue rather than a software one. If I were you, I'd start looking at the RAM. I'd run a scan using MemTest86+; it's free, so you really have nothing to lose https://www.memtest86.com/download.htm