BSOD out of nowhere and still happening on fresh install

This is obviously hardware-related; diagnosing which component will be tricky though, as the hardware tests we like have come up clean.

Run SeaTools: SeaTools for Windows | Seagate

Also, run chkdsk /r from a command prompt; note the results and post here.

Aside from that, we are down to actually swapping out components. You might start with the RAM, as that's the part that goes the most often. Try removing 1 or 2 sticks of RAM and running with the rest of them. If you get BSODs still, try a different stick, until you've confirmed the BSODs occur on all RAM sticks.

If you can test with a different PSU, that would be great. You've got a good one now, but PSUs can fail.

One other thing you may try is running the Extended Windows Memory Diagnostic again. Consistency will be our friend -- if it fails again, we may be seeing something...

...Summary of the dumps:

Code:

Built by: 7601.17514.amd64fre.win7sp1_rtm.101119-1850
Debug session time: Tue May 10 21:24:21.819 2011 (UTC - 4:00)
System Uptime: 0 days 1:42:53.458
Probably caused by : ntkrnlmp.exe ( nt! ?? ::FNODOBFM::`string'+14382 )
BUGCHECK_STR:  0x1a_41201
DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID:  VISTA_DRIVER_FAULT
PROCESS_NAME:  chrome.exe
FAILURE_BUCKET_ID:  X64_0x1a_41201_nt!_??_::FNODOBFM::_string_+14382
BiosReleaseDate = 09/14/2010
SystemProductName = To Be Filled By O.E.M.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨``
Built by: 7601.17514.amd64fre.win7sp1_rtm.101119-1850
Debug session time: Tue May 10 13:19:45.148 2011 (UTC - 4:00)
System Uptime: 0 days 4:54:55.787
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for Ntfs.sys
Probably caused by : ntkrnlmp.exe ( nt! ?? ::FNODOBFM::`string'+2aa99 )
BUGCHECK_STR:  0x1a_5001
DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID:  VISTA_DRIVER_FAULT
PROCESS_NAME:  sidebar.exe
FAILURE_BUCKET_ID:  X64_0x1a_5001_nt!_??_::FNODOBFM::_string_+2aa99
BiosReleaseDate = 09/14/2010
SystemProductName = To Be Filled By O.E.M.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨``
  

The NFO file is readable with Notepad; right-click > Open With. I don't know what created it, and I really can't take anything from the log.

Is there any chance you could pull out the nVidia for now, and use the onboard graphics? That would definitely lower the tax on the PSU, and just might help us. There are some PSU testers out there, but I don't really trust them. Replacement is by far the superior method.

I'm thinking "far out" now...

If it was crunch week at your Uni, and many students were all running resource-intensive programs on their power-hungry desktops, the power circuit might have been at the outer limits of what it could support stably. If the wattage dropped below your system's requirements, even for a moment, you would have likely seen a reboot or BSOD. Better PSUs can handle more of a drop, but at some point, no PSU can supply the power.

If this was indeed the case, a UPS might help, as it can store enough charge to make the drop unnoticeable by your computer. It might also help to move the computer to a different circuit, one that has less of a load.

Then again, we're just speculating...nothing is assuring us this is power-related at all. I'm guessing you'll be going home for summer break soon? If so, you'll get to try a different circuit out. If you're staying on campus, you'll have little competition on the circuits in the mostly-empty dorms.

Keep us posted! If the problems persist, and we can rule out a power issue, we can keep plugging away at this.