0x0000005c in most games and more!!!

Oh, I forgot to add.

I was getting a Kernel-Event Tracing ID:3 error "Session "Microsoft Security Client OOBE" stopped due to the following error: 0xC000000D" so I uninstalled MSE and installed Avast instead. However, I'm still getting that same error and can't find any trace of MSE on the computer. I used Microsoft's tool to clean up after the uninstall.

Not sure if this is relevant but thought I had better include it.

I ran Prime95 Blend test over night which failed after 2 1/2 hours with this error:

FATAL ERROR: Rounding was 0.5, expected less than 0.4 Hardware failure detected, consult stress.txt file. (See attached for full report)

The test carried on running for another 2 hours but then crashed the computer. I've attached the new dump file.

stress.txt

stress.txt (Overclockers Australia Forums - View Single Post - Prime95 stress.txt file ???)

STRESS TESTING YOUR COMPUTER

BACKGROUND
----------

Today's computers are not perfect. Even brand new systems from major
manufacturers can have hidden flaws. If any of several key components such
as CPU, memory, cooling, etc. are not up to spec, it can lead to incorrect
calculations and/or unexplained system crashes.

Overclocking is the practice of increasing the speed of the CPU and/or
memory to make a machine faster at little cost. Typically, overclocking
involves pushing a machine past its limits and then backing off just a
little bit.

For these reasons, both non-overclockers and overclockers need programs
that test the stability of their computers. This is done by running
programs that put a heavy load on the computer. Though not originally
designed for this purpose, this program is one of a few programs that
are excellent at stress testing a computer.


RESOURCES
---------

This program is a good stress test for the CPU, memory, L1 and L2 caches,
CPU cooling, and case cooling. The torture test runs continuously, comparing
your computer's results to results that are known to be correct. Any
mismatch and you've got a problem! Note that the torture test sometimes
reads from and writes to disk but cannot be considered a stress test for
hard drives.

You'll need other programs to stress video cards, PCI bus, disk access,
networking and other important components. In addition, this is only one
of several good programs that are freely available. Some people report
finding problems only when running two or more stress test programs
concurrently. You may need to raise prime95's priority when running two
stress test programs so that each gets about 50% of the CPU time.

Forums are a great place to learn about available stability test programs
and to get advice on what to do when a problem is found.

The currently popular stability test programs are (sorry, I don't have
web addresses for these):
Prime95 (this program's torture test)
3DMark2001
CPU Stability test
Sisoft sandra
Quake and other games
Folding@Home
Seti@home
Genome@home

Several useful websites for help (look for overclocking community or forum):
Overclockers: The Performance Computing Community for Overclocking Hardware and How to Overclock Information
Ars Technica
HARDOCP - HardOCP Computer Hardware Reviews and News
AnandTech
Tom's Hardware: Hardware News, Tests and Reviews
PC Overclocking, Modding and Building | Sharky Extreme
Also try the alt.comp.hardware.overclocking Usenet newsgroup.

Utility programs you may find useful (I'm sure there are others - look around):
Motherboard monitor from livewiredev.com - dowload music Resources and Information.
Memtest86 from Memtest86.com - Memory Diagnostic
Cpuburn by redelm: http://pages.sbcglobal.net/redelm/
TaskInfo2002 from Iarsn - High Quality System Software


WHAT TO DO IF A PROBLEM IS FOUND?
---------------------------------

The exact cause of a hardware problem can be very hard to find.

If you are not overclocking, the most likely cause is an overheating CPU
or memory DIMMs that are not quite up to spec. Another possibility is
you might need a better power supply. Try running MotherBoard monitor
and browse the forums above to see if your CPU is running too hot.
If so, make sure the heat sink is properly attached, fans are operational,
and air flow inside the case is good. For isolating memory problems, try
swapping memory DIMMs with a co-worker's or friend's machine. If the errors
go away, then you can be fairly confidant that memory was the cause of
the trouble. A power supply problem can often be identified by a significant
drop in the voltages when prime95 starts running. Once again the overclocker
forums are a good resource for what voltages are acceptable.

If you are overclocking then try increasing the core voltage, reduce the
CPU speed, reduce the front side bus speed, or change the memory timings
(CAS latency). Also try asking for help in one of the forums above - they
may have other ideas to try.


CAN I IGNORE THE PROBLEM?
-------------------------

Ignoring the problem is a matter of personal preference. There are
two schools of thought on this subject.

Most programs you run will not stress your computer enough to cause a
wrong result or system crash. If you ignore the problem, then video games
may stress your machine resulting in a system crash. Also, stay away from
distributed computing projects where an incorrect calculation might cause
you to return wrong results. Bad data will not help these projects!
In conclusion, if you are comfortable with a small risk of an occasional
system crash then feel free to live a little dangerously! Keep in mind
that the faster prime95 finds a hardware error the more likely it is that
other programs will experience problems.

The second school of thought is, "Why run a stress test if you are going
to ignore the results?" These people want a guaranteed 100% rock solid
machine. Passing these stability tests gives them the ability to run
CPU intensive programs with confidence.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
--------------------------

Q) My machine is not overclocked. If I'm getting an error, then there must
be a bug in the program, right?

A) The torture test is comparing your machines results against
KNOWN CORRECT RESULTS. If your machine cannot generate correct
results, you have a hardware problem. HOWEVER, if you are failing
the torture test in the SAME SPOT with the SAME ERROR MESSAGE
every time, then ask for help at mersenneforum.org - it is
possible that a recent change to the torture test code may have
introduced a software bug.

Q) How long should I run the torture test?

A) I recommend running it for somewhere between 6 and 24 hours.
The program has been known to fail only after several hours and in
some cases several weeks of operation. In most cases though, it will
fail within a few minutes on a flaky machine.

Q) Prime95 reports errors during the torture test, but other stability
tests don't. Do I have a problem?

A) Yes, you've reached the point where your machine has been
pushed just beyond its limits. Follow the recommendations above
to make your machine 100% stable or decide to live with a
machine that could have problems in rare circumstances.

Q) A forum member said "Don't bother with prime95, it always pukes on me,
and my system is stable!. What do you make of that?"

or

"We had a server at work that ran for 2 MONTHS straight, without a reboot
I installed Prime95 on it and ran it - a couple minutes later I get an error.
You are going to tell me that the server wasn't stable?"

A) These users obviously do not subscribe to the 100% rock solid
school of thought. THEIR MACHINES DO HAVE HARDWARE PROBLEMS.
But since they are not presently running any programs that reveal
the hardware problem, the machines are quite stable. As long as
these machines never run a program that uncovers the hardware problem,
then the machines will continue to be stable.

Hardware Compatibility:

We should check your hardware compatibility:

Download and install CPU-Z and Upload screenshots of the CPU, Mainboard, Memory, and SPD tabs. In the SPD tab, upload an image of each slot.

Thanks for your reply.

After getting the error I read through the text file but couldn't work out what to do about it or if the crashes are because of this hardware failure. I read some forums suggesting fixes by changing CPU/RAM voltages but these were mostly OC forums and (because of these crashes) I'm not OCing. BIOS settings are default except XMP mode.

Attached are the screenshots of CPU-Z

Thanks again!

Alright, here is what I suggest. Run 8 GB and do another set of Prime95 tests. See if you still get those errors. Then run the other 8 GB and test again for the error. If both sets come back alright, I can probably help you set up the system to run the 16 GB of RAM together.

As you add and remove hardware, follow these steps for ESD safety:

1. Shut down and turn off your computer.
2. Unplug all power supplies to the computer (AC Power then battery for laptops, AC power for desktops)
3. Hold down the power button for 30 seconds to close the circuit and ensure all power drains from components.
4. Make sure you are grounded by using proper grounding techniques, i.e. work on an anti-static workbench, anti-static desk, or an anti-static pad. Hold something metallic while touching it to the anti-static surface, or use an anti-static wristband to attach to the anti-static material while working. If you do not have an anti-static workbench, desk, or pad, you can use your computer tower/case by finding a metal hold in it, such as a drive bay.

Once these steps have been followed, it is safe to remove and replace components within your computer.

Thank you very much for the suggestion. I think it found my problem!

The first two sticks of RAM ran through 7 hours of Prime95 with no problems but when it came to test the second two the same error as before was found in under a minute.

Testing the second two seperately I found the faulty part.

It's odd that this error didn't show up in Memtest in either of the two tests I ran. That's what made me assume the RAM was OK.

It's quite ironic that I build this computer out of all second hand parts except the PSU and the RAM both of which turned out to be faulty. Quite lucky really since they are the only parts with a shop warranty!

Now I'm very hopeful that replacing the faulty RAM module will be the end of my three week struggle getting this machine running!

Thanks again!

PS I'm just going to run Prime95 overnight on the three RAM modules that I think are OK and (hopefuly) mark this as solved in the morning.

Sounds like good troubleshooting steps. I am glad you have likely tracked it down. Let us know the results.

I was pretty happy when I thought this had solved my problem and I suppose it had partly. I don't get the 0x0000005 errors any more but instead I'm back to the black screen crashes.

When playing games the monitor will loose signal and go blank and the sound from the game will loop for a few seconds and then turn into a buzz. It's odd that for the time that the sound is looping (before the buzz starts) I'm still able to speak to my friend on Mumble. When the buzz starts I have no option but to hard reset.

I tested a couple of Steam games (Borderlands and L4D2) and they both crashed. I've not fully tested any non-steam games since finding the faulty RAM but will get onto that today.

I have tested the GPU on OCCT and it ran fine for 5 hours (I thought I had set it for 1 hour and went to bed! Anyway, 5 hours no problems (looking at the graphs though, it may not have been pushing the system while the monitor was off. I've attached them anyway, in case they can help.))

Prime95 also ran fine for 6-7 hours although I did have some odd temperature readings. CPUTIN stays at 60 constantly and then suddenly jumps to 127 and usually back down to 60, sometimes not. I'm assuming that the sensor is faulty and it isn't actually reading the temperature of any component. This spike shows up in OCCT and CPUID along with some other very odd readings, please see attached.

Thank you very much for your help so far... can I have some more please?

EDIT: I thought I should add - there are no dump files or errors in Events from any of these black screen crashes

There is a lot of noise in your sensors. I do not think that is a good thing. It may mean your PSU is not operating properly. It could also be electrical noise due to a motherboard issue. I would recommend opening up the system, removing all components, checking the CPU for any bent pins, making sure all dust is cleaned out (see my Dust Removal section), removing all power plugs, etc. Then replace everything carefully and make sure all power plugs are properly connected in the correct plugs on the motherboard and with the peripherals.

Dust Removal:

To remove dust, follow the subsequent general procedure. If you have a desktop bought from Dell, HP, Sony, Lenovo, etc. make sure removing the desktop casing will not void your warranty first. Call the company if you are still under warranty and ask if it is okay to remove the casing and blow dust out. The procedure described is fine for laptops; just make sure no stickers are on panels saying if you remove the panel it will void the warranty.

1. Shut down and turn off your computer.
2. Unplug all power supplies to the computer (AC Power then battery for laptops, AC power for desktops)
3. Hold down the power button for 30 seconds to close the circuit and ensure all power drains from components.
4. Remove the casing for a desktop, or remove any screwed on panels and disc drives for laptops.
5. Blow out the dust inside by using a can of compressed air or a low pressure compressor. You will want to put the computer on a desk or table so you can maintain the can in an upright position if using a can of air. Blow into all crevices on the motherboard, heat sinks, cards, modules, etc. for a desktop. Blow into vents, opened panels, disc drive areas, USB ports, and the keyboard if it is a laptop. You may also want to blow inside the disc drive by replacing the drive to the laptop, starting the computer, opening the drive, and then turning off the computer and removing all power as described above including the 30 second power button step. For a desktop, you may also want to blow inside the disc drive by starting the computer, opening the drive, and then turning off the computer and removing all power as described above including the 30 second power button step.
6. Replace casing for the desktop. Replace panels and disc drive (if you have not already done so) for the laptop.
7. Plug power supplies in. AC adapter for the desktop. Battery and then AC Adapter for the laptop.
8. Start the computer and see if performance is better.

Easier Laptop steps:

1. Get a can of compressed air...
2. Shut down and turn off your system...
3. Unplug the system from any docking stations...
4. Remove the AC Adapter and then remove the battery...
5. Hold down the power button for 30 seconds to ensure all power is drained from the components. This closes the circuit and allows any remaining power to dissipate; it also clears the temporary memory of corruption and resets hardware/software connections. No permanent changes are made to the system doing this step...
6. Use the can of compressed air to blow into every vent, crevice, keyboard key, USB port, VGA/monitor port, etc...
7. Replace the battery and then plug in the AC Adapter...
8. Replace the docking station...
9. See how the system runs after doing all these steps...

   Warning

WARNING: Never use a vacuum cleaner or hair drier to clean dust out of your system!!

As you add and remove hardware, follow these steps for ESD safety:

1. Shut down and turn off your computer.
2. Unplug all power supplies to the computer (AC Power then battery for laptops, AC power for desktops)
3. Hold down the power button for 30 seconds to close the circuit and ensure all power drains from components.
4. Make sure you are grounded by using proper grounding techniques, i.e. work on an anti-static workbench, anti-static desk, or an anti-static pad. Hold something metallic while touching it to the anti-static surface, or use an anti-static wristband to attach to the anti-static material while working. If you do not have an anti-static workbench, desk, or pad, you can use your computer tower/case by finding a metal hold in it, such as a drive bay.

Once these steps have been followed, it is safe to remove and replace components within your computer.