Windows 7: Random BSOD. Tried re-installing. STOP 0x000000F4

Crashes started a while back after downloading an update for my windows phone. They got bad enough that I did a clean re-install and everything worked fine for a while. Now the crashes are back with a vengeance. They seem to be pretty random.

I get error: *** STOP: 0x000000F4 C0X0000000000000003, 0XFFFFFA808507B30, 0XFFFFFA8008507E10, 0XFFFFF80002DD5510.



Zip file attached but windows dump folder was empty

System specs:

Intel® Core™i7-870 Quad Core (2.93GHz, 8MB Cache) + Turbo Boost
ASUS® P7P55 LX: USB 2.0 & SATA 3.0Gb/s, CrossFireX™ SUPPORT
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (4 x 2GB KIT)
1GB ATI RADEON™ HD 5870 PCI EXPRESS - DirectX® 11
240GB OCZ VERTEX 2 SATA II 2.5" SSD (upto 285MB/sR | 275MB/sW)
CORSAIR 650W PSU (TX650) 80+ ULTRA QUIET
SUPER QUIET 22dBA TRIPLE COPPER HEATPIPE CPU COOLER
Sound Blaster® X-Fi™ Xtreme Audio
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit
ESET Antivirus

Hi

Could you tell If you where trying to install something from E:\ and based on the system info it look like Drive...SANDISK CRUZER before the crash??

Would need to look at the dmp file before proceeding ? Try looking in C:\Windows\memory.dmp.

This is probably a big file.... you would need to upload it skydrive, dropbox or third party service..

Hi.

I was trying to update drivers using that Sandisk Cruzer USB stick after the crashes started.

The crashes have got so bad that I can only use my computer for a minute or so before it freezes up and eventually BSOD appears in a normal boot and also safe mode. I tried to do a clean install of Windows again but the setup process would not recognize my hard drive. I rebooted and it recognized my hard drive this time but when I tried to format the drive it said there was an error and wasn't able to complete.

That memory.dmp file is not in the Windows directory.

All right in that case...

Lets rule out the ram first,.... since you have 2 sticks of 4 gb.... use one at a time and boot your system... Does it bsod ?
if it does... use the same stick on another slot and check again... If it fails then you know u have a bad stick

you could also do memtest to check your RAM..

Let me know how it goes ... then we can move on to the next step

Hi. Thanks for the help.

I've actually 4 x 2GB RAM not 2 x 4GB RAM. My monitor would not load with just one stick in (I've the Apple 30 inch monitor). I couldn't get the computer to load (screen went black with blinking cursor after BIOS) with different combinations of two or three RAM sticks and now Windows won't boot at all (with any combo of RAM). From the BIOS screen it just goes to a black screen with a blinking cursor.

I can boot from the Windows install CD but I get error 0x8007048f when I try to delete partition and error 0x80070057 when I try to format partition.

Hi

You computer should load with just 1 stick without any problem .... it has nothin to do with your monitor or otherwise....

The BSOD you were getting were hardware related.... and its more related to Hard Drive.....I wanted to get the RAM's out off the loop but now this confirm it.... Just as i feared the SSD is having problem.... Its really strange that the SSD would have problems but its possible ..... but here is something you can do to confirm....

1. Reset the bios to defaults ( if you have changed any setting ) and boot and see if it BSOD's or you get a black screen.... Press F8 and see if you can even get to Safe mode...

2. If you can get to the desktop.....then try CrystalDiskInfo and let me know the SMART value....

3. Check the cable connecting the SSD to the board ....it could as well be a lose connection.... that could also cause a problem... the error 0x8007048F is ERROR_DEVICE_NOT_CONNECTED...

4. if you have another SSD or HDD.... use that and see if you can install windows on that one....

Just one question ... what your Power Supply wattage ??

Let me know this goes.....

After resetting my BIOS I could get in to Windows but again had the same problems of just constant crashing within a couple of minutes of booting. I checked the connection on the SSD and it seemed fine. Today I stopped battling with it and bought a new OCZ Vertex 4 - just getting things installed on it now. I still have my old SSD. The power supply is a Corsair 650W.

Thanks very much for your help - much appreciated. I learned some things along the way.

Let us know how this goes.... and if you are still facing the problem