Windows 7: Random BSOD after system maintenance

Voltages changed, snip posted, I'm looking for a newer CTAUD2K and I'll virus sweep again. Thanks Dave
EDIT: BSOD bad_pool_header right after I posted this. I had just started an MBAM scan.

Dave76,
This rig has a long and checkered history. I originally had another rig (home built) with a dual core CPU and an 8800 GTX video card, running Vista Ultimate, 4GB of RAM, same sound card, a couple of HDDs (a 320 and something else..). I wanted to upgrade this with a quad core CPU and a better video card as a relatively cheap way to keep it useful for another couple of years. I bought the processor and video card. CPU came first, I installed it, no problem. Video card came and GASP! it was so wide that it covered 2 PCI slots (needed 3 because at the time I had a wireless card plugged in too). So much for cheap and easy... OK, so I need a mobo that has more slots, or at least the video slot all by itself. I bought a new mobo, not realizing that it took DDR3 RAM (I had DDR2 in the other one). Put it together, realized my mistake and swore loudly. Bought the Crucial RAM online, it came, I plugged it in, wouldn't even boot. Turns out that particular mobo HAD to have double sided RAM. I went to 2 Staples stores to find 2 sticks of double sided RAM (the PNY). Plugged it in, the thing booted. OK. Ran it for a few weeks, had some issues so I decided to just build a new rig so I could recomission the old one for the kids. Bought a case, a power supply, the MSI mobo, a 500GB HDD and Windows 7 Ultimate. Built the new rig, put in all the RAM and then the fun began.
I have been building computers since the early '90s and started using Windows instead of DOS when Windows 95 came out. I had never, in all that time, encountered a BSOD on my home machine(s). Win95, Win98, XP, Vista, never a BSOD. Windows 7, I've been on and off in BSOD hell since. It took a couple of months to get the rig stable enough to reliably use (basically I'm a gamer). Finally settled down to a BSOD about once a month, which I could live with. Then, I installed the SSD (see beginning of thread) and it's been BSOD hell all over again. We've been 'round and 'round with all the troubleshooting listed here, and in other posts. I'm thinking one of a couple of things. 1. The mobo is marginal for this setup and the SSD was the 'last straw'. I might just bail on the SSD until I can build a new rig (at least upgrade the processor and mobo) perhaps that will shut the thing up. 2. Despite the MemTest results, I am suspicious of the PNY RAM and might try taking it out just to see. Whatever the problems have been, hardware is always lurking in the background, from a dump/error analysis point of view. Thoughts?

Any small fault (intermittent is the worst) on the main components can be very difficult to track down.
The easiest way (after the usual testing) is to swap out components but, not always possible.
A small fault in two or more components can be exasperating at best.

Good RAM info on the SPD tabs, unusual to get two different RAM brands with the exact same SPD specs.
Crucial (Micron) is a RAM manufacturer, they probably sold this to PNY.

The low voltage RAM may not be stable in this motherboard.
For testing let's bump the DRAM voltage to 1.600v and the NB voltage to 1.300v.

I wouldn't think the SSD is causing any stress on your system, should actually lower the system power load.
It might be stressing the RAM due to the speed of the SSD.
Is the Crucial RAM you are using now single or double sided?
This is important due to RAM card chip size, double sided has more, smaller sized chips. The NB can only handle the smaller memory chips.
This may be a factor, just for testing (single or double) pull the Crucial RAM and let's see if it is more stable.
The PNY RAM cards should be in slots 1&3.
Then swap the PNY for the Crucial, if the Crucial is double sided.

Have you Clean installed Windows 7?
If yes, how many times and when was the last time.

A quick search shows a lot of RAM issues with this motherboard, seems to be a bit touchy with settings.
There are a couple of approaches to check this, bump DRAM and NB voltages and/or loosen the frequency and timings.
Is your DRAM timing Mode on auto (SPD settings enabled)?
Motherboard faults are the hardest to find, usually need to confirm every other component is functioning correctly, which can be 100% confirmed by testing your other components on another motherboard.

Your PSU is made by Delta Electronics and gives max 12v load of 540W.
PSU REVIEW DATABASE
How long have you had this?
They do degrade with time.
The above link is a good reference, I prefer PSU OEM Seasonic, they have an excellent reputation and track record.
Antec is also a well respected brand, as is Corsair but I still had a Corsair PSU fail in less than a year.
When a PSU fails it can be a slow drawn out process causing all kinds of errors/faults/crashes, in the worst case it can take other components out with it.

GPUs are another huge variable, the GTS 450 series does have a reputation of not being the most stable nVidia product.
Again, swapping to another GPU for testing, or putting your GPU in another system, is the easiest way to confirm.

It's a good thing we like computers, they can be a lot of fun and sometimes not.

Great response, Dave. Thank you.
I detest intermittant problems, computer, software or automotive. I'm a programmer by trade and I hate chasing bugs that I can't reproduce on demand.

I bumped the DRAM voltage to 1.60. The NB is now at 1.22 (the mobo will let me take it higher, but it says 'Not Recommended') If you think it's OK, I'll kick it higher.

The Crucial is not double sided. The DRAM timing is on Auto, currently. The PSU is the same age as everything else. I bought everything except one of the HDDs and the SSD at the same time. That was in October 2010 (more or less). I guess I'll play along until the next BSOD and then take out the Crucial and see. I don't have another computer with Windows 7 on it so I'd be swapping less capable components in (G
PU for example). Might or might not be a fair test. I'll burn that bridge when I get there I guess. Last clean install of windows was a couple of weeks ago after I got the SSD and cloned my C drive to it. I initially thought that was the problem, and a clean install did cure a couple of other non BSOD issues. I think I'll clone my SSD to the old C drive and have that as a back up troubleshooting step.

I will ride this into the ground, I hate to lose . Meanwhile, one of the other two computers in the house just ate it's C drive so I'll have to rebuild that out of spit and duct tape. It's an old Gateway (8 years at least) with it's original HDD as the C drive and a 240 as the D (not original, but still old). Ugh.
Thanks for riding along with me, if nothing else I'm learning stuff. Never too old for that (I'm 50). At least my 'puter let me play games for a while last night (1 BSOD).

You can leave the NB at 1.220v.

Let me know when you take out the Crucial RAM, I think that will be a good test.
RAM issues can be intermittent, and we hate that.

Post the crash files if you get another one.

Quick update, only 3 BSOD all weekend (not bad) and BF3 crashes didn't result in BSODs like they ususally do. I had the case open all last week after I reseated everything and I buttoned it back up before I read your last post (I wanted to make sure that my cooling wasn't being lost by the open case). According to SpeedFan, cooling got better after I closed the case as I expected. Nothing more than 60C under load so that's good. I'm going to run it for a week and then post all the BSODs (unless it really gets out of hand). Previously when I've been in BSOD hell, I got the system to a point where it was liveable and the BSODs sort of petered out to once a month or so. the last voltage change seemed to make a difference. Anyway, I'll post more when there is more.

Good update.

If your still getting crashes, pull the Crucial ram, for testing.
At least you'll know the source.
There are a couple more things we can do with the RAM to try and stabilize it.

Post the crash files when you can.

Let us know how it's going.

I've had 3 BSODs since my last post, all attributable to either known BF3 crash issues and a corrupted install of Steam. I'm not going to post them. The machine is stable otherwise. I'm going to call this one 'solved' because the only problems I have are sort of self inflicted. Thanks Arc and Dave76 for all of your help and guidance. See you on the forums

Thanks for the update.

Let us know if you have any more questions.

Will do, thanks again!