Windows 7: Freeze when idle/BSOD while gaming (storport.sys)

CourtroomWolf · 14 Oct 2012

My computer is about a year old, and I've had the freeze problem from the very beginning. If I leave it idle for about 20 minutes, it'll freeze absolutely solid, with no remedy other than to hold down the power button. Even more strange, this freeze doesn't happen if I'm playing audio in windows media player (which I tested in an attempt to see exactly how long the freeze took to happen -- and it didn't.) Sometimes, I can move the mouse, but clicking does nothing, and that eventually locks up, too.

I don't know whether this is related, but it freezes frequently when I'm playing Minecraft or Torchlight 2, even with windows media player in the background. The freeze happens in a very similar way (mouse movement with no response, then losing that). Unlike the idle freeze, this actually makes it to a BSOD.

Arc · 14 Oct 2012

Welcome aboard.

Though storport.sys is listed as the probable cause, it cannot be the real cause at all, as it is a microsoft provided driver. So there must be some other storage related driver in your system which is causing the crashes. Let us see.

► well, there is nvstor.sys, nVidia Storage Drivers. And it is failing continuously.

Code:

fffff800`00b9b0c8  fffff880`04d8a4a7Unable to load image \SystemRoot\System32\Drivers\dump_nvstor64.sys, Win32 error 0n2
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for dump_nvstor64.sys
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for dump_nvstor64.sys
 dump_nvstor64+0x54a7

Again, another time ...

Code:

fffff800`00b9c0a8  fffff880`01002d79Unable to load image \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\nvstor64.sys, Win32 error 0n2
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for nvstor64.sys
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for nvstor64.sys

So, it is the root of the problem. First try to update it. Drivers - Download NVIDIA Drivers. Search for nForce. If failed, simply uninstall it.

► NVIDIA nForce 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet driver is also making some problems, but the nForce update will cover it, too!

Code:

lmvm nvmf6264
start             end                 module name
fffff880`048c1000 fffff880`04914a80   nvmf6264   (deferred)             
    Image path: \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\nvmf6264.sys
    Image name: nvmf6264.sys
    Timestamp:        Fri Mar 05 06:34:39 2010 (4B9058A7)
    CheckSum:         000565B2
    ImageSize:        00053A80
    Translations:     0000.04b0 0000.04e4 0409.04b0 0409.04e4

► Plan to update your display driver, too.

Code:

fffff800`00b9c548  fffff880`0f2a4cecUnable to load image \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\nvlddmkm.sys, Win32 error 0n2
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for nvlddmkm.sys
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for nvlddmkm.sys
 nvlddmkm+0x1facec

Let us know the results.

CourtroomWolf · 15 Oct 2012

I updated the nForce drivers, and it seems to make my gaming a bit more stable, but I can't say for sure if it's completely fixed. I've had one hangup where the game froze for about 30 seconds, but it snapped out of it without a BSOD, and it has been stable since.

The freeze while idle is still happening. I intentionally left the computer running without music running while AFK, and came back to a completely frozen system.

I should add, updated the display drivers about a month ago in a previous attempt to fix it, but it changed nothing.

Arc · 16 Oct 2012

Freezes, black-outs during gameplay is possible. How old the card is, one year, as the computer is, or more?

Some old cards may miss a few FPS during latest games in high settings. If you change the settings of the games to normal or low, it will reduce the situation.

For the idle hangups, try re-seating all the sata and power cables, RAM, clean all the accumulated dust inside the computer. It also will be reduced.

CourtroomWolf · 16 Oct 2012

The whole system is about a year old, and has more than enough power, so slowdown isn't the issue. I have full framerate when it doesn't lock up.

I'll try dusting and re-seating everything to see if that helps.

Arc · 16 Oct 2012

Mate, the problem is not power. But graphics frames. FPS.

If your GPU miss a few FPS at random, the situations you are describing may occur. As a test, use onboard graphics for a while and see it the same things occur or not.

CourtroomWolf · 17 Oct 2012

I still have the freeze when idle problem after reconnecting everything. How do I switch to onboard graphics?

Arc · 17 Oct 2012

The cable that connects the monitor with the graphics card... open it from the graphics cards end and plug it back at the appropriate slot of the motherboards area.

it will recognize the onboard graphics autometically.

CourtroomWolf · 19 Oct 2012

I don't have the right cable to switch to onboard graphics, but I haven't gotten any more BSODs. I am still getting the freeze while idle, and the most recent one happened while I had music playing (this usually prevents it) and playing minecraft. The game stopped responding and the music stopped at the same time, but the rest of the system seemed to work (I could type in notepad, switch tabs in the browser, etc). Then when I clicked back on the game window, the entire system froze.

Arc · 19 Oct 2012

Just having a thought .... you may need to disable USB selective suspense.
USB Selective Suspend - Turn On or Off

Try another thing ....uninstall Avast, and employ Microsoft Security Essentials - Free Antivirus for Windows.

If it happens again, please upload your latest MSINFO32 file again, available via SF Diag tool.
Best of luck.

Windows 7: Freeze when idle/BSOD while gaming (storport.sys)

Freeze when idle/BSOD while gaming (storport.sys) problems?