Windows 7: infrequent BSOD over the past month HP Pavilion

art in WPB · 01 Nov 2012

I woke up one morning and had a black desktop background and WGA was complaining about my license - it's been OK for two years, but suddenly WGA didn't like it. I did a rollback and when I rebooted one of the nvidia dlls was missing so I reinstalled the nvidia drivers. It took nearly a day before I got the license issue squared away. The first BSOD was the next day. There have been six in a month. Help!

marsmimar · 01 Nov 2012

It looks like there's still a problem with the graphics drivers (0x3B) possibly due to a damaged or corrupt system file (win32k). I'd run a system file checker scan from an elevated command prompt (option two.) If problems are found, run the scan 3 times and reboot the computer after each scan. See if the problem is resolved.

SFC /SCANNOW Command - System File Checker

If not, I'd next try to roll back the Nvidia driver to a previous stable version. I'd try using the Nvidia "Beta and Older Drivers" link to find a driver from maybe 6 months to a year ago. Install that driver and check for problems. If no problems are noted, try upgrading to the next newest driver. Keep checking until (a) you've installed the latest non-Beta driver or, (b) you find a driver that causes issues, in which case go back to the previous driver.

Drivers - Download NVIDIA Drivers

You may also want to read through this Nvidia forum thread about how to uninstall/install Nvidia drivers. Apparently, things have changed.

Ultimate Nvidia Driver Guide for Uninstalling and Installing driversets

Code:

*******************************************************************************
*                                                                             *
*                        Bugcheck Analysis                                    *
*                                                                             *
*******************************************************************************

SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION (3b)
An exception happened while executing a system service routine.
Arguments:
Arg1: 00000000c0000005, Exception code that caused the bugcheck
Arg2: fffff960002d18f7, Address of the instruction which caused the bugcheck
Arg3: fffff8800d651fe0, Address of the context record for the exception that caused the bugcheck
Arg4: 0000000000000000, zero.

Debugging Details:
------------------


EXCEPTION_CODE: (NTSTATUS) 0xc0000005 - The instruction at 0x%08lx referenced memory at 0x%08lx. The memory could not be %s.

FAULTING_IP: 
win32k!SFMLOGICALSURFACE::SetShape+157
fffff960`002d18f7 488b5508        mov     rdx,qword ptr [rbp+8]

CONTEXT:  fffff8800d651fe0 -- (.cxr 0xfffff8800d651fe0)
rax=fffff8800d652a08 rbx=0000000000000000 rcx=fffff900c2749a70
rdx=fffff900c00b7010 rsi=0000000000000000 rdi=fffff900c2749a70
rip=fffff960002d18f7 rsp=fffff8800d6529c0 rbp=0000000000000018
 r8=fffffffff8121bf1  r9=0000000000002995 r10=0000000000007cbf
r11=fffff8800d6529f0 r12=0000000000000001 r13=fffff900c00b7010
r14=fffff900c00b7010 r15=8000000000001000
iopl=0         nv up ei pl nz na pe nc
cs=0010  ss=0018  ds=002b  es=002b  fs=0053  gs=002b             efl=00010202
win32k!SFMLOGICALSURFACE::SetShape+0x157:
fffff960`002d18f7 488b5508        mov     rdx,qword ptr [rbp+8] ss:0018:00000000`00000020=????????????????
Resetting default scope

CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT:  1

DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID:  VISTA_DRIVER_FAULT

BUGCHECK_STR:  0x3B

PROCESS_NAME:  dwm.exe

CURRENT_IRQL:  0

LAST_CONTROL_TRANSFER:  from fffff960002288c8 to fffff960002d18f7

STACK_TEXT:  
fffff880`0d6529c0 fffff960`002288c8 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000001 fffff900`c2814a90 fffff900`c0947360 : win32k!SFMLOGICALSURFACE::SetShape+0x157
fffff880`0d652a10 fffff960`001a3c6a : fffff880`00000001 fffff800`00000001 00000000`00000023 00000000`00000127 : win32k!GreTransferSpriteStateToDwmState+0x1d0
fffff880`0d652b20 fffff960`001a469f : 00000000`00000000 fffff880`0d652ca0 00000000`c0000001 fffff880`0d652ca0 : win32k!zzzComposeDesktop+0x52
fffff880`0d652bc0 fffff960`00138bc3 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`ff0fa3b0 00000000`00450000 00000000`00000000 : win32k!zzzDwmStartRedirection+0xbf
fffff880`0d652bf0 fffff800`026dc253 : fffffa80`0aebf5d0 fffff880`0d652ca0 fffffa80`05a17960 00000000`00000000 : win32k!NtUserDwmStartRedirection+0x6b
fffff880`0d652c20 00000000`77a15f7a : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : nt!KiSystemServiceCopyEnd+0x13
00000000`01e2f538 00000000`00000000 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : 0x77a15f7a


FOLLOWUP_IP: 
win32k!SFMLOGICALSURFACE::SetShape+157
fffff960`002d18f7 488b5508        mov     rdx,qword ptr [rbp+8]

SYMBOL_STACK_INDEX:  0

SYMBOL_NAME:  win32k!SFMLOGICALSURFACE::SetShape+157

FOLLOWUP_NAME:  MachineOwner

MODULE_NAME: win32k

IMAGE_NAME:  win32k.sys

DEBUG_FLR_IMAGE_TIMESTAMP:  5006fd0d

STACK_COMMAND:  .cxr 0xfffff8800d651fe0 ; kb

FAILURE_BUCKET_ID:  X64_0x3B_win32k!SFMLOGICALSURFACE::SetShape+157

BUCKET_ID:  X64_0x3B_win32k!SFMLOGICALSURFACE::SetShape+157

Followup: MachineOwner
---------

4: kd> lmvm win32k
start             end                 module name
fffff960`00050000 fffff960`00365000   win32k     (pdb symbols)          c:\symcache\win32k.pdb\4CD57B197B9A472D9ABE1FBDD098173F2\win32k.pdb
    Loaded symbol image file: win32k.sys
    Mapped memory image file: c:\symcache\win32k.sys\5006FD0D315000\win32k.sys
    Image path: win32k.sys
    Image name: win32k.sys
    Timestamp:        Wed Jul 18 13:14:37 2012 (5006FD0D)
    CheckSum:         00306830
    ImageSize:        00315000
    File version:     6.1.7601.17904
    Product version:  6.1.7601.17904
    File flags:       0 (Mask 3F)
    File OS:          40004 NT Win32
    File type:        3.7 Driver
    File date:        00000000.00000000
    Translations:     0409.04b0
    CompanyName:      Microsoft Corporation
    ProductName:      Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
    InternalName:     win32k.sys
    OriginalFilename: win32k.sys
    ProductVersion:   6.1.7601.17904
    FileVersion:      6.1.7601.17904 (win7sp1_gdr.120718-0607)
    FileDescription:  Multi-User Win32 Driver
    LegalCopyright:   © Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

art in WPB · 02 Nov 2012

Thank you, marsmimar, for your response.

sfc /scannow has been run several times over the last month (after each BSOD) and it never found anything. I ran it again after I read your post; once again it found nothing.

The Nvidia driver I am using was issued a year ago and has performed flawlessly since I first installed it in October, 2011. It is version 285.62. When I installed it I did not take any action to remove the prior version. Nvidia's installer asked if I want to remove the old driver; I responded YES. I just read the post on evga.com. It tells me what I cannot do (and did not do), but doesn't tell me the "right way" to install a new driver. I must presume that Nvidia's installer does what must be done to properly install the new driver. Note that I do not use any third-party tools to monitor the performance of the video driver. Some of the warnings in evga.com seem to involve third-party monitoring software, but I'm not using any.

I just finished downloading Nvidia's latest driver, version 306.97. I will do a full system backup before I install it. It may be a few days before I get to that.

I am curious as to which of the minidumps you examined. Was it the last (103012) or one of the first few?

art in WPB · 02 Nov 2012

additional note: I have also run a thorough memory check (once). Memory seems to be OK. I have also been monitoring the CPU temperature; It runs in the mid-60s and peaks in the mid 70s. Tj-max is 100.

marsmimar · 02 Nov 2012

I checked all of the dump files you provided but provided the latest one for the analysis. All of the files were pointing to the win32k.sys file as the probable cause (not communicating with the Nvidia driver.)

As best I can determine from Microsoft, the last update to win32k.sys (critical) was a year ago with KB2639417.

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS11-087 - Critical : Vulnerability in Windows Kernel-Mode Drivers Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2639417)

This should have been provided through automatic Windows Update (if that's how you have it configured.) It wouldn't hurt to make sure you have this on your machine.

Windows Update - View Update History Details

Take as much time as you need to install the Nvidia driver and do a full system backup. I'll keep checking this thread.

art in WPB · 03 Nov 2012

Belarc Advisor tells me that KB2639417 was applied on 12/15/11 - two days after Microsoft published it. Just to be sure, I applied the fixit to enable this update and ran windows update again. There were no new updates available except Definition Update for Microsoft Security Essentials 1.139.1286.0, which I applied.

I have to consider the possibility that I have a subtle hardware failure that is inducing these BSODs. I'm not happy about that, but the actors in my BSODs are the Nvidia drivers and win32k.sys, and they played nicely together from last December through late September. I'll try the latest Nvidia driver when I have the opportunity - I'm going to do a full image of my C drive first. I'm also considering replacing the memory even though it checked out OK with MEMTEST86, because I can get 8Gb for less than the cost of shipping the laptop to HP for examination.

Thanks again for your effort. I really appreciate it.

marsmimar · 03 Nov 2012

I was given this Nvidia forum thread that you might find interesting (or not

). Apparently there have been some changes on how Nvidia driversets should be uninstalled/installed. It may make the installation of the newest driver a bit easier (or not

).

Ultimate Nvidia Driver Guide for Uninstalling and Installing driversets

art in WPB · 04 Nov 2012

The Ultima Nvidia Driver Guide is an interesting guide, but I must be misreading it. Either that or it's very confusing. At the outset it says that add/remove programs doesn't work to remove Nvidia graphics drivers, then near the end it says just the opposite. I'm getting a little dizzy reading this on glass. I think I'll print it.

Meanwhile, I'm seeing other instances of instability in this system. I have been using a tool called TrayStatus to tell me if Caps/Num lock were on. It has begun posting some errors so I stopped using it this morning. Now I await the next BSOD. I'm more and more suspicious of memory problems.

-Art

marsmimar · 05 Nov 2012

You could try running Memtest86 to see if there are any RAM problems.

RAM - Test with Memtest86+

It's my understanding that Memtest checks the RAM modules. It does not necessarily make a distinction between a bad stick or a bad slot. If Memtest shows errors, you will need to test the RAM sticks in another computer and/or test other RAM in your computer to identify whether the problem is a bad stick of RAM, a bad motherboard, or incompatibility between the sticks.

You may also find this article helpful in troubleshooting the motherboard.

Motherboard Troubleshooting Procedures

art in WPB · 15 Nov 2012

It took me a couple of weeks to get to where I am now. It looks like I need a new laptop. I've continued to have the 3b BSOD problem, and I've had one occasion when the screen froze and I had to power down to get control of the machine back. During that time Windows was still responding; another PC in the house was examining image files stored on my laptop. I have now updated to the latest Nvidia driver but there's no improvement in the BSOD situation. I can go for three or four days, or for three or four hours from boot-up to BSOD. I've also noticed that when I restart after a BSOD, some of the time apps (firefox, notepad, word) open windows that are rather small, so at some point the driver is getting confused about the screen resolution and storing the wrong info.

Conclusion: GPU is slowly failing. I've got to get a new laptop up and running and migrate to it before the failure becomes a hard failure. BTW, I'm told by several IT people (friends and relatives) that GPU failure is not uncommon in HP Pavilion dv7s, and the GPU is on the mother board.

I'm going to mark this issue as 'solved'. Thanks for your help, marsmimar!

Windows 7: infrequent BSOD over the past month HP Pavilion

infrequent BSOD over the past month HP Pavilion problems?