BSOD + Sonar X2 + Creative Drivers + ntoskrnl.exe+253d0

mescott · 11 Dec 2012

Hi. I've had this BSOD occurring for quite some time now. I've contacted Cakewalk to try and nut out the problem but to no avail. It occurred on my older system and the latter initially suggested hardware. Well I built a new computer and they continue. I'd really like to find the cause of the problem so that I can either eradicate it - fix it - or contact the appropriate Tech support.

This issue only occurs when running Sonar - X1/X2 with the myriad of soft synth plug-ins I have. I use Creative drivers with my Sound Blaster Elite Pro Sound Card. It usually occurs when I'm interacting with the software, either playing with effects, or experimenting with soft synth effects. I use a Roland USB Midi-keyboard - A-800Pro.

On rare days, everything will behave and I'll get a good session. On some days like today, I was mixing one of my compositions. I then loaded another composition and was interacting with one of the effects and Sonar stopped working. I closed the program. Sometimes I'm able to open it back up again and continue, but more often than not, it's unstable and may create a BSOD then...or maybe it'll go okay.

Usually after Sonar stops working, if I turn off the keyboard, I'll get a crash. Other times, like today, I shut down and then received the crash.

This problem seems to point to the creative drivers. I have run mem checks in the past and have done most if not all problem solving processes - including driver updates, maintenance, blah blah, but it has not got me any closer to solving this issue.

I'm hoping someone here can help me finally 'nut out' this issue, as it's perennially interfering with my creative process.

Have enclosed requested dump files. I also have included results from BlueScreenView, which is designed to catch the 'cause' of the crash. It points to the aforemention ntoskrnl, but as I have seen from my research, does not necessarily mean 'it's' the cause.

Hoping you can help me with this?

Thank you

Arc · 12 Dec 2012

Welcome aboard, mescott.

The crash indicates to Creative Audio Driver (WDM).

Code:

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

Use !analyze -v to get detailed debugging information.

BugCheck D1, {0, 2, 8, 0}

Unable to load image \SystemRoot\system32\drivers\ctaud2k.sys, Win32 error 0n2
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ctaud2k.sys
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ctaud2k.sys
Unable to load image \SystemRoot\system32\drivers\ha20x2k.sys, Win32 error 0n2
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ha20x2k.sys
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ha20x2k.sys
Probably caused by : ctaud2k.sys ( ctaud2k+ac5c )

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

Which is very old.

Code:

lmvm ctaud2k
start             end                 module name
fffff880`06000000 fffff880`060a5700   ctaud2k  T (no symbols)           
    Loaded symbol image file: ctaud2k.sys
    Image path: \SystemRoot\system32\drivers\ctaud2k.sys
    Image name: ctaud2k.sys
    Timestamp:        Wed May 05 18:29:48 2010 (4BE16BC4)
    CheckSum:         000B61CB
    ImageSize:        000A5700
    Translations:     0000.04b0 0000.04e4 0409.04b0 0409.04e4

Update it from Creative Worldwide Support.

Do one more thing, roll back your display driver to a stable one ....

Download and install Driver Fusion.
Reboot the computer in Advanced Boot Options, safe mode. Search Driver Fusion in your start menu, and remove all components of your nVidia display driver.
Boot normally now. Go to Drivers - Download NVIDIA Drivers, Drivers > Beta and Legacy; search there with your cards particulars for GeForce 306.23 Driver, dated 13.9.2012 and install it.

Also, free up the startup.

Click on the Start button
Type “msconfig (without quotes), click the resulting link. It will open the System Configuration window.
Select the “Startup” tab.
Deselect all items other than the antivirus.
Apply > OK
Accept the restart.

Let us know the results. Depending on the situation after making those changes, we will do the other necessary things, if any.

mescott · 14 Dec 2012

Thanks for that. It was mostly what I expected in terms of the Creative Drivers. They haven't updated their drivers since my current one...although they've put one out for Win8. There is a more recent beta which I'll try and I have contacted them again with your feedback, in the hopes of an updated driver for Win7.

I have also tried the reduced 'startup' and have tested Sonar on 2 occasions...so far so good.

I have yet to find the time to go through that process of the Nvidia drivers. I want to test the reduced start and the audio beta first before doing that.

I will keep you informed.

Thank you for analyzing my data.

Regards

mescott · 19 Dec 2012

Hi. Another BSOD today whilst working with Sonar. I've had these types of crashes with this program before as well. This is my first crash since applying your aforementioned recommendations. I updated to the latest driver, which as I mentioned, is a beta and still quite old. I've also put the Nvidia drivers - 306.23 - on as well. My startup has been reduced but I'm still running a couple of programs such as: USB Safety remove, RoboForm, ChillControl for my water cooler - WDDMStatus for my external drives, USB 3.0 monitor, InstallShiled Update Service, IAStorIcon from Intel, and CTxF1HLP, which I think has something to do with my Creative Audio drvs. Once, recently, when I restarted my computer with none of the drivers selected, audio did not start, so I had no sound drivers loaded.

Dump File : 121912-19905-01.dmp
Crash Time : 19/12/2012 6:14:47 PM
Bug Check String : DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
Bug Check Code : 0x000000d1
Parameter 1 : 00000000`00000000
Parameter 2 : 00000000`00000002
Parameter 3 : 00000000`00000000
Parameter 4 : fffff880`060c520d
Caused By Driver : ha20x2k.sys
Caused By Address : ha20x2k.sys+5e20d
File Description :
Product Name :
Company :
File Version :
Processor : x64
Crash Address : ntoskrnl.exe+7efc0
Stack Address 1 :
Stack Address 2 :
Stack Address 3 :
Computer Name :
Full Path : C:\Windows\Minidump\121912-19905-01.dmp
Processors Count : 8
Major Version : 15
Minor Version : 7601
Dump File Size : 291,328
==================================================

So, something is still not gelling. Today in the first instance, Sonar stopped working when I was playing a softsynth line, whilst the rest of my composition was playing. I restarted it and not long after, the BS occurred.

As mentioned, in the past the driver irql has happened from time to time whilst playing in this or an earlier version of Sonar - X1, Sonar 8.

Let me know what you think of my latest dump files...still hoping you can figure this out. Creative wanted me to uninstall their software and then Sonar but I've been down this road as well and it's a nightmare to reinstall Sonar, as I have so many modules and softsynths and their respective add-ons, so I don't want to go down this path and a major time waster...anyway, I have done this once before when I rebuilt the system a while back, with this current computer.

Arc · 19 Dec 2012

It is still crashing on Creative. Creative 20X HAL (WDM) this time.

Code:

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

Use !analyze -v to get detailed debugging information.

BugCheck D1, {0, 2, 0, fffff880060c520d}

*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ha20x2k.sys
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ha20x2k.sys
Probably caused by : ha20x2k.sys ( ha20x2k+5e20d )

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

0: kd> !analyze -v
*******************************************************************************
*                                                                             *
*                        Bugcheck Analysis                                    *
*                                                                             *
*******************************************************************************

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (d1)
An attempt was made to access a pageable (or completely invalid) address at an
interrupt request level (IRQL) that is too high.  This is usually
caused by drivers using improper addresses.
If kernel debugger is available get stack backtrace.
Arguments:
Arg1: 0000000000000000, memory referenced
Arg2: 0000000000000002, IRQL
Arg3: 0000000000000000, value 0 = read operation, 1 = write operation
Arg4: fffff880060c520d, address which referenced memory

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


READ_ADDRESS: GetPointerFromAddress: unable to read from fffff800038c1100
GetUlongFromAddress: unable to read from fffff800038c11c0
 0000000000000000 Nonpaged pool

CURRENT_IRQL:  2

FAULTING_IP: 
ha20x2k+5e20d
fffff880`060c520d 488b01          mov     rax,qword ptr [rcx]

CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT:  1

DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID:  WIN7_DRIVER_FAULT

BUGCHECK_STR:  0xD1

PROCESS_NAME:  System

TAG_NOT_DEFINED_c000000f:  FFFFF8000549EFB0

TRAP_FRAME:  fffff80005498860 -- (.trap 0xfffff80005498860)
NOTE: The trap frame does not contain all registers.
Some register values may be zeroed or incorrect.
rax=fffff880060c51f8 rbx=0000000000000000 rcx=0000000000000000
rdx=0000000000027850 rsi=0000000000000000 rdi=0000000000000000
rip=fffff880060c520d rsp=fffff800054989f0 rbp=0000000000000000
 r8=0000000000000029  r9=0000000000000000 r10=0000000000000001
r11=0000000000000000 r12=0000000000000000 r13=0000000000000000
r14=0000000000000000 r15=0000000000000000
iopl=0         nv up ei ng nz na po nc
ha20x2k+0x5e20d:
fffff880`060c520d 488b01          mov     rax,qword ptr [rcx] ds:00000000`00000000=????????????????
Resetting default scope

LAST_CONTROL_TRANSFER:  from fffff80003691569 to fffff80003691fc0

STACK_TEXT:  
fffff800`05498718 fffff800`03691569 : 00000000`0000000a 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000002 00000000`00000000 : nt!KeBugCheckEx
fffff800`05498720 fffff800`036901e0 : fffffa80`1862e010 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 fffffa80`199d1e00 : nt!KiBugCheckDispatch+0x69
fffff800`05498860 fffff880`060c520d : fffffa80`18406830 fffffa80`19359e10 fffffa80`191b8cc0 00000000`00000000 : nt!KiPageFault+0x260
fffff800`054989f0 fffffa80`18406830 : fffffa80`19359e10 fffffa80`191b8cc0 00000000`00000000 fffffa80`1d38ddf0 : ha20x2k+0x5e20d
fffff800`054989f8 fffffa80`19359e10 : fffffa80`191b8cc0 00000000`00000000 fffffa80`1d38ddf0 fffff880`060c705d : 0xfffffa80`18406830
fffff800`05498a00 fffffa80`191b8cc0 : 00000000`00000000 fffffa80`1d38ddf0 fffff880`060c705d 00000000`00000000 : 0xfffffa80`19359e10
fffff800`05498a08 00000000`00000000 : fffffa80`1d38ddf0 fffff880`060c705d 00000000`00000000 fffff880`037c08d2 : 0xfffffa80`191b8cc0


STACK_COMMAND:  kb

FOLLOWUP_IP: 
ha20x2k+5e20d
fffff880`060c520d 488b01          mov     rax,qword ptr [rcx]

SYMBOL_STACK_INDEX:  3

SYMBOL_NAME:  ha20x2k+5e20d

FOLLOWUP_NAME:  MachineOwner

MODULE_NAME: ha20x2k

IMAGE_NAME:  ha20x2k.sys

DEBUG_FLR_IMAGE_TIMESTAMP:  4e51efcf

FAILURE_BUCKET_ID:  X64_0xD1_ha20x2k+5e20d

BUCKET_ID:  X64_0xD1_ha20x2k+5e20d

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

0: kd> lmvm ha20x2k
start             end                 module name
fffff880`06067000 fffff880`061e8000   ha20x2k  T (no symbols)           
    Loaded symbol image file: ha20x2k.sys
    Image path: \SystemRoot\system32\drivers\ha20x2k.sys
    Image name: ha20x2k.sys
    Timestamp:        Mon Aug 22 11:27:35 2011 (4E51EFCF)
    CheckSum:         0017E06A
    ImageSize:        00181000
    Translations:     0000.04b0 0000.04e4 0409.04b0 0409.04e4

If you can have any update later than Aug 2011, install it. AlsoAs you are using Creative audio, disable all entries of nvidia audio in Device Manager, Sound, Video and game controllers.

Let us know the results.

mescott · 19 Dec 2012

Sorry, I didn't understand any follow-up, apart from disabling Nvidia audio drivers? Was there anything else I could do?

Thanks

Arc · 20 Dec 2012

mescott said:

Sorry, I didn't understand any follow-up, apart from disabling Nvidia audio drivers? Was there anything else I could do?

Thanks

Do it ... and if it still crashing, then we will try something else. Apparently there is no good viable reason for crashing other than clashing.

mescott · 20 Dec 2012

Okay thanks...I've disabled them...had an hour session in Sonar with no problem. It usually takes longer for it to occur though. I'm going away for holidays, so I'll test when I get back. In the meantime, thanks for your efforts and have a great Xmas.

Cheers

:)

BSOD + Sonar X2 + Creative Drivers + ntoskrnl.exe+253d0

BSOD + Sonar X2 + Creative Drivers + ntoskrnl.exe+253d0

Driver IRQL more or less not equal BSOD