BSOD IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL (athrx.sys)

Hi, after successfully troubleshooting my PC of bad RAM and bad AMD AHCI drivers, starting a few months ago ive started getting BSOD. BSOD IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (athrx.sys) BBcode: d1??

I seem to be able to aggravate the issue by downloading large files. (Just got a BSOD now while downloading WIN7 +SP1 image from digitalrivers)

Hopefully ive understood BSOD posting instructions. I have intermediate skill at PC troubleshooting my own PC's but this time I need some expert analysis please.

steps taken already

• rolled back athrx.sys driver
• ran chkdsk /r (no problems)

I think the next step will be buying another cable coupler so the wired LAN can reach my PC, to I can rule out the wireless NIC as being the real problem, not sure if this is really a driver issue.

After that i will probably just try a reformat (not sure if it will really help though)

The upload should have 3 minidump info from today, i cleaned out the minidump folder yesterday when i thought i fixed the issues.

UPDATE: Connected via wired ethernet cable and tried downloading win7 iso again, connection gets maxed out and no BSOD at all. Is it possibly a hardware fault with the wireless NIC? or should i still be looking at the driver?
UPDATE2: Rolling back driver to stock win7 or tp-link oem driver 8.0.0.258 , and i cant seem to trigger a BSOD, updating to drivers from 10.0.0.45 to 10.0.0.285 i got a BSOD triggered (these are drivers that have worked fine previously) It just seems theres something on the system now that doesnt play nice with atheros 10.x.x.xxx drivers anymore.

The BSOD happened with latest WHQL driver to AR922X installed, Version 10.0.0.285.

Its strange to me as it does not cause a BSOD at its own. I suggested this driver to a lot of users which solved their network related BSOD issues.

That is why I am believing that it is not the network driver failing itself, but something else is causing the issue. What you are thinking about the adapter might be right.

Just as a test, if you dont allow BoxSync and SkyDrive to auto start with windows (if they dont run in the background), does it cause the BSODs in the same way?

Just trying to put a less pressure to the network before blaming the dongle itself.

Thnks for your reply

At present i have not had another BSOD since rolling back to default tplink driver (which is 8.0.0.258) Im pretty certain box or skydrive arent an issue, I say this because until this BSOD troubleshooting, boxsync has always been disabled by tuneup utilities (only manually synced every few months), and I have only started using skydrive after the BSOD had already started. In hindsight I probably shouldnt have deleted the previous months dumps as they would have shown that.

I may try bumping up to ver 9.x.x.x drivers to see how they go, In the end I suppose if I can get a driver to work I should just stay with that, but latest drivers do seem to give better speed stability. Just strange the drivers 10.x.x.x dont seem to work anymore

EDIT: BSOD using 9.2.0.474 drivers also, so back to tp-link ones

Just having an alternative thought. No evidence is there.

AR922X (PCI\VEN_168C&DEV_0029) is a Mini PCI device. Your motherboard GA-MA78LMT-S2 should have two PCI slots (other than 1 PCIe X16 and one PCIe X1). If you apply the adapter in the other PCIe slot, does it BSOD in the same way?

We have noticed that it is BSODing irrespective of the driver version. Now it is to notice if it is doing the same irrespective of the slot where it is applied, too.

Another call before blaming the card as bad.

Edit: "+" You have a Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller

Attachment 330274

Can you disable it as a test?

If those are not anything externally added and just onboard controllers, let them remain as they are.