Windows 7: Can't find my minidump!

BMWWW · 22 Jan 2010

Hi everyone,

I'm having a frustrating experience with potentially my video card where my laptop will freeze up (akin to BSOD), but instead of blue screen as in XP, I'm getting either blue or white vertical bars on my screen--looks like blinds in alternating darknesses of blue or white.

First of, how do I find my minidump?-- I'm looking under C-->Windows, and there's nothing named minidump.

Please help!

Best regards,
-Gabe

usasma · 23 Jan 2010

You may not have a minidump - it doesn't sound as if you're having an actual memory dump.

But, just in case, try this:

Quote:

Upload Dump Files:
Please go to C:\Windows\Minidump and zip up the contents of the folder. Then upload/attach the .zip file with your next post.
Left click on the first minidump file.
Hold down the "Shift" key and left click on the last minidump file.
Right click on the blue highlighted area and select "Send to"
Select "Compressed (zipped) folder" and note where the folder is saved.
Upload that .zip file with your next post.

If you have issues with "Access Denied" errors, try copying the files to your desktop and zipping them up from there. If it still won't let you zip them up, post back for further advice.

If you don't have anything in that folder, please check in C:\Windows for a file named MEMORY.DMP. If you find it, zip it up and upload it to a free file hosting service - then post the link to it.
Then, follow the directions here to set your system for Minidumps (much smaller than the MEMORY.DMP file): Set MiniDump

BMWWW · 02 Feb 2010

Okay, done! (Thanks!)

Note: That is the only file, and it looks like its dated a week back or so--however, this 'striped screen' has been happening since the 1st of 2010.

Here's a few pictures of what I'm seeing when things go haywire:

BMWWW · 02 Feb 2010

My system specs:

OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate
Version 6.1.7600 Build 7600
Other OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name GABRIEL-PC
System Manufacturer Dell Inc.
System Model Vostro 1000
System Type X86-based PC
Processor AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor TK-53, 1700 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date Dell Inc. 2.4.1, 5/31/2006
SMBIOS Version 2.4
Windows Directory C:\Windows
System Directory C:\Windows\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.1.7600.16385"
User Name Gabriel-PC\Gabriel
Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 2.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 1.75 GB
Available Physical Memory 821 MB
Total Virtual Memory 3.50 GB
Available Virtual Memory 1.94 GB
Page File Space 1.75 GB

usasma · 02 Feb 2010

The memory dump file most likely points to the video drivers (and your video drivers are outdated) - so please do this:
- Download the latest Windows 7 video drivers from Advanced Micro Devices Inc. Download only the Display Drivers, not the entire Catalyst Control Center package (the display drivers are down below the Catalyst Control Center).
- Uninstall all ATI software from your system using Control Panel...Programs...Uninstall a program
- Install the freshly downloaded display drivers and monitor for further BSOD's.

Next, please get a can of canned air (don't use a vacuum or an air compressor - it can damage your system) and blow out the fans and vents (do it in both directions several times). Also, make sure that the fan is running (you can tell this by feeling if there's air blowing out of the vent in the back or side of the case).

Then, try this free video stress test: FurMark: Graphics Card Stability and Stress Test, OpenGL Benchmark and GPU Temperature | oZone3D.Net
If it causes problems, then it's most likely the video card that's the problem.

Also, please remove these older drivers that were loaded at the time of the crash. Don't use Windows Update or the Update drivers function of Device Manager.
Please use the following instructions to locate the most currently available drivers to replace the one's that you uninstall/remove:

Quote:

How To Find Drivers:
- search Google for the name of the driver
- compare the Google results with what's installed on your system to figure out which device/program it belongs to
- visit the web site of the manufacturer of the hardware/program to get the latest drivers (DON'T use Windows Update or the Update driver function of Device Manager).
- if there are difficulties in locating them, post back with questions and someone will try and help you locate the appropriate program.

- some driver links are on this page: http://www.carrona.org/drvrdown.html

Here's the older drivers. Please pay particular attention to any dated 2007 or earlier:

Code:

bcm4sbxp.sys Tue Nov 21 07:25:43 2006 - Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated Controller XP Driver by Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom.com - Home).
stwrt.sys    Thu Sep 13 11:29:43 2007 - SigmaTel Audio Driver "Sigmatel High Definition Audio CODEC"

 SynTP.sys    Fri Oct 26 16:58:09 2007 - Synaptics TouchPad driver
atikmdag.sys Mon Dec 01 16:01:46 2008 - ATI Video driver
BCM42RLY.sys Wed Oct 22 19:28:48 2008 -  Broadcom iLine10(tm) PCI Network Adapter by Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom.com - Home).
VSTAZL3.SYS  Wed Oct 15 20:30:03 2008 - Conexant                                      SoftK56 Modem Driver
VSTCNXT3.SYS Wed Oct 15 20:29:13 2008 - Conexant                                      SoftK56 Modem Driver
VSTDPV3.SYS  Wed Oct 15 20:32:04 2008 - Conexant                                      SoftK56 Modem Driver

Here's a summary of the STOP 0xEA BSOD:

Code:

Built by: 7600.16385.x86fre.win7_rtm.090713-1255
Debug session time: Tue Jan 26 14:44:32.078 2010 (GMT-5)
System Uptime: 0 days 6:58:18.218
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for dxgkrnl.sys
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for dxgkrnl.sys
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for atikmdag.sys
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for atikmdag.sys
DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID:  GRAPHICS_DRIVER_FAULT
PROCESS_NAME:  System

Windows 7: Can't find my minidump!

Can't find my minidump! problems?