Help! BSOD due to ntkrnlpa.exe

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  1. Posts : 11
    Windows 7
       #1

    Help! BSOD due to ntkrnlpa.exe


    BSOD happened on my laptop several times since recently. Windows was usually in a "locked" mode, then it just automatically restarted. I've opened the minidump files (see attachment) using WinDBG. They all point to ntkrnlpa.exe, but that can't be deleted or uninstalled. Please help me on what to do next. Thanks
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 5,705
    Win7 x64 + x86
       #2

    ntkrnlpa.exe is the kernel (core) of the operating system. You can't do anything with it for several reasons - and that's a good thing. It is not to blame - despite the indications from the debugger. If it was to blame you'd be having many more problems other than the occasional BSOD.

    So, we have to look elsewhere for the reason....

    First, The Windows Debugging Tools aren't able to access symbols for your operating system files (in particular NTOSKRNL.EXE / NTKRNLMP.EXE / NTKRNLPA.EXE / NTKRPAMP.EXE) from the Microsoft Symbol Server - so that makes debugging them difficult if not impossible.

    Please do the following:
    - activate/validate the Windows installation at Genuine Microsoft Software
    - run sfc.exe /scannow to replace any problem files
    - open a support incident with Microsoft to see if they can fix the missing symbols issue ( Windows 7 Solution Center )
    - If that doesn't fix it, then wipe the hard drive and reinstall Windows
    - don't use "leaked"/torrent builds

    Since we don't have the assistance of the memory dump symbols, we'll have to try other things to repair this:

    please remove or update 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 OR remove:
    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.
    - - The most common drivers are listed on this page: Driver Reference
    - - Driver manufacturer 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:


    If this doesn't stop the BSOD's, then please use Driver Verifier according to these directions:
    Using Driver Verifier is an iffy proposition. Most times it'll crash and it'll tell you what the driver is. But sometimes it'll crash and won't tell you the driver. Other times it'll crash before you can log in to Windows. If you can't get to Safe Mode, then you'll have to resort to offline editing of the registry to disable Driver Verifier.

    So, I'd suggest that you first backup your stuff and then make sure you've got access to another computer so you can contact us if problems arise. Then make a System Restore point (so you can restore the system using the Vista/Win7 Startup Repair feature).

    Then, here's the procedure:
    - Go to Start and type in "verifier" (without the quotes) and press Enter
    - Select "Create custom settings (for code developers)" and click "Next"
    - Select "Select individual settings from a full list" and click "Next"
    - Select everything EXCEPT FOR "Low Resource Simulation" and click "Next"
    - Select "Select driver names from a list" and click "Next"
    Then select all drivers NOT provided by Microsoft and click "Next"
    - Select "Finish" on the next page.

    Reboot the system and wait for it to crash to the Blue Screen. Continue to use your system normally, and if you know what causes the crash, do that repeatedly. The objective here is to get the system to crash because Driver Verifier is stressing the drivers out. If it doesn't crash for you, then let it run for at least 36 hours of continuous operation (an estimate on my part).

    Reboot into Windows (after the crash) and turn off Driver Verifier by going back in and selecting "Delete existing settings" on the first page, then locate and zip up the memory dump file and upload it with your next post.

    If you can't get into Windows because it crashes too soon, try it in Safe Mode.
    If you can't get into Safe Mode, try using System Restore from your installation DVD to set the system back to the previous restore point that you created.
    If that doesn't work, post back and we'll have to see about fixing the registry entry off-line.

    More info on this at this link: Using Driver Verifier to identify issues with Windows drivers for advanced users
    Summary of the BSOD's:
    Code:
    *** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ntkrnlpa.exe
    *** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ntkrnlpa.exe
    Built by: 7600.16481.x86fre.win7_gdr.091207-1941
    Debug session time: Sun Mar 14 12:16:33.008 2010 (GMT-4)
    System Uptime: 2 days 3:26:04.053
    *** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ntkrnlpa.exe
    *** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ntkrnlpa.exe
    BUGCHECK_STR:  0x50
    ииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииии
    *** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ntkrnlpa.exe
    *** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ntkrnlpa.exe
    Built by: 7600.16481.x86fre.win7_gdr.091207-1941
    Debug session time: Thu Mar 11 04:27:55.752 2010 (GMT-4)
    System Uptime: 0 days 1:42:45.796
    *** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ntkrnlpa.exe
    *** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ntkrnlpa.exe
    BUGCHECK_STR:  0x50
    ииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииии
    *** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ntkrnlpa.exe
    *** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ntkrnlpa.exe
    Built by: 7600.16481.x86fre.win7_gdr.091207-1941
    Debug session time: Mon Mar  8 13:39:18.368 2010 (GMT-4)
    System Uptime: 0 days 1:33:09.660
    *** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ntkrnlpa.exe
    *** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ntkrnlpa.exe
    BUGCHECK_STR:  0x50
    ииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииии
    *** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ntkrnlpa.exe
    *** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ntkrnlpa.exe
    Built by: 7600.16481.x86fre.win7_gdr.091207-1941
    Debug session time: Mon Mar  1 13:45:28.869 2010 (GMT-4)
    System Uptime: 0 days 0:32:26.914
    *** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ntkrnlpa.exe
    *** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ntkrnlpa.exe
    BUGCHECK_STR:  0x50
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 11
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #3

    usasma, thank you so much for your prompt reply. Following your instructions, I've validated my windows and gone through the scan but haven't yet figured out how to open a support incident in Microsoft's forum. Also, I tried to find some newer drivers, especially for the oldest "SoftK56 Modem" and the "Ricoh Memory Card Reader". However, the links provided at carrona.org couldn't lead to useful resources. I'll keep searching and report what I can find later.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 5,705
    Win7 x64 + x86
       #4

    The links for the SOFTK56 modem are from the manufacturer of your system (HP, Toshiba, etc) as are the links for the Ricoh Media Card Reader.

    The "older" drivers are just a shot in the dark. This is because older drivers are more likely to have compatibility issues - so we suggest updating them on the chance that they will fix the problems. If the system manufacturer doesn't have a later version - then there's not much point in replacing them.

    The Microsoft support incident isn't required - but the link to contact them is in the upper right corner of that page. The reason for this is that the debugger won't give us any decent information because of the problem with the symbols (and I know that my links to the symbol server are good due to other memory dumps that I've analyzed).

    The issue with Microsoft is that the symbols are needed to analyze problems. If the Microsoft Symbol Server doesn't have the proper symbols for all legitimate/legal versions of the operating system files - then the symbol server isn't of much use to us.

    All in all, those are pretty common drivers and they don't normally cause issues - so I wouldn't worry about them.

    The one's that I'm concerned about are:
    - psadd.sys
    - smiif32.sys
    - the 2 Acronis drivers
    - Tppwr32v.sys
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 11
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Thanks for the short list. It reminds me that I did update the ThinkPad Power Management drive weeks ago, which might have changed the Tppwr32v.sys. Now I have rolled it back to the previous version. Let's see if that's the solution.

    The Acronis drivers are for a backup software which I installed right after Windows 7, and it hasn't been changed ever since. I'll uninstall this next if necessary.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 5,705
    Win7 x64 + x86
       #6

    Acronis operates on a very low level inside the OS - so I'd suggest uninstalling it just to be sure.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 11
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #7

    It happed again, just last night in the middle of nowhere. Attached is the minidump file. I'm now uninstalling the Acronis software
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 5,705
    Win7 x64 + x86
       #8

    Let's wait and see if that fixes things....
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 11
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Happened again. I think I'm giving up
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 5,705
    Win7 x64 + x86
       #10

    "Patience is a virtue" - this may take a while to fix. If it's too frustrating for you, then I'd suggest backing up your stuff, wiping the hard drive clean, and then installing a fresh copy of Windows.

    Then check the device drivers in Device Manager - and update Windows. Then see if that fixes things. This will tell you if it's a software problem (it'll be fixed) or a hardware problem (it'll still have problems).

    If you want to continue working on it (we'll figure it out eventually), please post the most recent memory dump files so we can have a look at them here.
      My Computer


 
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