Random reboots or hard-hangs after start-up, when gaming.

Salutations all,

I have been having random reboots and sometimes hard-hangs whenever I am starting to play any PC games after start-up. I have to keep resetting and run through any checks I could think of but the checks always find everything to be okay. Sometimes I do get BSOD and I remember vaguely something about SYSTEM SERVICE EXCEPTION and also the DRIVER IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL phrases.

Things I have tried:
- sfc /scannow
- chkdsk
- windows troubleshooting/"Check for solutions"
- updated ATI Radeon HD 5430 driver as per recommended by HP
- updated Realtek Audio driver
- Virus scans with MSE (quick and full scans)

It seems to only cause problems whenever I am starting to play games and not when I am surfing the net or playing the games that come with the PC like Chess Titans or Minesweeper etc.

The funny thing is once I have gone through a few hard-reboots, the games will be able to run fine without causing any further lock-ups or random restarts. The laptop will be alright all the way until I shut it down for the day and then the same problems will surface again when I start-up the next day.

I do not remember changing anything or downloading anything prior to having the first such incident since the beginning of March 2012. Usual updates are from Windows Updates or from Steam.

Will appreciate it if someone can help find out what is wrong with the laptop. If there are any further information needed, I will post them.

Thanks in advance!

My Windows 7 . . .
- Home Premium 64-bit
- original OS
- OEM
- Age of system is less than 2 years old
- OS came with the laptop and I have never done any re-install.


My Notebook specs:

HP G42-351TX;
Intel Core i3 370M @ 2.40GHz
Arrandale 32nm Technology

RAM: 2.00 GB Single-Channel DDR3 @ 532MHz
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5430
Hard Drive: 313GB Seagate ST9320325AS (SATA)

These crashes were caused by memory corruption/exception (Cx05) probably a driver.
Please run these two tests to verify your memory and find which driver is causing the problem.

* If you are overclocking anything reset to default before running these tests.
In other words STOP!!!

* If you have raid update its Driver.



Memtest.

*Download a copy of Memtest86 and burn the ISO to a CD using Iso Recorder or another ISO burning program. Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool

*Boot from the CD, and leave it running for at least 5-7 passes.

Just remember, any time Memtest reports errors, it can be either bad RAM or a bad motherboard slot.

Test the sticks individually, and if you find a good one, test it in all slots.

Any errors are indicative of a memory problem.

If a known good stick fails in a motherboard slot it is probably the slot.

Click to expand...

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105647-ram-test-memtest86.html



Driver verifier

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 "Special Pool", "Force Pending I/O Requests" and "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.

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.

Click to expand...

Hi Zigzag3143, thanks for the initial reply.

I finally manage to get a BSOD today; on the other days I have tried, the laptop just simply restarts even though I have already unchecked the 'Automatically restart.." option.

Shortly after start-up, I went straight into the Left 4 Dead 2 game without doing anything else and surely enough, encountered a BSOD. However, the screen paused at the 'Initializing dump files..' for a few minutes without showing any completion percentage. Had to hard reboot my laptop back to normal mode to type this. I managed to write the fault code down on a piece of paper though and here it is:

"PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA

0x00000050 (0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF, 0X0000000000000008, 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF, 0x0000000000000000)"

I am still leaving the settings for Verfier.exe the same for a couple o'days and see if I can get any DMP files. By the way, I noticed another earlier DMP file in the folder LIVEKERNALREPORTS > WATCHDOG and it's quite close to the day when the first random restarts occur.

Should I delete the other 2 DMP files in the MINIDUMP folder, Copy-Paste this DMP file into the MINIDUMP folder and upload it?

I will also be running a memtest86+ another time and see the results.

Thanks again in advance.

Glenny2g said:

Hi Zigzag3143, thanks for the initial reply.

I finally manage to get a BSOD today; on the other days I have tried, the laptop just simply restarts even though I have already unchecked the 'Automatically restart.." option.

Shortly after start-up, I went straight into the Left 4 Dead 2 game without doing anything else and surely enough, encountered a BSOD. However, the screen paused at the 'Initializing dump files..' for a few minutes without showing any completion percentage. Had to hard reboot my laptop back to normal mode to type this. I managed to write the fault code down on a piece of paper though and here it is:

"PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA

0x00000050 (0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF, 0X0000000000000008, 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF, 0x0000000000000000)"

I am still leaving the settings for Verfier.exe the same for a couple o'days and see if I can get any DMP files. By the way, I noticed another earlier DMP file in the folder LIVEKERNALREPORTS > WATCHDOG and it's quite close to the day when the first random restarts occur.

Should I delete the other 2 DMP files in the MINIDUMP folder, Copy-Paste this DMP file into the MINIDUMP folder and upload it?

I will also be running a memtest86+ another time and see the results.

Thanks again in advance.

Click to expand...

As usual we need the actual DMP file uploaded!!!

Alrighty after a long hiatus, time to update.

Anyway, I did memtest86+ for 8 passes and it showed 0 errors; but initially when I first started memetest86+, the program itself seemed to encounter an error because it stopped working and the error message was flashing really quickly for me to read what is said. The second attempt was successful for 8 passes before I stopped the running of the program. (EDIT: Btw, memtest86+ was done with a brand new USB flash-drive FYI).

One more thing I am unsure about is whether this AMD catalyst utility or Catalyst Control Centre had something to do with this. Like will there be a conflict with each other? I don't even know what they do but I was looking for latest drivers from the AMD website and they recommended to install this catalyst program which they claim is a graphic card driver reference for notebooks which will help to determine the best driver for my notebook but use at my own risk.

The names of 2 files I had: "12-2_mobility_vista_win7_64_dd_ccc" and "Catalyst_Mobility_64-Bit_Util". I am not sure if they are even the same files or different programs. Or if they are newer version of the Catalyst Control Centre that I had originally. If they do not overwrite the CCC, I am wondering of there's a clash in choosing which driver to use? Is it safe to uninstall any of them without messing up the driver version for my video card?

The unstability and unpredictability of my computer is coming back again recently after going well for past few weeks. Here are the DMP files for analysis. Thanks again in advance.

Your crashes may be related to your older installation of Microsoft Security Essentials. Download the latest version and install it from Microsoft Security Essentials - Free Antivirus for Windows.


You can (and possibly should) install your drivers without Catalyst Control Center/Vision Engine Control Center. Download the version of ATI drivers that you want to install, and then do the following steps.

• Start the installation program to install your drivers and ATI software. When you get to the option to Express/Custom install, cancel the installation. Your drivers should now exist in C:\AMD\Support\xx-x_vista_win7_64_dd_ccc where the x's replace your version number of the driver software.
  
• Uninstall all AMD software related to your graphics card by uninstalling AMD Catalyst Install Manager in Start Menu -> Control Panel -> Uninstall a program
  
• If AMD Catalyst Install Manager is not listed, use the following method to uninstall the graphics drivers:
  1. Click Start Menu
  2. Right Click My Computer/Computer
  3. Click Manage
  4. Click Device Manager from the list on the left
  5. Expand Display adapters
  6. Do the following for each adapter (in case you have multiple display cards)
     • Right click the adapter
     • Click Uninstall (do not click OK in the dialog box that pops up after hitting Uninstall)
     • Put a tick in Delete driver software for this device (if this option is available, otherwise just hit OK) and hit OK
  Alternatively:
  1. Login as an adminstrative user
  2. Click Start Menu
  3. Click Control Panel
  4. Click Hardware and Sound
  5. Click Device Manager (the last link under Devices and Printers)
  6. Expand Display adapters
  7. Do the following for each adapter (in case you have multiple display cards)
     • Right click the adapter
     • Click Uninstall (do not click OK in the dialog box that pops up after hitting Uninstall)
     • Put a tick in Delete driver software for this device (if this option is available, otherwise just hit OK) and hit OK
• Restart your computer.
  
• Re-install your drivers from the C:\AMD\Support\xx-x_vista_win7_64_dd_ccc folder using a similar method to that in OPTION TWO of http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/98073-drivers-install-vista-drivers-windows-7-a.html

Hi Writhziden, thanks for reply.

I have been experiencing these crashes since March; was using avast! anti-virus then. Switched to MSE during later. Not sure if that's the cause but I will try the solution and see how it goes. By the way, had a small pop up saying that MSE could not recognize 'system32/svchost' or something.

As for the AMD/ATI catalyst program, there's only one available in the 'Control Panel > Uninstall Programs' which is the AMD Catalyst Install Manager version 3.0.868.0. So I clicked on the 'change/repair' option and it gives a list for what I want to uninstall under custom options:

-Catalyst Control Centre
-AMD APP SDK Runtime
-ATI Display Driver
-HDMI Audio Driver
-AMD Accelerated Video Transcoding
-AMD Drag and Drop Transcoding
-AMD Media Foundation Decoders

Or should I just choose the 'express' option and let it auto uninstall for me?

Yeah, sounds like MSE is corrupted. I would do a full re-install. Uninstall it first through Start Menu -> Control Panel -> Uninstall a program. Download the fresh installer, and then install the fresh version.

For the AMD drivers, do the full uninstall through the express option. Then go through the steps I gave. Best of luck!

I did the express uninstallation of the AMD Catalyst Install Manager and restarted the computer; the driver version was reverted back to the original version which came with the notebook PC (25/02/2010 - ver. 8.711.0.0). The application icon in the "C:\AMD\Support\12-2_vista_win7_64_dd_ccc" folder is the one that installs the Catalyst Install Manager. I couldn't find any driver there for installation.

However, I did download an application named 'sp51926' straight from the HP website which they recommended and it is in another folder; it has the InstallShield icon with description:

"TITLE: AMD High-Definition Graphics Driver

VERSION: 8.771.1.4000 REV: A
DESCRIPTION:
This package provides the AMD High-Definition (HD) Graphics Driver and Catalyst Control Center for supported notebook models that are running a supported operating system. For notebooks with switchable graphics modes, this package includes drivers for both graphics processing units (GPUs). Switchable graphics enable users to switch between a power-saving graphics mode (normally used under battery power) and a high-performance graphics mode. If high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) video output is supported, this package also installs the HDMI Audio Driver.

PURPOSE: Recommended
SoftPaq NUMBER: SP51926
EFFECTIVE DATE: February 14, 2011
CATEGORY: Driver - Graphics
SSM SUPPORTED: YES

DEVICES SUPPORTED:
PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_68E1="ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5430"
PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_68E0="ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470"
PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_68E4="ATI Mobility Radeon HD 6370"


PREREQUISITES: None

ENHANCEMENTS:
- Fix Online video hung up or black screen issue.

HOW TO USE:
1. Download the file by clicking the "Download" or "Obtain Software" button and saving the file to a folder on your hard drive (make a note of the folder where the downloaded file is saved).

2. Double-click the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions."


The folder 'SP51926' was also found in "C:\SwSetup\SP51926". I think it was extracted to this folder when I installed it before; I did the option 2 method for driver installation and I will post again if I encounter any more problems.

Thank you again for the help.

EDIT: Well, it didn't work. I get a reboot shortly after starting a game; I got another reboot immediately after opening Google Chrome to try and edit this after the first reboot. : C

This is looking more and more like a hardware problem. Run some hardware checks.

• If you are overclocking any hardware, please stop.
  
  
• If you have an SSD, make sure the following are up to date:
  • SSD firmware
  • BIOS Version
  • Chipset Drivers
  • Hard disk controller drivers/SATA drivers
  • If you have a Marvell IDE ATA/ATAPI device, make sure the drivers are up to date from the Intel site or Marvell site and not from your motherboard/vendor support site.
  
  
• Run all but the advanced tests with SeaTools for HDDs.
  SeaTools for Windows
  
  SeaTools for DOS​
  
  
• Monitor temperatures during the following tests.
  
  Use the following programs to monitor the temperatures.​
  • Real Temp is a good CPU temperature monitor.
  • Speccy - System Information - Free Download will monitor all hardware temperatures.
  • HWiNFO, HWiNFO32 & HWiNFO64 - Hardware Information and Analysis Tools can be inaccurate for CPU temperatures, but is a good program for GPU temperature monitoring.
  • Use FurMark: VGA Stress Test, Graphics Card and GPU Stability Test, Burn-in Test, OpenGL Benchmark and GPU Temperature | oZone3D.Net to test the graphics card GPU. Let it run until the GPU temperatures even out or until the GPU temperatures reach a dangerous level (you can find the max temperature for your card on either the nVidia or AMD sites; if you are not sure, ask us). The goal is to get a steady temperature, find out if the GPU is overheating, or to see if there are any artifacts present in the test itself: look for strange pixelated patterns on the screen or colors that do not look like they belong. Then use the |MG| Video Memory Stress Test 1.7.116 Download to test your graphics card memory. Let the memory test run for at least seven passes; the more the better.
    
    
  • Run http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/100352-hardware-stress-test-prime95.html to determine any hardware problems. Run all three tests for a few hours each. If you get errors, stop the test and post back here.
    
    
  • Follow the steps for doing CPU stress test using IntelBurnTest

We should also check hardware compatibility: Download and install CPU-Z and Upload screenshots of the CPU, Mainboard, Memory, and SPD tabs. In the SPD tab, upload an image of each slot.

I had another BSOD 0X0000007f and uploaded another DMP file.

I will go through the steps that you mentioned in the previous post and do some hardware checks within the next few days. I am able to use a computer for general purpose but once it comes to the specifics about drivers, hardware, software, I am stumped. Therefore, I don't overclock or change anything from its default settings since I won't really know what I am doing.

I had downloaded Speccy before to monitor my notebook temperature and I don't think overheating is the case but when playing games, temperature for graphics card usually reaches to between 70 to 75 deg C (158 to 167 deg F).

Getting annoyed by the random BSODs and restarts because I don't really know what is the cause of it since it doesn't really crash consistently but randomly.

Appreciate all the help I am getting so far though.

Crash was probably java related. Uninstall all java software from Start Menu -> Control Panel -> Uninstall a program.

Any programs that need java software installed will let you know in the future, and you will be given the option to download and install the latest version. That is the best way to make sure your java software is up to date.


Also, since the crashes were java related, I would recommend checking for viruses and malware. Java can easily let trojans and other malicious items into the system if it is not up to date.

• Download and install Malwarebytes, update it, do not start the free trial, and then run a full scan. Also run a full scan with your antivirus software installed on your system. If you do not have antivirus software installed, see the http://www.sevenforums.com/system-s...-system-security-combination.html#post1732627 for better security steps and scanning tools. Make sure to update the security software before running the full scan.

Hey, I have already uninstalled Java and installed a fresh downloaded copy of it but I am still having freeze and reboots.

Sometimes the computer attempts to reboot but nothing comes up; the power light flashes a few times and then stays on but the screen has nothing coming up. Sometimes there are grinding sounds coming from inside, kinda like it's starting itself but powers down again --- grinds* > power light turns on and off shortly > grinds* again > power light on and off etc. I had to turn off the main power, wait a while before plugging back the adapter and turning on the mains again.

Anyway, gonna start on the harddisks tests now. Will post back, assuming I am still able to start it the next time a reboot happens again.

By the way, I already had MBAM and scans -both quick and full- shows nothing. I even tried Hitman Pro, scanning it from a flash drive but it only found lots of non-malicious cookies which was removed. MSE didn't find anything either.

Also, make sure no wires, dust, or other objects are blocking your fans. The grinding you hear could be a blocked fan that is causing a component to overheat.

A crash just happened again and this time after 'Checking for solutions' from the Action Centre under Control Panel, this is one of the problems found.

"Windows
Problem: Video hardware error
Files that help describe the problem:
WD-20120621-0743.dmp
sysdata.xml
WERInternalMetadata.xml
View a temporary copy of these files
Warning: If a virus or other security threat caused the problem, opening a copy of the files could harm your computer."

Subsequently, they asked me to install ActiveX and also ATI/AMD driver and BIOS (again) like so :

"Please visit HP - United States | Laptop Computers, Desktops , Printers, Servers and more Click on "Support and Drivers" Click on the green box that says "Drivers & Software" Enter the product number or model number of your desktop or notebook computer, and visit the download page or If you prefer you can click the "Detect Your Product" blue box and it will detect your model for you once the installer installs. Click Continue, and follow the instructions to install the ActiveX. In a few rare cases the ActiveX may not work even if you perform the manual ActiveX install methods. In those situations, please plug your Model number or Product Number into the web page, and it should show the proper software updates available for your computer after you select the proper Operating system that is installed on your Computer. If you are unsure of your model number or product number, run HP Support Assistant and it will display in the lower lefthand corner of the window the serial number, product name, and product number. Once you download the latest AMD or ATI Graphics driver and System BIOS from HP - United States | Laptop Computers, Desktops , Printers, Servers and more per the instructions above for your notebook or desktop please install them. After installing both of them please make sure you reboot your PC to ensure the updates complete and are loaded in memory. If after performing these steps to upgrade your graphics driver and System BIOS does not resolve the problem for you, please write the OCA team at [email protected] or contact HP technical support for additional assistance. HP sincerely appreciates your business and we apologize for the inconvenience this matter may have caused. Thanks, HP Online Crash Analysis Team."


And I think I will open it up for the first time and try to blow compressed air to clear dust if any.

Good plans. Keep us posted after you re-install the BIOS version, driver, and clean out dust. Good luck!

Ok after another hiatus, I shall post again. It's working fine at the moment, just surfing the net and typing this. But I still get random freezes and reboot every now and then when gaming. I did memtest86+ again a few days ago and it had shown over 100,000++ errors even before finishing one pass whereas the first time I did it for 8 passes weeks ago didn't show any errors.

The memtest86+ continued churning out error until it kind of hanged, with the bottom half of screen showing red (all the numbers and letters disppeared). I rebooted the comp and boot from flash-drive again for another round of memtest86+. This time the entire screen was green, with no words of numbers. I tried Windows Memory Diagnostic and it froze at 15%. Rebooted and tried again and it rebooted itself.

Today, I brought the laptop to a PC-clinic and I told the guy that it's probably a faulty RAM. He ran 'Burn-In Test v6.0' and the laptop restarted on its own. He tried the RAM in the second slot and ran the test again and it got another reboot. He said it's probably a faulty RAM and switched it with a new one. The laptop restarted shortly after another round of BIT. He then deduced it was a faulty MOBO slot and fixed the RAM into the other slot. It didn't restart for 15 min or so and it looked alright so I retrieved the laptop back and paid for the new RAM.

But when I reached home, I tried BIT again and it gave me another reboot. Subsequent start-ups cause scratchy lines to appear across screen. I am not sure what I can do, or if the PC is worth fixing anymore. Could it be a faulty MOBO slot and not the RAM, or both? Or is it something else that's causing it besides the RAM, because like I said right now I am using the same laptop to type and its working fine.

And I do have a few BSOD prior to these events; namely something like 'execute non-executable memory' and 'driver irql not less or equal'. I am running out of ideas.

Now I am not sure if it's a faulty

-motherboard/slot
-RAM or RAM slot
-video card
-PSU(?)
-any other software issues

All these reboots and manual reboots will probably damage stuff inside...



EDIT: I am not sure if he did a thorough check as he was attending to other customers as well. He only ran BIT and nothing else. He told me it couldn't be video card causing reboots cause he said they only cause artifacts on screens. And he said it couldn't be the temperature because 71C is normal running temperature. I did the Seagate Tools test all the Long, Short, SMART etc etc tests were all 'PASS'. But that was a while back before I posted this. Anyway, I got a full refund for the RAM and my laptop is using the original RAM FYI.

Alright, rather than having to always go back to your first post, I would really appreciate it if you would please fill in your system specs in your profile and not in a post in this thread: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/180324-system-info-see-your-system-specs.html.

That said, I am leaning toward this being a motherboard issue or a failed CPU Integrated Memory Controller (IMC). Memtest86+ typically shows errors for three reasons: faulty RAM, faulty motherboard, or a bad IMC on the CPU.

We should check the RAM compatibility:
I asked for the above before and realize now that you did not do so... Please provide the screenshots this time, and not in a .zip file, etc. but as images within your post.

Do you remember what RAM kit was installed by the shop? Do you remember the voltage it ran at?