BSOD after updating sound driver

My system has been working well for some time, yesterday I did two things, first I updated my ASUS XONAR DX drivers to the latest version and secondly I installed the latest version of Java, ever since I have been getting BSOD's & freezes.

I have uninstalled both the drivers and Java, run sfc /scannow, run chkdsk on all drives, cleaned out drivers with driver sweeper, updated video drivers to the latest betas then went back to Windows standard ones, uninstalled all software and drivers I can, and I'm still getting BSOD's, not quite as frequently though.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, all I can think of is pulling out some memory sticks and seeing if that helps, but as this suddenly started after installing new drivers my gut says it's not hardware.

Windows 7 x64
8GB RAM
GTX 560 Ti
Q6600

baker99 said:

My system has been working well for some time, yesterday I did two things, first I updated my ASUS XONAR DX drivers to the latest version and secondly I installed the latest version of Java, ever since I have been getting BSOD's & freezes.

I have uninstalled both the drivers and Java, run sfc /scannow, run chkdsk on all drives, cleaned out drivers with driver sweeper, updated video drivers to the latest betas then went back to Windows standard ones, uninstalled all software and drivers I can, and I'm still getting BSOD's, not quite as frequently though.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, all I can think of is pulling out some memory sticks and seeing if that helps, but as this suddenly started after installing new drivers my gut says it's not hardware.

Windows 7 x64
8GB RAM
GTX 560 Ti
Q6600

No DMP files included in upload please try this method


We do need the DMP file as it contains the only record of the sequence of events leading up to the crash, what drivers were loaded, and what was responsible.

You may be able to get the DMP files without crashing by booting into safe mode (F8) with networking.

To enable us to assist you with your computer's BSOD symptoms, upload the contents of your "\Windows\Minidump" folder.

The procedure:

* Copy the contents of \Windows\Minidump to another (temporary) location somewhere on your machine.
* Zip up the copy.
* Attach the ZIP archive to your post using the "paperclip" (file attachments) button.
*If the files are too large please upload them to a file sharing service like "Rapidshare" and put a link to them in your reply.

To ensure minidumps are enabled:

* Go to Start, in the Search Box type: sysdm.cpl, press Enter.
* Under the Advanced tab, click on the Startup and Recovery Settings... button.
* Ensure that Automatically restart is unchecked.
* Under the Write Debugging Information header select Small memory dump (256 kB) in the dropdown box (the 256kb varies).
* Ensure that the Small Dump Directory is listed as %systemroot%\Minidump.
* OK your way out.
* Reboot if changes have been made.

They should be in there but I'll upload them separately, thanks for looking.

They seem to be mainly related to ntoskernel.dll now

baker99 said:

They should be in there but I'll upload them separately, thanks for looking.

Virtually all of these point to memory corruption (probably caused by a driver)

These crashes were caused by memory corruption. 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!!!


1-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 or 6 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.

RAM - Test with Memtest86+



2-Driver verifier

I'd suggest that you first backup your data 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).

In Windows 7 you can make a Startup Repair disk by going to Start....All Programs...Maintenance...Create a System Repair Disc - with Windows Vista you'll have to use your installation disk or the "Repair your computer" option at the top of the Safe Mode menu .

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).

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.

Driver Verifier - Enable and Disable

Thanks, I'll do those tests, I'm not overclocked but it does seem to happen when a lot of things are going on, i.e. multiple Chromed loaded with multiple tabs or virus scanning while doing something else, I'll run memtest overnight.

baker99 said:

Thanks, I'll do those tests, I'm not overclocked but it does seem to happen when a lot of things are going on, i.e. multiple Chromed loaded with multiple tabs or virus scanning while doing something else, I'll run memtest overnight.

System specs?

Ran memtest last night and within seconds got errors, turned off the PC and ran memtest quickly this morning, no errors, so my guess is the memory modules were overheating, I'll run memtest again later and let you know if I get any more problems, thanks for the help.

Motherboard - Gigabyte X38-DQ6
Memory - Crucial Ballistix DDR 2 800MHz
CPU - Intel Q6600
Graphics - Nvidia GTX 560 Ti
OS - Windows 7 x64 with SP1