Frequent BSOD "Driver Power State Failure," No pattern that I see

oldbenkenobi · 13 Sep 2012

My Alienware M17x suffers daily, random BSODs, I think most are Driver Power State Failures. These persist when I re-install my NVIDIA drivers (I even tried using Driver Fusion to get a clean install), but they do seem more frequent with the recent beta drivers. Maybe it's my Intel display drivers...? BSODs occur when starting programs, ending programs, in programs, and when I have everything closed. Random.

I'm open to the idea that it could be physical damage (if that's possible). My laptop shipped with a busted DVD drive, so if that's a physical issue, there could be others.

Changing my anti-virus from Avast to MSE was advised on another forum but made no difference.

A possibly-completely-unrelated symptom: my laptop won't boot (freezes on splash screen) when I have a USB device plugged in (like my mouse). Changing my boot order doesn't seem to fix this.

Thanks for your time and help! My warranty expires in two weeks but I'm in Africa so Dell won't send home support :P

Arc · 13 Sep 2012

Hello oldbenkenobi :)

Your last two dumps tells us just the same thing.
It is your mvidia display driver that is not installed correctly. And ACPI unable to load it correctly.

Code:

0: kd> !irp fffffa80076e96b0 1
Irp is active with 4 stacks 2 is current (= 0xfffffa80076e97c8)
 No Mdl: No System Buffer: Thread 00000000:  Irp stack trace.  
Flags = 00000000
ThreadListEntry.Flink = fffffa80076e96d0
ThreadListEntry.Blink = fffffa80076e96d0
IoStatus.Status = 00000000
IoStatus.Information = 00000000
RequestorMode = 00000000
Cancel = 00
CancelIrql = 0
ApcEnvironment = 00
UserIosb = 00000000
UserEvent = 00000000
Overlay.AsynchronousParameters.UserApcRoutine = 00000000
Overlay.AsynchronousParameters.UserApcContext = 00000000
Overlay.AllocationSize = 00000000 - 00000000
CancelRoutine = 00000000   
UserBuffer = 00000000
&Tail.Overlay.DeviceQueueEntry = fffffa80076e9728
Tail.Overlay.Thread = 00000000
Tail.Overlay.AuxiliaryBuffer = 00000000
Tail.Overlay.ListEntry.Flink = fffff80003070b00
Tail.Overlay.ListEntry.Blink = fffff80003070b00
Tail.Overlay.CurrentStackLocation = fffffa80076e97c8
Tail.Overlay.OriginalFileObject = 00000000
Tail.Apc = 00000000
Tail.CompletionKey = 00000000
     cmd  flg cl Device   File     Completion-Context
 [  0, 0]   0  0 00000000 00000000 00000000-00000000    

            Args: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
>[ 16, 2]   0 e1 fffffa8007f89c30 00000000 fffff8800f3c1ca8-fffffa800b30cca0 Success Error Cancel pending
           \Driver\ACPIUnable to load image \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\nvlddmkm.sys, Win32 error 0n2
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for nvlddmkm.sys
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for nvlddmkm.sys
    nvlddmkm
            Args: 00000000 00000001 00000001 00000000
 [ 16, 2]   0 e1 fffffa80098ed040 00000000 fffff80002eb4ce0-fffffa80072c1160 Success Error Cancel pending
           \Driver\nvlddmkm    nt!IopUnloadSafeCompletion
            Args: 00000000 00000001 00000001 00000000
 [  0, 0]   0  0 00000000 00000000 00000000-fffffa800c03fbf0    

            Args: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000

In this situation what you are to do is:

Download and install |MG| Driver Fusion (Driver Sweeper) 1.1.1 Download.
Reboot the computer in Advanced Boot Options, safe mode. Search Driver Fusion in your start menu, and remove all components of your nVidia display driver.
Boot normally now. Go to Drivers - Download NVIDIA Drivers, follow option two to search for the appropriate driver for your system automatically, and install it.
Follow the steps, and let us know the situation.

►Do some more things: Update the following drivers:

Code:

ebdrv        Broadcom NetXtreme II  Kernel        12/31/2008 7:29:28 PM
nfrd960      nfrd960                Kernel        6/7/2006 12:11:48 AM  : http://www.carrona.org/drivers/drive...id=nfrd960.sys
WDC_SAM      WD SCSI Pass Thru driv Kernel        4/16/2008 11:39:08 AM : http://www.carrona.org/drivers/driver.php?id=wdcsam.sys

► Uninstall these programs:
McAfee : Replace with http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...ity-essentials

► If possible, Updates the drivers for your Razer Copperhead Mouse, too.

Let us know the situation.

oldbenkenobi · 13 Sep 2012

Thanks! I hadn't deleted drivers in safe mode before so I hope that does the trick. Looks like nvidia has a new driver out today so I hope it works. I'll monitor and report back any more BSODs. Also:

1) Not sure if I'll be able to find those additional drivers. I'll keep looking but my prelimarary searches haven't turned up anything.
2) I don't have McAfee, and was using MSE before, so I'm not sure if you saw something else.
3) My mouse drivers are up-to-date, but firmware isn't. Does that matter?

Thanks again Arc!

Arc · 13 Sep 2012

You are welcome :)

I saw McAfee in your installed programs, start menu, program groups. So I told it.
The drivers I mentioned are not causing any problem ATM, but those are enough old, and need to be updated. If it troubles, let them remain as they are now, but try to update as early as possible. For assistance, ask us.
I robustly wish after updating nvidia, the mouse will not make any further trouble. But if it makes, it must be looked it.

Take your time and inform us the result.

oldbenkenobi · 20 Sep 2012

Hi again,

I had one more BSOD this last week. No other problems: my mouse is working great, and even my computer seems faster. I'm uploading my dump for the most recent BSOD.

No luck finding up-to-date drivers: I tried the websites, Driver Identifier, and Device Manger (search online for updates).

I'm pretty happy now with where my computer is at (the BSOD is weird but oh well), but thank you for your time!

Arc · 20 Sep 2012

Most propably you have not sweep the display driver? The dump indicates that.

You are to do it.

And, update the network driver, too.
First, download the network card driver from manufactuer's website.
Then reinstall the driver:

Click the Start Button, type "devmgmt.msc" (without quotation marks) in the Start Menu Search box and press Enter.
Double click to expand "Network adaptors".
Right click your network card and click Uninstall.
Check "Delete driver software for this device" check box, click OK.
Restart the computer
If windows does not auto configure the appropriate drivers at startup, install the downloaded one manually.

I guess, after doing these too, it will be over.

BTW, you have installed your 3G modem driver. Think about it , too!