Seemingly random BSODs, lots of different error messages

Arc · 03 Oct 2012

Even with the verifier running, dumps are silent.

Still, I got something there, some hints of Ntfs file system corruption. To resolve it, you need to perform a disc check.

Reseat the sata and power.
Run chkdsk /f/r, following the option two of the tutorial Disk Check
Seatool for dos: SeaTools | Seagate download
Burn it in a blank cd. boot from the CD, click on "Accept", wait for it to finish detecting the drives, then in the upper left corner select "Basic Tests", then select "Long Test" and let it run.

Seen a fltmgr.sys error, too. That may cause by the antivirus. AVG is just a crap. nothing more. Uninstall it, and use Microsoft Security Essentials - Free Antivirus for Windows.

See if there is any update for your network driver?

Code:

kd> lmvm athrx
start             end                 module name
fffff880`05454000 fffff880`05704000   athrx      (deferred)             
    Image path: \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\athrx.sys
    Image name: athrx.sys
    Timestamp:        Fri Oct 21 15:15:10 2011 (4EA13F26)
    CheckSum:         002AF1A0
    ImageSize:        002B0000
    Translations:     0000.04b0 0000.04e4 0409.04b0 0409.04e4

Try an alternative browser. I recommend Waterfox.

cretin · 04 Oct 2012

Checkdisk results are as follows:

Checking file system on C:
The type of the file system is NTFS.

A disk check has been scheduled.
Windows will now check the disk.

CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 5)...
82944 file records processed. File verification completed.
85 large file records processed. 0 bad file records processed. 0 EA records processed. 60 reparse records processed. CHKDSK is verifying indexes (stage 2 of 5)...
115970 index entries processed. Index verification completed.
0 unindexed files scanned. 0 unindexed files recovered. CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors (stage 3 of 5)...
82944 file SDs/SIDs processed. Cleaning up 318 unused index entries from index $SII of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 318 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 318 unused security descriptors.
Security descriptor verification completed.
16514 data files processed. CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
The USN Journal entry at offset 0x5f18ff0 and length 0x40 crosses
the page boundary.
Repairing Usn Journal file record segment.
33743256 USN bytes processed. Usn Journal verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying file data (stage 4 of 5)...
82928 files processed. File data verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying free space (stage 5 of 5)...
17440358 free clusters processed. Free space verification is complete.
CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the
master file table (MFT) bitmap.
CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the volume bitmap.
Windows has made corrections to the file system.

117218303 KB total disk space.
47222096 KB in 64865 files.
48684 KB in 16515 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
186087 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
69761436 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
29304575 total allocation units on disk.
17440359 allocation units available on disk.

Internal Info:
00 44 01 00 f0 3d 01 00 3e 7c 02 00 00 00 00 00 .D...=..>|......
b0 00 00 00 3c 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ....<...........
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................

Windows has finished checking your disk.
Please wait while your computer restarts.

Seatools couldn't detect any drives. I tried it twice. Windows can see all the drives, so what's that about?

I updated my network driver to the latest one available. I did this before as well (prior to the fresh windows install) and it didn't seem to change anything. Although that's assuming that just one thing is causing all the bluescreens.

I have replaced AVG with MSE. Really glad to do this, I had no idea of the existence of MSE and AVG was becoming bloated! Thanks also for the Waterfox link - it sounds ideal. I have installed and will use as my main browser at least while I try and rid myself of this bluescreenery. Since I sometimes bluescreen without Chrome, I don't think this is the cause.

I'll get Verifier running again and try and induce another BSOD. Happy days.

Arc · 04 Oct 2012

Things going good there.

For disc check, you may to to your HDD/SSD manufacturer's website and take their own test.

cretin · 04 Oct 2012

Ugh, I already wrote this once already and a bsod wiped me out again!
Bizarre turns of events! Woo

Got Seatools working by changing SATA mode from ACHI to IDE in BIOS. SSD passed test really quickly so I decided to test the HDDs.

Started with the 500gb WD, which was my previous boot drive (I haven't got round to getting all useful data off and formatting yet). This test took a while longer! It was 2 hours and approx 80% in (I wasn't watching) when I heard the disk spin up. What I saw on the screen seemed to be that Seatools had crashed - see attached. I couldn't click on anything, no keys responded. I waited 5 mins, then restarted.

It wouldn't boot. Kept auto restarting on a blank screen. I thought it might be IDE mode, so I went and reverted to ACHI.
This restart resulted in a no boot BSOD.
Safe mode, no boot BSOD
Successful boot, then BSOD while writing this first time round, only Waterfox running
Successful boot for about 30seconds, BSOD with no programs open

At this point I shut down and disconnected all the HDDs, leaving just SSD and Bluray on the SATA ports. Then I booted successfully into Safe Mode with Networking, which is how I'm posting now.

Verifier wasn't on, so I haven't attached dumps.

cretin · 04 Oct 2012

Really needed to post that, however between writing that about 30mins ago and now, it randomly restarted before I could post it. No bsod, just restarted.

After that, it wouldn't boot. Got bsods, startup repair, failure, bsods, a restart after I'd used the power button to shutdown... (that has happened a few times previously as well)

A mess basically. Turned it off, left it 30mins, it boots. No trouble. So now I'm thinking a heat issue, given that prior to that it had been on (or constantly restarting) all afternoon.

I don't know if you'd care to make any wild stabs about what hardware it could be? My inkling is motherboard, given the variety of issues and the fact that my RAM and SSD passed all the tests and we've ruled out GFX.

I'm thinking of starting an RMA dialogue with ASUS (which is something I really wanted to avoid) unless you advise otherwise?

Arc · 04 Oct 2012

It is very difficult to guess which part of the hardware is causing thouble, but if you think that it is being caused by the hardware, you may follow this steps of hardware troubleshooting.

cretin · 07 Oct 2012

Yeah, it's a bit weak as a diagnosis. I'm basing it on ruling out the SSD GFX and RAM, the fact that sometimes it just restarts, sometimes it won't boot, and that the BSODs become more frequent when the PC has been on a while. And all the stuff we've been through!

Not much to go on really, but Amazon are sending a replacement now, so if it still happens on the new board then at least I will have ruled out the motherboard (or got 2 faulty boards!)

Thank you very much for your continued help! I will post here whatever the outcome of the new board.