BSOD on a random basis, sometimes can't even boot

HI,

My wife's computer is crashing on a random basis.

After some of the crashes, I wasn't even able to reboot. On that point sometimes I get "Disk read error", sometimes, instead of booting , I get screen which shows changing colors of white, gray, black and colors (green, red & blue - as far as I remember).

I had that problem last week. I've updated the BIOS, the problem gone, but now the computer keeps crashing. Sometimes it crashed in the middle of the night with no reason (no file sharing activities are present).

For a long time, on a random basis the computer hangs for a several seconds, with message "display driver stopped responding". Then the computer become usuable again with no BSOD.

My guess... hardware problem with 1. video card or 2. power adapter or 3. motherboard.

Any advise would be very welcomed

Thanks,
Amir.

well, things become much worse.

I've got BSOD while browsing the web.
Now the computer won't boot at all.

It crashes while booting.
Sometimes I get "Disk read error, press ctrl+alt+delete to boot", sometime its black screen, sometimes reboots while booting.

Selecting startup repair brings me to a window with "Windows boot error", and with message saying Status: 0xc00000e9, and Info: "An unexpected I/O error has occurred".

The thing is.. that the disk was checked a through long test using WD diagnostics, with no errors.
Last time (a month or so ago) the same situation was solved directly by reinstalling the BIOS.

The motherboard is quiet old. no further update is available.

Don't know what more can be done...

Update your System Specifications with Speccy, and then copy this information into your System Specifications: Go to your UserCP, and then select Edit System Spec in the left pane. Copy the information from Speccy into the required fields. These System Specifications will then follow your every post.

When was the last time you checked the hard-drive with the Western Digital tests?

Code:

BugCheck 7A, {fffff6fb80008000, ffffffffc000000e, 3e798880, fffff70001000000}

Probably caused by : ntkrnlmp.exe ( nt! ?? ::FNODOBFM::`string'+36c1a )

Code:

Usual causes:  Memory, Paging file corruption, File system, Hard drive, Cabling, Virus infection, Improperly seated cards, BIOS, Bad motherboard, Missing Service Pack

Code:

0: kd> !error ffffffffc000000e
Error code: (NTSTATUS) 0xc000000e (3221225486) - A device which does not exist was specified.

A page fault was not able to read the contents of the page file to the specified physical memory address, we may be looking at possible RAM issues or hard-drive corruption.

Run some hard-drive diagnostics and follow these steps:

• Hard Drive Diagnostic Procedure

Find your hard-drive manufacturer and run their tests.

Additional Tests:

• SeaTools for DOS | Seagate
• CrystalDiskInfo - Software - Crystal Dew World

Post a screenshot of Crystal Disk Info summary:

• Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Seven Forums

writhziden said:

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.

Check for any file system errors and bad sectors using Option #2 of:

• Disk Check

Use this command with Disk Check:

Code:

chkdsk C: /f /r

Scan for any malware:

• Windows Defender Offline
• Anti-rootkit utility TDSSKiller

The computer I'm working at now, is not the problematic computer (which is my wife's computer)

The problematic computer is inaccessible at all, since I can't boot it at all.

It's primary specs are:
Mobo: Asus P5BE - Plus
CPU - Intel Pentium Core 2 Duo E6600
RAM: G.Skill 4Gb
Video: Asus GT210 512MB GDDR2
HD: Seagate Baracuda 1.5 TB

My confusion - the disk was never tested.

What is the best diagnostics utility I can work with to diagnose that computer in its current status?

There are many possible hardware suspects, I'm not sure how to isolate it.

Thanks again!
Amir

Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Boot

All the tests specified in my second post are either bootable versions, or version which can booted before loading Windows.

Hi again,

I've spent hours testing the computer using HirenBoot CF Tools.

Hours of burn in using Memtest86 + Goldtest, shows no errors at all as referring to the RAM.

As to the hard drive:

Seatools by Seagate - the short test & long test, went OK with no errors at all.

CHKDSK - the same. Meaning no bad sectors.

BUT Hard disk sentinel reported that the disk health is 59% (still reasonable) - and that it contains 3 bad sectors.

Does the 3 different results make sense? Who should I believe?

thanks again,
Amir.

Another update.

I've opened the computer case, and changed the SATA socket for the cable that was connected to the hard drive.
After restarting the computer, to my surprise the computer just booted as nothing ever happened at all.

BUT, running the crystal diskinfo, shows that there is a problem..

Attachment 261754