New
#1
BSOD possibly Google Chrome linked, error 0x000000f4 ntoskrnl.exe
I have been experiencing BSODs about once a day for more than a week, as far as I can remember it's always when using Google Chrome (though I almost always have Chrome open, so it might not be related). The BSOD occurs seemingly randomly, often after hours of using the computer without any problems. Sometimes it is sudden, or sometimes Chrome stops responding though other programs continue to respond for the next 10-30 seconds until an error message tells me Windows is not responding and either a BSOD follows or I reset my computer. Following a BSOD and restart, a black screen with "Reboot and select proper Boot device or Insert Boot Media in Selected Boot Device and press a key" error message comes up, so I suspect there is some issue with booting from the C: drive, which is an SSD (I don't know the make or model, slightly suspicious it is from an untrustworthy source, and thus I wouldn't know where to look to update SSD firmware or anything relating to it), but following a restart the computer will boot successfully. After that the computer will often hang without a BSOD, forcing me to restart again, until I give up for the day. Then the next day it will start all over.
I have tried some troubleshooting on my own but I'm just not knowledgeable enough, and feel a bit swamped by all the possible causes and solutions, so here I am. I bought this custom PC a few months ago and it's still under warranty, but I think it's only a hardware warranty, so unless it's a part that needs replacing or some such thing, returning it is my last resort. A clean reinstall would be my penultimate resort because of the hassle involved, but most of my programs and files are on the D drive so it wouldn't be too bad.
Things I've tried:
- Blowing out the case with compressed air (it was not very dusty at all, but thought it worth a try), checking all fans work.
- Disk Check - my C: drive (SSD) at first could not be accessed for a disk check even at start up, but a second try worked and indicated no problems. My 2nd drive (HDD) completed the disk check first time without problems.
- sfc /scannow - completed without indicating any issues.
- Updating drivers - I used Slimdrivers Free for this which updated a number of drivers, notably the graphics driver. However this did not solve the issue, and I later experienced a different type of BSOD (IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL), thought this might be caused by one of the updated drivers, and thus did a system restore to 11th May, thus the last week of BSOD memory dumps and the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL BSOD are missing from my attached zip file, and all updated drivers were rolled back to their previous versions. (No system restore points were available from before the first BSOD, and I can't think of any major software or hardware changes I made anyway, so doubtful it would have been helpful to roll back to before that.)
- Disabling TRIM - I read somewhere that with some SSDs, TRIM may cause some BSODs and the subsequent "Reboot and select proper boot device..." errors, so I disabled TRIM with the elevated command prompt. But then I had the IRQL_NOT... BSOD, and did the system restore, and then despite disabling TRIM again the original BSOD problem occurred again.
I have suspicions that the SSD is the cause but can't find any concrete proof of that, and I guess software is a more likely cause. So, that's where I stand at the moment. I would be immensely grateful for any advice you could give me, but please bear in mind I am not terribly computer savvy so clear instructions or links to clear guides will likely be necessary. Thank you very much :)