BSOD, Fatal Harware Error, 0x00000124, occurs during gameplay

Dudonza · 10 Sep 2013

Hello,
I am experiencing blue stop screens, which occur only during gameplay.
Happens generally randomly during gameplay, and I have ensured that graphically taxing titles, such as Total War: Rome II; have been tested on low graphical settings, and even older, less demanding games such as The Witcher and Dragon Age: Origins have triggered the stop error. As of now, every single title I attempt to play will at some point trigger the stop error.

I have extensively researched the Fatal Hardware Error and have not been able to resolve the issue using the majority of the advice I have found on these forums. I have ensured all drivers are up to date, the computer is running especially cool and I have even installed a 64bit copy of Windows 7 in order to 'unlock' additional RAM, as I was at first being alerted to a low video memory issue.

My machine operates excellently in all circumstances except running games. I have ran windows memory test, which revealed no issues.

I was wondering if there was a means to which I could pinpoint the specific hardware error in order to replace or resolve the issue, which I am reluctant to do, due to the components being highly expensive.

It appears as though I have exhausted almost all troubleshooting methods prior to actually abandoning the components or the machine altogether.

My machine currently has a system rating of 7.8 according to Windows.

Can provide additional details if required.

Thank you.

Arc · 11 Sep 2013

Hello Dudonza.

Your latest BSOD is a stop 0x124, which is supposed to be a hardware error.

But before starting hardware related troubleshooting, I want you to follow these instructions and observe how it is going there.

► Uninstall McAfee Using McAfee Removal Tool. There are reasons. McAfee is contributing to your issue, which it always does.

Code:

fffff880`03528d88  fffff880`071c10bcUnable to load image mfefirek.sys, Win32 error 0n2
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for mfefirek.sys
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for mfefirek.sys
 mfefirek+0x480bc

Description here: Driver Reference Table - mfefirek.sys

Code:

fffff880`03528be8  fffff880`012155efUnable to load image mfewfpk.sys, Win32 error 0n2
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for mfewfpk.sys
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for mfewfpk.sys
 mfewfpk+0x155ef

Description here: Driver Reference Table - mfewfpk.sys

Uninstall McAfee Using McAfee Removal Tool. Use Microsoft Security Essentials as your antivirus with windows inbuilt firewall, and free MBAM as the on demand scanner.
Download, install and update those, and then run full system scans with both of them, one by one.

► Qualcomm Atheros AR946x Wireless Network Adapter is also failing and contributing to the BSODs.

Code:

fffff880`03528188  fffff880`0692092fUnable to load image athrx.sys, Win32 error 0n2
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for athrx.sys
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for athrx.sys
 athrx+0xef92f

And the driver is old.

Code:

fffff880`06831000 fffff880`06bf8000   athrx    T (no symbols)           
    Loaded symbol image file: athrx.sys
    Image path: athrx.sys
    Image name: athrx.sys
    Timestamp:        Thu Oct 25 08:01:15 2012 (5088A473)
    CheckSum:         003AF186
    ImageSize:        003C7000
    Translations:     0000.04b0 0000.04e4 0409.04b0 0409.04e4

Update it from Drivers for Atheros AR946x and Windows 7

Version: 10.0.0.251
Release: 2013-05-27

► Free up the startup. Windows does not need any other program to auto start with it, but the auto start programs often conflicts and causes various problems including BSODs.

Click on the Start button
Type “msconfig (without quotes), click the resulting link. It will open the System Configuration window.
Select the “Startup” tab.
Deselect all items other than the antivirus.
Apply > OK
Accept then restart.

Now play some games. See if it BSODs the same way or not. If the BSODs continue, post it following the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) Posting Instructions. We will start hardware related troubleshooting from that point.
_________________________________________________________________________________
BSOD ANALYSIS:

Code:

*******************************************************************************
*                                                                             *
*                        Bugcheck Analysis                                    *
*                                                                             *
*******************************************************************************

Use !analyze -v to get detailed debugging information.

BugCheck 124, {0, fffffa8009506028, b2000000, 10014}

Probably caused by : GenuineIntel

Followup: MachineOwner
---------

6: kd> !analyze -v
*******************************************************************************
*                                                                             *
*                        Bugcheck Analysis                                    *
*                                                                             *
*******************************************************************************

WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR (124)
A fatal hardware error has occurred. Parameter 1 identifies the type of error
source that reported the error. Parameter 2 holds the address of the
WHEA_ERROR_RECORD structure that describes the error conditon.
Arguments:
Arg1: 0000000000000000, Machine Check Exception
Arg2: fffffa8009506028, Address of the WHEA_ERROR_RECORD structure.
Arg3: 00000000b2000000, High order 32-bits of the MCi_STATUS value.
Arg4: 0000000000010014, Low order 32-bits of the MCi_STATUS value.

Debugging Details:
------------------


BUGCHECK_STR:  0x124_GenuineIntel

CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT:  1

DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID:  WIN7_DRIVER_FAULT

PROCESS_NAME:  System

CURRENT_IRQL:  f

STACK_TEXT:  
fffff880`0350ab58 00000000`00000000 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : nt!KeBugCheckEx


STACK_COMMAND:  kb

FOLLOWUP_NAME:  MachineOwner

MODULE_NAME: GenuineIntel

IMAGE_NAME:  GenuineIntel

DEBUG_FLR_IMAGE_TIMESTAMP:  0

FAILURE_BUCKET_ID:  X64_0x124_GenuineIntel_PROCESSOR_TLB

BUCKET_ID:  X64_0x124_GenuineIntel_PROCESSOR_TLB

Followup: MachineOwner
---------