Windows 7: BSODs at random, error 0x0000003B

Hi

I'm getting BSODs, just at random as far as I can tell, like browsing using firefox one time, watching a video using vlc another.

I've attached my most recent dump files. The full error message on BSOD is this
0x0000003B (0x00000000c0000005, 0xFFFFF80002E067F1, 0xFFFFF8800AA10c10, 0x0000000000000000)

Many thanks and all my gratitude for anyone that can help.

Hi everybody!

I have also just got a different BSOD error message, this one is 0x00000051.

I got this one while using Windows Update, checking for updates.

They seem to be getting more frequent

I'm not sure if it's of any help but I've run the Seven Forums Diagnostic Tool again and attached the files it generated.

Thanks in advance for any assistance :)

Hi Glen12.

In both the uploaded zip, there is a single common crash dump. That is not any 0x3B or 0x51 BSOD, but a 0x9F, caused by athrx.sys.

Based on that, I would suggest you to install Drivers for Atheros AR9485WB and Windows 7
Follow Driver Install - Device Manager to install the driver.

Then let us know if the BSODs are continuing or not. If continues, follow it: Dump Files - Configure Windows to Create on BSOD
Go to Option Two, Point 2. Download the .reg file and merge it in registry by double clicking it.

Now wait for another BSOD. When it occurred, search the .dmp files manually in the default path: C:\Windows\Minidump or %SystemRoot%\Minidump. See if the crash dump is recorded or not (hopefully it will be recorded).Post it following the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) Posting Instructions.

Hi Archie,

Thanks for your helpful reply!

I've installed the Drivers for Atheros AR9485WB that you linked to, and in doing that the Computer Management / Device Manager seems a lot easier to understand now so thanks for that too.

I've gone ahead and merged the .reg file into the registry, ready for any future BSOD (it's strange that it wasn't creating a kernel memory dump as I set it up as in Option One, Point 7), but at the moment everything is going well with no problems.

Thanks very much for you help, it's really appreciated :) I'll let you know if the BSODs continue or not.

You are welcome mate. :)

Hello again!

So it's been a few days and i'm still getting BSODs, seemingly at random and the error codes are different every time. In fact I got a BSOD just now while trying to write this..

Windows is also not recording a minidump file when it crashes and restarts, even though I've merged the .reg file and checked the path and tick boxes are correct. I've tried changing the path to C:\ as that's worked for someone in the past on here but no luck there either. Is there anything else that can be done to try and get it to write the file?

If it manages to write a .dmp file one day, I've downloaded BlueScreenView to see what it's all about :)

BlueScreenView will not give you a proper view. Install Windbg.

And, without seeing a crash dump, it is difficult to troubleshoot the issue.

BTW, varying error codes may be an indication of failing memory.
Test your RAM modules for possible errors.
How to Test and Diagnose RAM Issues with Memtest86+
Run memtest for at least 8 passes, preferably overnight.

If it start showing errors/red lines, stop testing. A single error is enough to determine that something is going bad there.

Let us know the result of it?

Thanks for the fast reply!

I shall let you know the results

Hiya!

I finally got round to checking the RAM with Memtest86+ and Archie as you suggested it is full of errors! Great to know what has been causing the issues, but bad that I now have to send it off to Taiwan. Anyway, after testing them individually I can be pretty sure it's just the one module. After only 20something seconds it was already above 20,000 errors.

It makes sense because I've been having the BSOD issues with growing frequency ever since upgrading the RAM.. So the old RAM is back where it was for now.

I'm guessing it might have been the errors with the RAM that were stopping Windows from creating crash dumps?

Thank-you very much for the help :) You're doing a really great job on here!

You are welcome again, mate.:)

Failing RAM can cause any sort of odd issue. And as your deeper tests point to a failing RAM module, a change will be really good.