Blue Screens and freezing...

[thehunters]

Hi there. Hopefully I can gain some info from this forum as I'm getting a bit lost. This computer freezes often. I can come and find it frozen on the screensaver or just a black screen or a blue screen. It also looses the internet often while other computers on the network are still online.

It is running Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit. (OEM full version)
4 GB RAM
About 6 months old.
Dell

I've used Memtest to scan the RAM. (no issues)
I've done the Dell diagnostics with no issues
I've done sfc /scannow

It is still happening. Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[mgorman87]

It appears that your Broadcom network card is the source of your problems. Start off by downloading the latest drivers for your device. Broadcom.com - Ethernet NIC NetLink Driver Downloads Then I would go into device manager and uninstall your device from there. Make sure to choose the option to remove the drivers (if given one). Reboot the computer and install the new drivers. This should fix the problem. If it doesn't then we will have to look somewhere else.

Please run these tests and report back the results
1. Memtest86 - Run for 7-8 passes - http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105647-ram-test-memtest86.html
2. Prime95 - Run all three tests for 3-4 hours each or until fail - http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/100352-cpu-stress-test-prime95.html

BSOD BUGCHECK SUMMARY

[font=lucida console]
Built by: 7601.17592.x86fre.win7sp1_gdr.110408-1631
Debug session time: Fri May 27 10:01:59.642 2011 (UTC - 4:00)
System Uptime: 0 days 20:54:54.312
BUGCHECK_STR:  0x9F
PROCESS_NAME:  System
FAILURE_BUCKET_ID:  0x9F_4_nt!PnpBugcheckPowerTimeout+57
BiosReleaseDate = 07/07/2010
SystemManufacturer = Dell Inc.
SystemProductName = Vostro 230                   
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨``
Built by: 7601.17592.x86fre.win7sp1_gdr.110408-1631
Debug session time: Thu May 26 09:02:54.844 2011 (UTC - 4:00)
System Uptime: 0 days 12:34:56.514
Probably caused by : memory_corruption
BUGCHECK_STR:  0x9F
PROCESS_NAME:  System
FAILURE_BUCKET_ID:  MEMORY_CORRUPTION_ONE_BIT_LARGE
BiosReleaseDate = 07/07/2010
SystemManufacturer = Dell Inc.
SystemProductName = Vostro 230                   
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨``
Built by: 7601.17592.x86fre.win7sp1_gdr.110408-1631
Debug session time: Fri May 13 09:23:16.040 2011 (UTC - 4:00)
System Uptime: 0 days 17:27:04.710
Probably caused by : memory_corruption
BUGCHECK_STR:  0x9F
PROCESS_NAME:  System
FAILURE_BUCKET_ID:  MEMORY_CORRUPTION_ONE_BIT_LARGE
BiosReleaseDate = 07/07/2010
SystemManufacturer = Dell Inc.
SystemProductName = Vostro 230                   
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨``
Built by: 7600.16617.x86fre.win7_gdr.100618-1621
Debug session time: Thu Jan 13 16:04:34.714 2011 (UTC - 4:00)
System Uptime: 0 days 14:53:29.384
BUGCHECK_STR:  0x124_GenuineIntel
PROCESS_NAME:  System
FAILURE_BUCKET_ID:  0x124_GenuineIntel_PROCESSOR_BUS
BiosReleaseDate = 07/07/2010
SystemManufacturer = Dell Inc.
SystemProductName = Vostro 230                   
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨``
Built by: 7600.16617.x86fre.win7_gdr.100618-1621
Debug session time: Thu Jan 13 01:10:15.722 2011 (UTC - 4:00)
System Uptime: 0 days 4:29:40.392
Probably caused by : memory_corruption
BUGCHECK_STR:  0x9F
PROCESS_NAME:  System
FAILURE_BUCKET_ID:  MEMORY_CORRUPTION_ONE_BIT_LARGE
BiosReleaseDate = 07/07/2010
SystemManufacturer = Dell Inc.
SystemProductName = Vostro 230                   
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨``
  
[/font]

 

[thehunters]

Thanks for your very quick response! I've updated the network card drivers using the link you provided. Once the drivers were installed and rebooted to confirm they "took" (just checked the version and date of driver), I couldn't get online. I power cycled my router and now I'm back online.

Yesterday, I ran Memtest for about 6 hrs with no fails.
I'm running Prime95 stress test now and will report the results.

From the info I provided in the attachment, were ALL critical errors related to the network card only? This computer worked totally fine for months with no issues with the same driver.

Thanks again!

 

[mgorman87]

Thanks for your very quick response! I've updated the network card drivers using the link you provided. Once the drivers were installed and rebooted to confirm they "took" (just checked the version and date of driver), I couldn't get online. I power cycled my router and now I'm back online.

Yesterday, I ran Memtest for about 6 hrs with no fails.
I'm running Prime95 stress test now and will report the results.

From the info I provided in the attachment, were ALL critical errors related to the network card only? This computer worked totally fine for months with no issues with the same driver.

Thanks again!

The network card wasn't specifically blamed but you are having driver power state failures, which is caused by some device on the computer and I also noticed that the network driver was being loaded/unloaded a whole bunch of times which leads me to believe that something is wrong with it.

 

[thehunters]

So, assuming that the stress test I'm running now comes back with clean results, is the only thing I can do to test to see if the issue is resolved just normal usage of the computer or is there some other test that I can do to see if it has been resolved? Thanks again master!

 

[mgorman87]

So, assuming that the stress test I'm running now comes back with clean results, is the only thing I can do to test to see if the issue is resolved just normal usage of the computer or is there some other test that I can do to see if it has been resolved? Thanks again master!

Actually, you can stop the Prime95 test. Just use the computer as you normally would and report back if you get any more BSODs

 

[thehunters]

Why is there no point to running the stress test?

 

[mgorman87]

Why is there no point to running the stress test?

Not if it was your network driver that cause the problem. Because there are three Prime95 tests and they have to run 3-4 hours each that's 9-12 hours taken up. If the crashes persist after you've updated the drivers then you can run the tests

 

[thehunters]

I see, thanks. No harm in stress testing the machine anyway I assume. I selected Small FFT's and left the number of threads at 2. I hope that was the correct setting. Will it automatically run the 3 tests you mentioned above or do I need to do something? Also, will it alert me to any errors during the test, or will have have some type of summary afterwards?

 

[mgorman87]

I see, thanks. No harm in stress testing the machine anyway I assume. I selected Small FFT's and left the number of threads at 2. I hope that was the correct setting. Will it automatically run the 3 tests you mentioned above or do I need to do something? Also, will it alert me to any errors during the test, or will have have some type of summary afterwards?

When you run the program you are given the option to choose a test. If you follow the instructions from the link I provided it's pretty self explanatory. You will have to monitor the worker windows periodically to see if any of them had failed. There will be no pop up or anything.

 

[thehunters]

Thanks

 

[thehunters]

So I've run the stress test for almost 24 hrs now. I've checked the Windows System log for any errors or warnings. This morning I've seen a couple or warnings. "Name resolution for the name .....in-addr.arpa timed out after none of the configured DNS servers responded." I saw that one twice overnight. Is this something to be concerned about? Thanks

 

[mgorman87]

So I've run the stress test for almost 24 hrs now. I've checked the Windows System log for any errors or warnings. This morning I've seen a couple or warnings. "Name resolution for the name .....in-addr.arpa timed out after none of the configured DNS servers responded." I saw that one twice overnight. Is this something to be concerned about? Thanks

No. I don't think so. I see those types of errors all the time. Have you had any more crashes since updating the driver?

 

[thehunters]

Not yet...fingers crossed for now.

 

[thehunters]

This morning I woke up to having no internet connection on that computer. After checking out the Network and Sharing Center, I realized that it didn't show that I had any network card in the computer. Looking in the device manager confirmed that by no category for network. Restarting the computer didn't fix it. Diagnosing the connection didn't repair it. Power cycling my router fixed it. However before power cycling, all other computers on the network were online. Thoughts?

 

[mgorman87]

This morning I woke up to having no internet connection on that computer. After checking out the Network and Sharing Center, I realized that it didn't show that I had any network card in the computer. Looking in the device manager confirmed that by no category for network. Restarting the computer didn't fix it. Diagnosing the connection didn't repair it. Power cycling my router fixed it. However before power cycling, all other computers on the network were online. Thoughts?

Could be signs of a bad network adapter?? Other than that, I really wouldn't know. But as long as it works that's all that matters

 

[thehunters]

Woke up to a frozen computer this morning. A hard reset got it up and running again. What can I supply to diagnose? Thanks!

 

[thehunters]

Here is a new zip of the originally requested info. Hopefully this will help. Thanks much!

 

[mgorman87]

Freezes are extremely hard to diagnose as there is nothing in the logs that show why it froze up.

You can try a hard drive scan and see what that turns up
Hard drive scan usings SeaTools - SeaTools for Windows | Seagate - Both long and short tests

 

[thehunters]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I know that freezes are hard to diagnose as I've been trying to diagnose this one for a while. Thought we had it with the bad driver for the NIC. Btw, I did wind up disabling the onboard NIC and installed a PCI NIC and updated the drivers. I haven't had any loss of internet since I did that, but I did have that one "event". I ran both the short and long test with the SeaTools and both passed. Any other suggestions?

Thanks for your time.