Bad_pool_header

CMOS clears BIOS, not sure if a game could do that kind of damage.
 

My Computer My Computer

OS
Windows x64
CMOS clears BIOS, not sure if a game could do that kind of damage.

I figured as much. Could it be that it was the crash that caused the problem and not the game directly?
 

My Computer My Computer

OS
Windows 7 x64 Professional
CPU
AMD Athlon II X3 440 3.00ghz
Motherboard
ASUS M4A87TD/USB3
Memory
4gb (2x2gb) OCZ Gold DDR3 1333mhz
Graphics Card(s)
ATI Radeon HD 4850
Hard Drives
Samsung Spinpoint F3
PSU
OCZ Stealth Xtreme 500W
Case
NZXT Hades
I think the real question here is why you have registered two accounts and are replying to your own posts under another username :rolleyes:

If you sit in front of a mirror you could have hours of fun conversation without going near the internet ;)
 

My Computer My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
OS
Windows 11
I think the real question here is why you have registered two accounts and are replying to your own posts under another username :rolleyes:

If you sit in front of a mirror you could have hours of fun conversation without going near the internet ;)

falafel is my flatmate. I told him I had computer problems and was asking online. I told him my username and he must have figured everything out himself and then replied in my thread. he probably just created an account to make fun of my lack of knowledge...:o
 

My Computer My Computer

OS
Windows 7 x64 Professional
CPU
AMD Athlon II X3 440 3.00ghz
Motherboard
ASUS M4A87TD/USB3
Memory
4gb (2x2gb) OCZ Gold DDR3 1333mhz
Graphics Card(s)
ATI Radeon HD 4850
Hard Drives
Samsung Spinpoint F3
PSU
OCZ Stealth Xtreme 500W
Case
NZXT Hades
I thought it may be a faulty graphics card (this would have explained the previous problems) but then I realized that the computer doesnt make the usual beep when booting up nor does it make that beep to signal something is wrong. What is the issue? Could it be a power issue (not PSU but mains power)?

What PSU are you running? (Also list your Graphics Card and CPU again so I don't have to go hunting through the thread to find the info)

The Graphics Stress passing does not rule out a Graphics Card error either.
 

My Computer My Computer

OS
Windows 7 x64, Windows XP SP3, Fedora
I thought it may be a faulty graphics card (this would have explained the previous problems) but then I realized that the computer doesnt make the usual beep when booting up nor does it make that beep to signal something is wrong. What is the issue? Could it be a power issue (not PSU but mains power)?

What PSU are you running? (Also list your Graphics Card and CPU again so I don't have to go hunting through the thread to find the info)

The Graphics Stress passing does not rule out a Graphics Card error either.

GPU: ATI Radeon HD4850
CPU: AMD Athlon II x3 440

Resetting the CMOS battery clears the BIOS but how did that fix the problem (why wouldn't the computer boot up to begin with?)
 

My Computer My Computer

OS
Windows 7 x64 Professional
CPU
AMD Athlon II X3 440 3.00ghz
Motherboard
ASUS M4A87TD/USB3
Memory
4gb (2x2gb) OCZ Gold DDR3 1333mhz
Graphics Card(s)
ATI Radeon HD 4850
Hard Drives
Samsung Spinpoint F3
PSU
OCZ Stealth Xtreme 500W
Case
NZXT Hades
Strange BSOD

After having seemingly solved my BSOD problems, I was browsing the internet when I received a sudden BSOD. I was unzipping a file in the background, but other than that, the computer was not doing anything resource-hungry.

The BSOD did not provide any indication of what was wrong, but I am no expert. I am attaching the important files in the hope that someone here knows what's wrong.

Could all these problems be solved through a simple reinstall of Windows 7?
 

My Computer My Computer

OS
Windows 7 x64 Professional
CPU
AMD Athlon II X3 440 3.00ghz
Motherboard
ASUS M4A87TD/USB3
Memory
4gb (2x2gb) OCZ Gold DDR3 1333mhz
Graphics Card(s)
ATI Radeon HD 4850
Hard Drives
Samsung Spinpoint F3
PSU
OCZ Stealth Xtreme 500W
Case
NZXT Hades
I began posting your analysis in another thread, only to find that you have posted the same problem here. Your BSOD problem is in capable hands. Double posting a BSOD problem will only add to the difficulties.
I merged this and the other thread, here.


How do you know whose advice you should take?
 
Last edited:

My Computer My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Dell XPS 420
OS
Windows 10, Home Clean Install
CPU
Intel Core2 processsor Q8200(2.33Ghz 1333FSB) Quad Core Tech
Motherboard
Dell
Memory
6 gb
Graphics Card(s)
ATI Radeon 256MB HD3650
Sound Card
Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell SP2009W 20"
Hard Drives
640 GB Serial ATA Hard drive
Cooling
Fan
Keyboard
Dell USB Keyboard
Mouse
Dell Premium Optical USB
Internet Speed
DSL 2.85
Sorry for my lack of knowledge, but reading through the dates in what you put it, seems like those were the previous BSODs. Is there anything about the recent one (i.e. in the past hour)?
 

My Computer My Computer

OS
Windows 7 x64 Professional
CPU
AMD Athlon II X3 440 3.00ghz
Motherboard
ASUS M4A87TD/USB3
Memory
4gb (2x2gb) OCZ Gold DDR3 1333mhz
Graphics Card(s)
ATI Radeon HD 4850
Hard Drives
Samsung Spinpoint F3
PSU
OCZ Stealth Xtreme 500W
Case
NZXT Hades
I have just discovered that you have another theread with this same problem.
I am going to discontinue work on this thread and have the two combined.
 

My Computer My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Dell XPS 420
OS
Windows 10, Home Clean Install
CPU
Intel Core2 processsor Q8200(2.33Ghz 1333FSB) Quad Core Tech
Motherboard
Dell
Memory
6 gb
Graphics Card(s)
ATI Radeon 256MB HD3650
Sound Card
Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell SP2009W 20"
Hard Drives
640 GB Serial ATA Hard drive
Cooling
Fan
Keyboard
Dell USB Keyboard
Mouse
Dell Premium Optical USB
Internet Speed
DSL 2.85
I have just discovered that you have another theread with this same problem.
I am going to discontinue work on this thread and have the two combined.

I'm sorry for creating a new thread but I thought the problems were different from one another and didn't want to confuse anyone trying to solve the second one with details from the first.

Are there any more recent BSODs? The ATI one and the dxgmms1 one are a few days old and I think I solved them.
 

My Computer My Computer

OS
Windows 7 x64 Professional
CPU
AMD Athlon II X3 440 3.00ghz
Motherboard
ASUS M4A87TD/USB3
Memory
4gb (2x2gb) OCZ Gold DDR3 1333mhz
Graphics Card(s)
ATI Radeon HD 4850
Hard Drives
Samsung Spinpoint F3
PSU
OCZ Stealth Xtreme 500W
Case
NZXT Hades
I checked the folder and saw a dump on Aug 30 at 19:16. I do not know how to open these files, let alone analyze them. Could somebody have a look? (the most recent zip is a few posts back)
 

My Computer My Computer

OS
Windows 7 x64 Professional
CPU
AMD Athlon II X3 440 3.00ghz
Motherboard
ASUS M4A87TD/USB3
Memory
4gb (2x2gb) OCZ Gold DDR3 1333mhz
Graphics Card(s)
ATI Radeon HD 4850
Hard Drives
Samsung Spinpoint F3
PSU
OCZ Stealth Xtreme 500W
Case
NZXT Hades
I recommend uninstalling all traces of your current ATI drivers with Driver Sweeper. Then install these ones: https://a248.e.akamai.net/f/674/9206/0/www2.ati.com/drivers/10-8_vista64_win7_64_dd.exe

Test GPU temps: SpeedFan - Access temperature sensor in your computer

Test GFX card: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/100356-video-card-stress-test-furmark.html

Although you are having apparent GFX errors, it can't hurt to eliminate other causes. Please uninstall Daemon Tools Lite, and then remove SPTD with this tool: http://www.duplexsecure.com/download/SPTDinst-v172-x64.exe

...Summary of the Dumps:
Code:
[font=lucida console]
Built by: 7600.16617.amd64fre.win7_gdr.100618-1621
Debug session time: Mon Aug 30 14:14:55.543 2010 (UTC - 4:00)
System Uptime: 0 days 1:29:28.963
BugCheck A, {100060008, 7, 1, fffff80002a6b9c6}
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for atikmdag.sys
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for atikmdag.sys
Probably caused by : atikmdag.sys ( atikmdag+64401 )
BUGCHECK_STR:  0xA
PROCESS_NAME:  QuickPar.exe
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
[/font]
You can install MagicDisc if you need a replacement.
 

My Computer My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Custom
OS
Windows 7 Professional x64
CPU
Intel i7 2600K OC'd @ 4620 MHz
Motherboard
Asus P8Z68-V Pro
Memory
16GB GSkill Sniper 2133 Mhz (4x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
EVGA GeForce GTX 480 SuperClocked+
Sound Card
Realtek High Definition Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
2x Acer S273HLbmii 27"
Screen Resolution
2 x 1920x1080
Hard Drives
64GB Crucial M4 SSD

Storage: Hitachi 1TB 5400RPM, Samsung 1.5TB 5400RPM
PSU
Corsair HW Series 750w (modular)
Case
Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced Blue Edition
Cooling
CM Hyper 212+ CPU cooler, 3x 230mm + 1x 140mm case fans
Keyboard
Logitech MK320 (wireless)
Mouse
Logitech MK320 (wireless)
Internet Speed
30 Mb/s : 2 Mb/s
I recommend uninstalling all traces of your current ATI drivers with Driver Sweeper. Then install these ones: https://a248.e.akamai.net/f/674/9206/0/www2.ati.com/drivers/10-8_vista64_win7_64_dd.exe

Test GPU temps: SpeedFan - Access temperature sensor in your computer

Test GFX card: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/100356-video-card-stress-test-furmark.html

Although you are having apparent GFX errors, it can't hurt to eliminate other causes. Please uninstall Daemon Tools Lite, and then remove SPTD with this tool: http://www.duplexsecure.com/download/SPTDinst-v172-x64.exe

...Summary of the Dumps:
Code:
[FONT=lucida console]
Built by: 7600.16617.amd64fre.win7_gdr.100618-1621
Debug session time: Mon Aug 30 14:14:55.543 2010 (UTC - 4:00)
System Uptime: 0 days 1:29:28.963
BugCheck A, {100060008, 7, 1, fffff80002a6b9c6}
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for atikmdag.sys
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for atikmdag.sys
Probably caused by : atikmdag.sys ( atikmdag+64401 )
BUGCHECK_STR:  0xA
PROCESS_NAME:  QuickPar.exe
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
[/FONT]
You can install MagicDisc if you need a replacement.


Thank you for everthing. I have since reinstalled Windows 7 and this problem has not reoccured. I have stopped using Daemon Tools after reading that it can cause these sorts of problems.
 

My Computer My Computer

OS
Windows 7 x64 Professional
CPU
AMD Athlon II X3 440 3.00ghz
Motherboard
ASUS M4A87TD/USB3
Memory
4gb (2x2gb) OCZ Gold DDR3 1333mhz
Graphics Card(s)
ATI Radeon HD 4850
Hard Drives
Samsung Spinpoint F3
PSU
OCZ Stealth Xtreme 500W
Case
NZXT Hades
Since the creation of this thread I have had several other BSODs, mostly, it seems, relating to RAM.

I had a BSOD that said there was a page fault in non paged area and another one that said a driver (apparently my audio driver) was mismanaging PTEs. The page fault error has not occured since I change my page file to 4093mb (one less than 4GB) - a solution I read about online. The issue with the driver, however, persists.

After creating this thread I discovered that my RAM setting in the BIOS did not match the manufacturer's recommended settings as a result of purchasing Intel optimized RAM for an AMD system. I manually changed the RAM's voltage and timings to match the manufacturer's specs. I ran memtest86+ for 12 hours and there were no errors so I assume my RAM is stable.

I thought fixing the RAM like this might have fixed the driver issue (seeing as mismanaging PTEs seems to be memory related), but it did not help. Without this driver my 5.1 speakers only work in a 2.1 configuration. For the moment, fortunately, I do not receive any unexpected BSODs - they only appear upon rebooting if I try to install the audio drivers. When the BSOD occurs, no minidump file is created so I have nothing to upload for now.

I have tried the drivers on the mobo disc and the slightly newer ones online, but they both resulted in BSODs. I have looked for older drivers online but they are not available. I even asked ASUS directly but they had no other drivers.

I uninstalled and reinstalled the Microsoft audio drivers before installing the manufacturer's ones but that did not work either.

Running Driver Sweeper does not reveal any remnants of other audio drivers that could get in the way.

My chipset and graphics drivers are all up to date.

The drivers worked on a previous Windows 7 install on the same computer and also work fine on another indentical computer to this one.

The driver in question is: VIA VT1818 Audio Driver V6.0.1.8100 for Windows 32/64bit XP & 32/64bit Vista & 32/64bit 7.

This is a driver designed specifially for my mobo

If it is of any relevance, any BSODs other than the driver-related one occur while playing games.
 

My Computer My Computer

OS
Windows 7 x64 Professional
CPU
AMD Athlon II X3 440 3.00ghz
Motherboard
ASUS M4A87TD/USB3
Memory
4gb (2x2gb) OCZ Gold DDR3 1333mhz
Graphics Card(s)
ATI Radeon HD 4850
Hard Drives
Samsung Spinpoint F3
PSU
OCZ Stealth Xtreme 500W
Case
NZXT Hades
Since the creation of this thread I have had several other BSODs, mostly, it seems, relating to RAM.

I had a BSOD that said there was a page fault in non paged area and another one that said a driver (apparently my audio driver) was mismanaging PTEs. The page fault error has not occured since I change my page file to 4093mb (one less than 4GB) - a solution I read about online. The issue with the driver, however, persists.

After creating this thread I discovered that my RAM setting in the BIOS did not match the manufacturer's recommended settings as a result of purchasing Intel optimized RAM for an AMD system. I manually changed the RAM's voltage and timings to match the manufacturer's specs. I ran memtest86+ for 12 hours and there were no errors so I assume my RAM is stable.

I thought fixing the RAM like this might have fixed the driver issue (seeing as mismanaging PTEs seems to be memory related), but it did not help. Without this driver my 5.1 speakers only work in a 2.1 configuration. For the moment, fortunately, I do not receive any unexpected BSODs - they only appear upon rebooting if I try to install the audio drivers. When the BSOD occurs, no minidump file is created so I have nothing to upload for now.


If you believe it to be a driver and not hardware, ram, or OS there is something you can run called driver verifier

Beyond that, please run Verifier with these settings:
Using Driver Verifier is an iffy proposition. Most times it'll crash and it'll tell you what the driver is. But sometimes it'll crash and won't tell you the driver. Other times it'll crash before you can log in to Windows. If you can't get to Safe Mode, then you'll have to resort to offline editing of the registry to disable Driver Verifier.

So, I'd suggest that you first backup your stuff and then make sure you've got access to another computer so you can contact us if problems arise. Then make a System Restore point (so you can restore the system using the Vista/Win7 Startup Repair feature).

Then, here's the procedure:
- Go to Start and type in "verifier" (without the quotes) and press Enter
- Select "Create custom settings (for code developers)" and click "Next"
- Select "Select individual settings from a full list" and click "Next"
- Select everything EXCEPT FOR "Low Resource Simulation" and click "Next"
NOTE: You can use Low Resource Simulation if you'd like. From my limited experimentation it makes the BSOD's come faster.
- Select "Select driver names from a list" and click "Next"
Then select all drivers NOT provided by Microsoft and click "Next"
- Select "Finish" on the next page.

Reboot the system and wait for it to crash to the Blue Screen. Continue to use your system normally, and if you know what causes the crash, do that repeatedly. The objective here is to get the system to crash because Driver Verifier is stressing the drivers out. If it doesn't crash for you, then let it run for at least 36 hours of continuous operation (an estimate on my part).

Reboot into Windows (after the crash) and turn off Driver Verifier by going back in and selecting "Delete existing settings" on the first page, then locate and zip up the memory dump file and upload it with your next post.

If you can't get into Windows because it crashes too soon, try it in Safe Mode.
If you can't get into Safe Mode, try using System Restore from your installation DVD to set the system back to the previous restore point that you created.

If that doesn't work, post back and we'll have to see about fixing the registry entry off-line:
Code:
Delete these registry keys (works in XP, Vista, Win7):
        HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\VerifyDrivers
        HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\VerifyDriverLevel
More info on this at this link: Using Driver Verifier to identify issues with Windows drivers for advanced users


let us know if you need assistance with any of this



Ken J
 

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Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
HP Pavillion dv-7 1005 Tx
OS
Win 8 Release candidate 8400
CPU
[email protected]
Memory
4 gigs
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia 9600M
Sound Card
HD built-in
Monitor(s) Displays
17" Wxga
Screen Resolution
1440x900
Cooling
none
Internet Speed
45Mb down 5Mb up
According to ttran in this thread, analyzing the minidump revealed that it was driver verifier that was causing the BSODs with the following messages:
A device driver has a bug that attempted to access free memory that it is not allowed to access.
Page fault in a non page area
I let driver verifier run for 36 hours more and those BSODs did not occur again so maybe it was a fluke. (Note: this was before I adjusted my RAM settings).After the 36 hours, I turned off driver verifier and tried installing the audio drivers but it BSOD'd. The driver seems to be failing even without driver verifier stressing it.

Sorry for not mentioning this before but I forgot about it.

EDIT: I've just enabled driver verifier with the settings from your post zigzag. I'll let it run for a while. If it can find the cause of any problems its worth a try. BTW, what's the worst that can happen if driver verifier is left disabled and the drivers go on unchecked (but there are no BSODs)?
 
Last edited:

My Computer My Computer

OS
Windows 7 x64 Professional
CPU
AMD Athlon II X3 440 3.00ghz
Motherboard
ASUS M4A87TD/USB3
Memory
4gb (2x2gb) OCZ Gold DDR3 1333mhz
Graphics Card(s)
ATI Radeon HD 4850
Hard Drives
Samsung Spinpoint F3
PSU
OCZ Stealth Xtreme 500W
Case
NZXT Hades
Driver verifier should not be enabled, unless you are testing for BSODs.

It will cause BSODs if it finds a bad driver. It should be disabled unless someone asks you to turn it on.

Since you are not having BSODs, it means that your drivers are not the fault. If you get more BSODs, it is almost certainly caused by hardware.
 

My Computer My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Custom
OS
Windows 7 Professional x64
CPU
Intel i7 2600K OC'd @ 4620 MHz
Motherboard
Asus P8Z68-V Pro
Memory
16GB GSkill Sniper 2133 Mhz (4x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
EVGA GeForce GTX 480 SuperClocked+
Sound Card
Realtek High Definition Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
2x Acer S273HLbmii 27"
Screen Resolution
2 x 1920x1080
Hard Drives
64GB Crucial M4 SSD

Storage: Hitachi 1TB 5400RPM, Samsung 1.5TB 5400RPM
PSU
Corsair HW Series 750w (modular)
Case
Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced Blue Edition
Cooling
CM Hyper 212+ CPU cooler, 3x 230mm + 1x 140mm case fans
Keyboard
Logitech MK320 (wireless)
Mouse
Logitech MK320 (wireless)
Internet Speed
30 Mb/s : 2 Mb/s
Driver verifier should not be enabled, unless you are testing for BSODs.

It will cause BSODs if it finds a bad driver. It should be disabled unless someone asks you to turn it on.

Since you are not having BSODs, it means that your drivers are not the fault. If you get more BSODs, it is almost certainly caused by hardware.

Yeah, that part I understand.

But surely if the BSOD always happens after installing a specific driver and then disappears after system restoring to the point before installation of that driver, then it is the driver that is at fault?
 

My Computer My Computer

OS
Windows 7 x64 Professional
CPU
AMD Athlon II X3 440 3.00ghz
Motherboard
ASUS M4A87TD/USB3
Memory
4gb (2x2gb) OCZ Gold DDR3 1333mhz
Graphics Card(s)
ATI Radeon HD 4850
Hard Drives
Samsung Spinpoint F3
PSU
OCZ Stealth Xtreme 500W
Case
NZXT Hades
It's likely, but who knows what else happened during that period. :(
 

My Computer My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Custom
OS
Windows 7 Professional x64
CPU
Intel i7 2600K OC'd @ 4620 MHz
Motherboard
Asus P8Z68-V Pro
Memory
16GB GSkill Sniper 2133 Mhz (4x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
EVGA GeForce GTX 480 SuperClocked+
Sound Card
Realtek High Definition Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
2x Acer S273HLbmii 27"
Screen Resolution
2 x 1920x1080
Hard Drives
64GB Crucial M4 SSD

Storage: Hitachi 1TB 5400RPM, Samsung 1.5TB 5400RPM
PSU
Corsair HW Series 750w (modular)
Case
Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced Blue Edition
Cooling
CM Hyper 212+ CPU cooler, 3x 230mm + 1x 140mm case fans
Keyboard
Logitech MK320 (wireless)
Mouse
Logitech MK320 (wireless)
Internet Speed
30 Mb/s : 2 Mb/s
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