Bizarre BSOD on startup, cannot restore

[klinky]

I should have learned to never ever update my OS if all is working well.... critical update installed and then using the Internet started to freeze. As a result, I updated the BIOS and was about to install the other upgrades to the components in Windows. Unfortunately now there is a quick blue screen upon startup (had to use video to capture it) that happens quickly after boot. Even disconnecting all components, clearing the CMOS, will not allow me to start up Windows properly, whether using a hard disk (no errors) or even running Windows from the DVD.

I am using an:
- AS Rock Extreme4 Gen3 (awesome!!)
- Intel i7-2600 CPU
- 16GB of RAM, 4x4 CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
- Built in Video
- Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Everything could not have worked better until this BIOS update. I can’t seem to roll that back. On startup I get an A3 code on the motherboard. However, while I get the boot up screen, almost immediately after I see the attached quick blue screen. Using Video was the only way to see what it said and it provides an extremely long unknown error. All attempts to repair do not work. All attempts to rollback the system to an earlier restore point results in unknown errors. I can only guess that the BIOS update has caused some instability on the board. The restore points get error codes of 0x0 all the way through. Using chkdsk results in no errors at all on the hard drive.

Hopefully someone can have an idea what to do. Must restore this quickly as I've got work to do! In addition, I'd hate to reinstall everything. I think I have a copy of an image file but I may have had other "activated" software on the HD, which is fine, and you know how tough it is to get further install allowances from software companies....

Searching through the threads here after finally getting the full error code correct yields a suggestion to change ACHI setting to IDE - but that's no luck since I had IDE set from the start.

 

[JaidynM]

Boot into http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/666-advanced-boot-options.html and choose the Last Known Good Configuration option. This should start Windows with the last known registry and driver options that worked.

Run an sfc/scannow command in command prompt at boot. If errors are found, run it twice more with each scan followed by a reboot.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/139810-sfc-scannow-run-command-prompt-boot.html

Run a http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html. It should fix your current version and Windows 7 but preserve your data, programs, user accounts etc.

Run a http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html. It will attempt to fix any corrupted or deleted files that may prevent Windows from starting correctly.

Can you boot into Safe Mode (repeatedly hit F8 on startup)?

 

[klinky]

Thanks for your thoughts.

So after all of the troubleshooting, I thought of something. All my drives are 6Gbps and SATA III. Didn't I originally set up my computer with ACHI enabled? So I did just that. Wouldn't you know it - I was able to boot up and even perform a restore. That didn't complete get rid of all freezes but we are using the PC and will try to figure out what is causing the occasional freezes. Learn new things every day...

 

[klinky]

So after I finished typing, here's what I ended up seeing, lol! One huge problem down, one more mysterious one to go!


Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: BlueScreen
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.1
Locale ID: 1033

Additional information about the problem:
BCCode: f4
BCP1: 0000000000000003
BCP2: FFFFFA800DCB0B30
BCP3: FFFFFA800DCB0E10
BCP4: FFFFF80003385510
OS Version: 6_1_7601
Service Pack: 1_0
Product: 256_1

 

[JaidynM]

Please follow the below instructions to upload your dumps, system info etc.
http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/96879-blue-screen-death-bsod-posting-instructions.html

 

[klinky]

Thanks for the information. I'm using a custom built system with the specs above and Windows 7 64-bit Premium. Perhaps the best, most rock solid system I have ever had until this hiccup.

Upgrading all the drivers hasn't seemed to make much of a difference. Going to re-upgrade the Microsoft updates from the rollback and see whether that might make a difference but it's doubtful. I'm noticing that after I get frozen by this unknown cause, on the next bootup I'm told that I have an invalid disk, press any key when there is a valid one attached. I do the usual - power off, pull out the plug for a few seconds, restart and choose to load Windows normally and there aren't any problems. Thanks in advance.

--------------

UPDATE: Updated all MS Update files. Still I'm getting these random freezes. I am wondering whether it is disk related as this time it was editing a file in Photoshop. Everything just froze, could not alt-ctl-del to get into task manager. Same remedy - hold down power button for computer to fully turn off. Reboot, choose Load Windows and wait until it happens again. Very weird. Thanks again.

 

[klinky]

Discovery - the problem must be HD related. These freezes every 40 minutes or so are always the same. The hard drive light stays stuck on, windows become non-responsive, eventually, and then I have to reboot. I will see if the SATA SSD has new firmware but everything was working perfectly up until that darned Windows update! Would love to know what the BSOD information actually means and what might be causing these freezes. Now that there is no BSOD - I would assume that the above information is irrelevant? What does one do to troubleshoot problems like this?

 

[JaidynM]

Ah, that would be it. SSD's with outdated firmware (in particular Crucial M4's like the on you have installed) often cause crashes.

If you get any more BSOD's, post back with your dumps. If not, that's even better.

 

[klinky]

Incredible... I haven't had one freeze after upgrading the SSD firmware, which I did when I bought the drive. If I hadn't noticed the drive light freezing regularly I would not have thought that suddenly it would just stop working properly. Thanks much even though I figured this one out myself.

I will say this much about the Crucial SSD - it has been positively awesome and miles better than having a mechanical drive. Once you learn how to install some apps off the SSD (which won't be necessary soon) and your most used ones on it, it's all poetry.

 

[JaidynM]

As I said earlier, a lot of Crucial M4's with outdated firmware cause crashes. It's not that it's a bad SSD, it's just something wrong with the firmware.

Well anyway, it's good to see that you've solved your own problem. If you get any more crashes, just come back and post them here.