BSOD from Windows Update

[paulking]

Actually, I found I can just remove the drive and run chkdsk on another computer. So far, no bad sectors.

OK, here is the event log for chkdsk, run as f: on another laptop, along wtih the XML stuff:

Log Name: Application
Source: Chkdsk
Date: 24/12/2012 10:52:22 PM
Event ID: 26214
Task Category: None
Level: Information
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: Shire
Description:
Chkdsk was executed in read/write mode. 
Checking file system on F:
The type of the file system is NTFS.
CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 3)...
952320 file records processed. 
File verification completed.
449 large file records processed. 
0 bad file records processed. 
0 EA records processed. 
60 reparse records processed. 
CHKDSK is verifying indexes (stage 2 of 3)...
1061882 index entries processed. 
Index verification completed.
0 unindexed files scanned. 
0 unindexed files recovered. 
CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors (stage 3 of 3)...
952320 file SDs/SIDs processed. 
Cleaning up 2978 unused index entries from index $SII of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 2978 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 2978 unused security descriptors.
CHKDSK is compacting the security descriptor stream
54782 data files processed. 
CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
34116528 USN bytes processed. 
Usn Journal verification completed.
CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the
master file table (MFT) bitmap.
Correcting errors in the Volume Bitmap.
Windows has made corrections to the file system.
117115903 KB total disk space.
51454200 KB in 622060 files.
288188 KB in 54785 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
1056443 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
64317072 KB available on disk.
4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
29278975 total allocation units on disk.
16079268 allocation units available on disk.
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="[URL]http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event[/URL]">
<System>
<Provider Name="Chkdsk" />
<EventID Qualifiers="0">26214</EventID>
<Level>4</Level>
<Task>0</Task>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2012-12-25T03:52:22.000000000Z" />
<EventRecordID>40589</EventRecordID>
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>Shire</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data>
Checking file system on F:
The type of the file system is NTFS.
CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 3)...
952320 file records processed. 
File verification completed.
449 large file records processed. 
0 bad file records processed. 
0 EA records processed. 
60 reparse records processed. 
CHKDSK is verifying indexes (stage 2 of 3)...
1061882 index entries processed. 
Index verification completed.
0 unindexed files scanned. 
0 unindexed files recovered. 
CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors (stage 3 of 3)...
952320 file SDs/SIDs processed. 
Cleaning up 2978 unused index entries from index $SII of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 2978 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 2978 unused security descriptors.
CHKDSK is compacting the security descriptor stream
54782 data files processed. 
CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
34116528 USN bytes processed. 
Usn Journal verification completed.
CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the
master file table (MFT) bitmap.
Correcting errors in the Volume Bitmap.
Windows has made corrections to the file system.
117115903 KB total disk space.
51454200 KB in 622060 files.
288188 KB in 54785 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
1056443 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
64317072 KB available on disk.
4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
29278975 total allocation units on disk.
16079268 allocation units available on disk.
</Data>
<Binary>00880E00F7530A002801120000000000A80000003C0000000000000000000000</Binary>
</EventData>
</Event>

 

[NoelDP]

That's not as bad as I was expecting.

I'd suggest another SFC and CheckSUR now - post the logs, and we'll see if anything has changed.

 

[paulking]

I've been noticing something strange. While the BSODs seem to occur even when I am doing next to nothing, as much as when I am running Windows Update, (and at other times, such as running Internet Explorer) and whatnot, when Windows Update is run in the background, it seems to install all the updates it likes. At least this is true on the native HD. I should try it on the SSD also, although I know that there are certain updates that it will not install on the SSD.

Since the most recent BSODs occured on a different drive, I won't report them to avoid confusion. But it seems to suggest that it is not the hard drive. The fact that the SSD had an old Windows 7 image (accounting for its huge footprint early on should have told me something. What I did by using a Windows 7 Upgrade DVD to, in fact, upgrade a W7 installation from an older computer, was to install on top of an old installation. I didn't notice until a couple of days ago that the partition was never reformatted, and that all my old programs from before the installation were still there, now completely useless. I have read that not doing a fresh install can invoke certain BSODs.

I don't know what to do at this point, except look for an OEM of W7 HE.

I have downloaded the individual drivers and programs from the HP website, and I will attempt to install them on the SSD. Right now, Windows Update is installing 91 updates (it did this without my help) and won't shut down until it does.

 

[paulking]

It has been pretty quiet with my computer lately. No crashing updates, and no crashes from anything else. Here is what I did, after reinstalling the SSD:

Prior to doing anything, I downloaded all the drivers HP had to offer, relating to the TouchSmart TM2 1070ca laptop.

My conjecture was that the problem was rooted in the fact that I was installing a W7 on top of an old installation. And that was all it seemed I could do, and I forgot that the install program would let me format the hard drive before installation.

I went to my local computer store (Staple's), and when I told them my situation, they were willing to burn for me an OEM DVD of Windows 7 Home Edition for 20 bucks. This one had Service Pack 1 already on it (my original Update DVD had no service packs), and the number of updates this time around was noticeably smaller. So, when I got home, I formatted the drive, and did a fresh install with the new DVD.

So far, all net connections are turned off, and I begin installing the drivers from the HP site (all stored now on a USB stick). I don't know if order matters, but I started with basic I/O (ICH9 Chipset), BIOS Update, digitizer pen, Intel Graphics/Audio drivers, touchpad, ATI Graphics driver, Wireless (IntelPro and Atheros Wireless drivers failed for me, but I do have a working wireless connection). The "Essential Windows Update" came somewhere in the middle, then the rest: USB card reader, fingerprint reader, broadband, bluetooth (no device detected, it complains -- maybe because I have no bluetooth?), YouCam, MediaSmart DVD, whatever I thought of having a use for.

What I didn't install were software I felt were more of a promotional nature for HP than being of any use for me: PaintIt!, HP Advisor (which seems to give very little advice), LightScribe (my external DVD doesn't use it), HP Support Assistant (which, when it was the default software, gave little support or assistance).

Over the past 20 or so hours, I have not seen a blue screen, and this is even after installing MBSA and checking for more security/update holes that way. I installed Visual Studio Express 2012, no complaints.

So, it looks as though the default installation itself was buggy, and even the recovery DVDs, when re-tried on the factory drive, also gave blue screens. The only solution was to install w7 from OEM, then manually install drivers and firmware afterward. I still had BSOD before installing all of the necessary drivers (BIOS, video especially), but that went away after BIOS and Video were updated.

This computer is bordering on being actually stable and useable.

 

[NoelDP]

I will not comment on Staples' "offer" - except to say that it's not worth the paper it's [not] printed on.

 

[paulking]

I will not comment on Staples' "offer" - except to say that it's not worth the paper it's [not] printed on.

All I can say is that this is a far cry from their retail price for W7HE full install DVD (about $230CDN), and I personally feel that it was more than worth it. Since my laptop already has a license key, it didn't make sense to purchase yet another license.

Anyway, thanks for everyone's trouble! I sure learned a lot about diagnosis of BSODs than I had before this journey, and I don't feel the effort was wasted.

Season's Greetings, all who helped, notably NoelDP and Marsmimar!

Paul King

 

[NoelDP]

Glad you seem to be all sorted now - good luck!