Solved Bsod. Irql_not_less_or_equal

[Yeoman]

Okay. I recently carried out a new install of Win 7 64bit. I did so in order to fix a problem I was having in terms of my pc not powering down properly. I was also experiencing some BSOD's in the last two days, but I felt I knew how/why I had caused those(in trying to fix the power down issue), and wasn't so concerned. (I previously had BSOD's Jan-July, and has been BSOD free Aug-dec).

I noticed the powering down issue round about the time I installed a second hard drive for storage. WD caviar green 2TB. Just a bit of background.


Well, I reinstalled windows (in EFI mode if that is important) on Saturday, and it cured the powering down issue, only yesterday I noticed I had three BSOD's. I was a little surprised; I mentioned I had trouble before, so I learnt quite a lot. I was sure I had gotten all the drivers and such correct this time around.

After the first BSOD. I noticed an unknown device in device manager. So, after a quick search I found it was related to bluetooth. Luckily there was a driver on my mobo disk, the rest of the drivers (Chipset, intel MEI, Lan, Audio, USB) I got from Asus' website. And the GPU driver I already had. Other than that, I noticed an update had failed in the win update history. But I'm not sure if that's of any consequence I have had bluescreens after updating the bluetooth driver. I also made sure to complete all pending windows updates.

So yeah, a little stumped in a way. Not sure if it is something little I have forgotten to do. Or something larger at fault.


Anyway, I appreciate what time of year it is...but thought I may as well put the thread up now rather than leave it. If anyone can help, I would appreciate that very much.

 

[x BlueRobot]

[COLOR="Red"]BugCheck A[/COLOR], {ffffffffffffffff, 2, 1, fffff8000e4c59b2}

Probably caused by : ntkrnlmp.exe ( nt!KxWaitForLockOwnerShip+12 )

Usual causes:  Kernel mode driver, System Service, BIOS, Windows, Virus scanner, Backup tool, compatibility

3: kd> k
Child-SP          RetAddr           Call Site
fffff880`096a7d88 fffff800`0e494569 nt!KeBugCheckEx
fffff880`096a7d90 fffff800`0e4931e0 nt!KiBugCheckDispatch+0x69
fffff880`096a7ed0 fffff800`0e4c59b2 nt!KiPageFault+0x260
fffff880`096a8060 fffff800`0e4a488d nt!KxWaitForLockOwnerShip+0x12
fffff880`096a8090 fffff800`0e4622eb nt!MiInsertPageInFreeOrZeroedList+0x55d
fffff880`096a81a0 fffff800`0e462c52 nt!MmPurgeSection+0x4db
fffff880`096a8290 fffff880`012a49f3 nt!CcPurgeCacheSection+0x172
fffff880`096a8300 fffff880`012d28de Ntfs!NtfsFlushAndPurgeScb+0x1bd
fffff880`096a8390 fffff880`012c1065 Ntfs!NtfsOpenAttribute+0x80e
fffff880`096a84a0 fffff880`012bcebb Ntfs!NtfsOpenExistingAttr+0x145
fffff880`096a8560 fffff880`012c011f Ntfs!NtfsOpenAttributeInExistingFile+0x5ab
fffff880`096a86f0 fffff880`012d01f6 Ntfs!NtfsOpenExistingPrefixFcb+0x1ef
fffff880`096a87e0 fffff880`012cd9a1 Ntfs!NtfsFindStartingNode+0x5e6
fffff880`096a88b0 fffff880`0122b95d Ntfs!NtfsCommonCreate+0x3e1
fffff880`096a8a90 fffff800`0e49e641 Ntfs!NtfsFspDispatch+0x26d
fffff880`096a8b70 fffff800`0e72be5a nt!ExpWorkerThread+0x111
fffff880`096a8c00 fffff800`0e485d26 nt!PspSystemThreadStartup+0x5a
fffff880`096a8c40 00000000`00000000 nt!KiStartSystemThread+0x16

Run some hard-drive diagnostics and follow these steps:

• Hard Drive Diagnostic Procedure

Find your hard-drive manufacturer and run their tests.

Additional Tests:

• SeaTools for DOS | Seagate
• CrystalDiskInfo - Software - Crystal Dew World

Post a screenshot of Crystal Disk Info summary:

• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

:info: Make sure you have the latest firmware for SSD, and ensure all the SATA and Power cables are connected to the drive.

Check for any file system errors and bad sectors using Option #2 of:

• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/433-disk-check.html

Use this command with Disk Check:

chkdsk C: /f /r

Run Driver Verifier to scan for any corrupted drivers which may be causing problems, this program works by running various stress tests on drivers, in order to produce a BSOD which will locate the driver; run for least 24 hours:

• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/101379-driver-verifier-enable-disable.html

:info: Additional Help - http://www.sevenforums.com/crash-lo...-driver-verifier-identify-issues-drivers.html

 

[Yeoman]

Thank you for the prompt reply. (saw this earlier, but only replying now). I think I can handle everything on the list.
I'll try and get them done as quick as I can and feedback soon.

All the best,
Dan.

 

[Yeoman]

Okay. just checking in. I'm not sure if the order was particularly important. But, I've done some of the things on the list.

I've ran chkdsk on all my drives, and it came back clean, didn't say there was any errors to fix [Realised typing this I used option 1, not option 2...so ill have to redo those.

[EDIT] I just ran chkdsk on all drives using option 2. Basically doing chkdsk C: /F Came back clean, and was much faster than what I did the first time!

I've ran Western Digital's 'Digital Data Lifeguard diagnostic' on my 2TB WD caviar green. Still got to run it on my other drive. It gave my drive a pass, so I assume that means it found no errors to fix.

I've included screenshots of crystal disk info, it rates both my drives as 'good' but whether that means much or not is beyond me.

Still to do:

Run WD life guard diagnostic on 1TB WD Caviar Blue.
Burn seatools to disk and test both hard drives.
Run Driver verifyer for 24 hours.

 

[x BlueRobot]

Thanks for the update post back the results of the other tests.

 

[Yeoman]

Hi,
I tried to run Seatools today, and it loaded up fine, except that, it said it couldn't detect any hard drives.
And it said something along the lines of, 'If you believe this to be incorrect, check power connectors and jumpers'

Well, I know that's incorrect because I've been using the hard drives.

One thing I did think, is that ever since I've had my pc set up, I get some message on start up. When I turn my pc on, I get an asus splash screen, followed by a black screen with a bit of white text, then a second splash screen (I can only get into the UEFI BIOS at the second splash screen if that is important, if I press delete at the first splash screen, it would just wait until the second one pops up, if that makes sense.

Anyway, I'm not sure if the black screen with white text is normal, but its never appeared to cause any mischief. The text that I noticed before reads

"Adapter 1 - disks information: AHCI mode
NO HARD DISK IS DETECTED"

So, that is the message I get each start up, I don't know exactly what it means, how can it not detect the hard disks, if they show up in the BIOS, and I am obviously able to use them? But, I just thought that perhaps that might possibly related to why Seatools couldn't detect my hard drives?

I'll try and get a photograph of the 'black' screen if that helps.

 

[x BlueRobot]

Have you made sure that SATA cables and Power connectors are fully connected to the drives?

Scan for any malware or rootkits using:

• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/166445-windows-defender-offline.html

 

[Yeoman]

I checked all the connectors. As far as I can tell they're in perfect.

Also, I uploaded a pic of that black screen I mentioned. It's probably unimportant, but I figured it couldn't hurt. I'm d/ling 64 bit win defender atm.

 

[x BlueRobot]

Does the computer boot at all?

Have you tried booting into the BIOS, and then changing the SATA setting to IDE?

 

[Yeoman]

My PC boots fine, just like always. I've always had the black-screen at start up, but since it never interfered with anything, I never bothered with it.

I ran the Win defender offline from my memory stick. The update feature didn't seem to work, but I think it was up to date anyway (I'm assuming when you download it and set up the memory stick it has the latest version on it). Anyway, it didn't find any problems from what I could tell.

And I tried running my Seatools disk afterwards, but it still wouldn't detect any drives.

I tried changing the sata mode to IDE, which made windows not start up, which makes sense I suppose. That 'black screen' still popped up though, and it was saying the exact thing it always does. Anyway, I changed it back to the AHCI setting, which is its default setting.

 

[x BlueRobot]

Have you tried updating your hard-drive controller and checking for any possible BIOS updates?

 

[Yeoman]

Hard drive controller? Is that my SATA drivers? Afaik, there is a Marvell controller driver, on my motherboards download page, as well as an Intel Rapid Storage technology driver. I just installed the marvel controller driver, havent yet done IRST since I'm not 100% what it does, or if I can get any use from it.

My BIOS is quite recent, I'm running version 3207 dated june 2012, which I updated from the first release (0105 may 2011). There is a newer version though, dated November 2012, so I could try updating that if you think will help.

 

[x BlueRobot]

I wouldn't download Intel Rapid Storage, it tends to cause problems and usually only used for RAID setups. I would get the latest BIOS update as it's best to have the latest BIOS.

 

[Yeoman]

Okay. I've updated my bios successfully to the latest version.

 

[x BlueRobot]

Have you tried rebooting? Have you tried using the Western Digital program instead?

 

[Yeoman]

I've tried rebooting. Should I try resetting the jumpers?

As for the WD program, the one I used worked in the windows environment. There is another version of the same program, called 'Data Lifeguard for DOS', but I'm not exactly sure what to do with that, since it downloads as a zipped application, not an ISO or disk image.

I found an disk image version on the same 'hard drive diagnostic procedure page', which I believe is the same program, although presumably it is an earlier version (5.04 rather than 5.20), but I guess that shouldn't matter. I've just burned it to disk, so I'll see if it works.

 

[Yeoman]

Hmm, okay. The WD Data lifeguard ISO I downloaded doesn't seem to work as such.

When I select the primary boot option as my DVD drive. It starts loading up 'Caldera DR DOS', and then has a little more white text scroll out that is to do with ownership and such, but then the screen just goes dark, and it does nothing else. There's no light flickering on my DVD drive to show that it is doing anything.

This is the program I'm using. WD Support / Downloads / SATA & SAS / WD Green / GP

That download doesn't come with an ISO or disk image, but like I mentioned previously, I found a link on the page you posted, that had a link to a zipped ISO of what appeared to be the same program. I burned the disk using windows 7 disck burner utility.


This was the program I used previously: WD Support / Downloads / SATA & SAS / WD Green / GP It appears to be the exact same thing apart from that it can operate within Windows.

 

[Yeoman]

Okay, it actually does work. It seemed I needed to leave it for quite a long time for it to 'start up', but the program was unable to detect any drives either.

Could it be down to the locations I have the drives in? I have 4 6GB/S sockets and 4 3GB/S sockets on my mobo. And, the two 6GBS nearest the 'top' of the motherboard, I don't have anything plugged into those.

The first 2 are marvell 6GB/S connectors, whilst the next 2 are 'intel' 6GB/S connectors, and the last 4 are also 'intel' connectors, albeit 3GB/S. Could the fact that the 'first' two slots are empty account for programs not detecting my drives, and the message I get at POST?

 

[x BlueRobot]

You could try it, and is the hard-drive recognized within Disk Management?

 

[Yeoman]

Okidoke. I'll have a go at connecting the hard drives to the marvell sockets soon, and I can try the jumper at the same time. And yeah, disk management recognizes both disks/volumes in windows.