Solved BSOD playing Deus Ex: Human Revolution, WH40K: Space Marine, ntoskrnl

[munglay]

This computer is brand-spanking new. When trying to run certain games such as Deus Ex: HR and WH40K: SM my computer just restarts. Other games work just fine, zero issues. I can run titles such as Tribes: Ascend, TF2, and L4D2 on max settings. I really dislike not knowing which games will work properly and which ones won't. I fired up BlueScreenView and every crash appears to trace back to ntoskrnl.exe

I've tried googling multiple solutions but I always found fixes for other versions of windows and I didn't want to gamble attempting it with Win7. So far I've tried doing Edios's ATI driver workaround (Deus EX, when the problem first sprouted), going into System32 and SysWOW64 and renaming atialdxx.dll and atialdxy.dll to atialdxx.bak and atialdxy.bak as recommended. Nothing. I've tried chkdsk /r, the recovery console, nothing seems to work. Doing the basic system repair in the Recovery Console did nothing. The most common solution I've found is to open the Command Prompt in the Windows Recovery Console and type "expand d:\i386\ntoskrnl.ex_ c:\windows\system32" but it doesn't work. I explored the disc and I'm fairly certain Windows 7 doesn't have an i386 directory any more.

After lurking around these forums for a bit it seems the public opinion about BlueScreenView isn't too healthy, so I'll just post my dump files. Here's the thing, I've had about 8 crashes and only 3 dumps to show for it. The only thing I haven't tried yet is updating my BIOS and Reinstalling Win7. I know updating the BIOS is risky, and I've seen instances reported where reinstalling the OS bore no fruit, so I'm saving them as a last resort, unless you folks recommend otherwise. Help would be tremendously appreciated.

System Specs can be found in my profile.

 

[zigzag3143]

No DMP files attached.



We do need the DMP file as it contains the only record of the sequence of events leading up to the crash, what drivers were loaded, and what was responsible.

If you are overclocking STOP


We could also use some system information, which you can get easily by running msinfo32.
To do that go to start>run>type msinfo32>enter

When it is finished running go to file>save>name it and upload to us here.


You may be able to get the DMP files without crashing by booting into safe mode (F8) with networking.

To enable us to assist you with your computer's BSOD symptoms, upload the contents of your "\Windows\Minidump" folder.

The procedure:

* Copy the contents of \Windows\Minidump to another (temporary) location somewhere on your machine.
* Zip up the copy.
* Attach the ZIP archive to your post using the "paperclip" (file attachments) button.
*If the files are too large please upload them to a file sharing service like "Rapidshare" and put a link to them in your reply.

To ensure minidumps are enabled:

* Go to Start, in the Search Box type: sysdm.cpl, press Enter.
* Under the Advanced tab, click on the Startup and Recovery Settings... button.
* Ensure that Automatically restart is unchecked.
* Under the Write Debugging Information header select Small memory dump (256 kB) in the dropdown box (the 256kb varies).
* Ensure that the Small Dump Directory is listed as %systemroot%\Minidump.
* OK your way out.
* Reboot if changes have been made.

 

[munglay]

That zip file contains the dump files, I followed the posting instructions found here: http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/96879-blue-screen-death-bsod-posting-instructions.html

 

[zigzag3143]

Two distinct errors both relating to hardware. BCC101, and BCC124.

The fact that they both are happening seems to point towards the cpu, but I would run through these to isolate it to one or the other.

http://www.sevenforums.com/crash-lo..._watchdog_timeout-troubleshtg.html#post567135


Stop 0x124 is a hardware error

If you are overclocking try resetting your processor to standard settings and see if that helps.

If you continue to get BSOD here are some more things you may want to consider.

This is usually heat related, defective hardware, memory or even processor though it is"possible" that it is driver related (rare).

Stop 0x124 - what it means and what to try
Synopsis:

A "stop 0x124" is fundamentally different to many other types of bluescreens because it stems from a hardware complaint.

Stop 0x124 minidumps contain very little practical information, and it is therefore necessary to approach the problem as a case of hardware in an unknown state of distress.


Generic "Stop 0x124" Troubleshooting Strategy:

1) Ensure that none of the hardware components are overclocked. Hardware that is driven beyond its design specifications - by overclocking - can malfunction in unpredictable ways.


2) Ensure that the machine is adequately cooled.
If there is any doubt, open up the side of the PC case (be mindful of any relevant warranty conditions!) and point a mains fan squarely at the motherboard. That will rule out most (lack of) cooling issues.


3) Update all hardware-related drivers: video, sound, RAID (if any), NIC... anything that interacts with a piece of hardware.
It is good practice to run the latest drivers anyway.


4) Update the motherboard BIOS according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Their website should provide detailed instructions as to the brand and model-specific procedure.


5) Rarely, bugs in the OS may cause "false positive" 0x124 events where the hardware wasn't complaining but Windows thought otherwise (because of the bug).
At the time of writing, Windows 7 is not known to suffer from any such defects, but it is nevertheless important to always keep Windows itself updated.

6) Attempt to (stress) test those hardware components which can be put through their paces artificially.
The most obvious examples are the RAM and HDD(s).
For the RAM, use the in-built memory diagnostics (run MDSCHED) or the 3rd-party memtest86 utility to run many hours worth of testing.
For hard drives, check whether CHKDSK /R finds any problems on the drive(s), notably "bad sectors".
Unreliable RAM, in particular, is deadly as far as software is concerned, and anything other than a 100% clear memory test result is cause for concern. Unfortunately, even a 100% clear result from the diagnostics utilities does not guarantee that the RAM is free from defects - only that none were encountered during the test passes.

7) As the last of the non-invasive troubleshooting steps, perform a "vanilla" reinstallation of Windows: just the OS itself without any additional applications, games, utilities, updates, or new drivers - NOTHING AT ALL that is not sourced from the Windows 7 disc.
Should that fail to mitigate the 0x124 problem, jump to the next steps.
If you run the "vanilla" installation long enough to convince yourself that not a single 0x124 crash has occurred, start installing updates and applications slowly, always pausing between successive additions long enough to get a feel for whether the machine is still free from 0x124 crashes.
Should the crashing resume, obviously the very last software addition(s) may be somehow linked to the root cause.
If stop 0x124 errors persist despite the steps above, and the harware is under warranty, consider returning it and requesting a replacement which does not suffer periodic MCE events.
Be aware that attempting the subsequent harware troubleshooting steps may, in some cases, void your warranty:

8) Clean and carefully remove any dust from the inside of the machine.
Reseat all connectors and memory modules.
Use a can of compressed air to clean out the RAM DIMM sockets as much as possible.

9) If all else fails, start removing items of hardware one-by-one in the hope that the culprit is something non-essential which can be removed.
Obviously, this type of testing is a lot easier if you've got access to equivalent components in order to perform swaps.

Should you find yourself in the situation of having performed all of the steps above without a resolution of the symptom, unfortunately the most likely reason is because the error message is literally correct - something is fundamentally wrong with the machine's hardware.

http://www.sevenforums.com/crash-lockup-debug-how/35349-stop-0x124-what-means-what-try.html

 

[James7679]

I have a suggestion based upon this thread that I have been working on. http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/219346-bsod-crashing-when-gaming-streaming.html
There is a few similarities. Main one being the Motherboard and Processor Family. Check the temperature on the North Bridge. If it is extremely hot, this is what's causing your BSOD. You can read through the thread to see what the OP and I have tried to resolve this.

 

[munglay]

How do I check the Northbridge temperature? I couldn't find anything about it in the BIOS. I installed CoreTemp, my CPU isn't overclocked, and is idling at 15-17 C. I'll start benchmarking it when I have the time.

 

[James7679]

CPUID - System & hardware benchmark, monitoring, reporting
I think it's sensor #3 on your mother board.

And did you read through the thread? There is a A LOT of useful information in there.

 

[munglay]

I'm going through it now. I can't find anything about my Northbridge in CPU-Z. I need to make sure my Watercooler is mounted right and doing its job. I just don't understand why some games are overworking the system and others which are just as graphically demanding, are not. I'm also going to update my BIOS, are there any settings in particular I should monitor and enale/disable?

I'm going to start logging temp/voltages with HWiNFO64, and do CPU/GPU benchmarks and post results later.

 

[James7679]

CPUID - System & hardware benchmark, monitoring, reporting

Did you download this? It(NB) should show as sensor #3 on the motherboard.

If that doesn't work for you, go to the local hardware store and buy a laser thermometer and read the NB temps at load.

The other OPs BSODs were not impartial to any specific program either.

 

[munglay]

I got CPU-Z confused with CPUID, my mistake.The first screenshot is while idle, the second while Tribes: Ascend is running. I did this so I could possibly isolate a temperature that stood out. I figure if certain games are pushing the Northbridge, the ones that *do* work push it a little less.

I assume TMPIN0-1 are what I'm looking for? I wish these programs would just point it out for those of us who are less tech-savvy. Sorry if this seems like a slow rate of progression but I just really want to identify what I'm supposed to be looking for.

 

[James7679]

I think you are correct. Try running Prime95(google it and download if you don't have it, sorry I'm on my phone and don't have the link on it) on blend and see what the temps get to. But as it stands, you're pretty hot. If I had to give you advice right now, I'd say to call your PC manufacturer to start a trouble ticket. Let us know.

 

[writhziden]

I think you are correct. Try running Prime95(google it and download if you don't have it, sorry I'm on my phone and don't have the link on it) on blend and see what the temps get to. But as it stands, you're pretty hot. If I had to give you advice right now, I'd say to call your PC manufacturer to start a trouble ticket. Let us know.

Just helping out with the link and good test steps with Prime95:

• Run http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/100352-hardware-stress-test-prime95.html to determine any hardware problems. Run all three tests for a few hours each. If you get errors, stop the test and post back here.

 

[James7679]

Thanks writhziden! I forgot to come back here when I got in to post the link. Muchas gracias!

 

[James7679]

Were yo able to get this resolved? If so, please mark the thread as solved.

Thanks!

 

[munglay]

Holy crap I forgot all about this thread, I'm sorry. The real world has thrown me one too many curveballs lately. I did some research on my processor and lots of other people have been having the exact same issue, conveniently with the same series of processors and the exact same games. It had something to do with how certain games handle AMD "Bulldozer" CPUs. Long story short, I updated my BIOS and now everything's fine. I bought another case fan anyway because the temps could stand to be a little lower. Thanks for the help guys.