BSOD when taking a system image of C: OS

[Scottyboy99]

Hi,

I hope you can help. Windows System Image always used to work great but recently I cannot complete it without it freezing and subsequent BSOD. Baffled I tried another portable HD drive on a different USB 3 port but it happened again. So I tried Macrium reflect and it happens again. Always at 95% complete. So it takes a long time to reach this frustrating point. At the moment I have no disk image because my older USB drive containing it went to silicon heaven. This is why I was trying to do one again. The computer config has barely changed at all since the last successful image.

Chkdsk returns no errors at all. Seagate tools (I have Seagate Momentus 750gb) passes diagnostics so I don't think it's bad sectors as was first proposed. Trouble is the latest BSOD which snapped pics of gives little info and a minidump file doesn't generate. The folder is empty. I left the BSOD on for ages but nothing seems to happen/write. I am at a total loss. I don't really want to try a reinstall or restore to factory. It's not that I haven't got critical pics/docs backed up. But all the years of work getting windows 7 how I like it. All the game installs, the patches etc etc. It will take many days of use to try and get back (and there is no guarantee the problem will be fixed). It's time I haven't got what with pressures of work and family. So that's why I am so big on system image working for me.

Strangely in everyday use of the OS it is absolutely fine. Never a BSOD. So I can't reproduce it other than to run another time consuming system image whether it's windows own, macrium or even another utility like these.

So I posted pics of what I can plus a pic of the disk management screen if it's any use. Ignore the 59gb synapse disk. That's a cache SSD I've used for years. It caches hot data to the SSD via dataplex software for near SSD performance across the whole disk. I uninstall dataplex before every image (as that is a restriction of it's use, you should not image your disk with the cache SSD active). Intel rapid storage driver is the same as when I got PC in 2011 and never been changed. It's never given me a problem. This is a new issue. No new drivers in years. I don't update them unless there is a compelling need to do so, I've never had to. everything runs perfect apart from now the imaging.

Thanks in advance,
Wayne

 

[axe0]

Please read BSOD Posting Instructions

 

[Scottyboy99]

Apologies for that. I ran the utility/file and it's now attached

 

[axe0]

Please follow below instructions and post the results.

Diagnostics Test

 HDD TEST

Run HDTune to

• scan for errors, no quick scan but full scan
• check the health,
• benchmark.

It may take some time, but please take the time you need to perform it properly.
Let me know what the results are

• of the error scan,
• make a screenshot of the health of every hard drive and post the screenshots,
• post screenshots with the benchmark of the
  • transfer rate,
  • access time,
  • burst rate,
  • cpu usage.

 

[Scottyboy99]

Ok thank you. I will do this. Since it's pretty late I will look to run this tomorrow. I really appreciate your guidance. My gut feeling is the HD is going bad despite what chkdsk and seagate tools are telling me. Maybe this utility will uncover something

Cheers, Wayne

 

[axe0]

With HDtune you can discover the health of a hard drive, for example the benchmark of my HDD and health status of my SSD.
View attachment 381287
View attachment 381288

 

[Scottyboy99]

Hi

I ran HD tune. Couldn't get the stats for health. Do I need to pay for the pro version? Anyway I ran the benchmark and then proceeded with the scan. The scan was all green until about 95%, I looked back at the computer and it had BSOD during the scan not far from completion. So it couldn't finish. Hear are the screenshots I am able to provide including the latest BSOD. Nothing in the minidump folder unfortunately

Thanks,
Wayne

 

[axe0]

Yes you have to pay for the pro version, but the standard version is enough.

Could you please explain why you can't get the health stats?

 

[Scottyboy99]

Unfortunately it's blank. How can it populate? Do I need to do something? If a scan is needed then I have the problem because a scan won't complete without the BSOD

Thanks

 

[axe0]

In the right upper corner, click on the yellow part (settings).
What are the settings of the temperature and health?

Please make photos of the connection:

1. the cable itself, prefered photos close to the cable
2. the connection on the motherboard port with the cable connected,
3. the connection on the hard drive port with the cable connected,
4. the connections of the cable when not connected,
5. the connection of the motherboard when the cable is not connected,
6. the connection of the hard drive when the cable is not connected.

 

[Scottyboy99]

I clicked there but it's all blank. No temperature monitored or anything like that. Maybe my HD doesn't support that feedback. I guess SSDs are better for that feedback?

I will try and muster some confidence for the photos. Or may try and get someone proficient to do that for me at some point. If a cable was dodgy or lose wouldn't it be an all or nothing scenario.

I was wondering, I have mapped drives for my NAS drives and a USB hard drive connected my router. They are just X, Y and Z. If one of these was dodgy could that somehow unsettled the process. I think it's completely unlikely but worth putting out there.

 

[axe0]

Your hard drive does support it, you can easily find HDTune pictures of your hard drive when you search "ST9750420AS hdtune" (without quotes)

It sounds to me like some parts of your hard drive are damaged and thus unreadable.

HDTune works proper on your SSD?

If one of these was dodgy could that somehow unsettled the process.

It could cause problems yes.

 

[Arc]

Good going through the troubleshooting process. If you guys dont mind I would like to add one more point.

Scottyboy99, please check which SSD firmware version is installed to the OCZ-CACHE-SYNAPSE. If it is below version 4.9.0.634, update it from Here.

Go to device manager right click the SSD drive > properties > details tab > click hardware ids from the property tab, and there it is:

​

 

[Scottyboy99]

Hi, thanks. The cache SSD is old tech. It's latest firmware is 2.25 on their site. I guess it's a very specific firmware type given the cache SSD nature of how it works. I haven't quite got the latest version though. But the synapse is disabled at the moment after uninstalling the dataplex software that does the caching (a requirement of wanting to image) so effectively OS is just using the seagate HD at the moment. The only thing I've really done to the system of any note since last successful image and restore is install Hauppauge capture software and drivers for my game capture device. I guess it's unlikely but is it worth uninstalling these and trying to image again? The software works fine as does the device when plugged in via USB

Thanks,
Wayne

 

[Arc]

But the synapse is disabled at the moment after uninstalling the dataplex software that does the caching (a requirement of wanting to image)

If memory caching is disabled, the SSD should be shown in the my computer window with any other drive letter than C. But apparently you have C only as storage.

Caching will be effectively disabled after removing the RAID mode IRST.

Intel(R) Mobile Express Chipset SATA RAID Controller

But that will need a change in the BIOS setup followed by a clean reinstall on AHCI mode controller.

The said driver is very old, too.

c:\windows\system32\drivers\iastor.sys (10.0.0.1046, 427.02 KB (437,272 bytes), [COLOR=Red][B]12/04/2011[/B][/COLOR] 04:03)

If there is no caching, it is better to get rid of this thing.

so effectively OS is just using the seagate HD at the moment.

The HDD is running out of spare storage capacity, too.

Model    ST9750420AS
Size    698.64 GB (750,153,761,280 bytes)
Partition    Disk #0, Partition #2
Partition Size    679.07 GB (729,141,862,400 bytes)

Drive    C:
Size    679.07 GB (729,141,858,304 bytes)
[COLOR=Red]Free Space    72.34 GB [/COLOR](77,676,318,720 bytes)

It might be a reason behind the issue during backup process.

 

[axe0]

I guess it's unlikely but is it worth uninstalling these and trying to image again?

I would say that it is worth it.

Was the device connected when your system crashed?

 

[Scottyboy99]

No, it wasn't connected. But it's the only thing added in recent times other than normal windows updates or iTunes when it gets an update.

The HD is pretty full but it's been like this for a long time. At one time it was as low as 60 gb left but I freed space by deleting some media as I figured I should keep at the very least 10% free. Imaging was still working ok at that time. But I will try and delete some more media, i reckon I can get another 10-20 gb back. I back up my documents, pics and media in triplicate across various USB hard drives and NAS drives so it wouldn't be too much of an issue

 

[Arc]

Modern backup device is cloud. Like OneDrive.

 

[Scottyboy99]

Ok understood. I will try and free some space and uninstall the stuff relating to the hauppauge device just in case. I'm not a fan of cloud storage. I don't like being at the mercy of the likes of MS and apple and everything working as it should but I guess I should try and embrace it slightly more. The main aim of the image is not to undo all the years of work with game installs, patching, setting up games explorer with all the nice info and box art among other things. I dread to think of how many hours I've put in over the years! So unfortunately this is why I am so keen to have the comfort of an image should anything happen.

I may have to face upto facts soon though that the HD might be at the start of a fail. I guess it's 5 years old now so could happen although over the years we've had computers run for far longer. I think my dad is still happily using our old xp machine as it enters its 13th year of ownership.

I really appreciate both you guys chipping in. I will ponder my next steps and report back for sure. I am still dabbling with the idea of trying to open the case up and having a look although it won't mean a great deal to me. I am hoping where possible to avoid this stress though

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Scottyboy99]

I managed to get rid of over 60 gb of data/media from my HD this evening. So I know have 134 gb free out of 679 gb. I'll try another image with my fingers crossed tomorrow evening. Normal use the PC is great, I don't think I ever had a BSOD in 5 years til now with the imaging. Anyway I'll update this thread hopefully later tomorrow