BSOD while using Firefox, some kernel error, need computer for exam

[xianxian]

Hi all,

I have been having some hard drive issues with my Acer and I'm not sure if they are serious or not. I am not computer savvy and am planning to take the bar exam to get licensed as an attorney in a few weeks and really need my computer for the exam. I am hoping someone can advise me as to whether my problem is serious enough that I need to get another computer to use for the bar exam.

Here is basic information about my computer:
Acer Aspire 4743
Processor: Intel Pentium P6200 2.13 GHz
RAM: 4GB
System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit

Brief history of computer before most recent BSOD problem:
I bought this computer in fall of 2011 to use for school. This is strictly a for school computer so the only programs I have installed are basic ones like Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Office, VLC, Adobe Reader, etc. A few months ago, in May 2012, it froze one night when I left it on overnight. It kept freezing and there were lots of issues with hang time. But it worked in safe mode. I reset it to factory settings but it did not fix the hang time issue. I called Acer since I am still under warranty and they told me that they had special recovery disks I needed to use to restore my computer to factory settings but they would cost 20 dollars. I explained I had already reset it (both with the factory reset option in the system and with recovery DVDs I had made the first day I got the computer) but somehow these discs would be better? I wasn't really clear why and since the 20 dollars wasn't refundable if it didn't fix the problem, I didn't want to do it. After some talking, they agreed to let me send in my computer. I received it back with the invoice telling me that my hard drive had been replaced. This was around June 10th.

Today I was using Firefox, had 3 tabs open, and my computer froze and then gave me a BSOD. I didn't catch all of the error message, just saw the word kernel. I ran a disk check which told me that I had 2 bad clusters added to the Bad Clusters File and 8 KB in bad sectors. Then I did a scannow, which reported that some corrupt files were found and successfully repaired. A 2nd scan showed that nothing was wrong.

I have attached the required dump files in a zip. My question is, is this a serious problem that indicates my hard drive is failing and I should not feel safe taking my exam on this computer (and risking it failing mid-exam) or does it seem like the bad cluster/bad sector issue is minor? I did some searching on this forum and found a similar thread where I read conflicting opinions. Some people thought a bad sector was no big deal, others said it was a sure sign the hard drive will fail within the next 6 months to a year.

Apologies in advance if I am missing any information needed in this post. I understand that it's impossible to say with certainty whether or not the hard drive is beyond repair or in good condition. I am just hoping and would be extremely grateful for a more expert opinion of what exactly happened since I have no idea what any of the disk check or scannow messages mean. Did the disk check fix the problem? Does the bad sector issue mean I need to use a different computer to take my exam in 3 weeks?

Thank you very much!

 

[FredeGail]

Hello Xian,

I can really feel your pain if you need this computer for exams coming up.
If it's not too much to ask, we'd need the so called dump files in order to help you out. If you're totally unsure on how to gather those-

Your Minidump content should be in the folder at the path C:\Windows\Minidump. If there's no files inside, make sure minidumps are enabled by -

Go to Start, then Run, then type in "sysdm.cpl" (without the quotes) and press Enter
Click on the Advanced tab
Click on the Startup and Recovery button
Ensure that "Automatically restart" is unchecked
Under the Write Debugging Information header select "Small memory dump (64 kB)" in the dropdown box
Ensure that the Small Dump Directory is listed as "%systemroot%\Minidump" (without the quotes)
Click OK twice to exit the dialogs, then reboot for the changes to take effect.

Next time you'd experience a BSOD, a dump is supposed to be generated. When it's generated, wrap it up in a zip and upload it.

Best Regards,
Frederik.

 

[xianxian]

Thank you very much for your help, Frederik. I didn't realize that my computer wasn't set up to record the files. I have changed that and will do as you have asked the next time a BSOD comes up.

Many thanks!

 

[FredeGail]

Thank you very much for your help, Frederik. I didn't realize that my computer wasn't set up to record the files. I have changed that and will do as you have asked the next time a BSOD comes up.

Many thanks!

Sounds great!

Best Regards,
Frederik.