BSODS, constantly...

[Looseball]

So this is getting to be quite frustrating, I probably have little time to type this out so here goes...
I've read all the BSOD topics that pertain to this issue and the errors I am getting, but I am not that savvy when it comes to this stuff so as far as I could tell nothing worked..

Lately I have been getting CONSTANT BSOD's, they used to be randomly intermittent but as of tonight theyre almost every 10 minutes.

I thought the GFX card was the issue in my computer, but I have since replaced it with my backup and I get the same BSOD's.

They are always one of these three (a different one each time usually):

Memory Management
System Service Exception
IRQL Not Equal (or something like that)

I have ran Windows memory diagnostic, which came up with zero errors. Also have run chkdsk, which came up fine. I have used Driver Easy to update my drivers, and as far as I can tell they're all up to date (though I am still 100% uncertain - And I do not know how good of a program that is). I have also just run the Windows Resource Protection program, where you do the /sfc scannow command. It came up with 100% zero integrity errors, nothing to repair.

What happens is as follows (ALWAYS the exact same process):

I get the BSOD, and reboot my computer, immediately I get another BSOD. So I restart, and I get the system setup screen, and boot to the last known good configuration. After this I then get to the Windows logo screen, but it just freezes and nothing happens. So I reboot again, and it works fine.

This is the exact process that I have to go through every time I get one of these BSOD's. Also sometimes, when my computer freezes or BSOD's, it will emit a loud constant beep. I reboot, and it beeps again with just a black screen. If I try to boot up again immediately, I get the freeze with a constant beep again. After waiting about 5 minutes, I boot up and it works fine untiL i get my next BSOD (the beep doesnt come with every BSOD).

I'd also like to note, that the only things that I have touched since getting this computer are the graphics card (bought a new one) and the PSU (A new one to support the gfx card, 535W instead of the stock 300 that came with my computer). Everything else is as it was when I bought the PC, and I have done zero overclocking of any sort with any hardware.

I get these BSOD's when doing ANYTHING on my computer. Even when I am not even at the computer and there is nothing at all running, no background programs even, and I still got it (about an hour ago I was just sitting watching TV and saw that my PC had BSOD on me).

I am hoping that this is an overheating issue (since it seems to boot up fine if I leave it alone for a few minutes before trying to boot up immediately).. But I have my doubts since I did not know that could cause BSOD's..

Also: WheN I run any spyware programs, they all come up clean with zero conflicts. However, whenever I run Windows Defender about half way through the scanning I get a BSOD. But it's ONLY with windows defender. All other spyware programs work fine and come up clean.

Here are the dmp files:
Dumpfiles.zip download - 2shared

There is one unreleated question as well... On the back of my power supply there is what looks like a "dial", which I can turn clockwise and counter-clockwise. When I turn this to the "full" setting (there is a gauge on it), my PSU gets noticeably louder. I do not know what this dial is or does, but I get the BSOD's with it on either setting. Another thing, is that my PSU is really loud.. Almost like an Xbox. At least, I think it's my PSU, it's either that or my main CPU fan, but I've yet to use my PC with the case open to verify which one is loud.

EDIT: Sorry I forgot to add the CPU Z Screens, here you are:
http://imgur.com/osneo

 

[JMH]

Looseball,

Your crashes were caused by memory corruption/exception (Cx05) probably a driver.
Please run these two tests to verify your memory and find which driver is causing the problem.

* If you are overclocking anything reset to default before running these tests.
In other words STOP!!!

* If you have a Raid update its Driver.



Memtest.

*Download a copy of Memtest86 and burn the ISO to a CD using Iso Recorder or another ISO burning program. Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool

*Boot from the CD, and leave it running for at least 5-7 passes.

Just remember, any time Memtest reports errors, it can be either bad RAM or a bad motherboard slot.

Test the sticks individually, and if you find a good one, test it in all slots.

Any errors are indicative of a memory problem.

If a known good stick fails in a motherboard slot it is probably the slot.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105647-ram-test-memtest86.html




Driver Verifier

Using Driver Verifier is an iffy proposition.
Most times it'll crash and it'll tell you what the driver is.
But sometimes it'll crash and won't tell you the driver.
Other times it'll crash before you can log in to Windows.
If you can't get to Safe Mode, then you'll have to resort to offline editing of the registry to disable Driver Verifier.

I'd suggest that you first backup your stuff and then make sure you've got access to another computer so you can contact us if problems arise.
Then make a System Restore point (so you can restore the system using the Vista/Win7 Startup Repair feature).

In Windows 7 you can make a Startup Repair disk by going to Start....All Programs...Maintenance...Create a System Repair Disc - with Windows Vista you'll have to use your installation disk or the "Repair your computer" option at the top of the Safe Mode menu .

Then, here's the procedure:
- Go to Start and type in "verifier" (without the quotes) and press Enter
- Select "Create custom settings (for code developers)" and click "Next"
- Select "Select individual settings from a full list" and click "Next"
- Select everything EXCEPT FOR "Low Resource Simulation" and click "Next"
NOTE: You can use Low Resource Simulation if you'd like.
From my limited experimentation it makes the BSOD's come faster.
- Select "Select driver names from a list" and click "Next"
Then select all drivers NOT provided by Microsoft and click "Next"
- Select "Finish" on the next page.

If you are using win 8 add these
- Concurrency Stress Test
- DDI compliance checking

Reboot the system and wait for it to crash to the Blue Screen.
Continue to use your system normally, and if you know what causes the crash, do that repeatedly.
The objective here is to get the system to crash because Driver Verifier is stressing the drivers out.
If it doesn't crash for you, then let it run for at least 36 hours of continuous operation

Reboot into Windows (after the crash) and turn off Driver Verifier by going back in and selecting "Delete existing settings" on the first page, then locate and zip up the memory dump file and upload it with your next post.


If you can't get into Windows because it crashes too soon, try it in Safe Mode.
If you can't get into Safe Mode, try using System Restore from your installation DVD to set the system back to the previous restore point that you created.

Thanks to JGriff2 & Usasma.

Using Driver Verifier to identify issues with Windows drivers for advanced users

Driver Verifier

Using Driver Verifier (Windows Drivers)

 

[Looseball]

Sounds good, will run Memtest after Driver verifier, doing that now. Where exactly are the dump files from the verifier program?

EDIT: Okay.. So I did all the steps in the verifier instructions you left me, and as soon as I rebooted my computer I got a very quick BSOD, then instant reboot. No time to even read the BSOD. It kept going on like that until I booted into safe mode and deleted the existing profile, now I'm back up and running in normal mode. All I need to do is get you the dump files...I looked in the C:Windows\Minidump folder and it appears that there are still just two there, which are the ones I linked before. Nothing new has appeared.

 

[zigzag3143]

If the two original ones were driver verifier what has changed between than and now to prevent you from producing them now.

My suggestion is to search for *.DMP and if that doesn't help re-enable verify and let it run for several crashes if nec.

 

[Looseball]

I just woke up from running memtest all night, it completed 7 passes and came up with zero errors at all.

The two original dump files that I posted were just the dump files that I found in my minidump folder after I got several BSOD's. I had not run or even heard about Driver Verifier before this point.

I posted them here, then found out about this Driver Verifier thing that the guy above you posted about. So I did that, but couldn't even get into Windows at all until I booted into safe mode to turn off verifier.

When I enabled driver verifier as was suggested, I rebooted and as soon as I rebooted my system BSOD and crashed before I could even log in to windows. I didn't even get past the Windows Logo screen. It did not generate any dump files. I also followed the directions posted EXACTLY.

Any suggestions now?

EDIT: Just did it again to verify... And same result. Ran driver verifier, did all the steps accordingly, and rebooted. I get to the windows screen(starting windows) and I immediately get a BSOD. System automatically reboots, BSOD again. I let it do this for about 10 times, and then ran safe mode and shut off driver verifier. It boots up normally, but there are still no dump files in the minidump folder. I did a search for .dmp files on my hard drive, but the only thing that came up was something called MEMORY.DMP, located in C:\Windows. The file is 500MB.

Second EDIT: I just disabled automatically restart when encountering an error, enabled driver verifier and this time I did not automatically get a reboot at the BSOD. It happened the same way as before, but this time I can get the stop code written down. I still also did not get any dump files at all, minidump folder remains empty. This is the stop code:

STOP: 0x0000001E (0xFFFFFFFFC0000005, 0xFFFFF800038c8356, 0x0000000000000000, 0x000000000000000000000)

 

[writhziden]

At the bottom of the blue screen, there is usually a driver listed. *****.sys where ***** is the name of the driver. Can you provide us with that information as well? If it lists an .exe file, that may also be helpful.

 

[Looseball]

Unfortunately, there are zero files or anything listed aside from the STOP code..

It's so weird... Last night up until I posted this I was getting the BSOD's constantly. Now I have yet to get a single one since posting this topic, the only time I get them is when I am running the verifier program. Nothing on my computer has changed, at all. But this is how it usually goes... I'll go a few weeks without any problems, then boom one day I get several in a row, then it goes away for a week, and then comes back with the same BSOD errors as before.

 

[writhziden]

Alright, enable each non-Microsoft driver in Verifier one at a time (restart after enabling just one driver when Verifier tells you do restart). I know this will take some time, but please do so until you find the driver that causes the crash. You could also try doing drivers five at a time and keeping track of which group causes a crash. Then narrow down the group by doing one at a time within that group. The second method will be a little faster.

 

[Looseball]

Will do - Doing that right now.. Will post results when I get back ASAP

 

[Looseball]

OK. Just got back from doing that test... Here is what happens, I found 4 files that caused BSOD's. Listed below:

1. sptd.sys - Causes BSOD immediately on reboot

2. ubhelper.sys - Causes BSOD, the bottom of the BSOD (where pointed out earlier to look) however lists pxHLpa64.sys

3. ntidrvr.sys - Causes BSOD, bottom of BSOD lists pxHLpa64.sys

4. pxHLpa64.sys - Causes BSOD

Is it safe to just go into the windows folder and delete these files/will it fix the issue? I have checked and they seem to be with Daemon Tools and some other program called NIT maker (uninstalled Daemon Tools, but I have never had and could not find NIT anywhere except for these .sys files in the System32 folder... Same with pxHLpa64, apparently it's with Sony/Sonic but I have none of those programs on my computer, again, just the .sys file in system32)

 

[writhziden]

Please remove any CD/DVD virtualization software, such as Daemon Tools/Alcohol 120%, as they use a driver called sptd.sys that is known to cause BSODs. Use add/remove programs to remove the software. After removing the software, use the sptd.sys uninstaller to remove sptd.sys from the system.

I prefer TotalMounter as my CD/DVD virtualization software as it allows me to burn images to a virtual CD/DVD if I just want an ISO file instead of a disc, and it is free.

Many use MagicISO - Convert BIN to ISO, Create, Edit, Burn, Extract ISO file, ISO/BIN converter/extractor/editor as well, which is also free.


Remove any Sonic or other 3rd party CD/DVD burning software you may have installed. You can try ImgBurn instead; it is the preferred free software on these forums for the same tasks.

 

[Looseball]

Ok so I deleted Daemon Tools, and alcohol 120% was not installed on my PC.

I have never had Sonic or any other third party burning software on my computer, and a search comes up with nothing except those .sys files I listed. There is nothing under the programs and features tab to uninstall, and a search again comes up with nothing but the .sys files.

Regarding the SPTD uninstaller, I ran it and it came up saying "there was an old version found on your system" and gave me the option to UPDATE, UNINSTALL, or CANCEL. I selected uninstall, was this correct?

Also, regarding the other two files that list pxHLpa64.sys... What should I do with that? do I delete the .sys file? The only thing that came up for a search was a folder called NIT in my windows/system32 folder that had nothing but several of these .sys files. What do I do with them? And what do I do with the pxHLpa64.sys file itself?

Just for futher clarification: The NIT folder itself from system32, I have since deleted. No BSOD's upon deleting it, rebooted my PC just fine. Now all I have is the pxHLpa64.sys file in my windows\system32 folder. Not sure what I do with that one..

 

[writhziden]

You were correct with the uninstall selection for sptd.sys. For the other file, PxHlpa64.sys, go to C:\Windows\System32\Drivers and rename it to PxHlpa64.sys.bak and see what program complains. Remove that program if you do not use it. If you do use it, you can rename PxHlpa64.sys.bak to PxHlpa64.sys after we have determined the actual cause of your crashes.

Re-enable Verifier after the above steps using the Verifier settings outlined in post #2.

 

[Looseball]

Okay, renamed the pxHLpa64.sys file to what you said, and upon renaming it, nothing happened and no errors popped up. I opened up verifier, and of course pxHLpa64.sys was no longer listed (due to the rename), but I enabled everything I could and my PC booted up normally without any BSOD.

It looks like it's fixed so far? So what to do with that pxhl file.. Not sure if any component of windows requires it.. Should I just get rid of it altogether or leave it as is or rename it back to .sys?

 

[writhziden]

Leave it as is for now. You may discover what needs it later when you try to run a program at some point. For now, leave Verifier enabled and post back if you have any crashes over the next few days. Looks like we cleaned up the boot problem with Verifier. Now to test for any driver conflicts. May take a few days for another crash to show itself that is Verifier enabled.

I think we are on the right track now, and if your problem has not yet been solved, it hopefully soon will be.

 

[Looseball]

Thanks so much for helping me this far. I was getting really aggrivated, especially when doing work on my PC and having a crash, resulting in a loss of 2-3 hours work.

I am guessing if I get another BSOD with verifier enabled that does not list the file name I'll have to do the process of elimination again...

Will keep updated if anything happens. I am also going to buy some more cleaner so I can dust out my PC just in case that is causing some issues as well.

 

[writhziden]

You will only have to go through the process of elimination again if you get a crash that does not generate a .dmp file. Typically, if Windows runs fairly well even with Verifier enabled, it means it will generate a .dmp file. Since it was unable to start before, the .dmp files could not be generated.

 

[Looseball]

Well... Unfortunately, I haven't gotten a single BSOD until 10 minutes ago. The exact same BSOD's came up, no file listed, and my computer wouldnt boot up for a good 20 minutes and my PC kept emitting the long constant beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

No dmp files were generated.

God damnit.

EDIT: Could this be an overheating issue? I just downloaded and installed SPEEDFAN and this is the info it gives.. The fan1 really scares me:

http://imgsrc.com/imgbank/untitljdj.jpg

 

[writhziden]

Is your system still under warranty?

A long, continuous beep usually means bad RAM or a bad graphics card. It could also be as simple as your graphics card is not seated properly or memory modules are not seated properly in the motherboard. Given that you already replaced the graphics card, it could be the motherboard is faulty, as well.

Before proceeding further, I need to know if the system is under warranty.

 

[Looseball]

Unfortunately no the system is no longer under warranty. It is only 2 and a half years old though (did not get the extended warranty past 1 yr).

Memtest came up with 0 errors after 7 passes, and yeah I have two graphics cards and I get the error with both of them. However my computer is extremely dusty, I have yet to dust it out but it is very hot. I also have an extra power supply should that be the issue..