Cannot install any driver or windows updates, getting BSOD 0x0000007E

[madbuddha]

I haven't been able to update my nVidia drivers for over a year now. It's starting to cause troubles: games started to crash. Now when I shutdown my PC it does the automatic Windows updates and when I turn it back on, I get the same BSOD. I have a feeling it's the video drivers that cause issues, so today I tried uninstalling them and installing the newest ones (306.97), but it didn't work so I had to do a system restore. BTW, my current driver version: 285.62.
P.S. I'm shutting down my PC by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del and then Shutdown, so it doesn't install the updates.

 

[Arc]

Welcome aboard, madbuddha.

Your basic problem is the dispaly driver, as the latest version is somehow unstable in cases. I would recommend you roll it back to an earlier one, a known good stable version, which I suggest usually, and in most of the cases it works.

• Download and install Driver Fusion.
• Reboot the computer in Advanced Boot Options, safe mode. Search Driver Fusion in your start menu, and remove all components of your nVidia display driver.
• Boot normally now. Go to Drivers - Download NVIDIA Drivers, Drivers > Beta and Legacy; search there with your cards particulars for GeForce 306.23 Driver, dated 13.9.2012 and install it.

A few problems are there with the storage driver, as I am seeing. A search revealed that you are using nForce as the chipset driver, and that includes nvstor.sys as the storage controller driver. You need to try to update nForce, as it contains not only the storage controller, but also network controller and a lot of other vital drivers.

Go to Drivers - Download NVIDIA Drivers, search for nForce, as per your motherboard's chipset specifications.

What is most important that you have SPTD.sys installed. Daemon Tools, Alcohol 120% and Power Archiver Pro uses SCSI Pass Through Direct (SPTD), which is a well known BSOD causer. Uninstall the program at first. Then download SPTD standalone installer from Disk-Tools.com, and execute the downloaded file as guided below :

• Double click to open it.
• Click this button only:
• 
• If it is grayed out, as in the picture, there is no more SPTD in your system, and you just close the window.

Let us know the results.

 

[madbuddha]

Thanks for the fast response. But, as I expected, none of that helped. I updated the drivers to 306.23 as you said, but when the install finished, it said "Installation failed" or something like that. Then it asked me to restart PC... and I got the same BSOD, so I had to do the system restore again. Then I updated the storage drivers and uninstalled the SPTD, did a restart and everything was fine. Then I did the Windows updates again to see if it helped, but no luck, got the same BSOD.. again... Nothing helps! I don't understand. Maybe you have any other thoughts? Your help is much appreciated.

 

[Arc]

upload your MSINFO32.nfo file.

1. Click on the start button
2. Type "msinfo32" (without quotes) in the search bar of the start menu, click the resulting link. It will open the System Information window.
3. File>Save. In the "File Name" filed, put "MSINFO32" (without Quote), give the save location to desktop, and click the "save" button.
4. Give the time for processing, it will save a .nfo file on your desktop.
5. Zip it, and upload it following the instruction.

Also fill up your system specs.
See your system specs and fill it up here.

 

[madbuddha]

There you go: View attachment 245758

 

[Arc]

According to Carrona.org, STOP 0x0000007E: SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
Usual causes: Insufficient disk space, Device driver, Video card, BIOS, Breakpoint with no debugger attached, Hardware incompatibility, Faulty system service, Memory, 3rd party remote control.

Disc space:

Drive    C:
Size    97.56 GB (104,751,689,728 bytes)
Free Space    [COLOR=Red]14.27 GB[/COLOR] (15,319,465,984 bytes)
------------------------------------------------------------
Drive    D:
Size    368.10 GB (395,249,184,768 bytes)
Free Space    [COLOR=Red]36.29 GB[/COLOR] (38,971,150,336 bytes)

Really insufficient. Either buy a new internal one, shift some data there, or follow it: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/129976-hard-disk-space-free-up-recover.html.

Device Driver: Driver Verifier - Enable and Disable
Run Driver Verifier for 24 hours or the occurrence of the next crash, whichever is earlier.

Video Card: Stress test the Graphics Card using Furmark.
Video Card - Stress Test with Furmark

BIOS: Search for an update.

BIOS Version/Date    American Megatrends Inc. 0902, [COLOR=Red]12/06/2010[/COLOR]

Memory: Test your RAM modules for possible errors.
How to Test and Diagnose RAM Issues with Memtest86+
Run memtest for at least 8 passes, preferably overnight, per RAM module per slot.

Hardware Incompatibility: I am asking some hardware specialist to have a look.

 

[Arc]

Hardware Incompatibility: I am asking some hardware specialist to have a look.

Layback Bear suggests us:

Using the OP Specs the hardware should work together.
Note: His 500W power supply should work if its of quality and has proper connectors. His video card takes 2 power connectors.
I think you have found a problem with hard drive space.
By the time you throw in page filing, hibernation,sleep ect.
his drive is full. Using my memory Windows 7 likes about 10 % wiggle room on the hard drive and I recommend 20%.

 

[Britton30]

The GeForce 460 GTX has a minimum required power supply of 450W. If yours is a good quality one it may be ok, but is on the edge of the minimum. If your PSU has two 12V rails you should upgrade to one with a single 12V rail and I personally would go up to a 650W.
I have one with my own GeForce 460 GTX .

 

[madbuddha]

I doubt that I only have 500W PSU, it was changed to a better one not so long ago. I cleared up some disc space, now there's 40 GB free on drive C and 154 GB free on D. I launched the driver verifier and it asked me to restart instantly, then I got the BSOD. Then I ran the GPU stress test for 20 mins, it ran at 10 FPS, 68 C was max temperature, noticed some minor glitches at the top right corner. Couldn't find out how to update my BIOS, no simple install or stuff like that, I only found an update on ASUS' webpage, which was a .ROM file, didn't know what to do with it. Didn't run the RAM modules test yet. One thing I noticed though... Tried to do the Windows updates again and one update was :
"nVidia - Graphics Adapter WDDM1.1, Graphics Adapter WDDM1.2, Other hardware - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460
Download size: 171.6 MB"
Right when it finished I got BSOD. Crash dump says it is the nvlddmkm.sys ( nvlddmkm+a1ec27 ) that causes the problem. It all leads to nVidia drivers!

 

[Arc]

Can you update any of those latest crashes those are pointing nvidia display driver? We need to check something there.

 

[Britton30]

Arc, he NEEDS to confirm what PSU he has, a poor one can throw driver errors.

 

[Arc]

Arc, he NEEDS to confirm what PSU he has, a poor one can throw driver errors.

That's a good suggesting, Gary

 

[madbuddha]

How can I confirm what PSU I have? I mean it doesn't say anything on the PSU itself, apart from XILENCE and a few warranty related stickers. I tried to look for it on the XILENCE website and it seems that I have one of the Red Wing series, because it's black and has a red fan inside. The problem is all of the Red Wing series PSUs have the same looks! However I noticed a small difference: my PSU has a little red switch (near the on and off switch) that you can switch to either 115 or 230. I currently have it set to 230. None of PSUs that are on XILENCE website have this.

 

[madbuddha]

Can I get some help?