Crashing

[huskylives]

Also, I'm not sure what the device scanners were. I uninstalled them (and even deleted the installation files) once I found out they weren't free. There were two of them though, and I think one of them came from here: Drivers Updates - The Easiest Way To Update Drivers

 

[huskylives]

OK, did what you said to do with Malwarebytes and came up completely clean. I think I'm done with all my assignments.

 

[Wallonn7]

Are you overclocking? If so, set all back to defaults.
It would be a good step also underclocking your ram to 1333MHz, since the memory controller of your CPU has this value.

Then enable 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/Windows 7 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"
- 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.

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 (an estimate on my part).

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.

 

[huskylives]

I can definitely do the Driver Verifier part, but I've never overclocked and have no idea how to underclock my RAM. Is that an important part?

 

[huskylives]

ok, I haven't underclocked, but I've done the driver verifier and this thing is crashing like mad now. And I did see "asio.sys" appear in the last bluescreen. What next?

 

[Wallonn7]

Disable Driver Verifier. Use Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) Posting Instructions to upload new minidumps.

 

[huskylives]

Yessir, boss! Here they are! Thank you!!!!

 

[Wallonn7]

Hi...

1. Uninstall Asus Turbo Key and any other installed. Then go to "C:\Program Files( x86 )\" and delete Asus folder. Run CCleaner > Cleaner and Registry modules 'till they report nothing to be cleaned. Reboot. Open Task Manager and search for "TurboKey" and "AsSysCtrlService" processes... If they are not there, it's good.
   
2. Update Lan driver.
   
3. Uninstall Daemon Tools... You may use MagicDisc as an alternative: Freeware MagicISO Virtual CD/DVD-ROM(MagicDisc) Overview.
   
4. Run cmd as administrator, type chkdsk /f. Reboot if it prompts to.
   
5. Run cmd as administrator, type sfc /scannow.
   
6. Download Data Lifeguard Diagnostic for Windows install it and run it.
   

Please post all results.

 

[huskylives]

1. Uninstall Asus Turbo Key and any other installed. Then go to "C:\Program Files( x86 )\" and delete Asus folder. Run CCleaner > Cleaner and Registry modules 'till they report nothing to be cleaned. Reboot. Open Task Manager and search for "TurboKey" and "AsSysCtrlService" processes... If they are not there, it's good.

Done. The processes are not running. However, I was unable to delete the "AsSysCtrlService" folder under "ASUS." It says the folder is being used.

2. Update Lan driver.

Done.

3. Uninstall Daemon Tools... You may use MagicDisc as an alternative: Freeware MagicISO Virtual CD/DVD-ROM(MagicDisc) Overview.

I don't actually even know what Daemon Tools are -- if they are related to the Nvidia system updater (which I think they were) then I got them.

4. Run cmd as administrator, type chkdsk /f. Reboot if it prompts to.

Done. Everything passed.

5. Run cmd as administrator, type sfc /scannow.

"Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them." That always seems like a good sign.

6. Download Data Lifeguard Diagnostic for Windows install it and run it.

Already done - everything passed.

A few notes:
1) I don't know if I mentioned this already, but I have at least gotten to the point now where my machine is no longer crashing randomly. I can do just about everything I want to -- video editing, burning DVDs, Photoshop, etc. -- without the computer crashing, which is how it used to be. So thank you very much for your help, whatever it was, in getting me back to this point! However, it still crashes every time my brother plays his video games. I am not a gamer by any means, so whatever problem I have could very well have been in place since I built the machine last year. I'd still like to fix this of course -- whatever problem is hiding there, I'd like to uncover it!
2) At any rate, what do you think of my theory on the faulty motherboard? I still need to get some good RAM to test in it. I'll do that tomorrow (thu).

 

[Wallonn7]

1. Uninstall Asus Turbo Key and any other installed. Then go to "C:\Program Files( x86 )\" and delete Asus folder. Run CCleaner > Cleaner and Registry modules 'till they report nothing to be cleaned. Reboot. Open Task Manager and search for "TurboKey" and "AsSysCtrlService" processes... If they are not there, it's good.

Done. The processes are not running. However, I was unable to delete the "AsSysCtrlService" folder under "ASUS." It says the folder is being used.

Open Task Manager > Services tab > Services - bottom right of the window. In the next window, look for "AsSysCtrlService". Right click it > Properties > General tab > Startup Type > Disable > Apply > Ok. Now, go to "C:\Program Files( x86 )\" and delete Asus folder.

2. Update Lan driver.

Done.

Fine.

3. Uninstall Daemon Tools... You may use MagicDisc as an alternative: Freeware MagicISO Virtual CD/DVD-ROM(MagicDisc) Overview.

I don't actually even know what Daemon Tools are -- if they are related to the Nvidia system updater (which I think they were) then I got them.

Control Panel > Uninstall a program > look for "Daemon ( ... ). Uninstall it.

4. Run cmd as administrator, type chkdsk /f. Reboot if it prompts to.

Done. Everything passed.

Fine.

5. Run cmd as administrator, type sfc /scannow.

"Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them." That always seems like a good sign.

Yes, it is.

6. Download Data Lifeguard Diagnostic for Windows install it and run it.

Already done - everything passed.

That's really good.

A few notes:
1) I don't know if I mentioned this already, but I have at least gotten to the point now where my machine is no longer crashing randomly. I can do just about everything I want to -- video editing, burning DVDs, Photoshop, etc. -- without the computer crashing, which is how it used to be. So thank you very much for your help, whatever it was, in getting me back to this point! However, it still crashes every time my brother plays his video games. I am not a gamer by any means, so whatever problem I have could very well have been in place since I built the machine last year. I'd still like to fix this of course -- whatever problem is hiding there, I'd like to uncover it!

No, you didn't mention... but I'm glad to hear we have made progress in solving your problem! Crashing in games? Let's uncover it! Ask your brother to play a game. Once the computer crashes, upload new minidumps - use "BSOD Dump & System File Collection app" to collect them.

2) At any rate, what do you think of my theory on the faulty motherboard? I still need to get some good RAM to test in it. I'll do that tomorrow (thu).

Well, at this point, I do not think the motherboard or the ram are the root of the problem. Anyway, if you can perform the tests, it will give us 100% sure!

 

[huskylives]

Well, as I was collecting the minidumps to send you... it crashed. Guess I'm not out of the woods yet. So the first crash in the attached was game-inspired, the second one occurred just running the minidump software. As you can see, there's only two here -- that's because when I ran CCleaner it was set to delete all minidumps. Any from before though are in the earlier files I posted.

A few other notes:

Regarding the Asus file -- wow, you're good! Deleted!

Regarding Daemon - I checked, but there is no file in the uninstaller with the name Daemon anywhere in it. Not sure where that's coming from!

Finally, I was not able to test the RAM as planned. Turns out the only other RAM I've got is DDR2 and the slots on my mobo are DDR3.

Some other things I should mention: I have no problem with reinstalling Windows 7 if that would help in anyway. I tried installing service pack 1 a week or so ago but it slowed my computer down so badly that I did a system restore to my pre-SP1 days.

OK, I think that's it. As always -- thank you for everything!

 

[huskylives]

Well, bad news. I was wrong. It's not running ANY better. In fact, it's worse -- much worse. It crashed while downloading a file from iTunes and getting a DVD ready to burn. Nothing graphics-intensive, but definitely memory-intensive. I have been trying unsuccessfully for the past half hour just to get into Windows with no luck. In fact, most the times it just gets stuck in an endless cycle of rebooting. I just keep hearing the DVD-ROMs start up... and start up... and start up... if I'm lucky I can get it to the "Starting Windows" screen, where it promptly freezes. Once I got to the login -- and then it restarted. I'm kind of at my wit's end. I'd appreciate any help, but without being able to even get into Windows I'm not sure what other info I can even give.

 

[huskylives]

OK, finally got back into Windows. What a nightmare. What I did after that:

I uninstalled everything that I had installed on the computer in recent weeks. Everything. Then I uninstalled and re-installed everything I could think of. I also turned off the USB Legacy device setting in my BIOS after getting a usbohci.sys BSOD. I put my brother on his game... and it ran flawlessly for about 20 minutes. Usually it crashes in less than 2. And then it crashed. And I got back into Windows and it immediately crashed again. So... <shrug> Here's my latest minidumps.

 

[huskylives]

Hey buddy, some updates from the weekend:

I decided to re-install Windows 7 this weekend (technically, I performed an "upgrade", though obviously it was the same system). Installed all the important Windows updates but not service pack 1. Then I ran through all the things you've told me about up to now. Defrag. Malwarebytes. CCleaner. updated drivers. etc. etc.

The good news: I no longer have those problems when trying to reboot -- i.e., the endless cycle of rebooting without even getting to the Asus screen. It also doesn't seem to be randomly crashing like it was. However, it does still crash. Here's when it's happening now:
1) Whenever I am encoding in DVDShrink, which is free software for shrinking and backing up DVDs. It ran fine the first time after I reinstalled Windows, but has crashed every time after no matter what DVD I try once it hits about 35%. I have used this program for years (including a year with my current PC) without ever having any troubles.
2) I ran a CPU stress test and it crashed about 10 min. in.
3) Every time my brother plays his games, of course.

You are my only hope.