Solved Multiple BSOD, F4 and 7A, Computer will not produce a Minidump

[crtwrghtmrk]

I've been having a lot of problems with my computer for the last few weeks, I thought I had fixed them but since it's crashed 5 times today I was obviously just lucky.

The errors I've had have been F4 (mostly) and 7A (a few) and the full descriptions are below in case they are of use:

STOP: 0x000000F4 (0x0000000000000003, 0xFFFFFA8008CE9B30, 0XFFFFFA8008CE9E10, 0XFFFFF80003582350)

STOP: 0x000000F4 (0x0000000000000003, 0xFFFFFA8008CE9B30, 0XFFFFFA8008CE9E10, 0XFFFFF8000358A350) [Given the similarity between this and the first, differing only the fourth last digit of the last hexadecimal, I'm not sure if I made a typo on one of these]

STOP: 0x0000007A (OXFFFFF6FC40006008, 0XFFFFFFFFC0000000, 0X000000021A151860, 0XFFFFF88000C01000)

The crashes occur while using multiple programs: VLC, Minecraft, Firefox (notably Youtube and the Google Drive spreadsheet program), and also sometimes while left idle. Leaving one of the above programs idle for moderate periods of time (say 30 minutes) seems to lead to a significantly higher chance of crash. Some programs however run completely without incident (younger brother has been playing Skyrim on it solidly for several days without a single crash)

Further complicating the matter is that I cannot get the computer to produce a Minidump file or at least not one that I can find, I have used all three options suggested here but to no avail.

Computer Specs are in the description below.

Any help that can be offered would be much appreciated and if there's any more information needed I'll gladly provide it.

 

[koolkat77]

Is the firmware for your SSD up-to-date?

If not, check for one and update it, let us know if you get further BSOD's.

 

[crtwrghtmrk]

Just checked my firmware version, 2.06 current is 2.25 so I will try an update. However, before I do so I need to backup my data. Are there any particularly recommended tools for this? I know that reloading an image to an SSD used to have issues with alignment, not sure how relevant that is now. I know of Acronis and I'm willing to pay for it if it's the best way to minimise the chance that something goes wrong but I'd be interested to know if there are any other options?

 

[essenbe]

Many people here use Macrium Reflect (free), I use Paragon Migrate OS to SSD ($19.95), if you have an extra hard drive. It transfers the entire OS and aligns the SSD. I use it for backups too. You can always do a clean install, if necessary and just back up your Data with Microsoft Synctoy. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/278866-synctoy-backup-user-data.html. Most firmware updates are not destructive, and in many cases the Manufacturers just tell you to do that 'just in case'.

 

[crtwrghtmrk]

Thanks for the help. I have now updated my SSD firmware but unfortunately the problem still persists. One thing that I forgot to mention is that sometimes when it crashes (often while using Google Drive) the computer locks up rather than going straight to BSOD. The mouse moves but nothing can be clicked on. I have left it for over an hour without it changing state, either going to BSOD or unfreezing.

Any idea why it's not producing a Minidump when it crashes? That would seem to be the easiest way to solve the problem.

 

[koolkat77]

I'm aware of the error codes you are receiving. They are usually related to storage (hard drive)

Upload a screenshot using:

CrystalDiskInfo​

:tip: For how to upload a screenshot or file, read here

Test your Hard Drive by running:

Hard Drive Diagnostic Procedure​

Use the System File Checker tool and Run Disk Check:

Repair Windows 7 System Files with System File Checker

Run Disk Check in Windows 7 for Bad Sectors & Errors​

 

[crtwrghtmrk]

Crystal Disk screenshots below for each of the three drives on my computer:
View attachment 279572
View attachment 279573
View attachment 279574

To clarify, the third drive is completely empty (hence I have not yet run chkdsk on it). The second drive does have programs installed as well as files stored. The I:\ drive was an external drive I forgot to unplug before load Crystal Disk.

I ran the System File Checker and it came back 100% verified.

I am looking into finding some hard drive diagnostic tools now.

I attempted to run chkdsk on C:\ (scheduled to run at boot) but it came up with an error stating that Autochk could not be run due to a new piece of installed software and that I had to System Restore to undo it. However, I have no idea what piece of software could have caused such a thing, a driver update perhaps? I did update some of my drivers not long before the first BSOD. Is there an easy way to check if I have the correct drivers installed? There was also an error code of some description but the computer booted before I could take it down and I cannot find a record of it in the Event Viewer.

I ran chkdsk on E:\ drive (1st Samsung) and got back this report (from Event Viewer):

Log Name: Application
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Wininit
Date: 03/08/2013 17:56:10
Event ID: 1001
Task Category: None
Level: Information
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: Mark-PC
Description:


Checking file system on E:
The type of the file system is NTFS.
Volume label is Data 1.

A disk check has been scheduled.
Windows will now check the disk.

CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 5)...
Cleaning up instance tags for file 0x6743.
104960 file records processed. File verification completed.
63 large file records processed. 0 bad file records processed. 0 EA records processed. 0 reparse records processed. CHKDSK is verifying indexes (stage 2 of 5)...
118312 index entries processed. Index verification completed.
0 unindexed files scanned. 0 unindexed files recovered. CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors (stage 3 of 5)...
104960 file SDs/SIDs processed. Cleaning up 17 unused index entries from index $SII of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 17 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 17 unused security descriptors.
Security descriptor verification completed.
6677 data files processed. CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
33591032 USN bytes processed. Usn Journal verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying file data (stage 4 of 5)...
104944 files processed. File data verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying free space (stage 5 of 5)...
141849053 free clusters processed. Free space verification is complete.
Windows has made corrections to the file system.

976656383 KB total disk space.
408985864 KB in 91240 files.
40668 KB in 6678 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
233635 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
567396216 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
244164095 total allocation units on disk.
141849054 allocation units available on disk.

Internal Info:
00 9a 01 00 8a 7e 01 00 a4 a7 02 00 00 00 00 00 .....~..........
bb 0b 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................

Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Wininit" Guid="{206f6dea-d3c5-4d10-bc72-989f03c8b84b}" EventSourceName="Wininit" />
<EventID Qualifiers="16384">1001</EventID>
<Version>0</Version>
<Level>4</Level>
<Task>0</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2013-08-03T16:56:10.000000000Z" />
<EventRecordID>32684</EventRecordID>
<Correlation />
<Execution ProcessID="0" ThreadID="0" />
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>Mark-PC</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data>

Checking file system on E:
The type of the file system is NTFS.
Volume label is Data 1.

A disk check has been scheduled.
Windows will now check the disk.

CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 5)...
Cleaning up instance tags for file 0x6743.
104960 file records processed. File verification completed.
63 large file records processed. 0 bad file records processed. 0 EA records processed. 0 reparse records processed. CHKDSK is verifying indexes (stage 2 of 5)...
118312 index entries processed. Index verification completed.
0 unindexed files scanned. 0 unindexed files recovered. CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors (stage 3 of 5)...
104960 file SDs/SIDs processed. Cleaning up 17 unused index entries from index $SII of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 17 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 17 unused security descriptors.
Security descriptor verification completed.
6677 data files processed. CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
33591032 USN bytes processed. Usn Journal verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying file data (stage 4 of 5)...
104944 files processed. File data verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying free space (stage 5 of 5)...
141849053 free clusters processed. Free space verification is complete.
Windows has made corrections to the file system.

976656383 KB total disk space.
408985864 KB in 91240 files.
40668 KB in 6678 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
233635 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
567396216 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
244164095 total allocation units on disk.
141849054 allocation units available on disk.

Internal Info:
00 9a 01 00 8a 7e 01 00 a4 a7 02 00 00 00 00 00 .....~..........
bb 0b 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>
​

 

[Arc]

There may not be a crash dump per se, still post it following the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) Posting Instructions. It will give us some ideas about what is going on there.

 

[crtwrghtmrk]

I do apologise, somewhat unintelligent of me to not skip to Step 2.

View attachment 279686

 

[Arc]

Event[20654]:
  Log Name: System
  Source: Disk
  Date: 2013-04-13T23:56:51.528
  Event ID: 11
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: Mark-PC
  Description: 
[COLOR=Red]The driver detected a controller error on \Device\Harddisk0\DR5.[/COLOR]

Event[20655]:
  Log Name: System
  Source: JRAID
  Date: 2013-04-13T23:56:54.228
  Event ID: 15
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: Mark-PC
  Description: 
[COLOR=Red]The device, \Device\Scsi\JRAID1, is not ready for access yet.[/COLOR]

The device is OCZ-VERTEX3 ATA Device, your 120 GB SSD.

Update the firmware oft your SSD: OCZ Toolbox: Firmware & BIOS Updates
Update the storage controller, JMicron JMB36X Controller. ftp://driver.jmicron.com.tw/SATA_Controller/Windows/

Let us know the results.

 

[crtwrghtmrk]

I have already updated the OCZ firmware (helpfully suggested above) and have now updated the JMB36X Controller as well. I'm going to try running the programs that have crashed most often but as an initial test I ran a chkdsk on C:\ (which it refused to do previously) and it worked, report below in case it's relevant (I think it's all clear).

Log Name: Application
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Wininit
Date: 04/08/2013 15:34:57
Event ID: 1001
Task Category: None
Level: Information
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: Mark-PC
Description:


Checking file system on C:
The type of the file system is NTFS.

A disk check has been scheduled.
Windows will now check the disk.

CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 5)...
195072 file records processed.

File verification completed.
613 large file records processed.

0 bad file records processed.

0 EA records processed.

54 reparse records processed.

CHKDSK is verifying indexes (stage 2 of 5)...
246762 index entries processed.

Index verification completed.
0 unindexed files scanned.

0 unindexed files recovered.

CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors (stage 3 of 5)...
195072 file SDs/SIDs processed.

Cleaning up 1062 unused index entries from index $SII of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 1062 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 1062 unused security descriptors.
Security descriptor verification completed.
25846 data files processed.

CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
35045048 USN bytes processed.

Usn Journal verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying file data (stage 4 of 5)...
195056 files processed.

File data verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying free space (stage 5 of 5)...
12471449 free clusters processed.

Free space verification is complete.
CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the
master file table (MFT) bitmap.
CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the volume bitmap.
Windows has made corrections to the file system.

117218303 KB total disk space.
66958784 KB in 122141 files.
73260 KB in 25847 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
300459 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
49885800 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
29304575 total allocation units on disk.
12471450 allocation units available on disk.

Internal Info:
00 fa 02 00 20 42 02 00 e0 1e 04 00 00 00 00 00 .... B..........
b7 01 00 00 36 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ....6...........
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................

Windows has finished checking your disk.
Please wait while your computer restarts.

Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Wininit" Guid="{206f6dea-d3c5-4d10-bc72-989f03c8b84b}" EventSourceName="Wininit" />
<EventID Qualifiers="16384">1001</EventID>
<Version>0</Version>
<Level>4</Level>
<Task>0</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2013-08-04T14:34:57.000000000Z" />
<EventRecordID>32845</EventRecordID>
<Correlation />
<Execution ProcessID="0" ThreadID="0" />
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>Mark-PC</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data>

Checking file system on C:
The type of the file system is NTFS.

A disk check has been scheduled.
Windows will now check the disk.

CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 5)...
195072 file records processed.

File verification completed.
613 large file records processed.

0 bad file records processed.

0 EA records processed.

54 reparse records processed.

CHKDSK is verifying indexes (stage 2 of 5)...
246762 index entries processed.

Index verification completed.
0 unindexed files scanned.

0 unindexed files recovered.

CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors (stage 3 of 5)...
195072 file SDs/SIDs processed.

Cleaning up 1062 unused index entries from index $SII of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 1062 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 1062 unused security descriptors.
Security descriptor verification completed.
25846 data files processed.

CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
35045048 USN bytes processed.

Usn Journal verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying file data (stage 4 of 5)...
195056 files processed.

File data verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying free space (stage 5 of 5)...
12471449 free clusters processed.

Free space verification is complete.
CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the
master file table (MFT) bitmap.
CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the volume bitmap.
Windows has made corrections to the file system.

117218303 KB total disk space.
66958784 KB in 122141 files.
73260 KB in 25847 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
300459 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
49885800 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
29304575 total allocation units on disk.
12471450 allocation units available on disk.

Internal Info:
00 fa 02 00 20 42 02 00 e0 1e 04 00 00 00 00 00 .... B..........
b7 01 00 00 36 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ....6...........
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................

Windows has finished checking your disk.
Please wait while your computer restarts.
</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>
​

 

[Arc]

OK, for any further BSOD let us know.

 

[crtwrghtmrk]

Not yet had a BSOD but the system has frozen completely (and irrevocably) twice now and Java has frozen once but not taken the system with it.

The first freeze was while running Minecraft, javaw.exe stopped responding, however unlike the previous crashes I've had since this problem started Ctrl+Alt+Del still worked. It's entirely possible the crash was the result of a modified minecraft client, though it was perfectly stable before.

The next two crashes (the second of which I was attempting to induce) were while using Google Drive's spreadsheet program. After leaving it running for a while the system locked up, mouse and keyboard were unresponsive. State remained for over an hour before I turned the machine off and on.

My Java version is up to date.

 

[crtwrghtmrk]

My computer has not crashed in two days. The issue with Google Drive still persists but it doesn't appear to be something anyone here can offer help with and since I don't actually need Drive, I was just helping a friend re-design his spreadsheet, I think it would be appropriate to offer my thanks to everyone who has helped and to declare this thread solved.

 

[essenbe]

That's great news. I hope your good fortune continues. If you have any further problems, we'll be right here. Once you feel like the case is solved, please matk it solved.

 

[Arc]

That's great news. I hope your good fortune continues. If you have any further problems, we'll be right here.