Solved Random BSOD - 0x0000003b - Graphics Card Related?

[vb543]

Hello everyone. I have tried the basics but I have had no luck. I have been getting frequent BSODs on my computer and I'm having trouble pinpointing the exact cause.

A few times I noticed windows notifying me of a graphics driver recovery, and once or twice after that I experienced a BSOD. Other than that, I'm usually just browsing the web and one will spontaneously happen.

I have updated to the latest NVIDIA drivers for my graphics card as well as installed all Windows updates. I've been using BlueScreenView to look at specific drivers that are causing the problems. The only one I see over and over again is ntoskrnl.exe. I did some research and I believe that means it's hardware/driver related.

I have attached the last four dump files in hope that someone could please help me out. Let me know if anything else is needed that would be helpful in diagnosing this issue.

Thanks in advance!

 

[vb543]

It just seems to be getting worse, to the point where I can't really even use my computer anymore. Attached are two more minidumps. I'd really appreciate someone helping me out.

 

[Arc]

The BSODs are caused by Avast.

fffff880`0debf848  fffff880`041c2940Unable to load image \SystemRoot\System32\Drivers\aswSP.SYS, Win32 error 0n2
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for aswSP.SYS
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for aswSP.SYS
 aswSP+0x2f940
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
fffff880`0debf920  fffff880`02f6dfd0Unable to load image \SystemRoot\System32\Drivers\aswSnx.SYS, Win32 error 0n2
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for aswSnx.SYS
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for aswSnx.SYS
 aswSnx+0xe0fd0

Uninstall Avast using Avast Uninstall Utility. Use Microsoft Security Essentials as your antivirus with windows inbuilt firewall, and free MBAM as the on demand scanner.
Download, install and update those, and then run full system scans with both of them, one by one.

Let us know the results.

 

[vb543]

Thanks for the help. I removed Avast and installed MSE. I ran a full scan with MSE and MBAM with no issues. Everything was going great but I got two more BSODs today. Attached are the dump files.

 

[Arc]

Two crash dumps are indicating to totally different things, though none of them are saying anything clearly.

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.

If memtest comes free from errors, enable Driver Verifier to monitor the drivers.
Driver Verifier - Enable and Disable
Run Driver Verifier for 24 hours or the occurrence of the next crash, whichever is earlier.

   Information

Why Driver Verifier:
It puts a stress on the drivers, ans so it makes the unstable drivers crash. Hopefully the driver that crashes is recorded in the memory dump.

How Can we know that DV is enabled:
It will make the system bit of slow, laggy.

   Warning

Before enabling DV, make it sure that you have earlier System restore points made in your computer. You can check it easily by using CCleaner looking at Tools > System Restore.

If there is no points, make a System Restore Point manually before enabling DV.

   Tip

• If you fail to get on the Desktop because of DV, Boot into Advanced Boot Options > Safe mode. Disable DV there. Now boot normally again, and try following the instruction of enabling DV again.
• If you cannot boot in Safe mode too, do a System Restore to a point you made earlier.

Let us know the results, with the subsequent crash dumps, if any. Post it following the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) Posting Instructions.

 

[vb543]

I let Memtest run overnight and it looks like it found a few errors. I was only able to get a few passes done. From the looks of it, 8 passes would have taken all day. Is there any way to tell which specific module is going bad from the results? Or will I have to go through them one by one, testing each one, in each DIMM? I have attached a picture of the results. Thanks!

 

[Arc]

I let Memtest run overnight and it looks like it found a few errors. I was only able to get a few passes done. From the looks of it, 8 passes would have taken all day. Is there any way to tell which specific module is going bad from the results? Or will I have to go through them one by one, testing each one, in each DIMM? I have attached a picture of the results. Thanks!

Errors/red lines means one or more RAM is faulty. But the fault may occur due to a faulty DIMM slot, too, which is a motherboard component. Using memtest86+, you can discriminate between a faulty RAM and a faulty motherboard.

How? Follow the Part: three- If you have errors: of How to Test and Diagnose RAM Issues with Memtest86+

Say you have two RAM sticks and two DIMM slots. You obtained errors at the test with all RAM sticks installed. Now, remove all the sticks but one. Test it in all the available slots, one by one. Continue the same procedure for all the available sticks.
How to make the inference that is it a RAM issue or it is a motherboard issue? Suppose you have got the result like that:

test|Slot1|Slot2
RAM1| Error | Error
RAM2|Good|Good

It is a RAM, a bad RAM.

But if you have got a result like that:

test|Slot1|Slot2
RAM1| Error |Good
RAM2| Error |Good

It is a motherboard issue. The particular slot is bad.

Otherwise, without doing all those, you may replace the RAM with new ones.

 

[vb543]

Thanks for the help! It would appear that a DIMM is going bad on my motherboard. I left the second slot unoccupied for the last few days and I have not had one blue screen.

This motherboard was a replacement from MSI after I sent back my first one which would reboot when I plugged in my headphones. Looks like I'll have to RMA the RMA... Great...

Thanks again!

 

[Arc]

You are welcome mate. Let us know if any more issues appears