Random BSOD on fresh PC build.

[lewishead]

I'm writing on behalf of my girlfriend who is very new to computers. She got a new PC recently and has been having random BSODs that can happen 1 - 2 times a day or so. Also worthy of mention is that the drives (windows SSD, second hdd, and DVD) sometimes stop responding and aren't recognised by the motherboard for as long as 5 minutes. I have tried a lot of things already and want to see if the DMP files will hold any value. All help is greatly appreciated.

 

[axe0]

Hi lewishead,

Welcome to the 7forums.

Please visit Windows Update and install every update available, it may take a couple of times to get them all.

If you are using a program like Ccleaner please stop using it while troubleshooting.
This because programs like Ccleaner remove dump files that are needed to troubleshoot.
Or configure Ccleaner to not remove dump files:

If after installing all updates from Windows Update you still experience (a) BSOD('s), please check {windows partition}\windows\minidump and check if there are any dump files saved.
Please make sure your pc is configured for small dump files How to configure minidump | Windows 7 tutorial
There are some updates which might solve this problem but are not installed.

 

[lewishead]

Well, been pretty busy with the problem over the last few days. Initially I did what you said and tried Windows update, there were infact many updates to install but adding them seemed to create more instability. And finally it would fail to install updates making it impossible to get completely up to date. I decided to try a reformat, (as well as many other things) and the issue of the SSD, HDD, and DVD drives not being recognised at random times is continuing, and the updates are still having problems but managed to get 200 or so installed fine. Still getting blue screens, and windows starting with the white underscore in the top left at times (when HDD is picking up). I will attach more dump files using the DM log collector, if you need files zipped from the windows/minidump folder as suggested I can also do that too.

Thanks very much.

 

[axe0]

Please try to get the security updates first, these are right now most important.
Please download and install Malwarebytes free (Uncheck trial version in the installation process).
When Malwarebytes is installed, run a full scan with Malwarebytes, your AV and run Adwcleaner

Please make sure your BIOS has the newest version.

Please test your hard drives.

Diagnostics Test

 HDD TEST

Run SeaTools to check the integrity of your HDD. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/313457-seatools-dos-windows-how-use.html

   Note

Do not run SeaTools on an SSD as the results will be invalid.

Run chkdsk http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/433-disk-check.html

 

[lewishead]

Thanks for the reply, I will try these steps and report back. Out of curiosity, is there any place to download all the security updates manually? Those were the ones that seemed to be failing regularly.

 

[axe0]

From Microsoft site you can manually install the updates.

As you say you have problems installing updates, please try following

• Open an admin command prompt
• Copy/paste "sfc/scannow" (without quotes) and press enter
• When it finished reboot your system
• Open again an admin command prompt
• Enter sfc/scannow again

If sfc/scannow does NOT say "Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violation", please upload the cbs.log file located at {windows partition}\Windows\Logs\CBS\, if the file is too large try a 3rd party uploader like dropbox, onedrive, google drive, mediafire etc.
System File Check(SFC a.k.a. Windows Resource Protection) needs to have your system rebooted in order for sfc to try to fix the problems that it finds.

 

[lewishead]

Can confirm that it did say "Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violation". Will now try updates and mwb.

 

[axe0]

Let me know how it goes

 

[lewishead]

Tried to get the security updates, managed to install a few but the computer is having a lot of problems
installing them. Updates would fail pretty consistently and sometimes not finish checking at all.
I tried pretty much every solution to this I could find, but something was wrong with the installation,
as when booted into safe mode, with the manual install files, it would just hang at searching (
for versions potentially on the computer) and never go any further. Also worth noting is that updates also
would sometimes cause crashes, but there was some more stability after some updates managed to install.


Everything else you listed was tried, as well as many other things, hdd came back fine, ssd from corsairs
testing software came back fine, malwarebytes came back clean, and bios was already newest as it was one
of the first things I tried.

I'm beginning to think there is something wrong with the mobo, because all the symptoms point towards bad
sata controller activity, and losing connection to the HDDs, as well as very rarely just going to a black
screen whilst maintaining power as if the graphics card stopped providing a feed to the screen. Programs
are currently having a hard time installing, and even getting the dmp files over skype for me to post is
now giving errors.

What would you suggest next?

 

[axe0]

This indeed sounds like your mobo is failing.
Replace the mobo to test if it is the cause, the only possible test method unfortunately.

 

[lewishead]

Would it be worth testing the memory with these faults? These issues came up almost instantly during the first installation of windows on completely new hardware. First crash was during first windows install, thought it might be a bad windows CD initially, but problem persisted to many varying degrees over time, sometimes going almost two days without one, and sometimes having crashes every hour or so, so basically very random.

I haven't got a second mobo to test, so I would literally have to buy a new one and hope that was the cause. Would I be able to send it back to get it replaced do you think? And another quick question; is there any likelihood that a fault motherboard would damage other components? Most tests have all come back 100% so I don't think I need to worry about that?

Also thanks so much for your help so far.

 

[axe0]

You could try testing the memory, but it wouldn't explain all the problems.

As it should be under warranty, yes it would be worth to send it back and let it be replaced.

I am not too sure, but I don't think a faulty mobo would damage other components.
It would only give corrupted data, if it gives data at the first place.

You're welcome

 

[lewishead]

Yeah the randomness (theres many other malfunctions I haven't listed, little ones like files not being moved, or crashes when downloading.) seems to point towards the mobo. I'll have to get it replaced and hope for the best!

Again, thanks for your help, I'll let you know how it goes when I get to put in the new one!