Solved Random BSODs and application errors

[Thelanor]

Hey folks,
I'm working on my cousin's computer which I just put together for him the other week. Since he took it home, it has been the victim of repeated blue screens and application failures. Since the computer was basically brand new, and there was no risk of losing any files, I first reinstalled Windows.

The PC continued to blue screen, leading me to eventually run the memory checker which found several issues. After trial and error, I determined that one of the 4gb sticks was bad, and removed it.

The PC was fine for about three hours while I installed updates, but began to randomly quit Firefox. This was followed by several new blue screens. Its worth noting that i've also run check disk, as well as another round of the memory checker.

At this point i'm stumped. I can't recreate the blue screens on a consistent basis, and it seems that each time one happens, there is a different reason and error code associated with it.

Attached in the zip file are the dmp files and health report. The one error present in the report is my flash drive, which was not inserted while the blue screens were occurring.

Any help with this would be great. Thanks

edit:
Just realized I didn't post system specs:

AMD Athlon II x3 @ 3.3 ghz
ASUS M4A88T-M Motherboard
8GB Mushkin Enhanced RAM *(Currently 4gb, one bad stick)
500gb HDD
700 watt Corsair PSU
Nvidia GTS 250 512mb
HP DVD Drive

 

[JMH]

Asacpi.sys

The pre 2009 version of this driver is a known BSOD cause.
The one there is 2005.

Please visit this link: Asus tek computer inc. -support- drivers and download p7p55d le

ASUSTeK Computer Inc. -Support- Drivers and Download P7P55D LE
ASUSTeK Computer Inc. - Motherboards- ASUS P5K-VM

Scroll down to the utilities category, then scroll down to the "atk0110 driver for windowsxp/vista/windows 7 32&64-bit" (it's about the 12th item down).

Download and install it.

Go to c:\windows\system32\drivers to check and make sure that the asacpi.sys file is date stamped from 2009 or 2010 (not before).

 

[zigzag3143]

Do What Jan (JMH) suggests first as it is easier. If you still crash do this.

These crashes were caused by memory corruption (probably a driver). Please run these two tests to verify your memory and find which driver is causing the problem.

If you are overclocking anything reset to default before running these tests.
In other words STOP!!!


1-Memtest.

*Download a copy of Memtest86 and burn the ISO to a CD using Iso Recorder or another ISO burning program. "http://www.memtest.org/#downiso"]Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool

*Boot from the CD, and leave it running for at least 5 or 6 passes.

Just remember, any time Memtest reports errors, it can be either bad RAM or a bad motherboard slot.

Test the sticks individually, and if you find a good one, test it in all slots.

Any errors are indicative of a memory problem.

If a known good stick fails in a motherboard slot it is probably the slot.


http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105647-ram-test-memtest86.html

2-Driver verifier

Using Driver Verifier is an iffy proposition. Most times it'll crash and it'll tell you what the driver is. But sometimes it'll crash and won't tell you the driver. Other times it'll crash before you can log in to Windows. If you can't get to Safe Mode, then you'll have to resort to offline editing of the registry to disable Driver Verifier.

I'd suggest that you first backup your data 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/Win7 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.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/101379-driver-verifier-enable-disable.html

Further Reading
"http://support.microsoft.com/kb/244617"]Using Driver Verifier to identify issues with Windows drivers for advanced users

 

[Thelanor]

Thanks a bunch guys. Its stable for now, i'll let it run through the night but everything seems to be working well.

 

[JMH]

Fingers crossed.