Random BSODs, Freezes, and sudden Restarts

[giauquebokz]

I have a Compaq Presario SRF710F that has been working fine (except for the past few weeks) since December 2008. The only hardware I've replaced on it was to install a more powerful video card a few years ago.

In the past few weeks, it's started giving me random failures. Sometimes it's a BSOD (the actual error message varies most times), sometimes the whole computer freezes up and I have to restart manually, and sometimes it just turns off suddenly and reboots. Sometimes it goes a few days between errors, and sometimes it can't even finish rebooting from a failure before another one occurs.

It started a few weeks ago when I uninstalled iTunes and installed Samsung Kies and Media Monkey (ditched the iPhone for a Galaxy S3!).

I have taken the following steps:

• restore from restore point
• deep antivirus scan with MWB and MSE
• memtest86 (11 passes with no errors detected)
• reinstall Windows

Here are some other specs:
OS Version: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate, 32 bit
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) Dual Core Processor 4450e, x64 Family 15 Model 107 Stepping 2
Processor Count: 2
RAM: 3070 Mb
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM v1.1), 1024 Mb
Hard Drives: C: Total - 238472 MB, Free - 136359 MB; E: Total - 953867 MB, Free - 267557 MB;
Motherboard: ECS, Iris8
Antivirus: Microsoft Security Essentials, Updated and Enabled

I've also uploaded the zip file from the SF diagnostic tool.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Arc]

Welcome aboard.

You need to do two things.

• Install service pack 1.
• Update nForce. It is on 2010 that is installed. Get it from Drivers - Download NVIDIA Drivers

Let us know the results.

 

[giauquebokz]

Thanks Arc!

I made those two changes, so now I'll wait and see what happens. It could take a couple of days...

 

[giauquebokz]

Ok, I had a couple more BSODs this morning. I've uploaded the dmps.

 

[Arc]

You haven't updated nforce.

8cf7f5e4  8adbbd6fUnable to load image \SystemRoot\system32\drivers\nvstor.sys, Win32 error 0n2
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for nvstor.sys
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for nvstor.sys
 nvstor+0xfd6f
=============================
lmvm nvstor
start    end        module name
8adac000 8add1000   nvstor   T (no symbols)           
    Loaded symbol image file: nvstor.sys
    Image path: \SystemRoot\system32\drivers\nvstor.sys
   [COLOR=Red] Image name: nvstor.sys
    Timestamp:        Sat Mar 20 02:21:52 2010[/COLOR] (4BA3E3E8)
    CheckSum:         0002B646
    ImageSize:        00025000
    Translations:     0000.04b0 0000.04e4 0409.04b0 0409.04e4

► You may try to get rid of it though, I guess.

1. Right click on "my computer" icon and click "manage" on the context menu.
2. It will open the "computer management" window.
3. Select "Device Manager" in the left pane, It will list all the existing devices up.
4. Expand "Disc Drives" by clicking on the triangle in front of it.
5. Select one item under it, right click, uninstall.
6. Continue the process for all items under "Disc Drives"
7. Now restart the computer. At restart, windows will auto configure the appropriate system driver, msahci.sys.

► Update display driver to the latest .... version 310.54, release date 12/11/2012

► Some problems are there as USBPORT.sys. For the port, first, uninstall and reinstall the USB ports drivers.

1. Right click on Computer icon > manage. It will open the computer management window.
2. Click on "Device Manager" in the left pane, it will list all installed devices up.
3. Expand "USB Serial Bus Controllers" by clicking on the triangle in front of it.
4. Click on one item to select, then right click and uninstall.
5. Do the same for all.
6. Restart the computer.
7. At restart, windows will auto configure the appropriate drivers.

And, Disable USB Selective Suspense too.
USB Selective Suspend - Turn On or Off

For the devices, first, detach all the USB devices other than the keyboard and mouse.
Then, Update the drivers for them all, including the keyboard and mouse, if any third party drivers are installed for them.

Let us know the results.

 

[giauquebokz]

There was another BSOD last night. I've uploaded the dump. I haven't had another random restart, but there have been quite a few freezes. Sometimes it unfreezes after about 20-30 seconds or so, and sometimes it stays frozen even after several minutes.

 

[Arc]

Your crash dumps are not showing any finite probable cause. In such a situation, it is better to 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.

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, per RAM module per slot.

Let us know the results, with the subsequent crash dumps, if any.

 

[giauquebokz]

I ran Driver Verifier for 24 hours, and nothing happened. I also ran memtest, with no errors reported. Everything seemed to be working for a few days, then it all started back up again with a lot of errors yesterday and this morning - BSODs, freezes, and sudden restarts again.

 

[giauquebokz]

I had another BSOD just now trying to load a video on CNN. It seems like a lot (but not all) of the errors arise when loading flash videos, pandora, etc. I've disabled Flash in Chrome, and although I don't think that will solve all the issues, it might help. What do you think?

 

[Arc]

Ralink RT2870 series USB802.11n Wireless Adapter Driver (you may have a different manufacturer)

87d274c0  82afaaae nt!RtlImageDirectoryEntryToData+0x1a
87d274c4  820030e0*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for netr28u.sys
[COLOR=Red]*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for netr28u.sys
 netr28u+0xe0[/COLOR]

It is very old.

lmvm netr28u
start    end        module name
82003000 820bf000   netr28u  T (no symbols)           
    Loaded symbol image file: netr28u.sys
    Image path: \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\netr28u.sys
  [COLOR=Red]  Image name: netr28u.sys
    Timestamp:        Mon May 25 10:08:14 2009[/COLOR] (4A1A20B6)
    CheckSum:         000B39E1
    ImageSize:        000BC000
    Translations:     0000.04b0 0000.04e4 0409.04b0 0409.04e4

Update it from Ralink-A MEDIATEK COMPANY.

Also, go Drivers - Download NVIDIA Drivers, search for the latest driver.

 

[giauquebokz]

Thanks Arc. I'll be out of town for the next few days for Thanksgiving, but I'll try out the steps you mentioned when I get back.

 

[giauquebokz]

I updated the Ralink driver. My wireless adapter is actually a Linksys, so I updated the Linksys adapter as well.

When I search for the latest drivers on the Nvidia site, it says my drivers are all updated to the latest versions. Is there something specific I should be looking for?

 

[Arc]

OK, then observe the situation, and let us know how it is working now.

 

[giauquebokz]

I've had a few more BSODs and freezes. Here are the dumps.

 

[Arc]

*******************************************************************************
*                                                                             *
*                        Bugcheck Analysis                                    *
*                                                                             *
*******************************************************************************

Use !analyze -v to get detailed debugging information.

BugCheck 7F, {f, 82a5d33c, 0, 0}

Probably caused by : Unknown_Image ( ANALYSIS_INCONCLUSIVE )

Followup: MachineOwner
---------

Your crash dumps are not showing any finite probable cause. In such a situation, it is better to 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.

Let us know the results, with the subsequent crash dumps, if any.

 

[giauquebokz]

I ended up just getting a new machine. The other was old, and I figured it was time for an upgrade anyway. Thanks for you help Arc!