Solved Random BSODs, now hard waits, file attached

[buckyswider]

Whelp, I ordered an ASUS Radeon R7-240 video card. Will run DDU to remove all the NVIDIA stuff, shut down, and remove the Geforce card and install the Asus. Throwing mud at the wall.

Also think I'm noticing (although it just may be coincidence) that the hangs / BSODs may always occur near the top of the hour. I base this on the hangs that happen while I'm actually using my PC and also on the email timestamps when I restart. For instance, when I restarted this morning and open outlook, the last email was 3:58AM. When it resumed downloading emails, the next one was 04:05AM. So the hang happened in that 7 minute window. And just now I was working on my PC and it froze with the clock stopped at 0900. I did scour all the system logs to see if there's any scheduled task that starts on the hour but I found nothing that looked remotely like a smoking gun. Malwarebytes deep scan also comes up clean. Since this started more than 3 weeks ago, if it was some form of malware I would think that it would've been discovered and reported elsewhere by now...

 

[buckyswider]

DDU removal of all NVIDIA components, replaced with the Radeon based card, up and running...for how long is the question...

 

[buckyswider]

Well, it's not NVIDIAs fault. Hangs with the AMD Radeon card too.

 

[axe0]

Please run driver verifier for 48 hours. Any configurations are in the link.

Warning: driver verifier could cause boot issues and/or performance issues.

• Make sure that you have recovery media, if needed you can create it.
• Configure a restore point prior enabling driver verifier.

Resetting driver verifier options (recommended in this order)

1. In normal mode open an administrator command prompt and enter the below command
2. In safe mode open an administrator command prompt and enter the below command
3. Press F8 to go to the recovery options,
   • Select Repair Your Computer and press enter,
   • Click Next
   • Enter your password and click ok
   • choose command prompt
   • enter the below command
4. Boot with the recovery media, follow the tutorial and then see above 4 steps in option 3.
5. Via the recovery options or recovery media, select a restore point prior enabling driver verifier

verifier /reset

Crashed when running driver verifier

1. Reset driver verifier
2. Boot in normal mode if necessary
3. Follow Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) Posting Instructions to provide the requested logs

 

[buckyswider]

Hi thanks, I ran verifier, immediately crashed pointing to protype.sys (keyboard), now in boot/crash loop. In the above, is the command referenced in step 2 the "verifier /reset" command? I tried system restore but it failed

 

[axe0]

Yes, "enter the below command" refers to the command 'verifier /reset'.

 

[buckyswider]

Thanks, did that, seems to be semi-stable at the moment...ran the collector, output attached.

I did replace my keyboard somewhat recently, with a used piece which was the same make/model as the one it replaced. I do still have one more of that make/model that is stable on another PC. Is it worth trying to swap the keyboards and see if the problems moves to the other machine (which is win10, and I may not have installed the protype utility on that one anyway)....




(Explanation of my keyboards, not useful in this exercise, but in case you're curious: I've been using a RAZER Protype keyboard for probably 10 years now. First off, I've become accustomed to the keyboard- but more importantly, I have an L-shaped desk with my work PC on one side and my personal PC on the other. They each have an underdesk keyboard tray. This particular keyboard is the only one I can find with both a mute button and a volume control near the bottom of the keyboard- so I can reach under the desk and mute/unmute or alter the volume without pulling the tray out. I've been hoarding these keyboards, watching for them on ebay and snapping them up when I see them so I can replace one when it fails or just gets too dirty At some point over the past 2 months, my personal PC keyboard started failing, so I threw that one out and replaced it with a used one from my stash, which also is the last one currently. )

 

[axe0]

Please remove the memory sticks you removed earlier.

It doesn't look like driver verifier caught any driver, so it's very likely that the problems are hardware related.

I'm not sure if Dell changed things over the years, but Dell has/had implemented diagnostic software to perform tests on hardware for failure for which no operating system is needed. This should be an option in the boot options (not the BIOS) which is shown after pressing F12 key before Windows starts to load.
Could you check whether you have this option or not, it would be called something like 'Diagnostic tests', and if you do please run it as extensive as possible which may take a couple of hours.

Since this started more than 3 weeks ago, if it was some form of malware I would think that it would've been discovered and reported elsewhere by now...

Although many anti-virus/malware programs use different techniques for detection to not rely on signatures too much these days, there is plenty of malware in the wild that hasn't been discovered yet. A couple of months ago, I read some reports of someone who discovered malware that had been in the wild since 2014 and never discovered before (which is why signature-less detection techniques are getting more important every day, a tiny change in the code and the signature is not working anymore basically).

 

[LavaLamps]

Freezing and Hanging - MalwareBytes might be the cause

Hello,

I saw your post and registered with SevenForums to impart some info...

Are you running MalwareBytes? Specifically, MBAM 3.6.1.2711 , Component version 1.0.508

There is a problem with the above version of MBAM affecting Windows 7 systems, with precisely the symptoms you describe. Many of us did similar troubleshooting, and finally focused on MBAM 3.6.1

MBAM staff was only able to replicate the problem this morning, as they had to procure a system which would reproduce the issue. Visit MBAM forums, there are threads and a sticky for posting logs, etc.

Some of us have been posting on MBAM for the past 3 weeks, and we've been rather annoyed that they refused to post an announcement or warning because they say "it only affects a small subset." (Win 7)

 

[buckyswider]

Please remove the memory sticks you removed earlier.

It doesn't look like driver verifier caught any driver, so it's very likely that the problems are hardware related.

I'm not sure if Dell changed things over the years, but Dell has/had implemented diagnostic software to perform tests on hardware for failure for which no operating system is needed. This should be an option in the boot options (not the BIOS) which is shown after pressing F12 key before Windows starts to load.
Could you check whether you have this option or not, it would be called something like 'Diagnostic tests', and if you do please run it as extensive as possible which may take a couple of hours.


Although many anti-virus/malware programs use different techniques for detection to not rely on signatures too much these days, there is plenty of malware in the wild that hasn't been discovered yet. A couple of months ago, I read some reports of someone who discovered malware that had been in the wild since 2014 and never discovered before (which is why signature-less detection techniques are getting more important every day, a tiny change in the code and the signature is not working anymore basically).

Thanks again Axe0...removed the sticks, ran diags, everything comes up clean. I did swap out the keyboard. Gonna investigate the very interesting post from LavaLamps!

 

[buckyswider]

Hello,

I saw your post and registered with SevenForums to impart some info...

Are you running MalwareBytes? Specifically, MBAM 3.6.1.2711 , Component version 1.0.508

There is a problem with the above version of MBAM affecting Windows 7 systems, with precisely the symptoms you describe. Many of us did similar troubleshooting, and finally focused on MBAM 3.6.1

MBAM staff was only able to replicate the problem this morning, as they had to procure a system which would reproduce the issue. Visit MBAM forums, there are threads and a sticky for posting logs, etc.

Some of us have been posting on MBAM for the past 3 weeks, and we've been rather annoyed that they refused to post an announcement or warning because they say "it only affects a small subset." (Win 7)

Yep, that is the exact version of MalwareBytes I'm running! And just noticed today that I keep getting a MWB popup saying "realtime protection disabled". I appreciate you taking the time to register to alert me to this...will try to find the MBAM forum!!!

 

[axe0]

Try to temporarily disable the web protection feature, that seems to be causing the freeze issue for many.

 

[buckyswider]

Thanks once again Axe0. Your continual help here has been nothing short of heroic.

I disabled web protection last night and my PC made it through the night. I will continue to monitor the MWB forums for an eventual fix. I will keep this thread open until I'm sure this is resolved so I can update it periodically in case others come across this thread with the same issue.

Thanks again. I owe you a beer or eleventy.

 

[axe0]

Just an FYI.
BleepingComputer wrote an article about this issue with Malwarebytes. They don't recommend to keep the web protection feature disabled, but rather that you revert back to the previous version so you stay protected.

I agree with them in that you might want to revert your Malwarebytes component package, instead of disabling the web protection feature. Disabling the web protection feature is only a test to find out if that's truly causing the issue.

 

[buckyswider]

Thanks, yep, I downgraded and so far so good. I'm wondering if this issue may be worthy of a temporary sticky at the top of this BSOD page? As LavaLamp reports over on the MWB forum, people all over the place are reporting problems on different forums...if they see a stick at the top in may save them a lot of grief...

 

[axe0]

I agree with your point, but in the end we then need a lot of stickies for many situations. Maintaining that would be very time consuming and I don't think it isn't really what stickies are meant for in this forum.

Though, in the end it's not me who makes a call whether this could be done, lets ask an admin for his opinion, z3r010.

 

[axe0]

Please don't post everywhere about the issue with Malwarebytes, 'cause it's not as relevant to you as to others who may not even have it installed.

 

[z3r010]

Not really suitable for a sticky.

 

[buckyswider]

OK, just thought I'd throw that out there. I've found two others that are likely candidates- not just posting at random

 

[buckyswider]

I've been running with the latest MalwareBytes for 48 hours now with no problem So I guess we can marked this as "Solved". Any MB user should have also received the update by now (unless they have disabled auto updating) so it shouldn't be a cause of any issues reported here anymore.

Thanks for all of your help axe0!!