random BSODs, unknown cause...

[BiZZare orc]

hi guys, i have been receiving BSOD errors pretty much since i built my pc in january this year.
so after a few weeks i noticed some drivers were missing. so i installed them. this solved the issue for a month... but they eventually came back. these past 2 months they have escalated in frequency to the point that i get one almost every time the computer is on. this has been very frustrating as i have lost many hours work from unexpected shutdowns. i have taken it to the local repair guy and he has had no luck reproducing any similar crashes amidst running it for a week straight. he suggested that the problem might be caused by a dodgy ethernet cable or the modem. this has been disproven as the crashes can even appear when disconnected from the internet. i myself have memory tested the computer and got 1 pass using memtest86+. i really have no clue how to solve this problem and have tried everything i can think of since it was built in january. i would really appreciate any help i can get.

edit: i noticed the crashes are more likely when running either google chrome or windows media player.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello and welcome Bizz mate you do have a lot of screens eh?

----- ETW minidump data unavailable-----
Probably caused by : [COLOR=red]wininit.exe[/COLOR]
Followup: MachineOwner
---------
2: kd> !analyze -v
*******************************************************************************
*                                                                             *
*                        Bugcheck Analysis                                    *
*                                                                             *
*******************************************************************************
CRITICAL_OBJECT_TERMINATION (f4)
A process or thread crucial to system operation has unexpectedly exited or been
terminated.
Several processes and threads are necessary for the operation of the
system; when they are terminated (for any reason), the system can no
longer function.
Arguments:
Arg1: 0000000000000003, Process
Arg2: fffffa801020c060, Terminating object
Arg3: fffffa801020c340, Process image file name
Arg4: fffff80003190e70, Explanatory message (ascii)
Debugging Details:
------------------
----- ETW minidump data unavailable-----
PROCESS_OBJECT: fffffa801020c060
IMAGE_NAME:  [COLOR=red]wininit.exe[/COLOR]
DEBUG_FLR_IMAGE_TIMESTAMP:  0
MODULE_NAME: wininit
FAULTING_MODULE: 0000000000000000 
PROCESS_NAME:  [COLOR=red]wininit.exe[/COLOR]
EXCEPTION_CODE: (NTSTATUS) 0xc0000005 - The instruction at 0x%08lx referenced memory at 0x%08lx. The memory could not be %s.
BUGCHECK_STR:  0xF4_c0000005
CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT:  1
DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID:  WIN7_DRIVER_FAULT
CURRENT_IRQL:  0
ANALYSIS_VERSION: 6.3.9600.17298 (debuggers(dbg).141024-1500) amd64fre
STACK_TEXT:  
fffff880`0b065e38 fffff800`03222cb2 : 00000000`000000f4 00000000`00000003 fffffa80`1020c060 fffffa80`1020c340 : nt!KeBugCheckEx
fffff880`0b065e40 fffff800`031d9d8b : ffffffff`ffffffff fffffa80`1039c590 fffffa80`1020c060 fffffa80`1020c060 : nt!PspCatchCriticalBreak+0x92
fffff880`0b065e80 fffff800`03144484 : ffffffff`ffffffff 00000000`00000001 fffffa80`1020c060 00000000`00000008 : nt! ?? ::NNGAKEGL::`string'+0x29ce6
fffff880`0b065ed0 fffff800`02e8b853 : fffffa80`1020c060 fffff800`c0000005 fffffa80`1039c590 00000000`00c20900 : nt!NtTerminateProcess+0xf4
fffff880`0b065f50 fffff800`02e87e10 : fffff800`02f0d929 fffff880`0b066a38 fffff880`0b066790 fffff880`0b066ae0 : nt!KiSystemServiceCopyEnd+0x13
fffff880`0b0660e8 fffff800`02f0d929 : fffff880`0b066a38 fffff880`0b066790 fffff880`0b066ae0 00000000`00c22410 : nt!KiServiceLinkage
fffff880`0b0660f0 fffff800`02e8bc42 : fffff880`0b066a38 00000000`0000aab7 fffff880`0b066ae0 00000000`00c21ee8 : nt! ?? ::FNODOBFM::`string'+0x48074
fffff880`0b066900 fffff800`02e8a7ba : 00000000`00000001 00000000`00c20ff8 00000000`00c22d01 00000000`0000aab7 : nt!KiExceptionDispatch+0xc2
fffff880`0b066ae0 00000000`76d98805 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : nt!KiPageFault+0x23a
00000000`00c21000 00000000`00000000 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : 0x76d98805

STACK_COMMAND:  kb
FOLLOWUP_NAME:  MachineOwner
IMAGE_VERSION:  
FAILURE_BUCKET_ID:  [COLOR=red]X64_0xF4_c0000005_IMAGE_wininit.exe[/COLOR]
BUCKET_ID:  X64_0xF4_c0000005_IMAGE_wininit.exe
ANALYSIS_SOURCE:  KM
FAILURE_ID_HASH_STRING:  km:x64_0xf4_c0000005_image_wininit.exe
FAILURE_ID_HASH:  {a2dbcacb-935a-5ba8-e51d-9f8a30f04f43}
Followup: MachineOwner

One reference here is flagging the wininit.exe and it can be from a file corruption to a virus to a virus
wininit.exe Windows process - What is it?

So lets start with the really obvious

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/433-disk-check.html< if necessary include the /f and /r in the command line as per Option2

then these

http://www.superantispyware.com/

http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes_free/

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/

ADW download from bleeping computer delete any rubbish found with themalware scans

(NBIf one is running Kaspersky security it may rant about ADW - just ignore it ordisable Kaspersky while the ADW is being used)

 

[BiZZare orc]

i ran all five tests you mentioned plus i did another Norton full system scan but unfortunately nothing other than a few tracking cookies came up. i noticed a while ago when i was looking at the dumps created by bluescreenview that ntoskrnl.exe was seen to be the cause or the most frequent contributor to my BSODs. perhaps this is an issue?
i haven't had any bluescreens since i started this thread, which is good news.

also thanks for taking your time to help with my issue.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Sorry late reply mate yes the issue you mention - ntoskrnl.exe is a very common dump and can be anything within the machine involving soft or heard ware. When that dump is encountered I like to systematically go through the machine in an elimination process hence running those scans.

I usually start with some of the hard ware and - with a PSU test and you can do that using this and in case you are wondering why the PSU well it is because it is very often overlooked as a problem source and more to the point it is the component that without it functioning properly or at all the machine is not going to function.

Using HW Info

PART A:

You can test the volts onthe PSU with HW Info HWiNFO,HWiNFO32/64 - Download <download the right bit version and close the right hand window select Sensorsand scroll down to the power section where you will see what the volts aredoing see my pic. In my pic the section (Nuvoton)with VBATT is a dead give away you are in the section for the rail voltages.There are other section titles and one that pops up often is ITE

Now the voltage on thedifferent rails have to be within 5% =+/- of what is required or the machinewill not work properly if at all.

See this for the railvoltage info

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/power-supply-specifications-atx-reference,3061.html (Section 2.)

The original right handwindow shows the machine running and is handy for that but for looking at thecomponents in some detail close it and use the main left hand side panel

FOR OTHER COMPONENTS

PART B:

Open each small squarewith + in it on the section the components are in and then click on theindividual component/s (it willhighlight in blue) - in the right hand side will appear all sorts of detailsincluding brands speeds and other essential info that particular device. Seepic for example.

To post back you can use this How to Use the Snipping Tool in Vista
After that we will move on through the rest of the gear.

 

[BiZZare orc]

thanks again for replying!
i downloaded and ran the HWinfo program and took a snapshot of what you pointed out in the picture.

i also just then noticed a high-pitch whistling sound coming from the pc itself, it sounds like a capacitor. however i'm not sure exactly where it's coming from. I've never heard it before, so i don't know if i need to be worried.

edit: just restarted my pc and the whistling noise is gone...

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Sorry mate for late reply having a few issues with my mobile download.

Now the volts are ok except the next time you have the need to shut everything down the CMOS battery is low but not that it will make any difference to the BIOS settings right now.

Now the caps mate there a great many in the machine and I suggest you look around and try and pinpoint that whistle. There are some quite large ones in the PSU and it is a likely site for a bad cap as the unit does get a fair bit of heat. But in any case DO NOT attempt to look inside the device by any thing else than peering in through grills as there are potentially lethal voltages inside.
Look around the board with a very bright light ie one of those small LED torches and listen for that whistle and if there are bad caps and they are going south they might even be burst and exude a fairly toxic substance - the electrolyte - it often more than not has a very acrid and pungent odour and in bad cases make your eyes water. It can be very messy too so do not get it on the skin either.
In my pics see the different types old and new.
You will have to look very carefully too because some caps are hidden from view by other components ie the CPU cooler and the GPU card/s and in some cases where you need to take the board out.

Hopefully it is not the case but if so the cap has t be replaced and it is an easy job if you are handy with a soldering iron but if not it is a job for the tech shop



Have a look and post back but be thorough as you can be

 

[BiZZare orc]

sorry mate unfortunately the whistling just vanished after i turned the system off and on again. i had a quick look on the mboard and through the grill on the psu and it doesn't look like anything has exploded but i can't be sure. are there any other checks i can do before the whistling shows up again?

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hmm thought we might be onto something there. If the whistling recurs then do what I said and first listen to inside the case as that is apart from a belt driven device making that sort of noise - highly improbable here apart from say the optical drive mechanism and most likely cause a cap.


Now going back to your first post you mentioned you did a memtest for one pass - just so I have it right what memtest did you use?
The memtest we recommend is in this tutorial http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105647-ram-test-memtest86.html and you will see if you read this that it requires 8 passes at least or the results are not valid and you may as well not run it to be brutally honest.

 

[BiZZare orc]

indeed i did a memory test with memtest86+ about a week ago with only 1 pass however i am prepared to repeat tonight until i get 8 passes in a row. in the mean time i will finish my homework assignment while waiting for the capacitor to play up again so you probably won't hear back from me for a day or so. i will report any more BSODs that may occur between now and then when i post next.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Ok overnight is good the more passes the better and in nay case if you do get errors up before that is done say at 4 passes then you can stop it and then it is a matter of tracing the culprit stick or in the event there is one (most unusual) a slot.

The cap if it does blow then as I described the smell will be unmistakable - if nothing else

 

[BiZZare orc]

hi again; i ran the memory testing overnight but it didn't finish 8 passes so i left it going and went to school. when i came back, it had only just finished 8 passes. no errors tho... although when i came back my room smelt a bit like smoke. i checked the mboard and what i could see in the psu but it still looks like no capacitors have burst or anything:huh:. i have had a few bluescreens since i last posted and the details are in the file.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hmm guess something is getting very hot and apart from a visual inspection of the PSU, GPU and the board in general I could not suggest what is overheating.
Now if it is a cap that is the cause of that the smell will be quite different from the board getting scorched - just another thing to look the two smells being different in that cap will stick something rotten and the board a little more tolerable though still unpleasant. The reason being the electrolyte in the cap is a lot different form the resin composite that the board is made from.

The last BSOD's are they the last ones posted ot have you forgot to attach them to this post??

 

[BiZZare orc]

sorry i forgot the file XD

 

[BiZZare orc]

the smell has almost gone now; at least i cant smell it. it was definitely not a rotting smell, it was more similar to burning wood or something similar. might not have even been from the pc.

 

[BiZZare orc]

hey i just realised that the BSODs are alot more common when i am listening to my music through windows media player. is there a way to scan it or my music files to see if is the problem?

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Well I don't think it is just down to MP souly it may just be a system setting for it. I know we have down a chkdsk and sfc before but might be worth giving them a go gain and perhaps a look at ehe event viewer.

If you look through it heat it will have the BSOD's "events" listed and it would be interesting to see what they are listed as.

 

[BiZZare orc]

i'm looking at the event viewer right now and all of the errors, warnings and criticals over the last few days are to do with either 'peer name resolution protocol' or 'peer networking grouping service'. is this normal or is this a problem?

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Now seeing tha are you or have you been using P2P - torrenting or suchlike??

 

[BiZZare orc]

yes i do like to 'P2P' a movie (i don't like the word torrent) every now and then. but i am constantly scanning my downloads with antivirus.
- if i have downloaded a malicious file; why hasn't it completely taken over my pc?

note - i don't 'steal' anything i can't legally pay for anyway (don't have a credit card)

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Ok well it might have doen aand I would if it were me run the Kaspersky rescue disk but I cannot get it right now as the servers are down but there is another one - How to create a Bitdefender Rescue CD tyr that it boots without involving Windows so any malware sitting in it won't cow it is comic