Random Freezes and BSODs

[SawedOn]

hi, Recently in the past week or so I have been experiencing random freezes that require me to hard restart the computer. Most of the time it is a complete freeze (no BSOD) but sometimes it is a BSOD.

I have tried doing a memTest (with MemTest86+) to see if one of my RAM sticks was bad, but after a 2 hour test no errors were found. I also did a system stability test called CPUstability, and ran it for 10 hours with no crashes. Finally today I resorted to a full HDD reformat with a clean install of windows, and after I finished installing all of my drivers the problem still persists but with more BSODS than freezes.

I have linked multiple 'error reports' using SF Diag Tool v4. If you need any additional info I'll be glad to post anything else you need (I'll just be sitting here hitting f5 while my steam games download). Thanks for reading -SawedOn

EDIT: So I got a new error, Windows closed all my open windows and said that there was a critical error and that my computer would be restarted in 1 minute.

EDIT2: I included a zip with dumps from the jcgriff2 BSOD tool.

 

[SawedOn]

Ok I've tried Enabling Driver Verifier by following Jack's guide. Now I BSOD on startup or seconds after the Welcome screen. I got 2 BSODS and a freeze before I opened up in safemode. I have linked the latest dumps below. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[SawedOn]

Well if there are just 1 or two drivers making my computer go bananas, I might as well start systematically removing them 1 at a time and enabling driver verifier until I achieve stability.

 

[SawedOn]

My computer seemed stable after I removed the Creative drivers for my Tactic 3D Alpha Headset, but this morning I go another BSOD with Bad_Pool_header at the top, here is the mini dump.

 

[SawedOn]

Well after Installing the Creative Tactic 3D driver from windows update (instead of the one I was using before with all the extra software from Creative's website) I experienced another freeze up. I then decided to remove all the Creative drivers from my comp again, and I got a BSOD mentioning Netio.sys here is another mini dump.

I could really use some help please if anyone is kind enough to take a look, I'd be very grateful.

 

[SawedOn]

Wow I just went through a barrage freezes with 1 BSOD, this is getting out of hand I think I'm just going to rip out every driver except for nvidia. If that doesn't work I just don't know what else I can try seriously... I have no I dead why this problem would just start out of the blue, I build this rig back in november/ october of last year and it has been running great until just a week ago...

Also as a side note two of the most recent freezes were in L4D2 just as I finished loading the game.

EDIT: My most recent mini dumps, etc.

EDIT2: Have I done something wrong ei. not posting enough info or posting in the wrong format? I just noticed this thread has 116 views but no replies.

 

[SawedOn]

Ok well I kinda feel like I should create a new thread because I've posted so much stuff already and I've been able to change some of the types of error messages on the BSODs I get. The problem I encounter is with all my drivers installed except for the creative ones (I still suspect them heavily of creating problems). Here is the BSOD I get now.

 

[SawedOn]

Ok well more freezes and no BSODS this time. It seems to come in waves, I was running my computer last night and all today with no problems then all of a sudden I get 3 crashes within 1.5 hours. I'm not sure if the freezes result in logs being made but Ill post em anyways.

I think I'll try posting on some other forums as well. Thanks for reading...

 

[JMH]

hi, Recently in the past week or so I have been experiencing random freezes that require me to hard restart the computer. Most of the time it is a complete freeze (no BSOD) but sometimes it is a BSOD.

I have tried doing a memTest (with MemTest86+) to see if one of my RAM sticks was bad, but after a 2 hour test no errors were found. I also did a system stability test called CPUstability, and ran it for 10 hours with no crashes. Finally today I resorted to a full HDD reformat with a clean install of windows, and after I finished installing all of my drivers the problem still persists but with more BSODS than freezes.

I have linked multiple 'error reports' using SF Diag Tool v4. If you need any additional info I'll be glad to post anything else you need (I'll just be sitting here hitting f5 while my steam games download). Thanks for reading -SawedOn

EDIT: So I got a new error, Windows closed all my open windows and said that there was a critical error and that my computer would be restarted in 1 minute.

EDIT2: I included a zip with dumps from the jcgriff2 BSOD tool.

Hi Sawedon and welcome

These were caused by several different things but all seem to point to memory management caused by an un-named driver. Please run these two tests to check your RAM and find out which driver.


Download a copy of Memtest86 and burn the ISO to a CD using Iso Recorder or another ISO burning program.

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.



Driver verifier

I'd suggest that you first backup your stuff 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.

Also of note. You have drivers from as far back as 2005 that need updating

SSPORT.sys    8/11/2005 7:07:32 PM        fffff880`077c1000    fffff880`077c9000    0x00008000    0x42fbda34

How To Find Drivers:

- search Google for the name of the driver
- compare the Google results with what's installed on your system to figure out which device/program it belongs to
- visit the web site of the manufacturer of the hardware/program to get the latest drivers (DON'T use Windows Update or the Update driver function of Device Manager).
- if there are difficulties in locating them, post back with questions and someone will try and help you locate the appropriate program.

- - The most common drivers are listed on this page: Driver Reference Driver Reference
- - Driver manufacturer links are on this page: Drivers and Downloads

 

[SawedOn]

Thanks for the reply!
I've found updates for all of my MSI drivers by checking their website (MSI Live Update 5 is the worst auto updater ever) and I found another printer driver (SSPORT.sys). I have already tested with mem Test 86+ but I'll test again, making sure to note the amount of passes and post back with the result.

 

[SawedOn]

OK so memtest86+ came up with an error in my RAM, I will try to test the sticks individually next. Also in driver verifier there are 3 drivers with provider and version <unknown> they are called "dump_atapi.sys" "dump_dumpata.sys" "dump_dumpfve.sys" Should they be selected as well?

 

[JMH]

These three are the aggregate of the crash, they aren't true drivers so no, don't bother.

FYI. -
atapi.sys - source - ATAPI IDE Miniport Driver

dump_dumpata.sys - source - driver created to provide disk access during crash dump file generation

dump_dumpata.sys - source - driver created to provide disk access during crash dump file generation

 

[SawedOn]

Yep after testing each stick in the same slot, one of em was causing errors. I have removed it from the system and I am now using driver verifier. The first time I enabled Driver Verifier I crashed on startup, and the second time I tried enabling Boot logging and have yet to crash. Here is the dump from the BSOD on my first startup, but I will continue testing in case it is not helpful.

EDIT: I got a freeze last night but unfortunately it didn't show a BSOD. Seems like the amount of errors I get has really slowed down after correcting that RAM issue. Also I'm not sure if it is related but everytime I try to update windows it says "Windows could not search for new updates" "errors found: Code 800B0001" and whenever I install any drivers it always comes up with a message saying that the drivers can't be verified or something.

EDIT2: The Windows update error was easily fixed after running the MS Fix It utility found here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822798

 

[SawedOn]

Hmm I got 2 freezes in a 1 hour period while playing a game yesterday, Ill post the mini dumps and stuff using the tool but I don't think that a mini dump is created when the system freezes does it?

 

[zigzag3143]

My computer seemed stable after I removed the Creative drivers for my Tactic 3D Alpha Headset, but this morning I go another BSOD with Bad_Pool_header at the top, here is the mini dump.

Several of these point to your creative soundblaster driver which is two + years old. I would re-install newest. I would also run a system file check as indicated below.

Run a system file check to verify and repair your system files.
To do this type cmd in search, then right click to run as administrator, then
SFC /SCANNOW

Read here for more information http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

Let us know the results from the report at the end.



ALSO

Please run this

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 stuff 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.

 

[SawedOn]

Hmmm strange that the Creative drivers should show up as being outdated I have always used the most recent ones from their website, and the Creative Updater can't find an update. It is possible that I may have had an older driver or that I didn't uninstall it properly at the time of that post; do I still have this problem?

Also I will run System File checker tonight and post back the results.

 

[SawedOn]

Ok no errors found when running the System Files Check. I am now running Driver Verifier 100% of the time hoping for a good error report

 

[JMH]

Ok no errors found when running the System Files Check. I am now running Driver Verifier 100% of the time hoping for a good error report

Let us know the results please....
Good luck!

 

[SawedOn]

The computer freezes on start up almost every time it boots with verifier on or off and will restart normally after a hard restart. I got a blue screen when I removed and reinserted my Creative Tactic 3D Alpha headset, which I only did because I grabbed the wrong plug (I was trying to remove and reinsert the usb plug for my keyboard because it was constantly pressing the F1 key).

Anyways here is the minidump.

EDIT: After restarting my computer because explorer.exe was acting weird, (not letting me alt tab, and acting as if random windows were set to 'always on top') I got a BSOD at the windows screen before the welcome screen almost every time (except for 1 freeze at the welcome screen). I turned off verifier and was able to boot successfully, the newest mini dumps are in the zip folder marked NEW.