Solved Recurrent BSODs while imaging with Macrium, or just using new printer

[Clairvaux]

Hi,

I have been suffering from recurring BSODs in the past months. I had (practically ?) never suffered BSODs before with this W7 install. Triggering events :

After installation of a new Epson XP 245 inkjet printer, BSODs began happening without any obvious triggering event. It has happened in the middle of a podcast, for instance. But it could happen anytime.

It became so annoying that I uninstalled the printer. In the first place, this seemed to correct the situation. Then I tried to reinstall the printer, and failed. Some drivers, which had correctly installed before, would now refuse to do so. I performed several uninstall / reinstall cycles, to no effect. The present state is partly installed, not working. So on top of BSODs, I have a printer which used to work and is now a brick.

Although bricking the printer stopped the frequent BSODs, they still happen quite regularly during my regular imaging routine with Macrium Reflect. Full imaging is especially prone to this. Lately, incrementals have also begun to throw BSODs. My Macrium routine images both the system and data disks.

I don't remember whether BSODs started with the printer install. They might have begun before. Having the printer fully installed and working certainly made the situation much more acute.

Possibly related : before all of this started, I installed Hard Disk Sentinel. At some point, my system drive developed a weak / bad sector next to the beginning, as shown by some of the software tests. There seemed to be something specially unusual about it, since some of Hard Disk Sentinel's tests would uncharacteristically stop when reaching this sector. It's a single defective sector on the whole drive. The rest is OK. I could not understand how to use the program to correct it, so the defect, presumably, is still there.

Thank you for your help.

 

[axe0]

Please do the following

• Open an admin command prompt
• Copy & paste the code below in the command prompt
• Go to your desktop
• Right click CollectedFiles folder and choose sent to and select compressed (zipped) folder
• Upload the zip.

Code:

md "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\CollectedFiles"&wmic /output:"%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\CollectedFiles\hotfix.txt" qfe list full /format:table&copy %SystemRoot%\minidump\*.dmp "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\CollectedFiles"&dxdiag /t %temp%\dxdiag.txt&copy %temp%\dxdiag.txt "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\CollectedFiles\dxdiag.txt"&type %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts >> "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\CollectedFiles\hosts.txt"&systeminfo > "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\CollectedFiles\systeminfo.tmp"&findstr /v "Owner." "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\CollectedFiles\systeminfo.tmp" > "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\CollectedFiles\systeminfo.txt"&del "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\CollectedFiles\systeminfo.tmp"&driverquery /v > "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\CollectedFiles\drivers.txt"&msinfo32 /nfo "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\CollectedFiles\msinfo32.nfo"&wevtutil qe System /f:text > "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\CollectedFiles\eventlog.txt"&reg export HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\CollectedFiles\uninstall.txt"&reg export "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components" "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\CollectedFiles\installed.txt"

 

[Clairvaux]

Hello axe0,

Here are the files.

 

[axe0]

It looks like the collection didn't complete?

 

[Clairvaux]

Sorry. I'll try again. Is there something to check to be sure that the collection is complete ?

 

[axe0]

It should contain >9 files

 

[Clairvaux]

Here are the files from a new run of your command (n°2). It's possible something went wrong when zipping the first batch, as the second zip is larger than the first.

 

[axe0]

Diagnostics Test

 HDD TEST

   Note

Please run HDTune first, in the order posted!
Run the tests on all drives.

Run HDTune to

• check the health,
• scan for errors, no quick scan but full scan
• run a benchmark.

It may take some time, but please take the time you need to perform it properly.
When above is done please make screenshots of the following

• the health,
• the error scan,
• the benchmark incl. following
  • transfer rate,
  • access time,
  • burst rate,
  • cpu usage.

Run SeaTools DOS to check the integrity of your HDD. SeaTools for DOS and Windows - How to Use - Windows 7 Help Forums
Run the long test.

   Note

Do not run SeaTools on an SSD as the results will be invalid.

Make a photo of the result and post it.

Run chkdsk
Disk Check - Windows 7 Help Forums
Use option TWO with parameter /r
Upload the chkdsk log :ar: Check Disk (chkdsk) - Read Event Viewer Log - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

[Clairvaux]

OK, will do that and report back.

 

[Clairvaux]

Hi, axe0.

Here are the results.

• System disk has 2 partitions, C: (Windows and software), and Z: (empty).
• Data disk has 2 partitions, D: (data, plus Windows Users folders, according to the Sysprep install tutorial by Kari, and Page file), and E: (more data).

HD Tune tests : since I noticed a strong dip in transfer speeds, at different places, with different runs of the Benchmark, especially for the System disk, I did 3 runs for each disk : Iteration 1, Iteration 2, and 5 passes averaged.

Please tell me if anything is missing. I hope you find something interesting in there...

 

[axe0]

Although you don't really have bad sectors that cannot be handled, I believe that there may be other issues with the drive(s) that cannot be identified as much as we'd like to. For this reason I recommend to replace at least the drive where the long test in SeaTools failed, the one where the short drive self test failed is up to you, all I see is an issue that the drive can easily handle.

 

[Clairvaux]

Thank you for looking into that data, axe0. Let me throw in a few questions.

• Is there a particular concern associated with the deep dips in transfer rate shown by the Benchmark test of HD Tune, especially since they happen at different places on the disk each time the test is run ?

• Those dips happen on the system disk. They don't happen on the data disk, which you advise to change because it failed the Sea Tools DOS test. Is it unexpected they should not happen on the data disk, which is the one with a bad sector ? Or is it an unconnected phenomenon ?

• I use HD Disk Sentinel. Do you have any opinion on that program, especially compared to HD Tune ?

• HD Disk Sentinel has some repair options which could be applied to one, or both of the disks. One is destructive of data, the other possibly so. Do you think it might be worth trying them ?

• Given the state of the disks, how reliable are my Macrium Reflect images (which are always set to verify themselves) ? Is there a possibility that they carry over some defects to a new disk ?

• Is it possible that the failed printer installation has anything to do with the problem ? Or is it unconnected ?

Added info : both disks have been used daily since the beginning of 2011.

 

[axe0]

1. There's no concern in my opinion, a test can sometimes show deep dips when a drive has been used for some time. Typically this happens only once, and even though multiple tests has shown them it is still no concern.

2. Your disk can handle a large amount of bad/unstable sectors, over time your drive should have handled the sole unstable sector and should be able to carry on without problem. That a drive hasn't been able to pass the SeaTools long test is more a concern, that is typically a sign of hard drive failure.

3. I haven't yet looked at HD Disk Sentinel.

4. What kind of repair options?

5. So long as no data corruption or file system corruption is present, your images should be fine.

6. If it is indeed a drive problem, anything can be involved

 

[Clairvaux]

HD Sentinel has a class of test/repair commands which it calls Surface Tests, and which are supposed to be the more thorough/powerful among those it offers.

There are no less than 6 different variants of Surface Tests. I have uploaded the screenshots of their dialog boxes, which carry some explanations.

HD Sentinel's website has a lot of intriguing and challenging information about hard disk technology and maintenance. Unfortunately, it's a bit intimidating and confusing. It looks like it's a one-man outfit, and he could do with some help to clarify his ideas. Some interesting links :

Surface Tests
SMART issues
Why HD Sentinel is different
What's a "weak" or "bad" sector

 

[axe0]

Disk repair would be the option you want, but I don't see how it differs from a chkdsk /r command. Chkdsk /r does the exact same thing and much more....

 

[Clairvaux]

And CHKDSK /r we did try. Time to buy a new disk, I'm afraid, and maybe make it an SSD for system. Then swap the former system spinner into data use. Thank you.