Windows 7 Memory Diagnostic Tool Crashed My System

[SpawnoChaos]

Hello all. I'm currently talking to you from Safe Mode in Windows 7 32 bit.

I've been running Windows 7 for quite some time now and I haven't run across any hiccups like with the previous versions of Windows... until now.


I recently bought a copy of Star Craft 2 from Gamestop. Doing this allows you to be in the beta program... so I figured "Oh, good stuff".

I tried to patch the program and I received an error during the patch process. To make a long story short, Blizzard informed me that I should run the Windows 7 memory diagnostic tool to make sure that my RAM wasn't at fault, using the extended test. I figured "Ok, no problem".

I ran the tool, selected "Save work and restart the system".

The tool loads up and starts to run with 1 pass with a "basic" check. I realized after about 10 minutes into the check that I could hit F10 and change the options. I hit F10, changed the test to Extended and hit continue. The screen refreshed VERY slowly with the updated changes, except the progress went from 10% complete to look like "_%" for every spot that could have a % at it.

I thought that was odd, so I hit the Exit button.

The system rebooted.

The system started to hang at the BIOS POST screen a little longer that it usually does... normally it only stays there about 2-3 seconds... it now stays there for around 10-15 seconds.

The Windows 7 logo starts to load and then freezes half way through loading graphic. The system hangs there indefinitely.

I restarted the system and was given the option of "Repair" or "Start Windows Normally".

I tried to start Windows normally but it kept hanging at the Windows 7 load graphic.

The next time I hit Repair.

The system loads another loading screen with the old Windows Vista load bar... does about 2-3 full graphical loads, and then freezes there too. I tried this multiple times and only once did it get past that loading screen only to black screen freeze afterwards.


I hit F8 on the next startup attempt and was given a HUGE amount of options that I'm not used to seeing. I hit "Enter Safe Mode with Networking". Safe Mode starts to load and then it hangs a little on CLASSPNP.SYS but still loads into Safe Mode. I then get into Safe Mode and use the System Restore option.

I then successfully restore the system to the day prior. It takes a little longer at the Windows 7 loading screen due to the restore, but I make it into Windows no problem. I figured "Whew, that was a close one... I'm done messing around on the computer tonight." and I shut down the computer.

Today when I get back from work, I turn the computer on, and the SAME THING is happening again AFTER I fixed it last night!!!! It's freezing again at the Windows 7 load screen!

What's going on here? What do I need to do to permanently fix this thing?

 

[SimonWithTheHat]

I don't know much but if it was that bad I know I would just make a fresh install of Windows, erasing the partition, making a new and cleaning it.

 

[theog]

Check your ram.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/715-memory-diagnostics-tool.html?ltr=M
Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool
Check your HD.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html?ltr=S
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/433-disk-check.html
Check with a hard drive diagnostic tools.
Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.

 

[SpawnoChaos]

OK, the strangeness continues.

So, I decided to do a re-install of Windows 7. I put the DVD into the drive and used the System Restore Advanced options to re-install windows.

The system reboots and enters the Windows installation wizard. It says that "It can't find a valid Windows 7 setup DVD, please insert one, etc." I hit enter anyway.

It reads the DVD and then gives me some kinda "Insert error: either replace with a valid CD Key or a different CD. Re-install repair fails. Restarting the system."

I figure "SH*T, now what?"

The system restarts.

I prepare myself for the eventual letdown of the Windows 7 load screen hang.

Something is different this time... the POST screen flies by like it normally does. Windows 7 loads up just fine in NORMAL mode.

WTH is going on here? Is it going to do this randomly now?

FYI, I left the Windows 7 Family Update DVD in the drive while my system started up... not sure if that had anything to do with it. It shouldn't considering that my boot options have the HD going first.

theog, I'll try those tools out. I just hope that none of them requires that I restart to get them to work.. otherwise, I may never know what is going on.

 

[ViPeRMiMiS]

Hi,
You shouldn't have hit the "exit" button!!!!!!!! Anyway just test your computer with a better tool like Memtest86+ (http://www.memtest.org) and set extended and let it testing your ram all night. If you see the next morning your pc at the same "memtest x86" screen i bet you have a problem but it depends on your ram (e.g if you have 512 mb you have problem, if you have 1 gig then you have problem , if you have over 2 gigs of ram just see the screen (next morning) to see how % is done and if the pc restarts and.... appears your desktop you are lucky !!
Good Luck

 

[SpawnoChaos]

I finally shutdown the computer after getting everything done with it that I needed to yesterday.

Today, I turned it on and held my breath... and I'm OK for now. It is definitely running a little slower than it used to, but that depends on my POST screen. If my POST screen goes by fast like it usually would, then Windows loads up fast. If my POST screen goes by slower than it usually does, then I know that Windows and programs are going to be slower.

I used the above tools to check for system errors and any faulty sectors on the hard drive, but nothing came up.

I haven't tested the RAM yet...

I have 4 gigs of 1333 DDR 3 RAM in this rig and Windows shows all 4 gigs, so does the memory test at the POST screen.

Could there still be something faulty that the RAM is going bad at intermittent intervals but still shows up as having 4 gigs of RAM?

 

[SpawnoChaos]

I'm running the Windows 7 Memory Diagnostic Tool as I write this from my cell phone. The computer started slowly again today, so I figured maybe a restart would help....

.... it's hanging again at the Windows 7 load screen.

I'm having some doubts about my RAM... even though I just started the extended diagnostic test, it doesn't seem to be progressing farther than 21% on the first pass. In fact, it's been sitting at 21% for the last 2 hours... not sure if that's normal...

To clarify, that's 21% of the first pass with 00% overall test complete.

 

[SpawnoChaos]

After 1 pass with windows memory diagnostic it found nothing of note.

It may still be the RAM... I'm going to swap out RAM one at a time and see what that does.

 

[SpawnoChaos]

Does anyone else have suggestions?

It's strange how it rarely loads into windows with the normal POST screen, sometimes loads windows with a slightly slower POST screen, and now normaly just doesn't load windows and freezes at the load screen.

 

[SpawnoChaos]

The memory diagnostic tool ran for around 15 hours and didn't get past the 5th pass, it ended up getting stuck at 86% on the 5th pass. It started running all sluggish and such.

I exited the diagnostic tool and windows started "normally" for me. Even though the tool said that "Nothing was detected" I think that I'm going to pull 1 RAM stick at a time and see if that makes a difference.

 

[SpawnoChaos]

I've pulled the RAM one stick at a time.

Windows still refuses to load. It still gets stuck at the Windows 7 loading screen and never loads windows.

I did a system restore to an earlier date and it STILL didn't fix it.

I've checked my RAM, HD, and scanned my system files using the tools above. What else could it be??

My POST screen for the motherboard is still crawling by... could this be a problem with the MOBO??? When my POST screen goes by fast, I know that windows will load fine... but that rarely happens now (read, it has only happened 2x in the last 4 days).

What should I do now? Get a whole new MOBO?

I'm going to try and reinstall windows 7 and wipe the partition... but if that doesn't fix it... OR it doesn't let me for some unknown reason... then I guess I should replace the whole MOBO, RAM and CPU.

I'm at my wits end here. I've never run across something like this before, which leads me to believe that it is hardware related to my MOBO... something that I can't test for with no other obvious solutions.

My MOBO is an EVGA 790i Ultra, just in case anyone knows something about this MOBO that I'm not aware of.

 

[SpawnoChaos]

I've also updated "My System Specs" to help out, just in case something is there that would.

 

[SpawnoChaos]

OK... here's the damage...

I noticed on my POST screen (after not noticing it) that one of my HD's was missing from the list. As the problem progressively got worse, my POST screen would hang on the IDE checks.

After 2-3 times of it doing this, and entering the BIOS setup, I noticed that one of the HD was not being detected.

I unplugged the HD that was not being detected and BAM! The whole system started running like clock-work. One of my HD's seemed to be failing.

I switched out the SATA port with another HD to check to see if the port was damaged, but the port worked fine with the other functioning HD.

I then switched the cables to see if the cable was somehow damaged and now all 3 HD's are running fine.

So, either my one HD is failing intermittently, or there was a build-up of corrosion on the SATA connector that was interfering with the communication.

Time will tell.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Maybe this will help out someone else some day.

 

[theog]

You are welcome.