Solved Windows Update(s) causing BSOD

[TaiMai13]

Hi Guys,

As mentioned in the title, I'm getting a BlueScreen after doing my latest round of Windows Updates.

I'm sure its one (or multiple) update(s) causing the problem because after I did a system restore, I've regained stability. After the first BSOD, I updated my BIOS and confirmed all other drivers were up to date. I then redid the updates, and I got the BlueScreen again. Again after restoring my system runs perfectly. Both times the BSOD occured within about 10 minutes of the restart after updating.

Any help anyone can provide would be much appreciated. I've attached extensive information, but if there is anything missing, I will do my best to provide. I'm not a complete n00b, but I'm no techie either so bear with me if I've made any foolish mistakes.

Thanks!

 

[MvdB]

Hello TaiMai13, welcome to SF!

Is it correct that your only and last dump is from Aug 16?
Going on your logs and that dump.. I'd check two ares:

1. The crash was due to your AVG software. As a test, remove completely and try MSE or AVAST! until stable.
Please see these links for uninstalling your AV:
Uninstallers (removal tools) for common antivirus software - ESET Knowledgebase
or here

Ultimate Collection of Uninstallers / Removal Tools for All Popular Anti-Virus Software - Tweaking with Vishal

Then reboot.
Sometimes these uninstallers do not remove all they should out of Registry:
Run CCleaner, both regular and registry.

Next install your preferred AV immediately.

Second.. you seem to have a problem getting a Plug and Play device to work. The device is your keyboard and / or mouse. Your system has repeatedly tried to get driver(update) for something but that seems to fail. However, that could be because of an AVG problem so let's get that sorted first?

 

[TaiMai13]

Hi MvdB,

Thanks for helping me out. I was beginning to think this post was going to be lost in obscurity.

First, Aug 16 is indeed the last dump. I didn't save the files from the first BSOD, and since the one on the 16th I had asked a few friends for help but they weren't able to, so I posted here.

This probably seems like a no-brainer, but is it really worth changing AV products over isolating the problematic update and not applying it? I've used AVG since XP days and I really like it. It's not really sentimental; I just like the interface and its worked great for me up to now. Having said that, I've heard good things about Avast so I'm not against changing for better stability.

Thanks for the info about AV uninstall. I use CCCleaner for uninstallation and knowing it's much better than vanilla Windows add/remove, I assumed it would be fine for pretty much any program.

I may have solved the plug n play issue. I was in msconfig and noticed I had 2 startups for my Logitech SetPoint software. There definitely weren't 2 last time I checked, and one looked suspect. I disabled it, and its still working fine, so we'll see if that sorts it out.

If you can answer my question about changing av vs. ignoring problematic update, I'll get on to testing.

Thanks again for your help. It is very much appreciated

 

[MvdB]

Well, actually, the best way to isolate the real reason for a crash, is to test ONE thing at a time. If stable now, after the logitech change... then maybe the AVG de-install is not needed. If it remains un-stable, I would fully de-install AVG. After you figured out what the issue really was and it has proven to be something else than AVG.. you can always re-install.

 

[karlsnooks]

TaiMai,

Change your AV as suggested. These suggestions are based upon years of experience.

We're not talking about a life and death matter.

Simply uinstall, per the instructions given.

 

[TaiMai13]

Thanks MvdB and Karlsnooks,

I have taken your suggestion and changed AVs to Avast. I've reinstalled the Windows updates and everything is stable for 2 days now.

As per MvdB's suggestion regarding testing and isolating one by one, I had visions of installing each individual Windows Update one at a time to isolate the problematic hotfix. However, that was going to be very time consuming with the obviously much wiser option to apply all fixes and simply change the conflicting application staring me in the face. As such, still no information regarding the conflict if other people are having the same issue.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[MvdB]

Thx for posting back. Theoretically, it could be that there was a conflict due to AVG blocking a PnP device. If you have time and want to know what really happened, that is what would need to be researched. I normally don't mention these things because >80% of the OP's just want their system working normal again asap.

 

[TaiMai13]

I do want to know what happened, as I am an enthusiast and marginally technically minded, but I also don't want to go through all the hassle. Yes I know, I want my cake and to eat it too. Such is life

I still don't know how it could have been solely a AVG and PnP device conflict. The only time I had instability (i.e. BSODs) was when I applied the Windows Updates. After I rolled back on system restore, I never had an issue. Could one of the updates been a catalyst that set off a chain of events leading to the conflict? I know its not really relevant now, but I am still curious. In years of Windows use, I had never had an update cause that kind of problem, so it took me by surprise. Looking at the threads here, it's much more common than I ever imagined.

 

[MvdB]

It is common but in most cases an new Windows Update forces an old, existing problem that was never noticed, out in the open. In other words, when a Windows update seems to cause the problem, in most cases the real problem is that a third-party driver does not really fit. It just took that update to notice something that was already not a 100%.

 

[TaiMai13]

Yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking. It was a catalyst for the problem, not the source of the problem itself.

 

[shanen0]

Funny, I thought this was about the BSoD from last month's Windows Update, and I was going to ask about the one I just saw this morning. Of course, Microsoft's software problems go back way before 2011, too, so I guess some things never change, no matter how much you wish they would.

Imagine a world in which Microsoft didn't have the big monopoly and they actually had to compete by making better software...