# [SOLVED] BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others



## Hockeywarrior

· OS - Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit full version
· Clean install -- this OS was the first installed on the hard drive
· Hardware age: 1 month for CPU, MB, and HD. 1 year for video card and PSU.
· OS installation age: 1 month, clean install. (installed when I built my system)
· Intel i-7 930 Bloomfield 2.8 ghz (8 cores) 
· Geforce 260 GTX 896 MB
· Asus Rampage III microi-ATX motherboard
· Roswill 630 Watt PSU

So for the last month I have been having pretty much one BsoD per day, basically ever since I put this mostly new system together myself. I haven't been able to trace the cause of the crashes. It never happens when I am gaming -- the majority of the time my PC BsoD's I am either not using or am browsing the internet. 

A couple of days ago I decided to stop using Mozilla because it has been crashing constantly, and I figured it might be related to my Bso, and began to use Google Chrome instead. Sure enough I had no BSoD yesterday, but as of today that changed -- I came home and noticed it had strangely crashed a few times (?) because there were three minidumps instead of just one.

I actually haven't seen the last few BSoD's happen but lately windows debug has been telling me that they're caused by ntoskrnl.exe. But past dumps have given other causes, such as win32k.sys, Ntfs.sys, and dxgmms1.sys. I have also seen these BSoD errors in the last few weeks (only the ones I have witnessed):

PFN LIST CORRUPT
SYSTEM SERVICE EXCEPTION
IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL
MEMORY MANAGEMENT

Seeing all of this and doing a bit of research, I thought that maybe my memory was messed up, so I ran Memtest 86+ overnight and had no errors. I also checked my RAM voltages in my BIOS. My RAM's recommended voltages are 1.55-1.75 and my numbers were a tad slow so I changed it to 1.6. Obviously this didn't change anything.

I'm also positive that my RAM is compatible with my motherboard because the exact product code for the RAM is listed as compatible memory in the mobo manual.

And as of today I have been getting errors saying that Windows Explorer has stopped working ... it actually happened while typing this. Really weird. 

Just so you know I attached all of the dumps I've been able to keep from the last two weeks, in the BSoD dumps.zip file. And the Perfmon.html file is included in the Windows7_Vista zip file.

So I know these things can be tricky but I really want to get to the bottom of this problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated!


----------



## jcgriff2

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Hi - 

Remove Daemon Tools/ Alcohol 120. The common driver *sptd.sys* is known to cause BSODs.

You mentioned seeing *ntfs.sys* in a prior BSOD. One of the 3 dumps noted "HIVE" - referring to the registry.

Run *chkdsk /r* on the HDD.

If BSODs persist, run the Driver Verifier -- http://jcgriff2.com/driver_verifier.htm 


Windbg Logs
--> http://jcgriff2.net/BSOD_Logs/_99-dbug_Hockeywarrior_Windows7x64_09-27-2010_jcgriff2_.txt
--> http://jcgriff2.net/BSOD_Logs/_99-dbug_Hockeywarrior_Windows7x64_09-27-2010_jcgriff2_.txt.zip

Regards. . .

jcgriff2


` 

BSOD BUGCHECK SUMMARY 


Code:


[font=lucida console]
Built by: 7600.16617.amd64fre.win7_gdr.100618-1621
Debug session time: Mon Sep 27 12:50:51.506 2010 (GMT-4)
System Uptime: 0 days 0:33:29.630
Probably caused by : ntkrnlmp.exe ( nt!HvIsCellAllocated+171 )
DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID:  VISTA_DRIVER_FAULT
BUGCHECK_STR:  0x50
PROCESS_NAME:  rundll32.exe
Bugcheck code 00000050
Arguments fffff8a0`4de2d008 00000000`00000000 fffff800`02d455d1 00000000`00000005
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨``
Built by: 7600.16617.amd64fre.win7_gdr.100618-1621
Debug session time: Mon Sep 27 12:16:08.828 2010 (GMT-4)
System Uptime: 0 days 0:25:14.952
Probably caused by : ntkrnlmp.exe ( nt!HvCheckHive+90 )
DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID:  VISTA_DRIVER_FAULT
BUGCHECK_STR:  0x50
PROCESS_NAME:  rundll32.exe
Bugcheck code 00000050
Arguments fffff8a0`4bcc8008 00000000`00000000 fffff800`02d06970 00000000`00000005
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨``
Built by: 7600.16617.amd64fre.win7_gdr.100618-1621
Debug session time: Mon Sep 27 11:49:36.805 2010 (GMT-4)
System Uptime: 0 days 0:57:50.929
Probably caused by : memory_corruption ( nt!MiBadShareCount+4c )
BUGCHECK_STR:  0x4E_99
DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID:  VISTA_DRIVER_FAULT
PROCESS_NAME:  rundll32.exe
Bugcheck code 0000004E
Arguments 00000000`00000099 00000000`001c536a 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨``
  

by [color=navy]jcgriff2     
             
         J. C. Griffith, Microsoft MVP[/color]   
             
           [url=https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Griffith][color=#000055][u]https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Griffith[/u][/color][/url]   
             
           [url=www.jcgriff2.com][color=#000055][u]www.jcgriff2.com[/u][/color][/url] 


¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨


  [/font]


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

OK thanks for the reply. I uninstalled Daemon Tools and ran the disk check. The funny thing is in addition to explorer crashing all the time yesterday, a ton of my programs wouldn't work either. Now, after the disk check did its thing, I'm not having any issues with those programs.

It will probably take some time to see if I'm still getting BSoD's, because I don't know the trigger (s) that cause it every single time, and it sometimes can take a while for it to happen. I'll keep you posted.

Can you explain what the driver verifier actually does? I'm curious before I use it.

Thanks again.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

OK so the disk check DEFINITELY did not solve the problem. I had no BSOD's yesterday, but today, as I was using Microsoft Word to do some work, I got a BSOD, related to win32k.

PAGE FAULT IN A NON PAGED AREA

This time though, when the PC restarted things were clearly messed up. My windows background was set to default and I was unable to run most programs. My PC clock was also set to military time for some reason. On top of this, Windows Explorer kept crashing.

So I restarted my PC in safe mode and that is how I'm typing this right now. I have attached the crash dump. I haven't had a chance to run driver verifier yet, mainly because I don't have the time at the moment.

Apparently something is very very wrong here. 

Thanks for your help ...


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

BUMP.

Could someone please offer their insight into this please? Thanks


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Well it looks like I'll just talk to myself then.

As of right now I am running the driver verifier. I guess I'm a about half way through since it said to run it for at least 24 hours.

I don't really see the point of it though, since Windows is pretty screwed up right now. I can't pin icons to the task bar, things crash occasionally, and small things like text size and when I drag windows I only see empty boxes ... all of this happened after the most recent BSOD.

I'm pretty close to just reformatting and reinstalling Windows 7. Of course, if this is a hardware issue then I guess it won't make a difference.


----------



## jcgriff2

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Hi - 

The lone dump had a bugcheck = *0x50* = invalid memory referenced

*sptd.sys* still showing up - 


Code:


[font=lucida console]
sptd.sys     Sun Oct 11 16:55:14 2009 (4AD24632)
[/font]

Disable it via REGEDIT.

1. Create system restore point
START | type *create* | "Create a system restore point"

2. Go in to regedit - 
START | type *regedit*



Code:


[FONT=Lucida Console]
[COLOR=red]HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Sptd[/COLOR]
    Type    		REG_DWORD    0x1
    [COLOR=Blue]Start    [/COLOR]           REG_DWORD    [COLOR=blue]0x0[/COLOR]
    ErrorControl        REG_DWORD    0x1
    ImagePath	        REG_EXPAND_SZ    System32\Drivers\sptd.sys
    DisplayName         REG_SZ       sptd
    Group	        REG_SZ       Boot Bus Extender
    Tag		        REG_DWORD    0x3
[/font]

- go to the SPTD key in red
- 2x-click on sptd "folder"
- locate "Start"
- 2x-click on blue icon next to "Start"
- change the DWORD *0* to *4* (disable)

See if sptd.sys disablement helps.


Windbg Logs
--> http://jcgriff2.net/BSOD_Logs/_99-dbug_Hockeywarrior_Windows7x64_09-30-2010_jcgriff2_.txt
--> http://jcgriff2.net/BSOD_Logs/_99-dbug_Hockeywarrior_Windows7x64_09-30-2010_jcgriff2_.txt.zip

Regards. . .

jcgriff2


` 

BSOD BUGCHECK SUMMARY 


Code:


[font=lucida console]
Built by: 7600.16617.amd64fre.win7_gdr.100618-1621
Debug session time: Wed Sep 29 17:25:19.739 2010 (GMT-4)
System Uptime: 0 days 7:07:11.863
Probably caused by : win32k.sys ( win32k!vAlphaPerPixelOnly+26 )
DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID:  VISTA_DRIVER_FAULT
BUGCHECK_STR:  0x50
PROCESS_NAME:  WINWORD.EXE
Bugcheck code 00000050
Arguments fffff900`82a26f78 00000000`00000000 fffff960`000e98ae 00000000`00000002
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨``  [/font]


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Thanks for the help. I just thought I would post an update. Ever since the last BSOD last week (that seemed to screw some stuff up in Windows), I have been totally BSOD free, until today. I came back to my computer later in the day and saw that it had rebooted.

Looking at the crash dump with Windows Debug it says the probable cause of the BSOD was Ntfs.sys. I WOULD attach the crash dump but now Windows is telling me that I don't have permission to zip the file. What the heck is going on? 

Thanks


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Oh and I forgot one thing -- I disabled that file in the registery like you told me to. But upon doing more research I found out that it is required for windows to start! Is it a good idea to disable it then?


----------



## Jonathan_King

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

It's required for SPTD to start, not Windows. That is a fine way to do it.

With due respect to BSOD master jcgriff2, may I propose a different way to remove SPTD?

Use the manufacturer's tool to uninstall SPTD: http://www.duplexsecure.com/download/SPTDinst-v174-x64.exe

That will actually remove SPTD, rather than just disabling it.

The choice is us to you.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Well I came back to my PC tonight and had yet another BSOD! This time Windows Debug told me it was cuased by fileinfo.sys.

Once again Windows will NOT let me zip these dumps -- access is denied. How do I make it so I can zip them? I already AM an administrator.

This is yet another new problem that I never had before, as I have already zipped and sent some dumps to you. Every time I have a BSOD things get more and more screwed up in Windows.

I'm quickly approaching the point where I want to wipe everything and reinstall Win7 fresh. But, I want to make sure this isn't somehow a hardware problem (though I doubt that now, since I had a full week with no crashing).


----------



## Jonathan_King

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Follow these directions instead: http://www.techsupportforum.com/f217/blue-screen-of-death-bsod-posting-instructions-452654.html


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



Jonathan_King said:


> Follow these directions instead: http://www.techsupportforum.com/f217/blue-screen-of-death-bsod-posting-instructions-452654.html


I already did that in the first post. You want me to do it again?


----------



## Jonathan_King

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Please. 

While dumps is probably all we need, the jcgriff2 report contains other info as well, such as event viewer logs.

Better too much info than not enough.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



Jonathan_King said:


> Please.
> 
> While dumps is probably all we need, the jcgriff2 report contains other info as well, such as event viewer logs.
> 
> Better too much info than not enough.


Ugh I was in the middle of recompiling the folder when my system BSOD'd AGAIN! (MEMORY MANAGEMENT, ntoskrnl.exe) This is getting ridiculous. I decided to boot into safe mode and do everything from there, but when I tried that, it started to load all the windows files, then just rebooted to Normal Mode without asking me. 

So my PC won't even boot into safemode ... this is crazy! I'm even having trouble backing up some data because Windows for some reason won't let me view hidden files on my system. I go into Control Panel to show hidden files, and every time I hit apply, it doesn't remember the setting. 

I'm going to try to compile that file again, but I'm quickly approaching just wiping everything and reinstalling Windows 7 fresh -- especially since so many things are messed up right now.


----------



## jcgriff2

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



Hockeywarrior said:


> it says the probable cause of the BSOD was Ntfs.sys.


NTFS = HDD

Run HDD diagnostics - http://www.techsupportforum.com/2828431-post7.html

Start with SeaTools for DOS.

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

`


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



jcgriff2 said:


> NTFS = HDD
> 
> Run HDD diagnostics - http://www.techsupportforum.com/2828431-post7.html
> 
> Start with SeaTools for DOS.
> 
> Regards. . .
> 
> jcgriff2
> 
> `


Sorry I haven't been replying very quickly. Since my past post things have gone down hill pretty fast. At one point it was crashing so quickly I wasn't even able to reply on this forum.

So before I could see this post I decided to back up as much data as possible and reinstall Windows 7 fresh. I totally reformatted the HD, and the installation went off without any hitches. But sure enough, today I had two blue screen errors. One was PAGE FAULT IN A NON PAGED AREA (ntfs.sys) and I don't know what the other was.

I got so fed up with this that I just took it to a computer specialist near me that I trust. I know now that it's got to be a hardware problem but I don't have the time anymore to trouble shoot it. I figure it's either my RAM or my HD. Hell my HD is probably full of errors because of all these BSOD's.

I thank you all for your help through all of this. When I find out what the problem is I'll be sure to post here again.


----------



## jcgriff2

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Hi - 

A fresh Windows install on a formatted HDD with all Windows Updates & driver updates installed on a system that immediately BSODs does point to hardware as the likely cause.

My only advice to you is to keep in contact with the PC repair shop as you certainly don't want to spend more on repairs than a new system would cost.

Good Luck to you.

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

`


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



jcgriff2 said:


> Hi -
> 
> A fresh Windows install on a formatted HDD with all Windows Updates & driver updates installed on a system that immediately BSODs does point to hardware as the likely cause.
> 
> My only advice to you is to keep in contact with the PC repair shop as you certainly don't want to spend more on repairs than a new system would cost.
> 
> Good Luck to you.
> 
> Regards. . .
> 
> jcgriff2
> 
> `


And I'm back! Of course, the guys at the PC place couldn't come to a conclusion. As a matter of fact, they couldn't even get it to crash while they had it, so couldn't really analyze the circumstances of the BSODs. 

Their guess is that there is either an issue with my RAM or the PSU. They ran 42 passes on my RAM with memtest without any issues, though they said that they did not use a 64 bit version, so that's one thing I could try. They also ran the Hitachi test on my HD with no problems at all. All my hardware checked out according to their tests, but obviously there has to be a hardware problem somewhere.

Because my PSU is a pretty crappy brand, they also said that there could be problems caused by that, and they didn't really have a way of testing the PSU.


Either way, I'm pretty much back where I was, but $100 poorer. The first 4 days I had it back from the PC guys it didn't crash at all, until last night. Dump points to ntoskrnl.exe as the cause. 

Why is it that I don't have permission to zip the crash dump files? Do I need to change a setting somewhere?


----------



## jcgriff2

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



Hockeywarrior said:


> They ran 42 passes on my RAM with memtest without any issues, though they said that they did not use a 64 bit version, so that's one thing I could try.
> 
> Why is it that I don't have permission to zip the crash dump files? Do I need to change a setting somewhere?


What memory test did they run?

Let's get fresh reports.

Download and run this app - http://jcgriff2.com/0x2/Windows_NT6_BSOD_v3.03_jcgriff2_.exe

Output = new folder created in Documents = *Windows_NT6_BSOD_jcgriff2 *

Zip the whole folder up and attach to your next post.

Install PC Wizard - http://www.cpuid.com/downloads/pc-wizard/2010.1.95-setup.exe

Be careful -- un-check the boxes for the Ask toolbar.

Run PC Wizard, Click on "File", "Save As", check box for Range - Selected category - Hardware, save as text file. Include in zip attachment.

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

`


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



jcgriff2 said:


> What memory test did they run?
> 
> Let's get fresh reports.
> 
> Download and run this app - http://jcgriff2.com/0x2/Windows_NT6_BSOD_v3.03_jcgriff2_.exe
> 
> Output = new folder created in Documents = *Windows_NT6_BSOD_jcgriff2 *
> 
> Zip the whole folder up and attach to your next post.
> 
> Install PC Wizard - http://www.cpuid.com/downloads/pc-wizard/2010.1.95-setup.exe
> 
> Be careful -- un-check the boxes for the Ask toolbar.
> 
> Run PC Wizard, Click on "File", "Save As", check box for Range - Selected category - Hardware, save as text file. Include in zip attachment.
> 
> Regards. . .
> 
> jcgriff2
> 
> `


I believe they said they ran memtest 84+, which is what I used a few weeks back. Attached are the files you wanted.


----------



## jcgriff2

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Hi - 

They should have run memtest86+ http://www.techsupportforum.com/2863029-post5.html

I hope they didn't charge you for the memory test.

Do you have your Windows 7 DVD for OS reinstall?

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

`


----------



## jcgriff2

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Hi - 

Two dumps - 9 October & 17 October 2010 both have the same bugcheck - 

*0x50* = invalid memory referenced

I do not see anything in the files to help here. I did find appcrashes and system services suddenly terminating with no explanation -


Code:


[FONT=Lucida Console]
- chrome
- sysmain (SuperFetch) Service
- Offline Files Service
- Windows Audio Enpoint Builder Service
- HomeGroup Listener  Service
- Network Connections Service
- Program Compatibility Assistant Service
- Distributed Link Tracking Client
- Diagnostic System Host service 
- Windows Driver Foundation - User-mode Driver Framework service[/FONT]


Unknown hardware failure is the cause here.

I suggest that you run memtest86+, 1 stick at a time and alternate the slots.

http://www.techsupportforum.com/2863029-post5.html


Windbg Logs
--> http://jcgriff2.net/BSOD_Logs/_99-dbug_Hockeywarrior_Windows7x64_10-17-2010_jcgriff2_.txt
--> http://jcgriff2.net/BSOD_Logs/_99-dbug_Hockeywarrior_Windows7x64_10-17-2010_jcgriff2_.txt.zip

Regards. . .

jcgriff2


` 


BSOD BUGCHECK SUMMARY 


Code:


[font=lucida console]
Built by: 7600.16617.amd64fre.win7_gdr.100618-1621
Debug session time: Sun Oct 17 00:33:46.999 2010 (GMT-4)
System Uptime: 0 days 10:37:58.012
Probably caused by : ntkrnlmp.exe ( nt!AuthzBasepRemoveSecurityAttributeFromLists+31 )
DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID:  VISTA_DRIVER_FAULT
BUGCHECK_STR:  0x50
PROCESS_NAME:  SearchFilterHo
Bugcheck code 00000050
Arguments fffff8a0`4db79120 00000000`00000000 fffff800`02e31ee1 00000000`00000005

¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨``

Built by: 7600.16617.amd64fre.win7_gdr.100618-1621
Debug session time: Sat Oct  9 11:56:23.716 2010 (GMT-4)
System Uptime: 0 days 1:42:54.840
Probably caused by : fileinfo.sys ( fileinfo!FIStreamFillStreamInfo+14 )
DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID:  VISTA_DRIVER_FAULT
BUGCHECK_STR:  0x50
PROCESS_NAME:  svchost.exe
Bugcheck code 00000050
Arguments fffffa80`475e30b0 00000000`00000000 fffff880`011f2424 00000000`00000005


¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨``
  

by [color=navy]jcgriff2     
             
         J. C. Griffith, Microsoft MVP[/color]   
             
           [url=https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Griffith][color=#000055][u]https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Griffith[/u][/color][/url]   
             
           [url=www.jcgriff2.com][color=#000055][u]www.jcgriff2.com[/u][/color][/url] 


¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨


  [/font]


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Memtest 86+ is what I meant ... not 84 sorry. That is the test they ran, 42 passes with no issues.

I'm not sure if they tested it one stick at a time, though. And yes I do have a Win7 disc, which I used last week to reinstall Windows completely after I reformatted the drive. I did this to rule out any software issues or Windows installation issues.

Installation went off without a hitch. It wasn't until the day after that I had crashes again. Then I took it to the PC guys who never had a crash happen at all. In the 4 days I had it back, my PC didn't crash at all, until early this morning.

Another thing -- I have seen a trend where if I'm using an internet browser, it will tend to crash, but this only happens around times when the computer has had a BSOD. For instance, in the last few days where I haven't had any issues I didn't have any browser problems, but today I have had Chrome crash a couple of times and have issues displaying pages.

Also, how long should I test each stick of memory? I dont have a lot of experience with this so I'm not sure how to go about testing the different combinations of RAM.


----------



## jcgriff2

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Did they say 42 passes on each stick?

Run Prime95 - [url]http://www.techsupportforum.com/f217/windows-7-sleep-problem-not-waking-up-521810.html#post2886255[/URL]

Windows 7 install ~ 10 days old.

I did notice the "delay factor" in the logs. All seems copasetic for a few days, then all hell breaks loose. System services start failing, apps crash, etc... I did notice the presence of *0xc0000005* exception codes = memory access violation. I often see this with 3rd party firewall installed, but you do not have one. 

I would advise the removal of Chrome, Avira for now.

Avira removal - [url]http://www.avira.com/en/support-for-home-knowledgebase-detail/kbid/420?id=135[/URL]

Reboot upon completion. Install MSE - [url]http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/[/URL]

I saw *pnkbstra *in system services. I worked on BSOD earlier today where the Driver Verifier flagged *pnkbstrk*. Not sure what the difference is between the two. No gamer here, so I don't have them.


Also run SeaTolls for DOS - HDD diagnostics.

[url]http://www.techsupportforum.com/2828431-post7.html[/URL]

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

`


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



jcgriff2 said:


> Did they say 42 passes on each stick?
> 
> Run Prime95 - [url]http://www.techsupportforum.com/f217/windows-7-sleep-problem-not-waking-up-521810.html#post2886255[/URL]
> 
> Windows 7 install ~ 10 days old.
> 
> I did notice the "delay factor" in the logs. All seems copasetic for a few days, then all hell breaks loose. System services start failing, apps crash, etc... I did notice the presence of *0xc0000005* exception codes = memory access violation. I often see this with 3rd party firewall installed, but you do not have one.
> 
> I would advise the removal of Chrome, Avira for now.
> 
> Avira removal - [url]http://www.avira.com/en/support-for-home-knowledgebase-detail/kbid/420?id=135[/URL]
> 
> Reboot upon completion. Install MSE - [url]http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/[/URL]
> 
> I saw *pnkbstra *in system services. I worked on BSOD earlier today where the Driver Verifier flagged *pnkbstrk*. Not sure what the difference is between the two. No gamer here, so I don't have them.
> 
> 
> Also run SeaTolls for DOS - HDD diagnostics.
> 
> [url]http://www.techsupportforum.com/2828431-post7.html[/URL]
> 
> Regards. . .
> 
> jcgriff2
> 
> `


Regarding the crashing, that definitely matches the issues I've been having. All is fine, then BAM crash and everything starts acting up. 

There's nothing wrong with the Punkbuster services -- they are anti-cheat programs for certain games I play. I know they're OK because I was BSODing before I installed Punkbuster, the day after my Windows reinstall. The only thing I had installed by that point is basic programs and drivers.

What's wrong with Chrome or Avira? I have been using Avira for many years and never had issues, and Internet Explorer also crashes just like Chrome when I'm using it around the time of a BSOD.

I'll run those other things you suggested. OH and it's also worth mentioning that about 4-5 days ago, before I got this recent BSOD, my system DID lock up completely (freeze). I had to shut it down manually. Not sure if this is related. I believe I was playing a game at the time, but I cant remember off the top of my head. I actually had this happen a couple times two weeks ago on the "old" Windows 7 install -- a freeze with no BSOD.

And what should I look for when running Prime 95? What will happen if there's a problem? BSOD? Is it safe to use my computer normally while running the test? I don't want to overheat and damage my system ... sorry if this is me being paranoid.


----------



## jcgriff2

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



Hockeywarrior said:


> There's nothing wrong with the Punkbuster services -- they are anti-cheat programs for certain games I play. I know they're OK because I was BSODing before I installed Punkbuster, the day after my Windows reinstall. The only thing I had installed by that point is basic programs and drivers.


*PnkBstrK* was involved in a Driver Verifier BSOD less than 36 hours ago.

http://www.techsupportforum.com/f217/driver_not_less_or_equal-vista-521911.html#post2942484



Hockeywarrior said:


> What's wrong with Chrome or Avira? I have been using Avira for many years and never had issues, and Internet Explorer also crashes just like Chrome when I'm using it around the time of a BSOD.


There is nothing wrong with either app in general. However, both have had trouble in the past and have been named in BSODs. This is only a temporary measure to try and rule things in or out. You can always install again.




Hockeywarrior said:


> I'll run those other things you suggested. OH and it's also worth mentioning that about 4-5 days ago, before I got this recent BSOD, my system DID lock up completely (freeze). I had to shut it down manually. Not sure if this is related. I believe I was playing a game at the time, but I cant remember off the top of my head. I actually had this happen a couple times two weeks ago on the "old" Windows 7 install -- a freeze with no BSOD.
> 
> And what should I look for when running Prime 95? What will happen if there's a problem? BSOD? Is it safe to use my computer normally while running the test? I don't want to overheat and damage my system ... sorry if this is me being paranoid.


The freezing could be RAM, heat, other hardware failure, etc...

I will ask someone to further explain Prime95.

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

`


----------



## reventon

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



Hockeywarrior said:


> And what should I look for when running Prime 95? What will happen if there's a problem? BSOD?
> 
> BSOD, freeze or error messages being displayed in the Prime 95 Window
> 
> Is it safe to use my computer normally while running the test?
> 
> It's _possible_ however I wouldn't recommend it due to the risk of data loss, and the fact that with the CPU being stressed your system won't be very responsive
> 
> I don't want to overheat and damage my system ... sorry if this is me being paranoid.
> 
> Keep an eye on the temperatures with Speedfan or similar - according to Intel your CPU needs to be below 68 degrees C. If it reaches higher temps than this then you need to invest in some better cooling anyway


Lastly - do you have a spare PSU you can use? Rosewill are notorious for being poor quality.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



reventon said:


> Lastly - do you have a spare PSU you can use? Rosewill are notorious for being poor quality.


Of course, I found this out a few months after buying it ... I was on the cheap, what can I say? I know, terrible excuse.

If I had a spare PSU I would have tried that by now, since it's the only piece of equipment in this "new" PC that is sub-part, quality (and brand) wise.

The PC place I took it to offered to let me try one of their Corsair CPUs (that they recommend) and buy it if it works. I know they're trying to make some money off me, but the thought occurred to me that maybe I'll "try it" then, regardless of whether it fixes the problem or not, send it back, just so I can see if things change.

I wouldn't feel guilty, given that I paid 100 bucks for them to run all the tests I did, and not come up with anything.

I'll try running Prime 95 with a watch on the temperature. I think I have Intel's stock cooling, which I know isn't the greatest.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Sorry to double post but I've got another BSOD crash dump for you to review which happened earlier today while my PC was idle. The full report is attached. Windows won't let me put the crash dumps themselves into zip files -- says I don't have access -- so I have to use your program to show them to you.

I have also noticed Windows Explorer crashing ALOT the last couple of days. NOT Internet Explorer -- Windows Explorer (explorer.exe). This happened to me twice in quick succession about 5 minutes ago and happened a couple times yesterday. It seems like the pattern of Windows becoming gradually more and more messed up is happening again.


----------



## jcgriff2

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Hi - 

The bugcheck - *0x1a* = memory management error

Process running = nvSCPAPISvr.exe = NVIDIA Stereoscopic 3D Driver Service

I would suggest you look into the PSU issue.


Windbg Logs
--> http://jcgriff2.net/BSOD_Logs/_99-dbug_Hockeywarrior_Windows7x64_10-18-2010_jcgriff2_.txt
--> http://jcgriff2.net/BSOD_Logs/_99-dbug_Hockeywarrior_Windows7x64_10-18-2010_jcgriff2_.txt.zip

Regards. . .

jcgriff2


` 

BSOD BUGCHECK SUMMARY 


Code:


[font=lucida console]
Built by: 7600.16617.amd64fre.win7_gdr.100618-1621
Debug session time: Mon Oct 18 16:15:18.764 2010 (GMT-4)
System Uptime: 0 days 5:18:28.904
Probably caused by : ntkrnlmp.exe ( nt! ?? ::FNODOBFM::`string'+33906 )
BUGCHECK_STR:  0x1a_41790
DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID:  VISTA_DRIVER_FAULT
PROCESS_NAME:  nvSCPAPISvr.ex
Bugcheck code 0000001A
Arguments 00000000`00041790 fffffa80`00ee0ce0 00000000`0000ffff 00000000`00000000
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨

  [/font]


----------



## reventon

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



Hockeywarrior said:


> Of course, I found this out a few months after buying it ... I was on the cheap, what can I say? I know, terrible excuse.
> 
> If I had a spare PSU I would have tried that by now, since it's the only piece of equipment in this "new" PC that is sub-part, quality (and brand) wise.
> 
> The PC place I took it to offered to let me try one of their Corsair CPUs (that they recommend) and buy it if it works. I know they're trying to make some money off me, but the thought occurred to me that maybe I'll "try it" then, regardless of whether it fixes the problem or not, send it back, just so I can see if things change


I would suggest you do that - Corsair PSUs are very good.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

OK this has gotten truly ridiculous today. I'm actually typing from another computer right now. Just after making that last EDIT to my post, I got another BSOD which didn't give any specific error or name a file as the cause. Also, my computer wouldn't boot into safe mode, just like last time all this crap happened before I reinstalled Windows.

I definitely think I'm going to take up the computer guys on their PSU offer -- it's gotten to the point again where I can't even use my PC, or keep it up long enough to post the crash reports. I don't think the crash reports help anyway, since they dont seem to lead to any causes.


----------



## reventon

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



Hockeywarrior said:


> I don't think the crash reports help anyway, since they dont seem to lead to any causes.


Yes, where a hardware fault is involved the crash reports do not tell us much at all. Where a software fault is involved however they are invaluable.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Before I go out and try a different PSU, tonight I decided to try taking out all but 1 stick of RAM to see what happens, since I couldn't turn on my computer without it crashing within 5 minutes. So, I took out all but one stick of 2 gigs to see what would happen.

The computer has been on now for about 20 minutes with no crashing so far. I can't conclude that it WONT crash, but this seems kind of promising. If I go another hour or so without crashing, I'll take out that RAM stick and try a different one, and repeat it with the third stick. If I can't get it to crash on any of the individual sticks of RAM I'll try pairs, etc.

I'll keep you updated.


----------



## reventon

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Also check the recommended RAM voltage settings on the Manufacturer's specs - then set those Voltages/timings manually in the BIOS. This is because often the automatic settings aren't sufficient when all slots are populated.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



reventon said:


> Also check the recommended RAM voltage settings on the Manufacturer's specs - then set those Voltages/timings manually in the BIOS. This is because often the automatic settings aren't sufficient when all slots are populated.


Already did that a long time ago. The voltages were a tad low a few weeks back, so I increased them so that they're right in the sweet spot according to the RAM manufacturer (ADATA). Doing this didn't effect my crashes.

Still no crash so far after almost an hour. I'll keep you updated.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



Hockeywarrior said:


> Already did that a long time ago. The voltages were a tad low a few weeks back, so I increased them so that they're right in the sweet spot according to the RAM manufacturer (ADATA). Doing this didn't effect my crashes.
> 
> Still no crash so far after almost an hour. I'll keep you updated.


OK so after 2 hours, running the PC on the first (of 3) RAM sticks had NO issues what so ever. No BSODs and no weird windows glitches that tend to coincide with them. I even got some files to install that wouldn't yesterday (I was getting corrupt file errors).

Right now I'm running my PC on the second stick. After about 2 hours so far everything is running fine. I'll insert the third stick by itself before I go to bed and test it over night to see if I get a crash.

So far I've been testing each stick in the same RAM slot on my motherboard. If I don't get a crash on any individual sticks, I'm not sure how I'll go about testing this to see where the problem is. I have a nasty hunch that the issues creep in when I run the RAM in triple channel.

Any tips that will help me with testing this??

Thanks


----------



## reventon

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

No tips sorry apart from "find out what combinations work, and what don't" - then I can interpret the results.

You can however try to "speed up" possible problems by stressing the system with Prime95 under each combination.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

I just thought I'd post a quick update.

I tested each individual stick thoroughly with absolutely no issues what so ever. Now I am moving to combinations of two sticks of RAM. I have labeled the sticks 1, 2, and 3 based on what order I tested them individually. So far I have tested 1 and 2 for a few hours with no problems. Now I am currently testing 1 and 3 together, so far with no issues after an hour or so. Then I will test 2 and 3 together, which is all of the combinations of two.

After that I guess I'll test all three together again and make sure I get issues again. If I do, then I might try changing the slots around. Thoughts? Comments?

I'm thinking that the problem only arises when I use the RAM in triple channel, but we'll see.


----------



## sircanegiem

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Hey there. Just wanted to add that I've had RAM sticks failing that Memtest didn't pick up. Also, the PC I built for my sister had problems when her Gigabyte P45 motherboard was running RAM in dual-channel but worked perfectly in single-channel. 

Turns out the northbridge heatsink on her motherboard was being pushed a *tiny* bit to the side from the CPU cooler leaning up against it, gradually causing the NB to overheat and become unstable with dual-channel RAM. In your case the memory controller is built into the CPU though, so you might want to check if -that's- getting enough voltage (and cooling). Seems unlikely with BSODs happening when the computer is idle, but maybe the CPU isn't getting enough voltage after it downclocks?

I've had RAM crash systems when the modules themselves were getting too little voltage as well, but you checked that already. 

Lastly, definitely go with the Corsair PSU; they're the only ones I use with all Japanese caps and ball-bearing fans. I bought my 550w for $50 on ebay a couple months back, and I have a second one here sitting around just in case. xD

----------------

I actually came across this thread because my own computer had been having some ntoskrnl.exe BSODs recently too. I was using a Phenom II x4 955 BE processor that had been running perfectly for a couple months. I pulled it out and swapped it with a Phenom II x2 and left all the voltages and frequencies the same in the BIOS, and I haven't had a BSOD since -- and the memory controller is also built into Phenom CPUs, like yours is.

That may or may not help you, but to me you might want to double-check your CPU voltages and frequencies. CPUs rarely go bad -- only seen two in the past eight years -- but it's worth looking at.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



sircanegiem said:


> Hey there. Just wanted to add that I've had RAM sticks failing that Memtest didn't pick up. Also, the PC I built for my sister had problems when her Gigabyte P45 motherboard was running RAM in dual-channel but worked perfectly in single-channel.
> 
> Turns out the northbridge heatsink on her motherboard was being pushed a *tiny* bit to the side from the CPU cooler leaning up against it, gradually causing the NB to overheat and become unstable with dual-channel RAM. In your case the memory controller is built into the CPU though, so you might want to check if -that's- getting enough voltage (and cooling). Seems unlikely with BSODs happening when the computer is idle, but maybe the CPU isn't getting enough voltage after it downclocks?
> 
> I've had RAM crash systems when the modules themselves were getting too little voltage as well, but you checked that already.
> 
> Lastly, definitely go with the Corsair PSU; they're the only ones I use with all Japanese caps and ball-bearing fans. I bought my 550w for $50 on ebay a couple months back, and I have a second one here sitting around just in case. xD
> 
> ----------------
> 
> I actually came across this thread because my own computer had been having some ntoskrnl.exe BSODs recently too. I was using a Phenom II x4 955 BE processor that had been running perfectly for a couple months. I pulled it out and swapped it with a Phenom II x2 and left all the voltages and frequencies the same in the BIOS, and I haven't had a BSOD since -- and the memory controller is also built into Phenom CPUs, like yours is.
> 
> That may or may not help you, but to me you might want to double-check your CPU voltages and frequencies. CPUs rarely go bad -- only seen two in the past eight years -- but it's worth looking at.


Thanks for posting your thoughts.

I have finally finished my RAM tests. I have 3 sticks of ADATA DDR3 1600G RAM, that I would like to run in triple channel (the RAM is built for triple channel). I have been testing them in various ways to see if I can come to any conclusions as to why my system has been getting BSOD's.

I tested each stick of RAM individually (in the same slot) with no problems. I then tested each combination of two sticks of RAM, with no problems (ie 1 with 2, 1 with 3, 2 with 3). Last night I decided to try all three sticks and sure enough, I started getting weird issues, finally culminating in a BSOD (IRLQ NOT LESS OR EQUAL) today, which I was expecting.

So there you have it -- my system only crashes when I try to run the RAM in triple channel. So is this definitely a problem with the RAM or could it be something else?

Thanks


----------



## sircanegiem

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

What speed are you running the three sticks at? I'd try taking it down a notch (1600 to 1333, 1333 to 1066... etc.) And again make sure the CPU voltage is high enough whether you're overclocking or not. It could be running the modules too fast and having problems addressing all three at once, but using one or two sticks it works fine at those speeds.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



sircanegiem said:


> What speed are you running the three sticks at? I'd try taking it down a notch (1600 to 1333, 1333 to 1066... etc.) And again make sure the CPU voltage is high enough whether you're overclocking or not. It could be running the modules too fast and having problems addressing all three at once, but using one or two sticks it works fine at those speeds.


I don't really have alot of experience working in the BIOS. Can you just list a run down of values and their names for me to check?

Screwing around in the BIOS is never a good idea unless you know exactly what you are looking for.

These are my system specs, if you need them:

· OS - Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit full version
· Intel i-7 930 Bloomfield 2.8 ghz (8 cores) 
· Geforce 260 GTX 896 MB
· Asus Rampage III microi-ATX motherboard
. 6GB of RAM -- 3 2GB sticks of ADATA DDR3 1600 RAM
· Roswill 630 Watt PSU


----------



## sircanegiem

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

It should be something simple, like "DRAM Frequency" or "DDR Frequency" under the system performance settings, and it should be between 1066MHz-1600MHz by default. Just open that setting up, and to be on the safe side, try setting it to 1066MHz to see if that fixes your stability issues, even though the RAM is rated at up to 1600Mhz.

On a side-note:
Adjusting frequencies in the BIOS is harmless as you can always just reset them back to defaults using a switch or jumper on the motherboard, or pulling the CMOS battery & unplugging the power for a few seconds. Adjusting voltages you should stay away from, though, unless you have some knowledge about the component being over-volted. Since you're using a nicer board, it'll most likely automatically restore defaults if you change something too much anyway, without needing to touch your motherboard. :wink:

With a nice board and an i7 like that it would be a shame not to do some tweaking! I'd start to familiarize myself with overclocking using your board if I were you. :grin:


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



sircanegiem said:


> It should be something simple, like "DRAM Frequency" or "DDR Frequency" under the system performance settings, and it should be between 1066MHz-1600MHz by default. Just open that setting up, and to be on the safe side, try setting it to 1066MHz to see if that fixes your stability issues, even though the RAM is rated at up to 1600Mhz.
> 
> On a side-note:
> Adjusting frequencies in the BIOS is harmless as you can always just reset them back to defaults using a switch or jumper on the motherboard, or pulling the CMOS battery & unplugging the power for a few seconds. Adjusting voltages you should stay away from, though, unless you have some knowledge about the component being over-volted. Since you're using a nicer board, it'll most likely automatically restore defaults if you change something too much anyway, without needing to touch your motherboard. :wink:
> 
> With a nice board and an i7 like that it would be a shame not to do some tweaking! I'd start to familiarize myself with overclocking using your board if I were you. :grin:


Thanks for the info! What would cause my system not to be able to run the RAM at its highest rating? Would that effect performance much? I guess what I'm saying is it feels like I would be treating the symptoms -- not the source of the problem.

On the bit about overclocking, I guess I just want things to WORK for now haha ... I've been struggling with solving this issue for so long. That said I probably wouldn't feel safe doing that until I got a better PSU or, even more important, better cooling.


----------



## sircanegiem

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

There is very little difference in decreasing RAM speed in most programs the average person uses besides memory read/write benchmarks. Games actually prefer RAM to have a lower frequency with tighter timings (1333 CL7 would be slightly faster than 1600 CL9) too, because a lot of random things are being read and written to RAM and the tighter the timings, the shorter the game has to "wait" before it can get the data it's looking for.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



sircanegiem said:


> There is very little difference in decreasing RAM speed in most programs the average person uses besides memory read/write benchmarks. Games actually prefer RAM to have a lower frequency with tighter timings (1333 CL7 would be slightly faster than 1600 CL9) too, because a lot of random things are being read and written to RAM and the tighter the timings, the shorter the game has to "wait" before it can get the data it's looking for.


Well an interesting thing happened. I went into my BIOS settings with 2 sticks of RAM in my PC and checked the frequency. It didn't actually list it -- just said it was at "default." So I changed it from default to 1600. Then about 15 minutes later I was in a game and got a BSOD (Hardware problem). I then set it back to "default" which turned out to be 1066.

Tomorrow I'll see what it says the frequency is when I put in all 3 sticks. Maybe it changes it to a higher frequency when triple channel is activated, which might be what causes the crashes? Anyway, I'll check tomorrow.

Thanks


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Just thought I'd give you all an update on the situation.

I verified that my RAM was running at 1066 and then verified it again when I inserted all 3 dimms. Got a BSOD today, so that's not what's causing it apparently.

Any other ideas? What were you saying about my CPU's clock speed?


----------



## sircanegiem

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

If it's not overclocked, clock speed isn't an issue. To me it sounds like it could be the CPU's memory controller at fault, or the motherboard. 

I know it doesn't seem like a hardware problem and it seems like something needs to be tweaked instead, but from what I see you've done everything correctly. Voltages are all good (you're not overclocking so stock CPU voltage is OK) and your RAM works fine. Thinking trying a different PSU first of all would be a good place to start because I wouldn't trust that Rosewill unit for a second. Secondly, another CPU if you have one available would be the next step to take after that.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



sircanegiem said:


> If it's not overclocked, clock speed isn't an issue. To me it sounds like it could be the CPU's memory controller at fault, or the motherboard.
> 
> I know it doesn't seem like a hardware problem and it seems like something needs to be tweaked instead, but from what I see you've done everything correctly. Voltages are all good (you're not overclocking so stock CPU voltage is OK) and your RAM works fine. Thinking trying a different PSU first of all would be a good place to start because I wouldn't trust that Rosewill unit for a second. Secondly, another CPU if you have one available would be the next step to take after that.


What makes you positive the RAM is working fine? I only have issues when I use all three sticks of RAM, so isn't it at least RAM related? And both my mobo and CPU are nice and brand new ... how would I test if there was a problem with either? I don't exactly have extra CPU's laying around.

And explain how the PSU could cause something like this, because I honestly don't know. Why would things work just fine with 2 sticks, then mess up with 3 if it's a PSU issue?


----------



## sircanegiem

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

The RAM sticks work fine in pairs or individually, so it's not a RAM problem. It *is* RAM related, and that's why I think the CPU is your best bet, because that's where the memory controller resides which feeds data to the RAM. Another option would be to turn the memory speed down to 800MHz and see if that gives any results for now.

The PSU could cause BSODs because the PSU is connected to everything in the computer. If something isn't getting solid voltage it can cause BSODs. It seems like a long shot, but if you're going to replace that PSU with a Corsair eventually anyway (which you should) I think that would be a good thing to get out of the way now if it could help solve your problem. Or check google for some ways to test your Rosewill yourself.

Personally I'd first get the new power supply and see if that fixes anything. If not, then I'd RMA the CPU. If you're still having issues, the only other thing that could cause the errors you're having is the motherboard. BIOS (frequencies/voltages) are fine, RAM is fine, and everything else is in question. Take the part that's most closely related to the problem and replace it and start moving down the ladder.

Edit: It's possible that Windows itself is causing the BSOD too; didn't see if you had tried reinstalling Windows. I'd grab up an old hard drive and pull out your current one, throw Linux or Windows on there (Ubuntu or whatever you want) and see if a new OS install fixes it. You could use your current hard drive but it's kinda messy with dual booting.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



sircanegiem said:


> The RAM sticks work fine in pairs or individually, so it's not a RAM problem. It *is* RAM related, and that's why I think the CPU is your best bet, because that's where the memory controller resides which feeds data to the RAM. Another option would be to turn the memory speed down to 800MHz and see if that gives any results for now.
> 
> The PSU could cause BSODs because the PSU is connected to everything in the computer. If something isn't getting solid voltage it can cause BSODs. It seems like a long shot, but if you're going to replace that PSU with a Corsair eventually anyway (which you should) I think that would be a good thing to get out of the way now if it could help solve your problem. Or check google for some ways to test your Rosewill yourself.
> 
> Personally I'd first get the new power supply and see if that fixes anything. If not, then I'd RMA the CPU. If you're still having issues, the only other thing that could cause the errors you're having is the motherboard. BIOS (frequencies/voltages) are fine, RAM is fine, and everything else is in question. Take the part that's most closely related to the problem and replace it and start moving down the ladder.
> 
> Edit: It's possible that Windows itself is causing the BSOD too; didn't see if you had tried reinstalling Windows. I'd grab up an old hard drive and pull out your current one, throw Linux or Windows on there (Ubuntu or whatever you want) and see if a new OS install fixes it. You could use your current hard drive but it's kinda messy with dual booting.


Since I've had these crashing issues I have done two clean installations of Windows. So I know it's not a Windows problem. It has to be hardware related.

And as I mentioned a few posts ago, I actually tried turning my RAM frequency from 1066 up to 1600 with *TWO* sticks of RAM and I got a BSOD. Doesn't that seem like it would shed the light on the problem?

Except for that ONE scenario, there is only a problem when 3 sticks of RAM are used. I'm not even sure if the warranty is still good on my CPU, and besides, I don't have the original packaging with me, since I'm at college.


----------



## sircanegiem

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

The RAM works when you plug them in one stick at a time correct? If it still doesn't when you only have one stick in then it's almost guaranteed to be the RAM itself, but if the system is stable with a single stick then I'd look elsewhere.


----------



## reventon

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Agreed. From what I am seeing here this is the best course of action - 


sircanegiem said:


> Personally I'd first get the new power supply and see if that fixes anything. If not, then I'd RMA the CPU. If you're still having issues, the only other thing that could cause the errors you're having is the motherboard.


The only change I would make - is that, if it is the easier option, get the Motherboard replaced before the CPU.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



sircanegiem said:


> The RAM works when you plug them in one stick at a time correct? If it still doesn't when you only have one stick in then it's almost guaranteed to be the RAM itself, but if the system is stable with a single stick then I'd look elsewhere.


Are you telling me to try running one stick at a time at 1600? And if it won't run at 1600 then it's a RAM problem?

I can do that. I'm really hoping its the RAM that's the problem here.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Well today I tried running 1 stick at a time, at 1600. Had no problems, then when I tried two sticks at 1600, BAM I had a BSOD (Unrecoverable Hardware Error). 

So what does this mean?


----------



## reventon

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



Hockeywarrior said:


> Well today I tried running 1 stick at a time, at 1600. Had no problems, then when I tried two sticks at 1600, BAM I had a BSOD (Unrecoverable Hardware Error).
> 
> So what does this mean?


Probably a faulty memory controller on the motherboard.

As has been mentioned before - you are now up to the "replacing parts" stage.


reventon said:


> Agreed. From what I am seeing here this is the best course of action -
> 
> 
> sircanegiem said:
> 
> 
> 
> Personally I'd first get the new power supply and see if that fixes anything. If not, then I'd RMA the CPU. If you're still having issues, the only other thing that could cause the errors you're having is the motherboard.
> 
> 
> 
> The only change I would make - is that, if it is the easier option, get the Motherboard replaced before the CPU.
Click to expand...


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



reventon said:


> Probably a faulty memory controller on the motherboard.
> 
> As has been mentioned before - you are now up to the "replacing parts" stage.


I think someone mentioned that the memory controller for my PC is actually in the CPU ... is that correct?


----------



## reventon

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



Hockeywarrior said:


> I think someone mentioned that the memory controller for my PC is actually in the CPU ... is that correct?


That is correct - I only have LGA775 systems which have it on the motherboard, hence why I said that.

However, that doesn't change the end result. You need to look at replacing parts in this order:

PSU -> CPU -> Motherboard


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



reventon said:


> That is correct - I only have LGA775 systems which have it on the motherboard, hence why I said that.
> 
> However, that doesn't change the end result. You need to look at replacing parts in this order:
> 
> PSU -> CPU -> Motherboard


I understand that but I'd much rather try the solution for the probable problem which might be with the memory controller in the CPU. I don't have the funds or time to replace every single part in my machine ... if the problem is possibly with the memory controller than I'll try replacing the CPU first. What does the PSU have to do with all this anymore? I thought we ruled that out?


----------



## reventon

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

If your PSU is still that 630W Rosewill then it needs to be changed before trying anything else. If it hasn't already damaged your components it will in the near future.

Yes, now that I realised that your CPU not motherboard has the memory controller in it you should get that replaced if you are still getting problems after the PSU replacement.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Well I have some new information that may change your ideas of what the problem is with my PC.

The last couple of days, I have been running only 2 sticks of RAM, which seemed to be working properly before. The last couple of days, however, I have noticed strange things happening which always happen when I use all 3 sticks in triple channel happening with only 2 sticks (which is usually a precursor to a BSOD). 

I noticed this, so I decided to swap out one of the sticks for the 3rd one that I wasn't using, to see if it made any difference. Yesterday everything worked without a hitch. Today, however, I cam back to my PC, and sure enough, it had had a BSOD. I attached the dump file, though I doubt it will be helpful -- it says that ntoskrnl.exe is the problem.

Now I'm going to try taking out the stick of RAM that has been the common one between the last two combinations, and inserting the other two to see if I get the same result.

Of course, the RAM might still be fine, but I just thought I'd let you know that now I am getting crashes with only 2 sticks, whereas before it only happened with 3.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Any insight on this? Right now I'm running my system with the other 2 sticks of RAM, leaving out the one that was present in both pairs of RAM where I had BSODs. If I can run these two sticks OK for a few days then I'll know that maybe there is something wrong with the other stick. I'll have to do more testing to be sure, of course.

So far so good with the current pair. We'll see if it lasts.


----------



## reventon

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

How are the current pair going now?


----------



## allant

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Hi guys, I have given up on this problem. Went threw the driver verifier etc and even went to the extreme deleted all other systems off my pc and was left with just win7 and other windows prograns eg IE messneger 

Still get "not responding"

As a suggestion why not have 1 of the experts (jcgriff) dial into yr pc Hockey Warrior to look at the problems given you seem yo have so many ???

Its all seems to hard for us would be experts to keep trying this then that and get problems along the way because of the various actions.

I can guarantee my pc will get a "not repsonding" with in 2 minutes of signing in just opening a few windows eg IE messenger and running Microsoft Security

Ok cya guys good luck


----------



## jcgriff2

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



allant said:


> Still get "not responding"
> 
> I can guarantee my pc will get a "not repsonding" with in 2 minutes of signing in just opening a few windows eg IE messenger and running Microsoft Security


"Not Responding" usually caused by the presence of a 3rd party firewall; otherwise unknown hardware failure.

Regards. . .

jcgriff2


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



reventon said:


> How are the current pair going now?


So far so good. I haven't had any of the issues that indicate a BSOD -- though I did have my CPU overheat yesterday which scared me a tad. But that's a separate issue!

I'm going to do more testing today -- I'm going to put back in the possible "trouble stick" and see if I get crashes or any stability issues. I'll let ya know what happens.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Well THAT didn't take long. I removed one of the sticks of RAM from the working configuration and replaced it with the the hypothetical "problem" stick and within 30 minutes got a BSOD.

I guess that stick is a lemon then, huh? I must have somehow missed it the first time when I was checking each stick combination, or it simply didn't happen to crash while I was testing it.


----------



## reventon

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



Hockeywarrior said:


> I guess that stick is a lemon then, huh? I must have somehow missed it the first time when I was checking each stick combination, or it simply didn't happen to crash while I was testing it.


Yep, it happens. RMA the RAM and hopefully that is all that is required to solve this one.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



reventon said:


> Yep, it happens. RMA the RAM and hopefully that is all that is required to solve this one.


Lets hope! This experience has been akin to unearthing a gravel mine to find a lost set of car keys ... 

I'm going to call ADATA today and find out how their warranty works. It's been too long to return the sticks to Newegg. I suppose I should just get replacement sticks of the same RAM?


----------



## reventon

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



Hockeywarrior said:


> I suppose I should just get replacement sticks of the same RAM?


That is usually what they offer.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



reventon said:


> That is usually what they offer.


HAHA well typical of hardware companies, I called them 3 times and they were supposed to email me a RMA form each time, and of course, that hasn't happened. So yeah, good times :upset:


----------



## jcgriff2

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Contact the company again, but check your email SPAM folder first.


----------



## allant

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Hi Guys, Latest update? after removing all other software including firewalls etc and then running chkdsk i am still getting "not responding" message same as usual.

Verifier didnt highlight any problems either. I still think its software and a problem within windows operating system. Reason i think that is so many others have the same problem and all attempts re checking all other cards, disks 3rd party software etc etc hasnt found the problem.

Does the problem happen in other operating systems like Ubuntu etc

Maybe someone could remove their windows sytem and try another operating system ???

Good luck


----------



## reventon

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



allant said:


> Hi Guys, Latest update? after removing all other software including firewalls etc and then running chkdsk i am still getting "not responding" message same as usual.
> 
> Verifier didnt highlight any problems either. I still think its software and a problem within windows operating system. Reason i think that is so many others have the same problem and all attempts re checking all other cards, disks 3rd party software etc etc hasnt found the problem.
> 
> Does the problem happen in other operating systems like Ubuntu etc
> 
> Maybe someone could remove their windows sytem and try another operating system ???
> 
> Good luck


If you are talking about problems with your own system then could you please create a new thread for us to help you. At TSF we keep one thread per poster per issue just to avoid confustion.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Just a quick update for this old thread!

I RMA'd the RAM and am still waiting for it to return so I can test it. Hopefully it will solve my BSOD problems.


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Well, the RMA'd RAM eventually came (after a number of annoying complications) and so far my PC is running like a charm with all 6 gigs after 2 full days of use. I'll wait to celebrate until I go a week or so with no problems, but I'm cautiously optimistic.


----------



## jcgriff2

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

Hi - 

I'm glad to hear of 6 GB RAM and 2 days BSOD-free status. You certainly deserve it after what you have been through. 

Thank you for the update; much appreciated.

I wish you the best of luck.

Happy Holidays !

John

`


----------



## Hockeywarrior

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*



jcgriff2 said:


> Hi -
> 
> I'm glad to hear of 6 GB RAM and 2 days BSOD-free status. You certainly deserve it after what you have been through.
> 
> Thank you for the update; much appreciated.
> 
> I wish you the best of luck.
> 
> Happy Holidays !
> 
> John
> 
> `


Well it's been four days now and I'm not having any BSOD issues like I was before, so I think it's safe to say the problem is fixed!

I'll probably take up your advice regarding getting a new power supply as soon as I have the funds to do so, as well.

Thanks again all of you for your dedicated support. I'm sure you'll see me around here again the next time I have an utterly perplexing and obscure problem that is not easy solvable!


----------



## jcgriff2

*Re: BSOD from ntoskrnl.exe and others*

You are most welcome. A very interesting thread from which I learned as well.

I do hope BSOD-free status continues. We'll be here to help should new issues arise.

Happy Holidays to you and your family.

John

`


----------

