BSOD, Hardware or software issue?

Banzai_Joe

Banzai_Joe

Banzai_Joe

Soldato
Joined
30 Sep 2006
Posts
5,276
Location
Midlands, UK
Hi all,
So my gamer P.C. (in my sig) was fine last night as I played BFV for about 3 hours or so. I rarely turn if off. Came to it tonight BSOD. As usual the error code is useless.
It even gave me a GSOD citing “wpprecorder.sys”
I’m running w10 pro Feature update 2004 insiders build.
Tried uninstalling the latest high quality feature. Tried doing a system restore.
I booted from a USB recovery disk To troubleshoot and still kept getting BSODs..
So, I’m wondering whether there is a hardware error as it’s not even touching my w10 OS.
Tried reinstalling windows from the bootable usb but it crashes within seconds of it starting.
Any ideas?
 
Thanks for the advice mate,
The irony of your 2nd suggestion though...... windows or even the bootable doesn’t stay on long enough for me to launch anything really.
Not really got any more info on the error I’m afraid.
 
Memtest (bootable) has been running for over 20mins and all so far.

been building systems for nigh on 20 years now and I don’t think I’ve actually come across this issue before.

when it BSODs is just loops and reboots, doesn’t shut down.

if it passes the memtest I shall try booting normally and see what happens......
 
OS is on the SM951 (m.2).
Happy to reformat and install but I tried that last. And and it kept BSODing. That’s when I suspected a hardware issue, but I guess it could be a drive issue, and as soon as something, be it repair options or re-install tries to read from the drive it BSODs.
All my docs are backed up onto onedrive. The 1tb 850 pro has most of my steam/uplay/epic/origin games on it.

In quick desperation last night I came across “Just Answers”, I paid £5 for some goober to tell me that wpprecorder.sys was hard drive failure and to reinstall.

But ok, so if I do try and reformat and reinstall onto the SM951, I really need to try and test it first, but how?
 
So I guess I could boot up from an os disk, go into a recovery cmdlt and run diskpart to wipe out and format the partitions?
If it BSODs then that probably a good sign that accessing the disk in anyway screws it, and i might just have to take the drive out and buy a new one.
 
Ok, so used diskpart to delete all partitions of the sm951, rebooted into bootable w10 usb, started to install it and it only took about 1 min to get to 80% of copying files, then BOOM! BSOD again “WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR”
Should I assume it’s the sm951?
That said, it rebooted back to the install windows screen from the bootable usb, I left it on that screen and in the time it took to type this is BSOD’d again with the same error, and the sm951 certainly wasn’t being accessed as I’d done nothing.
Oh, the joy!
 
ED209 said:
How old is the drive? as it could still be under warranty with Samsung.

You could give the recovery a try and open command prompt, maybe even try and run sfc /scannow, see if it can repair anything.

shame the Samsung secure erase doesnt work on this as you could try and create a USB stick and then secure erase the drive then try again

I did find this when doing a google search

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/forums/threads/secure-erase-a-sm951-nvme.18876062/

Do you have a old drive that you could sling in to test and just remove the SM951? just to test if it boots and allows you to re install the OS

just a FYI, if you do get a new drive or manage to get it to boot make sure you disconnect all non OS SSDs to stop Windows storing anything during install on the drive
Click to expand...
Cant remember how old the drive is tbh, (just BSOD’d again, lol).
I might another m.2 drive lying around somewhere to try. I have pretty of sata SSD’s so could also try one of those as it’s possible it could be the m.2 controller?
 
Ok, so I tried once more, but this time I unplugged the 1tb SSD in case it was getting involved. Still BSOD.
So, whilst keeping the 1tb disconnected I replaced the m.2 for another one that I used as an external. I wiped out and removed the existing partitions during the install......and it BSOD’d.
This leaves me thinking it’s a mobo issue!
next is to try installing windows onto a sata SSD. If it works I’ll not be happy as I want m.2 speeds so will have to replace the mobo.
 
Just been into bios and reset the defaults, tried again and BSOD straight away.
I can’t see a battery or jumper on the mobo to physically reset it.
I’ve just sent off a report to as rock as it’s still within its 3 year warranty.
So, I’m boogered until ASrock come back to me.
 
Thanks I’ll look for it.
Had a response from a Asrock and the plonkers are basically asking me to try everything that I’d already tried and detailed in my message to them.
With the exception of removing the gpu, and trying a different cpu (which I don’t have).
I de-lidded my 8700k when I first got it. Not sure why it might throw up problem now though.
 
Indeed.
They asked me to update the bios from P2.10 to P4.20.
But for as long as I’ve had the mobo I’ve NEVER been able to flash the bios using any of the methods available.
Dunno why, maybe the board was flawed from the start ‍♂️
 
Ok, so, weirdly I managed to flash update the bios to P4.20.
I re-connect the blank m.2 drive (only) and try booting from the usb to install windows. I choose the boot drive but get an immediate BSOD with “MACHINE CHECK EXCEPTION”, which is new.
 
I’m starting to think it might be the de-lidded cpu after all. As apart from passing memtest86 I’ve check each of the 2 ram sticks in each slot on its own and it’s made no difference.
Right now, I’m gonna rule out RAM, SSD/M.2, GPU as the possible cause.
My concerns now are:
CPU - as I decided it, and maybe something has now gone wrong, so I’ll take it off and check it,
PSU - it’s a silverstone mitx one and I’ve had two fail on me in the past, so maybe it’s sprouted a voltage issue.
 
Yes, did try with just onboard video.
I reckon it’s my de-lidded cpu.
When I took it off there were some bits of leaked thermal compound. Probably more importantly, the underside of the cpu; the pins, had some dirt on them too. Easily removed with cotton bud and isopropanol.
I’ve completely re-lidded the cpu and will give it a whirl.
After de-lidding it when I built the rig 2 years ago it did drop my temps by over 10 deg and that’s with the stock intel low profile cooler (due to my case limitations).
Think I’ll get a better cooler now from OCUK. Any recommendations?
If I choose one with a copper IHS I could use the grizzly liquid metal maybe?
 
lol and then the stock low profile intel cooler had a broken leg.
So I now I can’t test it without a new cooler anyway.
Thinking of the Noctua NH-L9i.

edit: not ordered from OCUK for a while, but since when did they start charging members for delivery?
No longer makes them the cheapest.
 
Last edited:
Actually, it’s knocked it off again and wants to charge delivery. When I try to relink my forum account again it fails and asks me to fill in a bug report.
I’m on my iPad though so might try on laptop later.
 
I’m a good customer of my local computer shop so I’ll ask him if he has a spare intel low profile cooler to replace one with jus to test my re-lidding of the cpu.
If everything still fails, I might rebuild entirely using different chipset, maybe even go AMD next time.
 
Well dayem!
Noctua NH-L9i arrived earlier, fitted it and.......same BSOD,
So, I now have to try and get hold of an 1151 cpu to test in place of my de-lidded 8700k, if that fails then I need to try and get hold of an 1151 mobo to test with the 8700k. Only then am I really going to know what component is causing me such a headache.
 
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