Persistent blue screen issues - hardware related?

[Jimmy the Rogue]

Hello, so I haven't posted about this issue for a while largely because it seemed to go away, but at the same time I haven't really been here either. Anyway, it appears that I cannot turn my PC off without being informed that it bluescreened and "shut down unexpectedly" the next morning, and I'm assuming it must be some kind of memory issue again despite the fact that I extensively tested my RAM. It also simply blue screened this morning for no apparent reason about two minutes after turning it on and browsing iTunes, and that's the first time it has bluescreened without being told to turn off for a while, although consider that the PC is barely two months old.

Also, there is one windows update which refuses to download and continues to fail no matter how many times I try to download it or how many of the recommended steps and tools I use from Microsoft. Could the two be related somehow to a RAM issue? I'm fairly certain it can't be a software problem because as far as I know all of my drivers are up to date, and I've otherwise been very careful.

If anyone can shed some kind of light on what the issue may be and how I can resolve it, I would appreciate it greatly.

 

[Jimmy the Rogue]

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Loading User Symbols
Loading unloaded module list
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* Bugcheck Analysis *
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Use !analyze -v to get detailed debugging information.

BugCheck 1000007E, {ffffffffc0000005, fffff80002e56eb1, fffff880009a9898, fffff880009a90f0}

Probably caused by : memory_corruption ( nt!MmZeroPageThread+3c4 )

Followup: MachineOwner
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0: kd> !analyze -v
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* *
* Bugcheck Analysis *
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SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED_M (1000007e)
This is a very common bugcheck. Usually the exception address pinpoints
the driver/function that caused the problem. Always note this address
as well as the link date of the driver/image that contains this address.
Some common problems are exception code 0x80000003. This means a hard
coded breakpoint or assertion was hit, but this system was booted
/NODEBUG. This is not supposed to happen as developers should never have
hardcoded breakpoints in retail code, but ...
If this happens, make sure a debugger gets connected, and the
system is booted /DEBUG. This will let us see why this breakpoint is
happening.
Arguments:
Arg1: ffffffffc0000005, The exception code that was not handled
Arg2: fffff80002e56eb1, The address that the exception occurred at
Arg3: fffff880009a9898, Exception Record Address
Arg4: fffff880009a90f0, Context Record Address

Debugging Details:
------------------


EXCEPTION_CODE: (NTSTATUS) 0xc0000005 - The instruction at 0x%08lx referenced memory at 0x%08lx. The memory could not be %s.

FAULTING_IP:
nt!MmZeroPageThread+3c4
fffff800`02e56eb1 f0410fba6d1000 lock bts dword ptr [r13+10h],0

EXCEPTION_RECORD: fffff880009a9898 -- (.exr 0xfffff880009a9898)
ExceptionAddress: fffff80002e56eb1 (nt!MmZeroPageThread+0x00000000000003c4)
ExceptionCode: c0000005 (Access violation)
ExceptionFlags: 00000000
NumberParameters: 2
Parameter[0]: 0000000000000000
Parameter[1]: ffffffffffffffff
Attempt to read from address ffffffffffffffff

CONTEXT: fffff880009a90f0 -- (.cxr 0xfffff880009a90f0)
rax=0000000000000078 rbx=fffdffffffffffff rcx=0000000000000000
rdx=0000000000000000 rsi=fffffa80068e46c0 rdi=0000000000000078
rip=fffff80002e56eb1 rsp=fffff880009a9ad0 rbp=000000000000007f
r8=0000000000000000 r9=0000058000000000 r10=0000000000000002
r11=0000000000000024 r12=0000000000000024 r13=ff9ffa7fffffffd0
r14=0000000000000080 r15=fffff80003006e80
iopl=0 nv up ei ng nz na pe nc
cs=0010 ss=0018 ds=002b es=002b fs=0053 gs=002b efl=00010282
nt!MmZeroPageThread+0x3c4:
fffff800`02e56eb1 f0410fba6d1000 lock bts dword ptr [r13+10h],0 ds:002b:ff9ffa7f`ffffffe0=????????
Resetting default scope

CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT: 1

DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID: WIN7_DRIVER_FAULT

PROCESS_NAME: System

CURRENT_IRQL: 2

ERROR_CODE: (NTSTATUS) 0xc0000005 - The instruction at 0x%08lx referenced memory at 0x%08lx. The memory could not be %s.

EXCEPTION_PARAMETER1: 0000000000000000

EXCEPTION_PARAMETER2: ffffffffffffffff

READ_ADDRESS: GetPointerFromAddress: unable to read from fffff800030c3100
GetUlongFromAddress: unable to read from fffff800030c31c0
ffffffffffffffff

FOLLOWUP_IP:
nt!MmZeroPageThread+3c4
fffff800`02e56eb1 f0410fba6d1000 lock bts dword ptr [r13+10h],0

BUGCHECK_STR: 0x7E

LAST_CONTROL_TRANSFER: from fffff8000312ae6a to fffff80002e56eb1

STACK_TEXT:
fffff880`009a9ad0 fffff800`0312ae6a : fffffa80`069fbb50 00000000`00000080 fffffa80`069fb040 fffff800`02e84eb9 : nt!MmZeroPageThread+0x3c4
fffff880`009a9c00 fffff800`02e84ec6 : fffff800`03006e80 fffffa80`069fbb50 fffff800`03014cc0 01638d44`c3b60f04 : nt!PspSystemThreadStartup+0x5a
fffff880`009a9c40 00000000`00000000 : fffff880`009aa000 fffff880`009a4000 fffff880`009a97b0 00000000`00000000 : nt!KiStartSystemThread+0x16


SYMBOL_STACK_INDEX: 0

SYMBOL_NAME: nt!MmZeroPageThread+3c4

FOLLOWUP_NAME: MachineOwner

MODULE_NAME: nt

DEBUG_FLR_IMAGE_TIMESTAMP: 4fa390f3

STACK_COMMAND: .cxr 0xfffff880009a90f0 ; kb

IMAGE_NAME: memory_corruption

FAILURE_BUCKET_ID: X64_0x7E_nt!MmZeroPageThread+3c4

BUCKET_ID: X64_0x7E_nt!MmZeroPageThread+3c4

Followup: MachineOwner
---------

So, a driver issue creating memory corruption or something?

Edit: Also I'm trying whocrashed and I'll post my results, but I need to leave for about an hour or so - they'll be somewhat delayed.

 

[Jimmy the Rogue]

So the WhoCrashed download didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would, but I don't have the time at this second to analyze it in detail (and don't really have the knowledge either) so this is more or less a direct paste.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crash Dump Analysis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Crash dump directory: C:\Windows\Minidump

Crash dumps are enabled on your computer.


On Fri 14/09/2012 13:44:10 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\sub\091412-15225-01.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: ntoskrnl.exe (nt+0x41EB1)
Bugcheck code: 0x1000007E (0xFFFFFFFFC0000005, 0xFFFFF80002E56EB1, 0xFFFFF880009A9898, 0xFFFFF880009A90F0)
Error: SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED_M
file path: C:\Windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: NT Kernel & System
Bug check description: This indicates that a system thread generated an exception which the error handler did not catch.
This appears to be a typical software driver bug and is not likely to be caused by a hardware problem.
The crash took place in the Windows kernel. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver which cannot be identified at this time.


On Fri 14/09/2012 13:44:10 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\091412-15225-01.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: ntoskrnl.exe (nt+0x41EB1)
Bugcheck code: 0x1000007E (0xFFFFFFFFC0000005, 0xFFFFF80002E56EB1, 0xFFFFF880009A9898, 0xFFFFF880009A90F0)
Error: SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED_M
file path: C:\Windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: NT Kernel & System
Bug check description: This indicates that a system thread generated an exception which the error handler did not catch.
This appears to be a typical software driver bug and is not likely to be caused by a hardware problem.
The crash took place in the Windows kernel. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver which cannot be identified at this time.


On Fri 14/09/2012 13:44:10 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\memory.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: ntkrnlmp.exe (nt!KeBugCheckEx+0x0)
Bugcheck code: 0x7E (0xFFFFFFFFC0000005, 0xFFFFF80002E56EB1, 0xFFFFF880009A9898, 0xFFFFF880009A90F0)
Error: SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
Bug check description: This bug check indicates that a system thread generated an exception that the error handler did not catch.
The crash took place in the Windows kernel. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver which cannot be identified at this time.


On Fri 14/09/2012 13:37:40 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\091412-13353-01.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: ntfs.sys (Ntfs+0x5A88)
Bugcheck code: 0x24 (0x1904FB, 0xFFFFF8800DD1E918, 0xFFFFF8800DD1E170, 0xFFFFF880016BF527)
Error: NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM
file path: C:\Windows\system32\drivers\ntfs.sys
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: NT File System Driver
Bug check description: This indicates a problem occurred in the NTFS file system.
The crash took place in a standard Microsoft module. Your system configuration may be incorrect. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver on your system which cannot be identified at this time.


On Thu 13/09/2012 02:50:28 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\091312-13275-01.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: ntoskrnl.exe (nt+0x7F1C0)
Bugcheck code: 0x1A (0x41790, 0xFFFFFA800407A240, 0xFFFF, 0x0)
Error: MEMORY_MANAGEMENT
file path: C:\Windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: NT Kernel & System
Bug check description: This indicates that a severe memory management error occurred.
This might be a case of memory corruption. More often memory corruption happens because of software errors in buggy drivers, not because of faulty RAM modules.
The crash took place in the Windows kernel. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver which cannot be identified at this time.


On Sat 01/09/2012 19:41:59 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\090112-15958-01.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: ntoskrnl.exe (nt+0x7F1C0)
Bugcheck code: 0x1A (0x41790, 0xFFFFFA8004020840, 0xFFFF, 0x0)
Error: MEMORY_MANAGEMENT
file path: C:\Windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: NT Kernel & System
Bug check description: This indicates that a severe memory management error occurred.
This might be a case of memory corruption. More often memory corruption happens because of software errors in buggy drivers, not because of faulty RAM modules.
The crash took place in the Windows kernel. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver which cannot be identified at this time.


On Sat 25/08/2012 16:02:14 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\082512-16645-01.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: ntfs.sys (Ntfs+0x5A88)
Bugcheck code: 0x24 (0x1904FB, 0xFFFFF8800377E478, 0xFFFFF8800377DCD0, 0xFFFFF80002E6CD76)
Error: NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM
file path: C:\Windows\system32\drivers\ntfs.sys
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: NT File System Driver
Bug check description: This indicates a problem occurred in the NTFS file system.
The crash took place in a standard Microsoft module. Your system configuration may be incorrect. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver on your system which cannot be identified at this time.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion
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7 crash dumps have been found and analyzed. No offending third party drivers have been found. Consider configuring your system to produce a full memory dump for better analysis.

 

[Jimmy the Rogue]

says no offending third party drivers. basically means untrusted drivers. might not be untrusted drivers causing issue. i would defiantly go with updating all drivers etc on ya system

The problem is that I was under the impression that all of my drivers were up to date, is there some process I can go through to determine which drivers need updating? You're talking to a complete noob here.

 

[Jimmy the Rogue]

Easiest way is to a re-install and let windows update itself.
NB - don't install optional driver updates. Just let the OS sort itself out.

Hmm, okay thanks.

 

[Jimmy the Rogue]

So, I backed up my important files and performed a clean install, and things seemed to be going fine, no blue screens, and finally all windows updates had managed to download (although I'm sceptical that it will stay that way as the update issue has come back before). Then just after I finish downloading my protection, anti-virus, firewall, anti-malware etc., I download Threatfire and I'm prompted to restart my PC. Suddenly after booting and signing in fine, it refuses to stop loading and I can't access my taskbar or programs, and start up recovery doesn't recognise an issue after four attempts.

It's amazing how one slight change can completely bugger up the entire thing. I'm performing a system restore as we speak and hoping for the best.

If you want to check your drivers, I use the paid for version of Driver Genius Professional Edition. The free version will still tell you whats out of date but just wont automatically update them.

Is your system overclocked?

I've heard poor reviews about the program, and I haven't had much chance to overclock, I haven't been home much in the last two months and when I am here something goes wrong with the damn thing.

 

[Jimmy the Rogue]

Great, so I think everything is okay and I get another BSOD when browsing the internet. I'm lost, this has been plaguing me for two months and it is just refusing to go away.

 

[Jimmy the Rogue]

what board,cpu,ram are you using? what voltages for the ram?

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18424698

Spec is in my first post, and I haven't changed anything.

I've also just discovered that the CD with my monitor drivers on is cracked somehow, and I can't find the drivers online. What on Earth am I supposed to do about that?

 

[Jimmy the Rogue]

usually monitors are plug and play,i never use my lg monitor drvers,they should be available to download on the makers website

first id manually set the bclk to 100mhz
then set dram voltage to 1.55v and cpu vtt one or two clicks more than what auto is using,maybe between 1.08-1.10v

then see if its any better,might need to try with one level higher llc,but test with the other settings first

I thought this was a driver problem?

 

[Jimmy the Rogue]

Despite downloading all available drivers for my motherboard from the GIGABYTE page, I keep getting this from Driver Genius.

This is also despite downloading some of the files individually (e.g. Logitech Gaming Software).

could be but i doubt it would be monitor driver issue,more likely ram settings/voltage or cpu voltage imo,

what model monitor is it? if its working fine without drivers it should be ok

The product number is in the above screenshot, assuming it's correct. The box is in the shed at the moment. I think I'll try voltage when this driver nonsense is resolved.

 

[Jimmy the Rogue]

id take those programs with a pinch of salt,sometimes they even give you older driver versions

go to your motherboard website and type in the motherboard model that will give you all the latest drivers,the monitor i wouldnt worry about,it wouldnt cause a blue screen it would just go off or simply wouldnt display anything

Yeah, I haven't heard a lot of good things about Driver Genius but I'm at the end of my tether here and was willing to try it. And yeah, that's what I'm attempting to do when it comes to drivers but I'm still having issues apparently.

Quick question, are any of these utilities completely necessary?

http://uk.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4144&dl=1#utility

 

[Jimmy the Rogue]

easytune is ok just to monitor voltages and temps from within windows,i wouldnt overclock with it,do all overclocking through/in the bios

you can use luvid virtu mvp to pair the cpu's igpu with your graphic card to boost gaming performance if you wanted to,the igpu has to be enabled in the bios first

I'm guessing that means I should change the internal graphics setting to enabled in BIOS?

Also, I just updated my bios from F9 to F15, so I suppose this will make a significant difference?

Edit: For some reason I also can't change my base clock frequency and CPU voltages in bios, it just says auto and attempting to access the setting does nothing. So clearly I need to enable something beforehand?

 

[Jimmy the Rogue]

Okay, **** it I give up. I download all of the drivers, update my bios, then as I'm downloading the 3D power utility what happens? A blue screen. Still. After all of this, I'm trying everything, and I just can't see how this is worth it.

 

[Jimmy the Rogue]

i dont know on that motherboard but you can manually set those things i mentioned,tackle one thing at a time so you know where you are regarding stability,its either memory or cpu voltage,something silly like that,and yes update to the latest bios with a usb stick and qflash

Yeah, that's the update method I used. I try to change the CPU voltage and it simply doesn't let me, it lists the voltage with an "AUTO" button next to it, but I'm unable to change anything.

Also to add insult to injury, I just managed to blue screen after signing in and attempting to access my browser.

 

[Jimmy the Rogue]

It will be in the m.I.t section of the biis to adjust voltages,change to manual CPU viltage then adjust it,same for CPU vtt and dram

So I tried the voltage settings you suggested and got two consecutive boot failures... Argh.

 

[Jimmy the Rogue]

I tried manually resetting the values to where they were before and it still wouldn't boot. It won't boot with anything except "optimised defaults".

Edit: I get this from WhoCrashed:


"--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 crash dumps have been found and analyzed. A third party driver has been identified to be causing system crashes on your computer. It is strongly suggested that you check for updates for these drivers on their company websites. Click on the links below to search with Google for updates for these drivers:

atikmdag.sys (ATI Radeon Kernel Mode Driver, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)

If no updates for these drivers are available, try searching with Google on the names of these drivers in combination the errors that have been reported for these drivers and include the brand and model name of your computer as well in the query. This often yields interesting results from discussions from users who have been experiencing similar problems.


Read the topic general suggestions for troubleshooting system crashes for more information.

Note that it's not always possible to state with certainty whether a reported driver is actually responsible for crashing your system or that the root cause is in another module. Nonetheless it's suggested you look for updates for the products that these drivers belong to and regularly visit Windows update or enable automatic updates for Windows. In case a piece of malfunctioning hardware is causing trouble, a search with Google on the bug check errors together with the model name and brand of your computer may help you investigate this further. "

So it's a problem with my GPU driver? That makes absolutely no sense because I've updated to the latest one several times.

 

[Jimmy the Rogue]

This is what DriverAgent is telling me:

Even though I downloaded the latest drivers from Gigabyte's page. Is it possible that their support is lagging behind or no?