[SOLVED] BSOD loop in Windows 10

[lordpestilence]

I need help

my system is an Alienware Area 51 R2 with the following specs:

• Intel® CoreTM i7‐6950X (10 cores, 25MB cache, Turbo Boost Max 3.0)
• 32GB RAM (quad channel DDR4)
• 512GB SSD + a 4TB storage drive
• triple Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan X video cards, each with 12GB GDDR5
• Windows 10

the system is about 6.5 years old
also relevant: i have only a rudimentary understanding of computers

For some months now, I have been getting occasional BSODs, say maybe once a week. Usually while running games, or sometimes YouTube videos, but also sometimes only running audio or just word processing. Various different error codes. I thought maybe it was a driver issue, but I checked my video card driver and every other driver I could think of, and they all showed up to date.

More recently, I've been getting much more frequent BSODs on launching one particular game (AI War 2 on GOG, if that's relevant). It got bad enough that I decided a more thorough review of drivers was in order. I ran Windows Driver Verifier, rebooted, and immediately fell into a BSOD loop. I had made a restore point before starting Verifier, so I immediately restored to that from the recovery screen, and went back in to Verifier to confirm it was off. However, the BSOD loop continued. I cannot boot normally without a BSOD. I can boot in safe mode.

I am getting a variety of different error codes in BSOD, the most common being:

• KERNEL MODE HEAP CORRUPTION
• BAD POOL CALLER and
• PAGE FAULT IN NONPAGED AREA

Without belaboring the history of my attempts to fix, here are the things that I have tried so far (not necessarily in order):

• reset CMOS
• Windows Memory Diagnostic tool (no errors)
• Memtest86 (like 10 passes, no errors)
• Windows System File Checker
• DISM
• chkdsk
• checked drivers in Device Manager
• double-checked drivers using Driver Easy (which showed some needed updates that Device Manager did not, don't know why they're different; updated everything)
• virus scan

None of that worked, I still can't boot normally without entering a BSOD loop.

I also tried Reset Computer (to reload Windows) from the recovery screen, but it wouldn't do it from the cloud and i don't have an installation disc locally.

Also, my restore point from before running Driver Verifier has disappeared.

Can anyone suggest a course of action? Please? I've tried various forum searches and the like, and most of the suggestions I found are in the above list of things already tried without success. From the error codes I really thought it was a memory issue, but memory is the one thing I've tested most thoroughly and it passes consistently. The only thing I can think of left to try is factory reset my entire system, which I'd rather not do unless there is no other option.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Colif]

I don't let anyone run Driver Verifer without taking steps to get out of that boot loop.

On another PC, download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB

if you were willing to reset, try a clean install - follow this guide: https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq/how-to-do-a-clean-installation-of-windows-10.3170366/
might be only choice if you can't start

Anything you want to save off C?

• on screen after languages, choose repair this pc, not install.
  
• choose troubleshoot
  
• choose advanced
  
• choose command prompt
  
• type notepad and press enter
  
• in notepad, select file>open
  
• Use file explorer to copy any files you need to save to USB or hdd
  

Keep wondering what PSU you have

 

[lordpestilence]

thanks for weighing in! pursuing the clean install now (all my user files are backed up)

re: Driver Verifier, yeah, lesson learned; i thought that reverting to my restore point would be enough to escape the boot loop, but no

and since you asked: PSU is an Alienware 1500w

 

[johnbl]

bad pool caller bugcheck might help isolate down the problem.
If you still have the minidump.
Bug Check 0xC2 BAD_POOL_CALLER - Windows drivers | Microsoft Learn
(would need to see each parameter)

clean install might work also.

 

[lordpestilence]

thank you for the idea!

however, since my last reply, i have an update:
while trying to do a clean Windows install, i got this error: "Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The disk may fail soon."
subsequent investigation using WMIC confirms my SSD's SMART data is predicting failure

am i correct in thinking that a failing SSD is likely the cause of all my problems? (computer problems, anyway)

 

[Colif]

am i correct in thinking that a failing SSD is likely the cause of all my problems? (computer problems, anyway)

Yes

 

[lordpestilence]

in case anyone was wondering how this thread turned out . . . .

replaced the SSD with a brand new Samsung 870 EVO; clean install of Windows 10; put everything back together

so far, the system is stable; it boots normally and no crashes yet

many thanks to Colif and johnbl for sage advice