Question BSODs whenever using Google Chrome; minidumps not created, no errors detected by any software or windows utilities, need help.

[StrollingParasol]

I have an Eluktronics Mag 15 laptop that's been running perfectly fine for nearly 3 years; 16GB 2666MHz DIMM RAM, 1TB SSD, NVidia RTX 2070 GPU. Relevant screenshots in my reply below

As of last week, my laptop started getting BSODs. It only gets two, and it seems pretty random which one it is: UNEXPECTED_STORE_EXCEPTION and CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED. EDIT: As of today, I received a new error while trying to copy/paste an image I was sending to a friend; this error was KERNAL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR, which resources online link to Harddrive or RAM. Since it was for copying an image to the clipboard, I presume this MUST be a RAM issue, unless anyone else would know what the solution might be.

The only times I get these BSODs are when using Google Chrome, usually when watching YouTube (and almost no other circumstances). I've tried turning off hardware acceleration and disabling all extensions, but that didn't stop BSODs. Playing much more hardware intensive video games, such as Sea of Thieves, Cyberpunk 2077, etc., results in no crashes. BSODs only seem to happen when watching YouTube on Google Chrome, and if there had been a recent BSOD, then browsing Chrome shortly after restarting can cause a BSOD even without going to YouTube.

From everything I've googled, the go-to solutions are:

1. Virus scan

2. Check if all drivers are updated (as far as I can tell, they are)

3. Do a clean install of GPU driver anyways (still get same BSODs)

4. Use the admin CMD or PowerShell to run SFC /scannow, chkdsk /r, and all DISM related commands (all return 0 errors, no replaced files)

5. Put Memtest86 on a USB drive and let it run all tests (0 errors) EDIT: as well as built-in Windows memory diagnostic tool twice (tested again today; screenshot attached below from event viewer report)

6. Use CrystalDiskInfo to check the health of your CPU (every category is rated "healthy" by this program; screenshot below for reference)

7. Use driver verifier to check if there are any bad drivers (this revealed one driver that was bad, I uninstalled that program, but I am still getting BSODs, and running the verifier again returned no more driver errors)

I've also reseated by RAM just to see if there was some connection issue; while at first it seemed like it fixed the issue, BSODs returned anyways (whether or not I get a BSOD seems almost random, but always in the same circumstance of having Chrome, especially YouTube, open, particularly for an elongated period of time).

I would upload a mini-dump file, but every time I get a BSOD, it stays at 0% and produces no minidump. Attached to this thread is a screenshot of my settings which shows that yes, I have everything enabled to ensure I should be getting minidumps. I've tried both using Small memory dump as pictured below, as well as the default automatic setting. Neither produces any dump file at all (screenshot below)

Checking the Windows Events window, I get a "Dump file creation failed due to error during dump creation" error (screenshot below)

From what I can find online, it suggests to fix this error to do the same steps I've done that have done nothing. The other suggestions offered online are updating the BIOS or doing a repair-in-place install, which I haven't tried but am willing to if there are no other, safer options to try.

Screenshots below show my current BIOS and CrystalDiskInfo for reference.

Please let me know what I need to do; is this some anomalous RAM error that can't be detected by any of the software that's supposed to detect errors? Is it probably a driver that isn't updated even though the Device Manager says it is? Should I update my BIOS, do a repair-in-place, or other such action? Am I missing something super simple that just hasn't been mentioned in any thread I've looked at?

I ideally want to fix this problem entirely myself since I don't want to spend the money on a computer repair shop and since I'm decent enough with computers.

Thanks.

 

[StrollingParasol]

Windows dump file settings

Windows dump file error event log

My BIOS

CrystalDiskInfo screenshot

Windows Memory Diagnostic Test

 

[StrollingParasol]

UPDATE: Last night I tried cleaning out my laptop just to make sure dust wasn't the culprit. Today I got a different BSOD, with the stop code "MEMORY_MANAGEMENT"

 

[Colif]

UNEXPECTED_STORE_EXCEPTION and CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED. EDIT: As of today, I received a new error while trying to copy/paste an image I was sending to a friend; this error was KERNAL_DATRA_INPAGE_ERROR, which resources online link to Harddrive or RAM. Since it was for copying an image to the clipboard, I presume this MUST be a RAM issue, unless anyone else would know what the solution might be.

the store mentioned in 1st error used by CPU to track the locations of files in virtual memory. their actual location is either ram or Page file
Critical process died is more a general WIndows error. There are a number of files that if they crash, windows has no choice but to follow. Its hard to say which it might have been.
Kernel Data Inpage - pretty sure thats Page file

No dumps being created makes me think its drive, even though its showing as 88% health
Crucial nvme - shame their software doesn't seem to track health of drives - https://www.crucial.com/support/storage-executive

one thing you can try is recreate the page file

1. go to to settings/system/about
2. click Advanced system settings
3. under Performance, click Settings
4. choose Advanced tab
5. under Virtual memory, click change
6. untick Automatically manage paging file size for all drives

this will alow you to select No paging file & click set
click ok and apply
restart PC
Now retrace all the steps between 1 & 6 and turn auto management back on.
that might move the page file to different spot on nvme and maybe help

 

[StrollingParasol]

Alright; I just tried those settings and I'll respond either if BSODs continue or if they're fixed. Here's a screenshot of what the settings are after turning the page file off and back on:

 

[Colif]

If you have more than 1 drive in PC, you could move page file to second drive. That could let PC create a dump, if the drive is in fact the cause.

Without dumps it is hard to be certain.

 

[StrollingParasol]

Just got another BSOD: CRITICAL_SERVICE_FAILED again, still with no dump file.

I have two monitors; the bluescreen only appeared on my laptop monitor, my external monitor I had Task Manager and Resource Manager open on, and I took pictures of what was displayed on both of those while the computer was bluescreened. Screenshots below.

This BSOD happened while I was away from my laptop; Google Chrome was open with twitter, wikipedia, and youtube on 3 tabs. Other open programs -- all running in the background -- included Discord, Steam, NVidia Settings, and Windows Security.

Minidump folder contents; there are some old .dmp files here from 2021 but no others at all.

Resource Monitor Window (notice that the "Memory" section is entirely black -- probably a RAM issue?) I didn't think to keep the Disk tab open so that may also have an issue. Or maybe it's some driver I haven't been able to figure out. I have no idea.

Task Manager Window on the Performance tab, focusing primarily on Memory

Event Log during time of the most recent crash. Still a volmgr error 161 "Dump file creation failed due to error during dump creation." Please let me know if the details of other pictured events would be useful to reference.

 

[Colif]

BSOD: CRITICAL_SERVICE_FAILED

I would be tempted to buy a new nvme
shame model only seems to have space for one as you could use other as storage
https://www.eluktronics.com/MAG-15R
werfault.exe - Windows Error Reporting

problem with no dumps is it means windows has no record of the errors anywhere. I think...
Open the system information application
in left hand column, click + next to Software Environment
Click Windows Error Reporting
wait for right area to fill up, it can take a while depending on when last install was.

Dates don't make sense, its sorted in alphanumerical, not date order
if you click the Type header it at least sorts the 2 types, application errors and windows errors.
if its got any clues about the BSOD they will show in the Windows error part
I would show you an example if I had one.
Perhaps show screenshots if you find any.

 

[StrollingParasol]

I would be tempted to buy a new nvme

I'd very much prefer not to if possible, and am not sure that anything seems obviously indicative of it being the SSD at fault; if it were the SSD I would be expecting more errors with storage, and especially since I have ~170GB free on my SSD I can't imagine there being some excessive strain on it. This, especially considering that every crash has happened while having YouTube on Chrome open, which is notorious for using RAM inefficiently, whereas I've had no issues or errors at all with downloading anything, moving files, etc., and none of my personal data has been corrupted or otherwise (though I have backed up my important items)

Looking at the Windows Error Reporting tab in the System Information page, I see the following, with items that I think may be especially related to the BSODs highlighted, all of which are RADAR_PRE_LEAK_64 errors. Interestingly, however, the time indicated for each of these is quite different from the crash I think would be most related; not sure if Windows just creates these crash reports at a much different time or what.

The programs indicated, in order from top to bottom of what's highlighted in the screenshot, are:

chrome.exe

Desert.exe (an itch.io game I played with some friends; looking through my Event Viewer logs, I have a Kernel Power error around the time we had played it, and I do think I recall getting a bluescreen as I had chrome open at the same time as I tried to launch it initially)

Hundred Days - Winemaking Simulator.exe (a game I got for free from the Epic Games Store this week; I had one bluescreen while playing it with YouTube open on Google Chrome)

Due Process.exe (I don't think I actually had a crash while playing this, interestingly enough, though I did have Chrome open)

(there are two RADAR_PRE_LEAK_64 errors I didn't highlight here from early August; my BSODs only started around August 27th)

Risk of Rain 2.exe (I remember this distinctly; had just started playing while watching a YouTube video, and only about 5 - 10 minutes in I got a BSOD)

I also highlighted an APPCRASH error from when I was playing Mount and Blade: Warband (mb_warband.exe), though that was logged I think before I got any BSODs since the first one I got was on August 27th; I'd be surprised of that game caused a memory leak or something that damaged my RAM but at this point idk at all.

Let me know if there's any errors in this list that seem suspect to you.

 

[Colif]

radar pre leaks are memory leaks in the applications themselves, that are identified by windows error reporting. They are problems with the program, not your PC. Same applies to BEX error if you had any of those.

RADAR is Microsoft's Memory Leak Detector so that error indicates an App/program is not properly handling memory. Check-in TaskManager and/or use Process Explorer from SysInternals. It is often a game though the error issued is just informative and a report was sent to Microsoft. So you really do not need to do anything.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...releak64/a534e186-65ab-42c9-97e2-b654a713f0db

As i suspected, no actual BSOD reports in among it.
they would show as Event: bluescreen, like the one below

okay, we keep looking for another cause.
Can you download and run Driverview - http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/driverview.html

All it does is looks at drivers installed; it won't install any (this is intentional as 3rd party driver updaters often get it wrong)

When you run it, go into view tab and set it to hide all Microsoft drivers, will make list shorter.

Can you take a screenshot from (and including)Driver name to (and including)Creation date.

upload it to an image sharing website and show link here

 

[StrollingParasol]

Here's my DriverView screen; let me know if anything here seems amiss.

 

[Colif]

Note: this shows all drivers on PC, not just active ones. So its possible I list things you don't use.

Do you use wifi or Ethernet?
your Ethernet drivers are old
download Win10 Auto Installation Program (NDIS) from under windows header here - https://www.realtek.com/en/componen...0-1000m-gigabit-ethernet-pci-express-software
WIFI seems to be up to date

Maybe see if newer version of Borne Virtual MIdi, its from 2018

Not sure what SparkIO.sys is for, maybe lights up keyboard?

RTS USB reader driver? shows as WIn 7 Realtek USB card reader



this might help the critical process died errors
right click start button

choose powershell (admin)

copy/paste this command into window:

Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth

and press enter

Then type SFC /scannow

and press enter

Restart PC if SFC fixes any files as some fixes require a restart to be implemented

First command repairs the files SFC uses to clean files, and SFC fixes system files

SFC = System File Checker. First command runs DISM - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/what-is-dism?view=windows-11

 

[StrollingParasol]

Alright, I updated the ethernet driver from the link you provided; I do use ethernet for my internet.

The Bome MIDI driver is from an old program that has pretty limited use; I've honestly not used it in about 2 years so I may just uninstall that anyways.



Ran the powershell commands, and like they did originally, they found no errors.

The USB driver you mentioned seemed to be an Intel driver, and when looking into it, I found "Intel Driver and Support Assistant" online, which is Intel's own software to keep drivers updated. Used that and it found 6 drivers of mine that were out of date, including Thunderbolt, Realtek Audio, Chipset, and BIOS.

However, after updating those and coming back to respond having updated them, I got another BSOD (Critical_Process_Died), still hanging at 0%. This was with only Google Chrome open and only this forum thread open. Still no dump files.

Currently as of writing this, my computer is running with chrome open and not crashing, so that one seems comparatively random. I also did sfc /scannow and all DISM commands again (CheckHealth, ScanHealth, and RestoreHealth) and they returned no errors, corruptions, etc. either. Still have no idea why no dump files are being created; not sure if the BSOD itself was part of the same problems or was a one-off after doing the back-to-back updates.

Should I try repairing from a bootable USB as described here? https://www.thewindowsclub.com/boot-or-repair-windows-10-using-the-installation-media

Or do you think that wouldn't be helpful?

 

[StrollingParasol]

Alright, so far today I've had no BSODs whatsoever; I tried testing by running Risk of Rain 2 while having Chrome open with YouTube up. I'll continue testing similarly but, as far as I can tell, I think updating the Intel drivers may have fixed my issue.

That said, as far as I'm aware, I don't think the problem with dump files not being generated has been solved, but as long as the Blue Screen errors are done, at least the major problem isn't going on any more.

 

[Colif]

The USB driver you mentioned seemed to be an Intel driver, and when looking into it, I found "Intel Driver and Support Assistant" online, which is Intel's own software to keep drivers updated. Used that and it found 6 drivers of mine that were out of date, including Thunderbolt, Realtek Audio, Chipset, and BIOS.

Amazed I didn't suggest this. I knew Audio was old but it can be a pain to update so i leave it unless I have to. I didn't think intel updater would do realtek?

BSOD could have been caused by driver updates.

 

[StrollingParasol]

So a (hopefully) final update:

Even after installing those drivers, I got another Unexpected_Store_Exception BSOD. I decided to replace the RAM (since I make music, upgrading the RAM on my laptop was in my eventual plans anyways, so it works out I suppose). So far it's been 3 days with the new RAM and no BSODs at all. Still have no idea why memtest86, etc. didn't show any RAM errors, and still have no idea why my computer won't produce dump files, but at least the reoccurring BSODs have stopped.

Thanks a ton for your help Coliff; unfortunately without the dump files it's difficult to know if there was a better solution than just completely replacing the RAM, but that seems to have fixed it so perhaps there was some fundamental hardware issue with the RAM.

 

[Colif]

ram can just go bad. I don't know why, could be power spike or something. Its hard to tell.

I have seen it before where memtest says ram is fine but replacing it fixes problem.