Computer freezes and BSOD'S randomly, help please?

ltotem

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Jul 21, 2012
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Hi all, I am having an interesting computer problem. I am at school right now so I dont have the dump files, I can post those later if needed. But here is what I know right now and what is happening. Recently, almost randomly I started to have BSOD's. And when my computer restarts it would give the error NTLDR missing. I went into my bios and checked, it is giving the NTLDR because it is changing the boot drive to another harddrive that doesnt have windows on it. Sometimes I can change the boot to my regular harddrive and it would work fine, other times, it still crashes randomly and changes the boot drive. Some of the dumps blamed a Ethernet driver, and a few kernel based drivers/operations, also paging errors.

So I went to reading on the internet, saw to run mem check, did that, pass with no errors, ran it 3 times. Saw to run harddrive check, harddrive is not dirty and has no errors, ran it 3 times. Tried windows startup repair, failed to install. Tried to re install windows on the HD in question, windows would get to where it was almost done and start "moving files and programs" then it would crash and windows would revert back to old install. So finally, I took that harddrive out, formatted one of my other HD's, and installed windows on it last night. This morning I got up, tried to play on the computer. BSOD for IRQL less or not equal 2 times. I guess my question at this point, is can anyone recommend anything at all? Is it possible the memory can pass mem check but still be bad? Is it possible to still have driver problems on a fresh install? Below are the details for my computer. Thanks in advance for any help! I can post the dump files when I get home later tonight if needed, any other info needed please let me know! Thanks!

I5 3570k, overclocked by asus suite to 4.2g. 8gb corsair 1600 memory. p8z77 v lk mobo. 2 hd's one being a seagate, the other being a western digital. Windows 7 home premium, fully updated. 7870 2gb amd graphics card. Corsair 1500 headset, no speakers. Trend Micro anti virus, fully updated. 750 W power supply. EVO cpu cooler.
 
Solution
That is weird - have you tried taking out the one stick of Ram and replacing it with the one you have taken out?

If that stick of RAM works then it could quite possibly be your motherboard.

Try both sticks of RAM in the other slots on your Mobo as well (One at a time obviously) and see if it works then.

Kudos to your friend!

I suppose MemTest did work - the RAM might not be faulty that's why it came back as OK.

ltotem

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Jul 21, 2012
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Temps are good, below ambient. Have not tried returning the clock speeds yet, is there an easy way to do that? Or do I need to go into bios and adjust the numbers manually?
 

Nickolie

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Jan 29, 2008
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If you just do it through BIOS that should be easy enough. You can either return BIOS to default settings or just alter your CPU OC from Manual to AUTO then save your changes.

Also, you say your computer switches your boot drive? Would it be possible for you to disable the second drive and just have your main boot drive running.

Once you've returned back to stock speeds just run your computer like you normally do and see if you get the BSOD errors again. If not - restart and return to BIOS and enable your other HDD and then try your system then. Again just use it as normal and see if you get any errors.

Sorry if my posts are a little all over the place and a little blunt - i'm at work at the moment! haha!
 

ltotem

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Jul 21, 2012
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Haha no problem, I really appreciate the help. I am at college myself, so it will be a few hours before I can test, but I will do all of that this evening and let you know how it works. Hopefully this is the fix!
 

ltotem

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Jul 21, 2012
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Well, I returned the cpu to stock clock and ran off only the one harddrive. It seemed to be working for a bit, then it BSOD, when it rebooted windows tried to repair itsself. It crashed during the repair, and now the computer powers on, but doesnt even boot bios. Its pretty much dead at this point. I was thinking about trying new RAM today as an last ditch effort, after that I am out of ideas.
 

Nickolie

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To me it sounds like a dud boot HDD. Have you tried installing your OS to another HDD?

At least we've cancelled out the OC and Secondary HDD. If you've ran Memtest and it's come back OK then there shouldn't be any issues with RAM but at this point it's worth a shot. But maybe try installing a fresh OS to another HDD first and give that a whirl.

 

ltotem

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Jul 21, 2012
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Yeah, I had 3 hard drives total to start. The original post detailed my first hard drive, it since has been unplugged and set aside. I formatted my second hard drive and did a fresh install of windows on it, but it is having the same problems now as the first. I guess I could have super bad luck and they both have gone bad? I could try the 3rd harddrive, its by a different manufacturer. If I can get it to boot, certainly cant hurt right?
 

Nickolie

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You could just be seriously unlucky. Maybe the two HDD's if they're the same make they could be from the same dud batch.

I'd try it on a totally different HDD and see if that works.

Also - are all your drivers up to date? Have you recently installed a driver and then all this start happening?

I'd hook up the third HDD, with no other HDD connected at all and do a fresh install - boot up, install all necessary drivers and see if that works. If all else fails swap out your ram and try that.

Just out of curiosity, is your OS genuine? I'm just asking to try and cancel out anything that may be causing the issue.

This ones a good un!

 

ltotem

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Jul 21, 2012
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Well here is something interesting, my friend insisted it was the memory he came over and unhooked one memory stick, and it boot right up, right now it is running just fine based off only having one memory stick plugged in. So I guess now I have to ask, would that be the mother board? The memory? Or something else? Also just for my own curiosity, if it turns out to be the memory how come memcheck didnt pick it up?
 

Nickolie

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Jan 29, 2008
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That is weird - have you tried taking out the one stick of Ram and replacing it with the one you have taken out?

If that stick of RAM works then it could quite possibly be your motherboard.

Try both sticks of RAM in the other slots on your Mobo as well (One at a time obviously) and see if it works then.

Kudos to your friend!

I suppose MemTest did work - the RAM might not be faulty that's why it came back as OK.

 
Solution

ltotem

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Jul 21, 2012
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The other stick didnt work, regardless of the slot, it appears this was the memory all along, which makes no sense, but appears to be the case! I bought some new memory and now its working like a dream. Go figure! Thanks for all your help!