Question Constant BSODs even after format

[elman0]

Hi Guys,

I've been getting constant bluescreens for the last week or so and I'm at my wit's end. I've tried everything I can find with my limited technical knowledge so I'm coming to you guys for help. The crashes primarily occur when playing Last Epoch or Diablo 3/4, but can also happen during other games or right from the desktop after a reboot. I can't reliably cause them - sometimes I crash a few seconds after boot or launching a game; other times I can go for hours with no problems. Sometimes just the game itself crashes, more often the entire system bluescreens.

I've fully formatted (clean install from USB boot), stress tested CPU/GPU, run memtest on two separate kits and updated/removed every driver flagged by driver verifier until it no longer reports issues that I can understand. I've run DISM, SFC and CHKDSK, the BIOS is fully updated and the system isn't (and never has been) overclocked. I've physically inspected all the components (they're all undamaged), cleaned and reseated everything. I've even tried a dozen different NVIDIA driver versions.

Minidumps:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sq9R5XEHMsoe_mnxbEDADCXUtFMuVlGi?usp=sharing

CPU: i7-7700k
MOBO: MSI Z270 Gaming Pro Carbon
GPU: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 G1 Gaming 8GB
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 32GB (2x16) DDR4 3200MHz
SSD: Samsung EVO 850 512GB
PSU: Antec TP-650 Truepower 650W

 

[Colif]

If it survives a format, its unlikely to be windows/software unless you really unlucky or use a wifi dongle that only has one driver.

I would run this on CPU and check its health - https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/15951/19792/intel-processor-diagnostic-tool.html?

Try running memtest86 on each of your ram sticks, one stick at a time, up to 4 passes. Only error count you want is 0, any higher could be cause of the BSOD. Remove/replace ram sticks with errors. Memtest is created as a bootable USB so that you don’t need windows to run it

run Magician on the drive and check its health - https://semiconductor.samsung.com/consumer-storage/support/tools/

What PSU do you have?

i didn't mention GPU as really, main tests are benchmarks and only proof is BSOD results

Can you follow option one on the following link - here - and then do this step below: Small memory dumps - Have Windows Create a Small Memory Dump (Minidump) on BSOD - that creates a file in c windows/minidump after the next BSOD

1. Open Windows File Explore
2. Navigate to C:\Windows\Minidump
3. Copy the mini-dump files out onto your Desktop
4. Do not use Winzip, use the built in facility in Windows
5. Select those files on your Desktop, right click them and choose 'Send to' - Compressed (zipped) folder
6. Upload the zip file to the Cloud (OneDrive, DropBox . . . etc.)
7. Then post a link here to the zip file, so we can take a look for you . . .

I play Grim Dawn, it crashes every 8 or so hours unless I restart client, but it doesn't crash PC. Just itself.

 

[elman0]

Hi, thanks for taking the time to help.

I ran the intel processor diagnostic a few times and and all the tests came back as a pass.

I've run memtest86 individually on 4 RAM sticks from 2 different kits, one brand new out of the box. None reported any errors. I'll rerun them again tonight.

Samsung Magician doesn't report any errors on the SSD, everything on S.M.A.R.T listed as good. Performance benchmark looks normal.
View: https://imgur.com/a/gsEJZlf

PSU is an Antec Truepower 650W

My original post has the 5 most recent minidumps as of time of post, since then I've had 2 more BSODs here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MsQIJjV8dLnsQl9zwDcOJ4DhzYltVnLH
4:21PM was whilst playing Last Epoch.
6:44PM was at the desktop while writing this reply, nothing except Discord and a few chrome tabs open.

 

[Colif]

do you normally run 2 different sets together as that can cause weird errors too. Just thought I ask

sticks in sets only tested to work with the sticks in that set, not other sets. More you add, more chance of errors.

 

[elman0]

do you normally run 2 different sets together as that can cause weird errors too. Just thought I ask

No, just one at a time.

I swapped out my old set of Crucial Ballistix 2x8GB DDR4 2666MHz with the set in my original post after the bluescreens started, but I tested them all individually.

 

[Colif]

OKay, just checking,

My VM I use to convert dumps needs a windows update... of course it does, so it might take a while before I can reply.

 

[SkyNetRising]

and updated/removed every driver flagged by driver verifier until it no longer reports issues that I can understand.

Did you disable driver verifier?
It will cause BSODs on its own, when left enabled.

 

[elman0]

Did you disable driver verifier?
It will cause BSODs on its own, when left enabled.

Yep, it's definitely off. I've enabled/disabled it many times since trying to figure the crashes out.

 

[Colif]

I missed your link in 1st post, sorry.

Conversion of last 2 - Report


File: 032123-7562-01.dmp (Mar 21 2023 - 18:43:30)
BugCheck: [IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (A)]
Probably caused by: memory_corruption (Process: dwm.exe)
Uptime: 0 Day(s), 0 Hour(s), 10 Min(s), and 27 Sec(s)

File: 032123-6921-01.dmp (Mar 21 2023 - 16:21:03)
BugCheck: [IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (A)]
Probably caused by: memory_corruption (Process: System)
Uptime: 0 Day(s), 1 Hour(s), 19 Min(s), and 50 Sec(s)

memory corruption doesn't mean ram. IRQ errors aren't my fav but there are worse to get
Process named are victims, not causes.

normally when I see dwm.exe as a victim, the cause is GPU drivers. Try running DDU in safe mode and perhaps use older Nvidia drivers. https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...n-install-of-your-video-card-drivers.2402269/

conversion of first 5 - report


File: 032123-7546-01.dmp (Mar 21 2023 - 13:20:20)
BugCheck: [IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (A)]
Probably caused by: memory_corruption (Process: System)
Uptime: 0 Day(s), 12 Hour(s), 19 Min(s), and 31 Sec(s)

File: 032123-6906-01.dmp (Mar 21 2023 - 00:45:12)
BugCheck: [DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (D1)]
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for iaStorA.sys
Probably caused by: memory_corruption (Process: Last Epoch.exe)
Uptime: 0 Day(s), 0 Hour(s), 01 Min(s), and 41 Sec(s)

File: 032123-6750-01.dmp (Mar 21 2023 - 00:43:03)
BugCheck: [IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (A)]
Probably caused by: memory_corruption (Process: Last Epoch.exe)
Uptime: 0 Day(s), 0 Hour(s), 14 Min(s), and 21 Sec(s)

File: 032123-5250-01.dmp (Mar 21 2023 - 14:09:58)
BugCheck: [SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION (3B)]
Probably caused by: memory_corruption (Process: csrss.exe)
Uptime: 0 Day(s), 0 Hour(s), 00 Min(s), and 24 Sec(s)

File: 032123-13531-01.dmp (Mar 21 2023 - 14:09:07)
BugCheck: [KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (1E)]
Probably caused by: memory_corruption (Process: System)
Uptime: 0 Day(s), 0 Hour(s), 00 Min(s), and 05 Sec(s)

The 1st one says Unable to verify timestamp for win32k.sys - this is a windows file.
the 2nd says Unable to verify timestamp for iaStorA.sys - this is a storage driver. It is part of Intel Rapid Storage Tech, either update it or remove it.
the others are less specific

Appears to be a newer bios, that could help - https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/Z270-GAMING-PRO-CARBON/support
You might be on latest, its hard to tell with MSI as BIOS reports the system bios number which isn't the same as Version numbers used by them. THe latest is dated 2018-07-16 on MSI site, whereas your BIOS shows as 07/03/2018

someone else might reply later with more details. That used to be me but I am not always here this year. He can see more in the dumps than I can.

 

[elman0]

normally when I see dwm.exe as a victim, the cause is GPU drivers. Try running DDU in safe mode and perhaps use older Nvidia drivers. https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...n-install-of-your-video-card-drivers.2402269/

I've been trying older Nvidia driver versions but just doing regular clean installs through the Nvidia installer. I'll try using DDU.

The 1st one says Unable to verify timestamp for win32k.sys - this is a windows file.
the 2nd says Unable to verify timestamp for iaStorA.sys - this is a storage driver. It is part of Intel Rapid Storage Tech, either update it or remove it.
the others are less specific

I've gone both ways with the Intel Rapid Storage driver. I've uninstalled it since that BSOD but am still crashing. I'll do some more testing with/without the driver.

Appears to be a newer bios, that could help - https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/Z270-GAMING-PRO-CARBON/support
You might be on latest, its hard to tell with MSI as BIOS reports the system bios number which isn't the same as Version numbers used by them. THe latest is dated 2018-07-16 on MSI site, whereas your BIOS shows as 07/03/2018

I double checked the BIOS and I'm definitely on the most recent version, despite the date mismatch.

 

[ubuysa]

Forgive my butting in here 😊 but the four dumps you last linked to fail for apparently different reasons. One seems to fail during disk (or SSD) operations, two seem to fail during graphics operations, and one seems to fail whilst at idle.

That might (only might) suggest a hardware cause, but since you seem to know how to run Driver Verifier I think it well worth enabling that with the proper set of tests so that we can hopefully catch a rogue driver.

Before you re-enable Driver Verifier please do one (or both) of the following; either take a restore point and/or take a disk image of your system drive (using Acronis, Macrium Reflect, or similar). This is because it is a remote possibility that Driver Verifier may fail a driver at boot time, this would leave you stuck in a boot-BSOD loop. Should that happen you can restore to the restore point from the Windows installation media, or restore from the disk image you took.

Please enable Driver Verifier again with the following settings:

On the first screen select option 2 - Create custom settings (for code developers)
On the next screen select option 2 - Select individual settings from a full list
In that list select (check) these boxes...
▪ Special Pool
▪ Force IRQL checking
▪ Pool Tracking
▪ Deadlock Detection
▪ Security Checks
▪ Miscellaneous Checks
▪ Power framework delay fuzzing
▪ DDI compliance checking
On the next screen select the last option - Select driver names from a list
Click on the heading labelled Provider to sort the list on that field
Select (check) all boxes where Microsoft IS NOT the provider
Then select (check) these boxes (where Microsoft is the provider)...
▪ Wdf01000.sys
▪ ndis.sys
▪ fltMgr.sys
▪ Storport.sys
Finally click on Finish and reboot.

As I'm sure you know, Driver Verifier subjects all selected drivers to the selected additional tests each time they are called. If a driver fails any of the tests the system will BSOD with a dump. Please upload all dumps created whilst Driver Verifier is running (but no others).

Leave Driver Verifier running for at least 24 hours and try to reproduce whatever caused your BSODs in the past. There is unlikely to be much point in running Driver Verifier for longer than 48 hours.

 

[Bob.B]

Hi Guys,

I've been getting constant bluescreens for the last week or so and I'm at my wit's end. I've tried everything I can find with my limited technical knowledge so I'm coming to you guys for help. The crashes primarily occur when playing Last Epoch or Diablo 3/4, but can also happen during other games or right from the desktop after a reboot. I can't reliably cause them - sometimes I crash a few seconds after boot or launching a game; other times I can go for hours with no problems. Sometimes just the game itself crashes, more often the entire system bluescreens.

I've fully formatted (clean install from USB boot), stress tested CPU/GPU, run memtest on two separate kits and updated/removed every driver flagged by driver verifier until it no longer reports issues that I can understand. I've run DISM, SFC and CHKDSK, the BIOS is fully updated and the system isn't (and never has been) overclocked. I've physically inspected all the components (they're all undamaged), cleaned and reseated everything. I've even tried a dozen different NVIDIA driver versions.

Minidumps:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sq9R5XEHMsoe_mnxbEDADCXUtFMuVlGi?usp=sharing

CPU: i7-7700k
MOBO: MSI Z270 Gaming Pro Carbon
GPU: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 G1 Gaming 8GB
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 32GB (2x16) DDR4 3200MHz
SSD: Samsung EVO 850 512GB
PSU: Antec TP-650 Truepower 650W

If you run out of stuff to try remove the gpu and run off of the igp....test.

 

[elman0]

Forgive my butting in here 😊 but the four dumps you last linked to fail for apparently different reasons. One seems to fail during disk (or SSD) operations, two seem to fail during graphics operations, and one seems to fail whilst at idle.

That might (only might) suggest a hardware cause, but since you seem to know how to run Driver Verifier I think it well worth enabling that with the proper set of tests so that we can hopefully catch a rogue driver.

Before you re-enable Driver Verifier please do one (or both) of the following; either take a restore point and/or take a disk image of your system drive (using Acronis, Macrium Reflect, or similar). This is because it is a remote possibility that Driver Verifier may fail a driver at boot time, this would leave you stuck in a boot-BSOD loop. Should that happen you can restore to the restore point from the Windows installation media, or restore from the disk image you took.

Please enable Driver Verifier again with the following settings:

On the first screen select option 2 - Create custom settings (for code developers)
On the next screen select option 2 - Select individual settings from a full list
In that list select (check) these boxes...
▪ Special Pool
▪ Force IRQL checking
▪ Pool Tracking
▪ Deadlock Detection
▪ Security Checks
▪ Miscellaneous Checks
▪ Power framework delay fuzzing
▪ DDI compliance checking
On the next screen select the last option - Select driver names from a list
Click on the heading labelled Provider to sort the list on that field
Select (check) all boxes where Microsoft IS NOT the provider
Then select (check) these boxes (where Microsoft is the provider)...
▪ Wdf01000.sys
▪ ndis.sys
▪ fltMgr.sys
▪ Storport.sys
Finally click on Finish and reboot.

As I'm sure you know, Driver Verifier subjects all selected drivers to the selected additional tests each time they are called. If a driver fails any of the tests the system will BSOD with a dump. Please upload all dumps created whilst Driver Verifier is running (but no others).

Leave Driver Verifier running for at least 24 hours and try to reproduce whatever caused your BSODs in the past. There is unlikely to be much point in running Driver Verifier for longer than 48 hours.

Sorry for the delay.
Here are a couple of Verifier-enabled minidumps:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15ZshwDtJbEWSNC6bXSe3kSrJNAShqJf8?usp=sharing

I've been crashing as soon as I hit the desktop with those options and, for what it's worth, many of the minidumps are getting corrupted and aren't usable. I'll try and get some more that don't corrupt.

edit:
Here are a couple more with verifier enabled. I've included two corrupt logs (one is just straight up empty) just in case that yields any useful information somehow.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1N47JDpzxFPMXr41b0LR4CGCeRKe4RboH?usp=sharing

 

[johnbl]

why is this driver installed:
\SystemRoot\system32\drivers\ksUSBa64.sys Fri Jun 9 03:26:43 2017
(you might remove or update this if it is a sound card driver)

I looked at a crash that was just an attempt to read a registry value, the stack was corrupted.

you might change the memory dump type to kernel so the logs are included and proper debug info can be read. then provide memory.dmp file

various minidumps were corrupted.
system only has current microsoft generic drivers.
you might have to install custom versions for this old motherboard.
modified windows files in some dumps:
win32k.sys
win32kbase
win32kfull.sys


some strange unexpected crashes:
machine info:
BIOS Version 1.90
BIOS Release Date 07/03/2018
Manufacturer MSI
Product Z270 GAMING PRO CARBON (MS-7A63)
Version 1.0
[CPU Information]
~MHz = REG_DWORD 4200
Component Information = REG_BINARY 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
Configuration Data = REG_FULL_RESOURCE_DESCRIPTOR ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
Identifier = REG_SZ Intel64 Family 6 Model 158 Stepping 9
ProcessorNameString = REG_SZ Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-7700K CPU @ 4.20GHz
Update Status = REG_DWORD 0
VendorIdentifier = REG_SZ GenuineIntel
MSR8B = REG_QWORD b400000000

 

[elman0]

why is this driver installed:
\SystemRoot\system32\drivers\ksUSBa64.sys Fri Jun 9 03:26:43 2017
(you might remove or update this if it is a sound card driver)

External sound card I use for my headphones. It's a gain thing. I've uninstalled the driver and I'll leave the headphones disconnected while I continue testing. Crashes continue after uninstalling.

I looked at a crash that was just an attempt to read a registry value, the stack was corrupted.

you might change the memory dump type to kernel so the logs are included and proper debug info can be read. then provide memory.dmp file

Memory dump is here, as well as the two corresponding minidumps:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kDfWhJFGWpUiaCy38yoB1wnFy9KWWxdD?usp=sharing

modified windows files in some dumps:
win32k.sys
win32kbase
win32kfull.sys

Is this something I can/need to remedy? If so, how?

 

[elman0]

Small update:
I'm able to fairly reliably trigger crashes after 4-5 minutes or so using Prime95.
I ran it in safe mode overnight for ~7.5 hours without a crash.

I've physically removed my graphics card and uninstalled the Nvidia drivers in safe mode with DDU.

I'm currently running on integrated graphics - I installed the most updated drivers for which from the MOBO website - and am still getting crashes, the minidumps for which are here (driver verifier is disabled):
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uNJYSDuusTCVUWmF-GdI3kq-hMu8MGfK?usp=sharing

Next I'm going to memtest again, just in case. After that, unless something else comes up, the only thing I can think is to format again and be very careful and selective about what I install, and test every time.

 

[johnbl]

sorry, looking at the memory dump I see a bunch of problems, I am not sure how to fix without a bios update or custom drivers.
only thing I can think of is to work around the problems. Maybe run your system in high performance mode.

you might update the old intel drivers from here:Intel® Driver & Support Assistant


--------------
looks like your bios does not support all of the usb 3 functions.
you might install your motherboard usb 3 drivers and chipset drivers.
I would also go into windows control panel device manager, find the usb hubs, right mouse click to bring up properties, find the power management tab and
tell windows not to turn them off to save power.

It might be better to run your system in high performance mode to avoid issues with your old bios.
Windows has implemented new low power settings, Your bios/hardware does not know what to do with them.
I am not sure why your samsungmagician software is having issues. Do you have to run it? it has a lot of threads waiting for locks to be released.
(might also be related to sleep/low power request from windows. high performance mode may prevent the problem)


-------------
something is wrong with your storage, I tried to look at the storage log but it was empty.
maybe due to
SamsungMagician.exe third party apps often do not have logs I can look at.
looks like windows defender is waiting for a lock to be free.
locks held by SamsungMagician.exe
----------
!usb3kd.usb_tree
ASMedia - PCI: VendorId 0x1b21 DeviceId 0x2142 RevisionId 0x00 SubVendorId 0x1462 SubSystemId 0x7a63 Firmware 161006_500200
(might be able to update the firmware in the asmedia device) do not look like the device is being used.
motherboard vendors website might have a asmedia driver for you.

ProductId: G703 Wired/Wireless Gaming Mouse
(might look for a firmware update for this device) (errors in log for the mouse)
ProductId: Gaming Keyboard G910

-------------
the machines usb subsystem is having problems. The microsoft drivers are making function calls to functions that were not implemented in your bios/hardware. You will have to install the usb drivers provided for your machine.
logs show each hub with problem
status 0xc0000002(STATUS_NOT_IMPLEMENTED)
HW_COMPLIANCE: Device control transfer for getting Device Qualifier descriptor failed with error 0xc0000001(STATUS_UNSUCCESSFUL), URB Status c0000004
hub1 0xffffb181c3ae4310 96: HUBACPI_EvaluateDsmMethod - IOCTL_ACPI_EVAL_METHOD_EX request failed 0xc0000034(STATUS_OBJECT_NAME_NOT_FOUND)