I constantly get BSOD with error irql_not_less_or_equal

[Danogot516]

I constantly get BSOD with the error mentioned.Sometimes I get it 2 or 3 times a day.

 

[johnbl]

I would think it would be contained in the amd all in one driver dated 5/28/2015
on http://www.asrock.com/mb/AMD/FM2A78M%20Pro4+/?cat=Download&os=Win864
(the first entry)

-you should be able to go into bios and confirm the setting for the sata ports to see what mode is selected.

I can't find from where to download the system chipset drivers on the AsRock website.And as far as I can remember I installed windows in AHcI mode so can you give me more info on how to update that "amdide64.sys" file.I removed the overcloaking driver and the "dtsoftbus01.sys" file.

 

[Danogot516]

Just checked and it's IDE.I heard that there is a tool for changing from IDE to AHcI for windows 8 released by microsoft but i couldn't find it.I guess I will have to do it the other way.As for getting any bugchecks I got several.They were all driver_irql_not_less_or_equal and they had two files pointed in brackets - "storport.sys" and "amd_sata.sys" which leads me to think that one of the causes is definitely the IDE mode.

P.S:When I checked again the SATA mode is AHcI but there is another option which is SATA IDE combination which is enabled :/

 

[johnbl]

you would just need to make a registry setting change to start the correct driver in windows.

you can google "how to convert to ahci mode on windows"
or look here: http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=313676

basically you boot into windows, make the registry change, boot in to BIOS and make the BIOS sata entry change to AHCI
and reboot into windows and that is it.

Just checked and it's IDE.I heard that there is a tool for changing from IDE to AHcI for windows 8 released by microsoft but i couldn't find it.I guess I will have to do it the other way.As for getting any bugchecks I got several.They were all driver_irql_not_less_or_equal and they had two files pointed in brackets - "storport.sys" and "amd_sata.sys" which leads me to think that one of the causes is definitely the IDE mode.

P.S:When I checked again the SATA mode is AHcI but there is another option which is SATA IDE combination which is enabled :/

 

[Danogot516]

you would just need to make a registry setting change to start the correct driver in windows.

you can google "how to convert to ahci mode on windows"
or look here: http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=313676

basically you boot into windows, make the registry change, boot in to BIOS and make the BIOS sata entry change to AHCI
and reboot into windows and that is it.

Just checked and it's IDE.I heard that there is a tool for changing from IDE to AHcI for windows 8 released by microsoft but i couldn't find it.I guess I will have to do it the other way.As for getting any bugchecks I got several.They were all driver_irql_not_less_or_equal and they had two files pointed in brackets - "storport.sys" and "amd_sata.sys" which leads me to think that one of the causes is definitely the IDE mode.

P.S:When I checked again the SATA mode is AHcI but there is another option which is SATA IDE combination which is enabled :/

I will do it but I have to be sure so here is a picture of my sata settings.You can see that the sata mode is AHcI but this other option a few lines below which is enabled boggles me.So should I edit the registry files and then disable it?

 

[johnbl]

I looked it up, it looks like it takes 2 of your sata ports and converts it to a one IDE channel.
I would disable that feature unless I had a device that required it. like a old cd player or very old hard drive.

 

[Danogot516]

I looked it up, it looks like it takes 2 of your sata ports and converts it to a one IDE channel.
I would disable that feature unless I had a device that required it. like a old cd player or very old hard drive.

But should I first edit the registry files in windows or just do it without it?

 

[johnbl]

I would edit the registry but I think you might find it has already been changed. if you make the change in bios and the registry is not correct then when you boot the system will not see your hard drive at some point in the boot up process.

I think you just don't want to have they hybrid sata /ide mode enabled. I would guess it just has bugs in it.
most people would never use that mode.

I looked it up, it looks like it takes 2 of your sata ports and converts it to a one IDE channel.
I would disable that feature unless I had a device that required it. like a old cd player or very old hard drive.

But should I first edit the registry files in windows or just do it without it?

 

[Danogot516]

I would never use it either.I don't even know why it is enabled.Probably that way by default.Okay I will disable it and see if there is any change.

 

[Danogot516]

Oh, and i got a new bugcheck with an error "kernel_security_check_failure".Here is the dump:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0nRi_H-1vZxNEJnblcxbkVjYUk/view?usp=sharing

 

[johnbl]

the minidump just shows that something overran a stack buffer.

-you will want to change the memory dump type to kernel memory dump. (minidumps do not save the debug info)
you will need to turn on verifier.exe to turn on extra driver checking.
start cmd.exe as an admin then run
verifier.exe /standard /all
and reboot.
(make sure you know how to get into safe mode (f8 or shift+f8)
so you can turn off verifier if the machine bugchecks during the boot process.
Note: after testing using verifier you will have to turn it off or your machine will run slowly until you do.
use
verifier.exe /reset

Note: how to change the memory dump type:
https://community.sophos.com/kb/en-us/111474
(select kernel memory dump rather than full)
the memory dump will be stored in a larger file C:\windows\memory.dmp

be sure to apply the driver updates for your motherboard.

 

[Danogot516]

I changed the option to a kernel dump but it still dumps it like a minidump for some reason

 

[johnbl]

well if verifier is running the mindump will show the driver that failed but you can not see the logs or the supporting debug info.
potentially it will bugcheck earlier when the problem just starts rather than when some random driver gets its data corrupted.

I changed the option to a kernel dump but it still dumps it like a minidump for some reason

 

[Danogot516]

Ok, so I run the verifier and wait for a bugcheck to appear and then send you the minidump?

 

[johnbl]

a minidump would have all of the debug info stripped out but might name the driver. (maybe 20% of the time)
it would be better to capture a kernel dump so the debug info is retained. file would be c:\windows\memory.dmp
as default. But it would depend on your system settings since you can pick any name and location you wanted.

Ok, so I run the verifier and wait for a bugcheck to appear and then send you the minidump?

 

[Danogot516]

So here are my options and as you can see windows is supposed to save the dump file in the windows folder with the name MEMORY.DMP but it doesn't.It confuses me :/

 

[johnbl]

I think it wold be better to post a link to the website rather than copy someones entire article.
http://www.pcgamer.com/blue-screen-of-death-survival-guide-every-error-explained/

also the information is very dated, looks like something from the old vista days.
(not to mention the other problems)

Every Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) deciphered (Updated!)
If you're returning here by way of bookmark, first off, please accept our condolences. There's only reason you spend time reading a Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) article, and that's to try and solve a problem you're having with your own system. If we could give out a teddy bear stuffed with cash to each person that visited this article, we'd do it. Sadly, we don't have teddy bears, and what little cash we have is usually spent at the pub.

Secondly, you must we wondering, "Oh snap! I see change, and I hate change! Where's the old BSoD article I bookmarked?!" Not to fear, we realize you hate change, which is why come hell or high water, you're sticking it out with Windows XP even after Microsoft stopped supporting it on April 8, 2014. We have your back, and the original article is still here. All of it. So what are we doing here?

The first is we're updating verbiage where necessary. If there was something that seemed difficult to understand before, it should now be easier to decipher. The second thing we've done is added some new information. You see, BSoDs are far less common in the Windows 8/8.1 era, and that was true in the Windows 7 days as well.

Finally, we've added a picture gallery. No, it's not filled with cute fuzzy kittens and lolcats, though we're not opposed to either one. It is, however, populated with some of the most embarrassing and comical BSoDs to have ever occurred. Hopefully you'll get a chuckle out of it, or at the very least come to realize that the BSoD you're dealing with isn't as bad as could be.

Sound like a plan? Great! Let's get started!

Picture this: It’s late at night, you’re sitting at your computer playing a game or working on a project when, suddenly, Windows freezes completely. All your work is gone, and you find a blue screen full of gibberish staring back at you. Windows is dead, Jim, at least until you reboot it. You have no choice but to sigh loudly, shake your fist at Bill Gates and angrily push the reset button. You’ve just been visited by the ghost of windows crashed: The blue screen of death.

Also known as the BSoD, the Blue Screen of Death appears when Windows crashes or locks up. It’s actually a Windows “stop” screen, and is designed to do two things: tell you the reason for the error, and to calm your nerves, hence the use of the color blue (studies show it has a relaxing effect on people). Though Blue Screens are difficult to decipher, all the information you need to figure out what caused it is right there in front of you in blue and white—and that’s where we come in. We’re going to show you how to dissect the blue screen error details, so you can fix the problem that’s causing them.

BSoD 101: A Crash Course
Error Name
There are many parts to a BSoD, but the most important is right at the top. The actual name of the error is presented in all caps with an underscore between each word. In some cases this will be all that’s needed to get to the root of the problem (thanks to the handy guide you are about to read). Most of the time, however, more information will be required.

Troubleshooting Advice
Nearly every BSoD includes a portion of text with some basic troubleshooting advice, the first of which recommends restarting your computer. Gee, thanks for the tip Microsoft. Before you restart, copy the exact all-caps error code and hexadecimal values shown above and below this portion of generic text. The next paragraph provides sound advice, alerting the user to check to make sure their hardware is installed properly, or to undo any recent software or hardware upgrades.

Memory Dump
Every BSoD is accompanied by a memory dump. What this means is when Windows crashes, it dumps whatever it is holding in system memory to a file, and saves the file on your hard drive for debugging purposes. If you contact Microsoft for technical assistance, they’ll want to know the contents of this file.

Stop Code
The “technical information” section portion contains the actual Windows stop code, in oh-so-easy-to-read hexadecimal form. Despite appearing unintelligible at first glance, this combination of numbers and letters is instrumental in determining the cause of the crash. Pay particular attention to the first set of numbers and letters. It precedes the other four, which are enclosed in parenthesis. If a specific driver is associated with the crash, it will be listed on the very next line.

Click here to continue reading the article.

I Run Vista, so I'm Immune to BSoDs, Right?
Unfortunately, no. A common misconception is that blue screens don't even exist in Vista, but not only are they still there, but we're here to tell you we've seen them first hand. The good news is Microsoft put a lot of work into how Vista handles critical errors and other glitches that in previous OSes would cause a system crash. Most of the time, if a problem occurs, Vista will attempt to fix the problem without any interruption. For example, if your videocard crashes, you may see a message saying "Display driver stopped responding and has recovered." In XP and previous OSes, this almost always would have resulted in a system crash.

In some cases, Vista will be unable recover on its own, and the result is a blue screen. By default, Vista will reboot itself after briefly flashing the blue screen. It happens so fast you might miss it, but once Windows reloads, you'll be greeted with an error message similar to the above. You can try clicking the 'Check for solution' button, just as you can try your hand playing the lotto. Neither one is likely to result in anything.

Instead, scroll down and take note of the blue screen codes. Armed with this information, you can perform your own detective work. Alternately, if you'd prefer to see the actual blue screen rather than automatically rebooting, right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop, select Properties, and click on Advanced System Settings. In the System Properties window that appears, select the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery, and uncheck the box that says 'Automatically Restart.' The same steps also apply to XP.

In another nod towards streamlining the troubleshooting process, Vista's Problem Reports and Solutions wizard can save you oodles of time in PC detective work, and may even alert you to potential conflicts you weren't even aware existed. You can find this applet by name in your Control Panel, or just type Problem Reports and Solutions in Vista's search box. Once loaded, click 'Check for new solutions' in the left-hand column. If Vista finds any conflicts, it will list them in the main window, along with any potential resolutions.

Click here to continue reading the article.

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (0x0000000A)
The most common cause of this conflict is improperly installed drivers for a piece of hardware you recently installed. For example, if you’ve installed a webcam two weeks ago, and have been getting BSoDs ever since, start your investigation with the webcam. First, disconnect the hardware, and uninstall the drivers for it completely. If that fixes the blue screen, you can search for updated drivers or contact the manufacturer.

If you haven't installed any new drivers recently, you'll need to do some more detective work. Start by examining the blue screen to see if it lists a specific driver. Looking at the blue screen, check the text at the very bottom of the screen. You'll probably see a file name. This is the driver that caused the problem. If, for example, the driver in question is named nv4_disp.dll (an nVidia-related file), and you've recently switched from an Nvidia videocard to an AMD part, then it's reasonable to assume that either the old driver was not uninstalled correctly, or the new drivers weren't properly installed.

Swapping Videocards
If you've narrowed your search of offending drivers down to those associated with your videocard, turn off the system, disconnect the power, and remove and reseat the videocard. Next, go into the BIOS (press F2 or Delete when your BIOS prompts you to do this, or consult your user manual or motherboard manufacturer's website) and check the bus speed for your videocard. We typically recommend leaving the PCI-E frequency set to Auto in the BIOS, but if you've overclocked your system, it can inadvertently knock the bus speed beyond a stable spec, which can cause blue screens. If that's the case, manually set your PCI-E frequency to 100MHz.

You're more like to experience this IRQL error when switching form one videocard brand to another, as the drivers will conflict with each other. The safe way to swap videocards is to completely remove all remnants of your old videocard drivers. On older systems, you can try Driver Cleaner , or the freebie alternative Driver Sweeper To begin the process, open up your Control Panel, select Add or Remove Programs in XP or Programs and Features in Vista, highlight the videocard drivers, and click Uninstall. Reboot the computer, holding down the F8 key to enter safe mode. Run the Driver Cleaner utility to scrub away any remnants of the previous drivers that a typical uninstall overlooks. After you reboot, install the appropriate drivers for your new videocard.

It's not entirely necessary to use a third-party utility, though if problems linger when trying to uninstall drivers on your own, it's worth a shot.

Some Sound Advice
When the error is related to an audio driver, take note of the program that was running when the BSoD occurred. Make sure the offending application's sound options are configured correctly -- it's especially important that it uses the correct audio device -- and download any patches available that address known issues. You should update your soundcard's drivers as well.

If you're using an add-in soundcard, verify that the motherboard's onboard audio is disabled in the BIOS, so the two audio drivers don't conflict with each other.

Change Doctors
System services known to cause this error include virus scanners and backup utilities. We've had good luck sticking with the major players, such as AVG, Norton, Kaspersky, AntiVir, and Nod32 for our antivirus scanning, and Norton Ghost and Acronis TrueImage for backup duties. Do not run more than one antivirus application on your computer at the same time!

DATA_BUS_ERROR (0x0000002E)
This is one of the easier BSoDs to diagnose, as faulty memory sticks are almost always to blame. If you get this error, think for a second: Are those DIMMs you just added compatible with your motherboard? Your motherboard manufacturer's website will have a list of specific brands verified to work with your particular board, although these are often incomplete.


(Image Credit: Corsair)

Next (and more importantly), are they installed in the correct slots? Some motherboards are more finicky than others when it comes to proper slot placement, and the situation is compounded when dealing with a dual-channel, tri-channel, and quad-channel configurations. Most motherboards that run dual-channel require that you install matching sets of RAM in the same-color slots, while others, such as some MSI boards, require that you install them in alternate slots. And if you have a Core i7 setup, you may need to install your RAM starting with the slot farthest from the CPU. When in doubt, poke your head in the user's manual.

Once you've verified that your RAM is installed correctly and is compatible with your motherboard, check to make sure they're running within spec. It's possible you may have set your memory's latency timings too aggressive, or maybe the sticks can't handle the frequency you're trying to run them at. Your BIOS could also mis-read the SPD settings. Whatever the case, look up the correct parameters for your RAM and try manually setting them in the BIOS.

If the problem persists, the the problem is likely a bad stick. To find out which stick is bad you can simply remove one stick, then run your system for a while to see if the blue screens stop. Then swap the sticks and run your test again. If the machine blue screens with one stick, but not the other, you've found your culprit. You can also run a diagnostic program such as Memtest86+ to help determine which stick is defective. If you're running Vista, you can also use Microsoft's Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool. Type the name of the program in Vista's search box, and once selected, it will run the next time you reboot. Because most RAM sold today includes a lifetime warranty, be sure to check with your vendor before you toss out a bad stick.

Click here to continue reading the article.

NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM or FAT_FILE_SYSTEM (0x00000024 or 0x00000023)
While many blue screens can be traced back to a new hardware install or bad memory, this particular error screams in capital letters that something is fishy with your hard drive. The error that gets displayed depends on the file system your OS is using. In most cases, the file system will be NTFS. With really old systems, the error will read FAT16. If you get this error, be sure to do one thing immediately, before you even being to contemplate its cause: Back up your important data.

Call the Cable Guy

(Image Credit: Tomshardware)

The easiest solutions are often the most overclocked, but they can also be the most effective. Checking your hard drive's cable connections falls into this category. SATA cables are notorious for working themselves loose --we've had this happen to us on many occasions. If using a SATA drive, make sure you have only one power cable connected, not two (many SATA hard drives include a SATA power cable and a legacy four-pin connector). With a PATA drive, remove the ribbon cable and look for any bent or broken pins. Carefully line up the cable and push it securely into place. You might also have a bad cable, so if you have a space cable lying around -- one you know to be good -- swap it with the one in your PC.

Check Please!
Now it's time to check your drive for errors. To do this, we'll first run a diagnostic scan. In XP, click Start, then Run, and type cmd . In Vista, simply type cmd in the Start Search box, then right-click cmd.exe and select Run as Administrator.. At the flashing command prompt, type chkdsk /f /r and reboot the system if prompted. The /f and /r switches attempt to fix file-system errors, then look for an mark any bad sectors before automatically rebooting when the scan completes.

Change Drivers
Even though we don't really think about hard drives as needing drivers, the controller's they're attached to most certainly do. A buggy SATA controller driver can wreak havoc on your data. Your motherboard's chipset drivers include specific drivers for the IDE/ATA controller tha the hard drives are connect to, so you'll need to install the latest version for your motherboard. To find your chipset drivers, you'll need to go to your motherboard manufacturer's website and search the support section, or head directly to your chipset manufacturer's website.

UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP (0x0000007F)
If you see this blue screen, you're probably overclocking your CPU, but this is not always the case. The 7F error is known to attack indiscriminately, lashing out at more than just overclockers. This particular BSoD can rear its head in response to bad RAM, a faulty motherboard, or a corrupted BIOS.

Overzealous Overclocking
If you've overclocked, the first thing you should do to isolate the problem (or any problem, for that matter) is to revert your overclocked components to their default speeds. If the blue screen goes away, then your overclock was too aggressive. The best way to ensure that your overclock is stable is to stress the hell out of your PC. To do this, many enthusiasts turn to the torture test named Prime95 . This utility stressed your rig's CPU and memory subsystems. If any errors are found, it's a good indication that your system is not completely stable.

Hot Potato!
This BSoD could also be generated by an overheating PC, so it's a good practice to monitor your system temps on a regular basis. There are several temp monitoring programs available, such as Core Temp , Real Temp , SpeedFan , and many others.

As far as temperatures go, most CPUs can get very hot without incurring any damage. Temperatures of 75C under load aren't unheard of for hot-running CPUs, though most newer chips probably won't get as high. In general, it's a good idea to keep your CPU below 70C, and below 50C at idle. This will vary by processor make, model, and even steppings (revisions) of the same chip.

If a processor is running hot, examine your case's airflow and see if there are any obstructions. Check your fans for dust buildup, including the top of the heatsink that's cooling your CPU. A high-quality cooler will also bring temperatures down. And you should always have some sort of thermal paste between the CPU and the cooler. Finally, verify that all fans are spinning. If the fan is plugged in and still not spinning, replace the defective fan immediately.

The BIOS Beckons
If your BIOS is corrupt or has trouble with a new component, such as newly released processor core, your first order of business is to update to the latest version. Before updating the BIOS, you should change its settings back to default (there is usually a "reset to default" setting in the BIOS that makes this process easy, or you can simply clear the CMOS via the jumper on your motherboard). You should never attempt to update your BIOS on a system that is overclocked and unstable. A sudden reboot in the middle of the BIOS-flashing process will destroy your motherboard, turning it into a fancy doorstop. And remember: Never, under any circumstances, restart or shut down the system while you're flashing yoru BIOS. You can download the latest BIOS from your motherboard manufacturer's website.

When there are several different versions to choose from, skip right to the latest release rather than updating incrementally. Some motherboard vendors include utilities for updating the BIOS from within Windows. This makes the process easy enough for even novices to undertake, but for obvious reasons, we recommend avoiding this route when a system is prone to blue screens.

Mating Memory
Mismatched or bad memory sticks can also cause this blue screen. To scratch this one off of the troubleshooting list, run a single stick of RAM that Memtest86 has verified to be error free. If this solves the problem, replace the bad stick. If not, move on to the next step.

CPU is Kaput
We don't see this often, but another known cause for this particular error is a bad processor. Most people don't have the means to test the CPU in another system, so your options here may be limited. Local computer repair shops are sometimes willing to run the processor for a night or two for a nominal cost, but you can also contact AMD or Intel for a replacement if it's within the warranty period.

 

[Danogot516]

I read trough the whole post just getting more and more confused with every sentence

 

[johnbl]

%systemroot% is a variable it could be assigned to anything. by default it it c:\windows but it could be anything.

I would hard code the value, just change it to
c:\windows

using a memory dump also assumes that you have space on your drive, and that you have a large enough pagefile.sys on your c: drive. (virtual memory setting)

So here are my options and as you can see windows is supposed to save the dump file in the windows folder with the name MEMORY.DMP but it doesn't.It confuses me :/

 

[Danogot516]

I have 20GB free.Going to change it to c:\windows and see if something happens.

 

[Danogot516]

I'm back with an update.Sorry for not posting for the past months but I was busy with other stuff.So in these past months the times I get a BSOD increased immensely.I almost couldn't bare it and because of that I decided to try updating my BIOS for the seconds time(last time my PC stopped posting).So I did it just 30 minutes ago and the PC couldn't really start after the logo screen at the beginning.It just kept restarting itself but then I went to BIOS and after that it successfully booted in windows albeit it took more than it usually does.So now I'm writing from it and it all seems fine for now.I will use it a week and then make another update on the thread.If it doesn't get a BSOD I will close this thread and finally rest,knowing everything is working like it's supposed to work.

 

[Danogot516]

Ok everything works fine and I haven't got a BSOD for more than a week.