[SOLVED] Is BSOD a Motherboard or SSD hard disk problem?

[rivercloud]

My PC has two OS. One hard drive has Windows 7 installed while the other (SSD) has Windows 10 or 8.1
After a few months of running Windows 10 or 8.1 on my SSD, BSOD appears and I can't run my OS anymore. Then I have to reinstall Windows yet again. Windows 8.1 seems more stable but I prefer Windows 10. My Windows 7 installation seems fine and have no problems. That was my main OS for 5 years now and it is still working fine. What could be the culprit?
My motherboard is Gigabyte DS3P - 970A
AMD Phenom II X3 720
4gb Kingston Ram

 

[PC Tailor]

Welcome to the forums my friend!

This completely depends on what BSOD you are having, there are many different types of bugchecks, and each one means a different thing, and many of them have subtypes within them (Exceptions for example).

Please describe the exact issue you are having.
If you are encountering bugchecks (BSOD) then please see the link in my signature below for BSOD posts.

 

[rivercloud]

Thanks. I don't have the BSOD error. Most of the time it just indicates:
WINDOWS ENCOUNTERED AN UNEXPECTED ERROR AND WILL SHUT DOWN and what not then when I restart, it says that Windows need to be repaired. When I repair Windows (especially 10) it says Windows can't be repaired and I need to have it repaired using Automatic restore or just reinstall Windows.

Other guys on the forum suggested I make a MEMTEST86 check and I just finished doing it. It doesn't show any errors on my memory.

 

[PC Tailor]

Could be a multitude of things, it could just be that the original OS became corrupt, in which case a clean install of W10 should be fine.

Alternatively:
SeaTools - HDD Test https://www.sysnative.com/forums/threads/hard-drive-hdd-diagnostics-sea-tools-for-dos-ssd-test.4072/
Memtest - RAM test: https://www.sysnative.com/forums/threads/test-ram-with-passmark-memtest86.24300/ (already appears to be covered)

 

[rivercloud]

Could be a multitude of things, it could just be that the original OS became corrupt, in which case a clean install of W10 should be fine.

Alternatively:
SeaTools - HDD Test https://www.sysnative.com/forums/threads/hard-drive-hdd-diagnostics-sea-tools-for-dos-ssd-test.4072/
Memtest - RAM test: https://www.sysnative.com/forums/threads/test-ram-with-passmark-memtest86.24300/ (already appears to be covered)

I would like to think as such but I tried installing both Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 and same result. Even used another installation of Windows 10 but still get BSOD and clean install after a few months.

I will try Sea Tools

 

[PC Tailor]

I would like to think as such but I tried installing both Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 and same result. Even used another installation of Windows 10 but still get BSOD and clean install after a few months.

I will try Sea Tools

Also how long did you run memtest for?

 

[rivercloud]

I ran through the whole thing like 2-3 hours. Is that enough?

 

[Colif]

Most of the time it just indicates:
WINDOWS ENCOUNTERED AN UNEXPECTED ERROR AND WILL SHUT DOWN and what not then when I restart, it says that Windows need to be repaired. When I repair Windows (especially 10) it says Windows can't be repaired and I need to have it repaired using Automatic restore or just reinstall Windows.

Windows startup repair will say " Windows can't be repaired " even when there is nothing wrong, so its not exactly helpful.

Try this:
right click start button
choose powershell (admin)
type SFC /scannow and press enter
once its completed, copy/paste this command into same window:
Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth and press enter
SFC fixes system files, second command cleans image files, re run SFC if it failed to fix all files and restart PC


I would do a repair install before a fresh install. Though that requires you being able to log into win 10 to do.

Have you got Fast startup turned on? its possible its a driver problem, try turning it off - https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4189-turn-off-fast-startup-windows-10-a.html

what brand is the ssd? Have you run chkdsk on it?
open command prompt with admin rights
type chkdsk C: /f and press enter
2 paragraphs will pop up, type Y and press enter to agree to run at startup
restart PC to let it run scan

Does it show any errors in Reliability history?

 

[rivercloud]

Welcome to the forums my friend!

This completely depends on what BSOD you are having, there are many different types of bugchecks, and each one means a different thing, and many of them have subtypes within them (Exceptions for example).

Please describe the exact issue you are having.
If you are encountering bugchecks (BSOD) then please see the link in my signature below for BSOD posts.

Hi I finally know the error:
It displays NTFS FILE SYSTEM error or something like that

 

[PC Tailor]

NTFS errors will be related to your storage drive. I would continue with Colif's recommendation above.

 

[rivercloud]

Ok I will. However those are for Windows 10? Or also applicable for Windows 8.1 which I am currently running.

 

[Colif]

I guess my repair install instructions don't help since you on 8.1

I am not so quick to blame ntfs errors on storage. I mean, it could be but I feel i have seen them associated with other things as well.

The 1st lot of instructions probably look like this in 8.1
Open command Prompt (admin)
type SFC /scannow and press enter
once its completed, copy/paste this command into same window:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press enter
IF SFC had any errors it could not fix the 1st time, re run it after DISM and restart PC.

chkdsk is also likely the same as it hasn't changed in years.

 

[rivercloud]

I guess my repair install instructions don't help since you on 8.1

I am not so quick to blame ntfs errors on storage. I mean, it could be but I feel i have seen them associated with other things as well.

The 1st lot of instructions probably look like this in 8.1
Open command Prompt (admin)
type SFC /scannow and press enter
once its completed, copy/paste this command into same window:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press enter
IF SFC had any errors it could not fix the 1st time, re run it after DISM and restart PC.

chkdsk is also likely the same as it hasn't changed in years.

Hi I cannot run "sfc /scannow" via command prompt (admin).
It just sits there loading. After that nothing happens.

Anyhow I got another BSOD. This time it shows "Memory Management"
Kind of like this pic.

For the record my Windows 7 OS is busted up as well so my Windows 8.1 is the only thing keeping this PC alive.

My windows 8.1 seems <Mod Edit> as well this is what displays when I click the start button. Nothing displays

 

[Colif]

Does the DISM command work? as its meant to fix the files SFC uses to run its scan.

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

copy that file to documents
upload the copy from documents to a file sharing web site, and share the link in your thread so we can help fix the problem

amazed we still don't have any dump files yet?

 

[rivercloud]

Ok I got tired of the Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 so I installed another OS (Windows 10) on a new hard drive I bought.
Everything is a-ok as of now but I notice my memory is only (1.98 GB) usable).

I tried the msconfig solution and it didn't work. I also had this problem with my Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 installations.

 

[Colif]

so do you have 2 x 2gb ram sticks? As that looks to me like 1 isn't playing nice with windows.
Are they both the same type of ram?