Machine Check Exception BSOD (caused by driver hal.dll)

Xavier Enrique

Commendable
Nov 6, 2016
7
0
1,510
I need help, I'm getting that specific kind of crash, even after a Windows 10 reinstall. It hasn't allowed me to use my PC for a week now. Please someone with knowledge about the subject reply with a possible solution. The crash happens usually few seconds (or even few minutes) after logging into my account. Sometimes it also happens while booting Windows. Safe Mode runs fine.

Important detail: It all started after a Clean Install of my GPU drivers using the Radeon Installer (trying to update the drivers, seemingly I messed up when I chose "Clean Install" instead of just "Install" like I normally do).
 
Solution
normally at this stage I would show instructions on how to create minidumps so people with the debugger can read them for you and figure out cause but since the last version of windows 10, the people with the programs have found the dumps don't work properly. As such, I won't waste your time any more.

I would suggest you read the posting instructions on page below and post on there as they use different tools and may helkp you faster than waiting around here on off chance the people can read dumps - https://www.tenforums.com/bsod-crashes-debugging/

If you don't get an answer there, they have a sticky at top for people who don't get an answer in 24 hours, but if they can't help, come back and I see what I can do :)
Machine Check exceptions are hardware errors, normally associated with the CPU but can be driver related

The Windows Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) is implemented in Hal.dll. The HAL implements a number of functions that are implemented in different ways by different hardware platforms, which in this context, refers mostly to the chipset.

you could make an educated guess and try this - http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-2767677/clean-graphics-driver-install-windows.html

Does PC crash if you run in safe mode?
from desktop, go to settings/update & security/recovery - Under advanced start up on right, click the restart now button
choose troubleshoot
choose advanced
choose start up options
hit the restart button
choose a safe mode (it doesn't matter which) by using number associated with it.
PC will restart and load safe mode

I guess you would find out if it worked here when you run ddu but if it does, the problem is drivers
 


 


 
Yeah, it runs just fine in Safe Mode, even for hours. BIOS (UEFI) runs fine too. That's what has led me to believe it's not hardware related (hopefully). It's a 5-6 months old build, so all components are relatively new.

I have reset and reinstalled Windows about 6 times after the problem started. I reinstalled UEFI Windows (clean install, formatting the SSD) for the last time few hours ago, and this time I managed to install most drivers; though the system always crashes before letting "Windows Update" finish downloading stuff, or before I can manage to install the latest GPU drivers. And it seems it somehow gradually becomes worse, because after the fresh install, it would always load my desktop, and work fine for at least some minutes. Now, after having installed most drivers, and after several restarts, I consider myself lucky if it even loads the desktop. Now most of the times it crashes while booting Windows. And something curious just happened, I tried booting from the Installation Disc (from BIOS), to see if I could access the Recovery Environment, and it crashes there too. What is it? It's driving me crazy.

Btw, thanks for the article, I will probably go back to my old habit of manually installing the drivers from the website from today on.

EDIT: I forgot to mention I used DDU 2 or 3 days ago, and that didn't solve the issue.
 
normally at this stage I would show instructions on how to create minidumps so people with the debugger can read them for you and figure out cause but since the last version of windows 10, the people with the programs have found the dumps don't work properly. As such, I won't waste your time any more.

I would suggest you read the posting instructions on page below and post on there as they use different tools and may helkp you faster than waiting around here on off chance the people can read dumps - https://www.tenforums.com/bsod-crashes-debugging/

If you don't get an answer there, they have a sticky at top for people who don't get an answer in 24 hours, but if they can't help, come back and I see what I can do :)
 
Solution


 
Thank you, you are very kind. I will definitely give that a try as soon as I get back home from work.

I read the minidumps yesterday with "Bluescreenview" and they all give me "hal.dll" as the cause of the crash, but I will follow your instructions because maybe there are people out there that can look at them and find the true specific cause of the crash.

Once again, thank you, and I will definitely come back if I don't find my solution there. :)