Question Need help with BSODS (IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL)

[Sigyrah]

These last 4-5 months I've been struggling with multiple bsods a day, totally randomly. I think the cause of this problem is my motherboard but I don't know for sure. I tried reinstalling windows, changed my graphics card and the problem persists (changed from AMD to NVIDIA), none of the RAM tests I tried throwed an error, and it seems to be independent of the computer's load. Also sometimes when I turn on my pc the motherboard does a 1 long beep and 3 short beeps sound and then starts as usual. My last minidump says this:

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (a)
An attempt was made to access a pageable (or completely invalid) address at an
interrupt request level (IRQL) that is too high. This is usually
caused by drivers using improper addresses.
If a kernel debugger is available get the stack backtrace.
Arguments:
Arg1: 0000000000000018, memory referenced
Arg2: 0000000000000002, IRQL
Arg3: 0000000000000001, bitfield :
bit 0 : value 0 = read operation, 1 = write operation
bit 3 : value 0 = not an execute operation, 1 = execute operation (only on chips which support this level of status)
Arg4: fffff805150382f8, address which referenced memory

Debugging Details:
------------------


KEY_VALUES_STRING: 1

Key : Analysis.CPU.mSec
Value: 1608

Key : Analysis.Elapsed.mSec
Value: 4384

Key : Analysis.IO.Other.Mb
Value: 11

Key : Analysis.IO.Read.Mb
Value: 0

Key : Analysis.IO.Write.Mb
Value: 30

Key : Analysis.Init.CPU.mSec
Value: 296

Key : Analysis.Init.Elapsed.mSec
Value: 128602

Key : Analysis.Memory.CommitPeak.Mb
Value: 98

Key : Bugcheck.Code.LegacyAPI
Value: 0xa

Key : Failure.Bucket
Value: AV_nt!SwapContext

Key : Failure.Hash
Value: {47b746a3-60bf-1f5a-5fa5-88903b6a3204}

Key : WER.OS.Branch
Value: ni_release_svc_prod3

Key : WER.OS.Version
Value: 10.0.22621.1928


BUGCHECK_CODE: a

BUGCHECK_P1: 18

BUGCHECK_P2: 2

BUGCHECK_P3: 1

BUGCHECK_P4: fffff805150382f8

FILE_IN_CAB: 080223-25437-01.dmp

WRITE_ADDRESS: fffff8051591c468: Unable to get MiVisibleState
Unable to get NonPagedPoolStart
Unable to get NonPagedPoolEnd
Unable to get PagedPoolStart
Unable to get PagedPoolEnd
unable to get nt!MmSpecialPagesInUse
0000000000000018

BLACKBOXBSD: 1 (!blackboxbsd)


BLACKBOXNTFS: 1 (!blackboxntfs)


BLACKBOXWINLOGON: 1

CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT: 1

PROCESS_NAME: Zoom.exe

TRAP_FRAME: fffff30e7f510a70 -- (.trap 0xfffff30e7f510a70)
NOTE: The trap frame does not contain all registers.
Some register values may be zeroed or incorrect.
rax=0000000000000000 rbx=0000000000000000 rcx=0000000000000000
rdx=0000000000000000 rsi=0000000000000000 rdi=0000000000000000
rip=fffff805150382f8 rsp=fffff30e7f510c00 rbp=000f807fb4bbbdff
r8=0000000000000000 r9=fffff30e7f510901 r10=00000000000001b0
r11=ffff83faf2400000 r12=0000000000000000 r13=0000000000000000
r14=0000000000000000 r15=0000000000000000
iopl=0 nv up ei pl zr na po nc
nt!SwapContext+0x108:
fffff805`150382f8 0fae5918 stmxcsr dword ptr [rcx+18h] ds:00000000`00000018=????????
Resetting default scope

STACK_TEXT:
fffff30e`7f510928 fffff805`150442a9 : 00000000`0000000a 00000000`00000018 00000000`00000002 00000000`00000001 : nt!KeBugCheckEx
fffff30e`7f510930 fffff805`1503f934 : fffff805`1502aba0 fffff805`14e21a9a 00000000`885f006c 00000000`00000000 : nt!KiBugCheckDispatch+0x69
fffff30e`7f510a70 fffff805`150382f8 : ffff9401`854a7180 ffffcb0c`5c97b080 ffffcb0c`5c363080 fffff805`15033a3a : nt!KiPageFault+0x474
fffff30e`7f510c00 fffff805`15033b56 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 ffffcb0c`51268080 ffffcb0c`5cbeb080 : nt!SwapContext+0x108
fffff30e`7f510c40 00000000`00000000 : fffff30e`7f511000 fffff30e`7f50b000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : nt!KiIdleLoop+0x176


SYMBOL_NAME: nt!SwapContext+108

MODULE_NAME: nt

IMAGE_NAME: ntkrnlmp.exe

IMAGE_VERSION: 10.0.22621.1992

STACK_COMMAND: .cxr; .ecxr ; kb

BUCKET_ID_FUNC_OFFSET: 108

FAILURE_BUCKET_ID: AV_nt!SwapContext

OS_VERSION: 10.0.22621.1928

BUILDLAB_STR: ni_release_svc_prod3

OSPLATFORM_TYPE: x64

OSNAME: Windows 10

FAILURE_ID_HASH: {47b746a3-60bf-1f5a-5fa5-88903b6a3204}

Followup: MachineOwner

My pc components:
Ryzen 5 3600
HyperX Fury Beast 8gbx2 3200mhz
Gigabyte A320M-S2H
RTX 3070 8GB MSI VENTUS X2
PSU BE QUIET! PURE POWER 750w Gold

None of these components are overclocked, I only have XMP enabled but it didn't change anything when disabled

Minidump

MediaFire is a simple to use free service that lets you put all your photos, documents, music, and video in a single place so you can access them anywhere and share them everywhere.

www.mediafire.com

 

[ubuysa]

Can you upload the kernel dump please? Its the file C:\Windows\Memory.dmp and it will be large. You can zip it up first if you like. Im asking because all those minidumps show a failure in the nt!SwapContext function call, so the information we need is likely not in the minidump.

WHat RAM testsing did you do? There are some indications in the dumps that this could be RAM related. Can you post your full specs too please?

 

[Sigyrah]

I tried with MemTest86 and Windows Memory Diagnostics. Also what do you mean with full specs?

Here's the minidump

MEMORY

MediaFire is a simple to use free service that lets you put all your photos, documents, music, and video in a single place so you can access them anywhere and share them everywhere.

www.mediafire.com

 

[ubuysa]

What parts do you have in your PC is what I mean by full specs. Be as detailed as you can.

 

[Sigyrah]

Ryzen 5 3600 Stock Cooler
HyperX Fury 8gbx2 3200mhz (XMP)
Gigabyte A320M-S2H
RTX 3070 8GB MSI VENTUS OC X2
PSU BE QUIET! PURE POWER 750w Gold

 

[Sigyrah]

Ryzen 5 3600 Stock Cooler
HyperX Fury 8gbx2 3200mhz (XMP)
Gigabyte A320M-S2H
RTX 3070 8GB MSI VENTUS OC X2
PSU BE QUIET! PURE POWER 750w Gold

All this in Windows 11

 

[ubuysa]

The kernel dump shows that the only thing running at the time was Zoom, all other processors are idle. Zoom has two threads running on two different processors, but neither of them reference any third-party drivers - and they are the usual cause of BSODs. I can see no indication of a software cause for this BSOD (the kernel dump one) and so I think we need to start looking at hardware.

The most common cause of hardware related BSODs is flaky RAM, so I think it's important to test your RAM as a first step. Download Memtest86 (free), use the imageUSB.exe tool extracted from the download to make a Memtest86 bootable USB drive (1GB is plenty big enough), and then boot that USB drive.

Memtest86 will start running as soon as it boots, if no errors are found after the four iterations of the 13 different tests that the free version does, then restart Memtest86 and do another four iterations. Note that this won't prove that your RAM is good, but it will clearly show if it's bad.

 

[Sigyrah]

The kernel dump shows that the only thing running at the time was Zoom, all other processors are idle. Zoom has two threads running on two different processors, but neither of them reference any third-party drivers - and they are the usual cause of BSODs. I can see no indication of a software cause for this BSOD (the kernel dump one) and so I think we need to start looking at hardware.

The most common cause of hardware related BSODs is flaky RAM, so I think it's important to test your RAM as a first step. Download Memtest86 (free), use the imageUSB.exe tool extracted from the download to make a Memtest86 bootable USB drive (1GB is plenty big enough), and then boot that USB drive.

Memtest86 will start running as soon as it boots, if no errors are found after the four iterations of the 13 different tests that the free version does, then restart Memtest86 and do another four iterations. Note that this won't prove that your RAM is good, but it will clearly show if it's bad.

I already did the test twice and it passed. Also the rams are pretty much new, I bought them like 4 months ago.

 

[ubuysa]

Ok. Lets' enable Driver Verifier then and see whether that can catch any misbehaving drivers...

Driver Verifier subjects selected drivers (typically all third-party drivers) to extra tests and checks every time they are called. These extra checks are designed to uncover drivers that are misbehaving. If any selected driver fails any of the Driver Verifier tests/checks then Driver Verifier will BSOD. The resulting minidump should contain enough information for us to identify the flaky driver. It's thus essential to keep all minidumps created whilst Driver Verifier is enabled.

To enable Driver Verifier do the following:

1. Take a System Restore point and/or take a disk image of your system drive (with Acronis, Macrium Reflect, or similar). It is possible that Driver Verifier may BSOD a driver during the boot process (some drivers are loaded during boot). If that happens you'll be stuck in a boot-BSOD loop.

If you should end up in a boot-BSOD loop, boot the Windows installation media and use that to run system restore and restore to the restore point you took, to remove Driver Verifier and get you booting again. Alternatively you can use the Acronis, Macrium Reflect, or similar, boot media to restore the disk image you took.

Please don't skip this step. it's the only way out of a Driver Verifier boot-BSOD loop.

2. Start the Driver Verifier setup dialog by entering the command verifier in either the Run command box or in a command prompt.

3. On that initial dialog, click the radio button for 'Create custom settings (for code developers)' - the second option - and click the Next button.

4. On the second dialog check (click) the checkboxes for the following tests...

• Special Pool
• Force IRQL checking
• Pool Tracking
• Deadlock Detection
• Security Checks
• Miscellaneous Checks
• Power framework delay fuzzing
• DDI compliance checking

Then click the Next button.

5. On the next dialog click the radio button for 'Select driver names from a list' - the last option - and click the Next button.

6. On the next dialog click on the 'Provider' heading, this will sort the drivers on this column (it makes it easier to isolate Microsoft drivers).

7. Now check (click) ALL drivers that DO NOT have Microsoft as the provider (ie. check all third-party drivers).

8. Then, on the same dialog, check the following Microsoft drivers (and ONLY these Microsoft drivers)...

• Wdf01000.sys
• ndis.sys
• fltMgr.sys
• Storport.sys

9. Now click Finish and then reboot. Driver Verifiier will be enabled.

Be aware that Driver Verifier will remain enabled across all reboots and shutdowns. It can only be disabled manually.

Also be aware that we expect BSODs. Indeed, we want BSODs, to be able to identify the flaky driver(s). You MUST keep all minidumps created whilst Driver Verifier is running, so disable any disk cleanup tools you may have.

10. Leave Driver Verifier running until you have between 5 and 10 BSODs/dumps, or for 48 hours. Use your PC as normal during this time, but do try and make it BSOD. Use every game or app that you normally use, and especially those where you have seen it BSOD in the past.

11. To turn Driver Verifier off enter the command verifier /reset in either Run command box or a command prompt and reboot.

Should you wish to check whether Driver Verfier is enabled or not, open a command prompt and enter the command verifier /query.

12. When Driver Verifier has been disabled, navigate to the folder C:\Windows\Minidump and locate all .dmp files in there that are related to the period when Driver Verifier was running (check the timestamps). Zip these files up (using the Windows built-in zip tool) and upload that zip file to the cloud with a link to it here (be sure to make it public)..