"System Thread Exception Not Handled" Loop + "AE" Q-Code on Motherboard

[Belphe]

Hi,

I had a BSOD while playing a game and could not start Windows since. The message was " Your PC run into a problem and will need to restart. We'll restart for you". At the bottom of the same screen it said: "System Thread Exception Not Handled". Most of the Internet sources explain this error as "old graphic card drivers" related.

The PC then restarted but as soon as I saw the Windows 10 Logo the same BSOD screen appeared again which caused another reboot resulting in another BSOD, etc. Every 3 or so restarts "Preparing Automatic Repair" was showing up under the Windows Logo but seconds later the very same BSOD would reboot my PC not allowing for any repairs to be conducted.

I interrupted that by going into BIOS where I changed the boot option to USB and inserted my Windows Installation USB into the port. After a restart, through a DOS-like screen (I never saw the blue background Windows screen with Repair, Troubleshooting etc) I was given options to either Install Windows 10 64bit or check the memory. Pressing F8 on the first option revealed other possibilities including Safe Mode which I was reading on the forums about already. Unfortunately, choosing that option had the same results as if I was starting Windows normally - same BSOD. I have later checked each and every possibility from that F8 menu and realized that no matter which one I go for the same BSOD will occur.

I have since disconnected all USB devices (including mouse and keyboard at some point) but there was no change in the PC's behavior. As I own an ASUS ROG Maximus VIII Formula motherboard I was able to identify the Q-Code as being "AE" which is "Legacy Boot Event" and as far as I understand it, it means there is no OS to be loaded - which could mean that there is no working drive visible to BIOS... (SSD failure? But it so then why won't the USB Installation start???).

My system is installed on a Kingston SSD in AHCI mode. I've had it for 4 months. I have not been overclocking any of my setup's components nor have I noticed any overheating. Here are my specs:

- Intel Core i7-6700K 4GHz Socket 1151 8MB L3 Cache
- Noctua NH-D15 Dual Radiator Quiet CPU Cooler with two NH-A15 Fans
- Asus Maximus VIII Formula Z170 Socket 1151 HDMI DisplayPort 8 Channel Audio ATX Motherboard
- Corsair Vengeance LED 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 DRAM 3000MHz C15 Memory Kit
- EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 FTW 8GB GDDR5X DVI-D HDMI 3x DisplayPort PCI-E
- Kingston SSDNow UV400 240GB 2.5inch SATAIII SSD

Please, help if you can..

 

[Paul NZ]

Upload the small dmp files to onedrive then post the link

 

[Belphe]

I'm sorry if this is obvious but how can I do this if I cannot get to Safe Mode?

 

[Paul NZ]

Probably the Nvidia drivers stuffing up. Remove the videocard see if onboard video gets you into windows

 

[Belphe]

I took out the graphics card and connected the one built-in to the monitor but I get the exact same BSOD.

 

[Paul NZ]

Take the ram out. Try 1 stick at a time. It maybe bad/faulty ram

 

[Belphe]

I checked both Memory banks separately with no luck. I also substituted the SATA cable for the SSD but the same BSOD still occurs.

 

[Belphe]

I currently have my graphics card fully removed and use the one built-in in the motherboard. I also disconnected the SSD with the OS and connected a normal clean HDD. However, with the Win 10 Installation USB inserted and a properly setup boot sequence the very same BSOD appears before any installation / repair even starts. So if it's not the Graphics, RAM or SSD then the last thing is the motherboard..

I can't help but notice that when attempting to install Win10 the booting still looks as if the PC was starting Windows normally (no DOS-like bars shifting at the bottom of the screen). All I see is "System Thread Exception Not Handled" which apparently suggests a graphic driver conflict...

 

[Belphe]

After connecting back the SSD with my original OS, making it the only drive but keeping the Win 10 Installation USB inserted I am now being asked if I want to "Press any key to boot from USB". However, doing so triggers the same BSOD seconds later..

 

[Belphe]

CMOS reset -> no change
BIOS update -> no change

I just don't undetstand why I get a BSOD when attempting to boot from the Installation USB with a new, OS-less HDD.. It's like I purchased a new PC but it won't let me install the System on it...

 

[Paul NZ]

If youre trying to boot from a flash drive, where did the windows install on it come from??

Did you buy it with it on? Use the mediacreation tool to put it on the flash drive?? If you did if you've got the ISO use rufus

 

[Belphe]

I created USB Flash on my second PC with Windows 10. I tried using both Media Creation Tool AND Rufus. MCT Flash doesn't work at all (does not give an option to "Press any key to start Windows Installation from USB"). As to the Rufus option I am not sure (too many contradictory guides on the internet) what options I should choose when creating the USB. MBR or GPT? FAT32 or NTFS? 4096 clusters? I have probably created the Flash Drive about 10 times today with different setups but only one was offering the "Press any key to start Windows Installation from USB" option. Still, pressing any key would cause BSOD seconds later... What worries me is that now it seems impossible to install Win 10 even on a clear HDD...

 

[Paul NZ]

If your mobo has a UEFI BIOS you select GPT. Yours does, so select GPT

If it doesn't, change it to MBR (this is for older systems that dont support uefi, or dont have a UEFI BIOS)

Leave the other options at default

Also enable AHCI, secureboot and UEFI (if the mobo supports it) before you install windows, if it's x64

If your system is old, (it doesnt have a UEFI BIOS), you would select MBR in Rufus, and legacy in the BIOS (legacy option may not be in the BIOS on older systems), since it wont recognise / boot from a GPT formatted hdd

And dont forget to go into the BIOS and change the bootdisk to the flash drive. Dont try and boot/install windows from within windows

When you get to the windows setup screen delete all partitions first then install windows.

The setup will create the partitions it needs

 

[Belphe]

I created a new USB Flash with the following parameters:
- GPT
- FAT32 (dafault)
- 16kb clusters (default)

I made sure the following was setup in BIOS:
- SATA Mode Selection = AHCI
- Legacy USB Support = Auto
- CSM, Boot Device Control = UEFI and Legacy OPROM
CSM, Boot from Storage Devices = UEFI driver first
- SecureBoot = Enabled (Windows UEFI Mode)

I chose "UEFI: DataTraveller USB" as my primary and only boot source but kept the old SSD (the one with my original system that needs repairs) connected.

This resulted in NO installation querry whatsoevet and caused the usual BSOD.

 

[Paul NZ]

So only 1 hdd was connected but you couldnt install anything on the ssd?

And it didnt get as far as the setup screen?

Sounds like something else is wrong then. Try another hdd if you've got one. If that works then that ssd maybe faulty. If you were trying to install windows on it

 

[Belphe]

Yes, only one SSD was connected. Let me explain the two options I tested and their reslults:

1.
- SSD with the malfunctioning OS connected as the only drive
- booting set up to use Flash USB
- no other booting source set up (not even the SSD even though it is connected)

Result:
- "Press any key to install Windows from USB.." appears (which I do) followed by the Windows Logo but BSOD appears soon after.

2. (the only difference is SSD diconnected and HDD connected instead)
- HDD with only some Data (music, a few games) connected as the only drive
- booting set up to use Flash USB
- no other booting source set up (not even the HDD even though it is connected)

Result:
- not boot at all - I'm thrown into BIOS instead ---> SOOO, HOW DOES ONE INSTALL WIN10 ON MY PC???

 

[Belphe]

A few new discoveries...

I found my old Windows 7 64bit Box DVD and set up the optical drive to be the boot source. The Windows Installation starts with the two white strips moving at the bottom and a Windows 7 Logo is displayed. However, seconds later I get the old "DOS" BSOD quoting 0x0000007e error which apparently suggests RAM Memory issues. I removed one of the two RAM banks only to get a 0x0000001e BSOD. The second RAM bank created the exact same error.

Could it be the Motherboard? Am I even on the right track?

I suppose I can assume now that it is neither the SSD nor the Windows 10 Flash USB I created that are the troublemakers...

 

[Ollytron]

Did you ever find the answer?
I've got the same problem.

 

[Belphe]

Did you ever find the answer?
I've got the same problem.

I did. Unfortunately, for me it was a malfunctioning 2nd core on my CPU. It turned out it has been physically damaged during installation. The odd thing was it was working for 5 months and died when I started this post.
If you can disable all cores in BIOS and try to start the PC enabling one by one you may be able to pin point the culprit (if you have a similar issue). If your BIOS doesn't allow that as far as I know there is a version of Windows 7 that only users 1 core so perhaps this could help you.

 

[Ollytron]

Wow ok.
I can run 1, 2, 3 or all in the BIOS but comes up with voltage error and I'm not confident enough to play with CPU vaults.

 

[Belphe]

Wow ok.
I can run 1, 2, 3 or all in the BIOS but comes up with voltage error and I'm not confident enough to play with CPU vaults.

Better not. This was discovered in a service centre I gave my PC to. If you don't feel confident (i didn't!) I suggest you use some professional assistance.

 

[Ollytron]

I just set volts to auto and it booted but wasn't the problem.
I found an old win10 ssd and booted off that fine. So it must be some softwere on my main boot M.2 drive.
I did a full back only 2 days ago on an external drive but can't figure out how to reinstall it on to the M.2 if I can't boot off the M.2.
I can see it as a drive now I'm running Windows off of another drive.