Windows 8 keeps going to blue screen and restarting computer

[ComposerRyan]

UPDATE: Thanks for the help everyone. I now think the problem might be with my RAM. I did end up having crashes even in safe mode and got a memory error so I ran the memory diagnostic tool and my PC actually said I have hardware problems. It said "The Windows Memory Diagnostic tested the computer's memory and detected hardware errors. To identify and repair these problems, contact the computer manufacturer"

I did also do the small memory dump as you recommended but I still need my PC to crash a couple more times to gather more data first.

I found this info in the event viewer pertaining to the memory problem. Do you think this means I need to buy new RAM?

Here's the info:

- System
- Provider
[ Name] Microsoft-Windows-MemoryDiagnostics-Results
[ Guid] {5F92BC59-248F-4111-86A9-E393E12C6139}
EventID 1102
Version 0
Level 2
Task 0
Opcode 0
Keywords 0x8000000000000000
- TimeCreated
[ SystemTime] 2017-08-30T04:31:22.183178900Z
EventRecordID 276806
Correlation
- Execution
[ ProcessID] 3688
[ ThreadID] 3692
Channel System
Computer RyanHPEnvy
- Security
[ UserID] S-1-5-18
- UserData
- Results
LaunchType Manual
CompletionType Fail
MemorySize 32697
TestType 10
TestDuration 4005
TestCount 12
NumPagesTested 8322488
NumPagesUnTested 2571
NumBadPages 3
T1NumBadPages 0
T2NumBadPages 0
T3NumBadPages 3
T4NumBadPages 0
T5NumBadPages 0
T6NumBadPages 0
T7NumBadPages 0
T8NumBadPages 0
T9NumBadPages 0
T10NumBadPages 0
T11NumBadPages 0
T12NumBadPages 0
T13NumBadPages 0
T14NumBadPages 0
T15NumBadPages 0
T16NumBadPages 0


__________________________________________________


Quick rundown of the problem:

-windows 8.1 computer goes to blue screen with error message and restarts
-computer seems to work fine in safe mode
-not sure what caused the problem, but it seemed to start when my air conditioning in the house stopped working and the house got up to 92 degrees

Detailed description of problem:

Hey everybody,

My windows 8 computer keeps restarting and going to a blue screen. It will then restart and I am able to access the computer and use it for about 5-15 minutes and then it will throw up another blue screen with an error message and restart. Sometimes it will not successfully restart and go to the recovery options screen. I do not want to do a recovery yet since it will most likely force be to reinstall all programs or lose some of my files.

Here are some of the errors I have received when the PC restarts:

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCPETION
PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA

This all seemed to have started after my air conditioning stopped working and my house got up to 92 degrees. I thought my computer had simply overheated but I'm thinking the heat may have caused other problems or maybe that's just a coincidence and it's something else altogether.

I also restarted the computer in safe mode and what's interesting is the computer seems to work fine in safe mode so far without going to the blue screen and restarting. Not sure why safe mode would make the difference.

Any ideas how to fix this problem? My graphics card driver is up to date but do you think I should try to uninstall the graphics driver and reinstall? Any other ideas?

Thanks again for your help.

Ryan

 

[gardenman]

Hi, since you are not having crashes in Safe Mode but do in normal mode, it may be because of a driver.

Normal Mode = Windows + 3rd Party Drivers
Safe Mode = Windows + Microsoft only Drivers

In Safe Mode, only the most basic and safest drivers are loaded. This is why your screen looks all funny in Safe Mode, because the normal video driver isn't being loaded. Since you're not crashing in Safe Mode, but are in Normal Mode, we can conclude that it might be a 3rd party driver that is causing the problem.

Set your PC up to use the "Small Memory Dump" files. These are also called minidumps. [Here are some Win10 instructions] that should work in Win8 too. Then try normal mode again. Each time you have a BSOD your PC will create a minidump. They will be located in the C:\Windows\minidump folder.

Once you have 3 to 5 minidumps, upload them to a public server and post the link here so they can be reviewed by others. You can zip them up if you like. Sometimes we can point to an exact driver that is causing the BSODs and help you fix it.

 

[ComposerRyan]

Thanks for the help. I did end up having crashes even in safe mode and got a memory error so I ran the memory diagnostic tool and my PC actually said I have hardware problems. It said "The Windows Memory Diagnostic tested the computer's memory and detected hardware errors. To identify and repair these problems, contact the computer manufacturer"

I did also do the small memory dump but I still need my PC to crash a couple more times to gather more data first.

I also found this info in the event viewer pertaining to the memory problem. Do you think this means I need to buy new RAM?

Here's the info:

- System
- Provider
[ Name] Microsoft-Windows-MemoryDiagnostics-Results
[ Guid] {5F92BC59-248F-4111-86A9-E393E12C6139}
EventID 1102
Version 0
Level 2
Task 0
Opcode 0
Keywords 0x8000000000000000
- TimeCreated
[ SystemTime] 2017-08-30T04:31:22.183178900Z
EventRecordID 276806
Correlation
- Execution
[ ProcessID] 3688
[ ThreadID] 3692
Channel System
Computer RyanHPEnvy
- Security
[ UserID] S-1-5-18
- UserData
- Results
LaunchType Manual
CompletionType Fail
MemorySize 32697
TestType 10
TestDuration 4005
TestCount 12
NumPagesTested 8322488
NumPagesUnTested 2571
NumBadPages 3
T1NumBadPages 0
T2NumBadPages 0
T3NumBadPages 3
T4NumBadPages 0
T5NumBadPages 0
T6NumBadPages 0
T7NumBadPages 0
T8NumBadPages 0
T9NumBadPages 0
T10NumBadPages 0
T11NumBadPages 0
T12NumBadPages 0
T13NumBadPages 0
T14NumBadPages 0
T15NumBadPages 0
T16NumBadPages 0

 

[gardenman]

Usually any errors in RAM tests means your RAM is bad. However lets make sure before you go off buying new RAM. Download [memtest86] and create a bootable USB flash drive with it and test your RAM. Important: If you have 2 or more sticks of RAM, take the extras out and only test 1 stick at a time in the first slot.

Did this RAM previously work in your system without problems? The reason I ask this is because I want to know if you've always had problems with the RAM (maybe because it wasn't 100% compatible with your system) or if it worked good before but now doesn't (probably means the RAM was good but isn't any longer).

This article pretty much applies to both Windows 8 and Windows 10. Read the last few paragraphs, but I still would like to see if memtest86 gives you errors also.
http://www.techrepublic.com/article/check-your-windows-10-system-for-memory-problems-with-the-windows-memory-diagnostic-tool/

Minidump files may also give additional information about your RAM and system that may help.

 

[axe0axe0]

Please upload the dumps, located in %systemroot%\minidump, to a 3rd party uploader (dropbox, onedrive, google drive) and post a share link

 

[ComposerRyan]

Thank you all for the help with this. I finally found time to work on this tonight but when I went to turn on the computer, the fan inside gets EXTREMELY loud and then the PC shuts off instantly. Now, the computer will not boot into windows at all. It simply will turn on, the fan will run extremely loud and then the computer shuts down on its own instantly. I tried unplugging it, pressing the power button for a long time to "reset" the power supply and still the same issue happens. Not sure what to do at this point. I may need to bring it into Geek Squad I guess.

 

[gardenman]

Did you remove the RAM first and was about to test the RAM? If so, try re-seating the RAM (remove the them and put them back and make sure they are securely in place). Consider trying only 1 RAM chip at a time (if you have multiple RAM chips). Make sure the graphics card is securely in place also (it's a common problem when moving PCs around). Check all connections for internal parts and internal/external wire connections.

If you get it back up and running, upload the minidumps. You might have to copy them to another folder before uploading them.

 

[ComposerRyan]

No I had not opened up the computer yet but will do as you suggested and see what happens. Thanks again for the help with this and I'll update you when I can get the chance to open up the PC and check everything.