BSOD & Superfetch making life miserable

[Publicradiohead]

All kinda BSOD, application shut downs, this-&-that not working. I grabbed Prime95 again and ran a stress test and I fail. :(

what's the next step?

[The Wise Monkey]

What does the BSOD say?

[Publicradiohead]

I think there are different ones. I can't seem to read them fast enough...

Some reference new hardware, but I haven't added anything. Others reference drivers and such.

There are also random appcrashes.

I went out and got prime95 again and did a stress test and it fails within a few seconds. Hardware failure. Clearly something is unstable.

I can see all the fans moving... all the drivers are updated... all the memory is being detected.

I can surf the web pretty good... hours at a time, but can't get through 10 minutes of Fallout 3.


Is there a way to get a screenshot?

Thanks for replying Wise :)

[chunkylover53]

Do you have any spare parts to swap in? Like a couple of different sticks of memory? Extra PSU maybe? Instead of prime95, did you try running memtest on just the memory?

[Publicradiohead]

Just completed a full virus scan... does that mean for sure its hardware?

I downloaded memtest86... but am running Vista. and the free version didn't like vista.

Thanks for the reply chunky.

I don't have spare memory... but its cheep and radio shack is just down the street.

[chunkylover53]

I'm guessing hardware, but not 100% definite.

[Publicradiohead]

Latest Appcrash.

Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: Fallout3.exe
Application Version: 1.0.0.15
Application Timestamp: 48ea1bd1
Fault Module Name: nvd3dum.dll
Fault Module Version: 7.15.11.7519
Fault Module Timestamp: 482e0de8
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 000d6f46
OS Version: 6.0.6001.2.1.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 59e7
Additional Information 2: 3e7f15455c51eb54bd086092b189a9cb
Additional Information 3: c1de
Additional Information 4: 7989e8eec2e2c0214e28305145376934

Is that a video card reference in there?

[RickyTick]

Latest Appcrash.


Fault Module Name: nvd3dum.dll
Is that a video card reference in there?

Yes. nv3d is Nvidia 3d

First thing I would do is Un-install video driver, run Driver Sweeper, and install latest WHQL driver from nvidia.com

[RickyTick]

Latest Appcrash.
Fault Module Version: 7.15.11.7519
Is that a video card reference in there?

This is an older version driver. The last 4 digits should be 7824.

[Publicradiohead]

did it all Ricky... 7.15.11.7824

I'll burn a memtest86 and try to boot from that.

If its hardware -- and suggestions where to start?

[RickyTick]

If you're guessing, then start with the cheapest thing first, like ram.

[Publicradiohead]

Unless there's a a better spot? Here's my partlist from Newegg:

1 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit English for System Builders 1pk DSP OEI DVD - OEM
Item #: N82E16832116488

1 Arctic Silver ACN-60ML (2-PC-SET) Thermal material Remover & Surface Purifier - OEM
Item #: N82E16835100010

1 Creative 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series - Retail
Item #: N82E16829102005

1 GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Dynamic Energy Saver Ultra Durable II Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813128086

1 Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
Item #: N82E16835100007

1 ASUS 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model DRW-2014L1T - Retail
Item #: N82E16827135156

1 CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817139002

1 EVGA 512-P3-N845-AR GeForce 8800GTS (G92) KO 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814130337

1 Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819115037


1 Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136218

1 G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ - Retail
Item #: N82E16820231122

[Publicradiohead]

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: BlueScreen
OS Version: 6.0.6001.2.1.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033

Additional information about the problem:
BCCode: 1000007e
BCP1: FFFFFFFFC0000005
BCP2: FFFFFA6000FB5536
BCP3: FFFFFA6001F330D8
BCP4: FFFFFA6001F32AB0
OS Version: 6_0_6001
Service Pack: 1_0
Product: 768_1

Files that help describe the problem:
C:\Windows\Minidump\Mini110208-02.dmp
C:\Users\Tim\AppData\Local\Temp\WER-309973-0.sysdata.xml
C:\Users\Tim\AppData\Local\Temp\WEREE06.tmp.versio n.txt

[Publicradiohead]

Welp -- I just ran memtest86 for 2 hours... no errors. But I can't run Prime95 for a few seconds?

Its hardware, but not the ram?

processor?

[chunkylover53]

Try popping out the sound card next and try to run prime. If not, I assume you don't have an extra graphics card, but that would be what I would try next. Like Ricky said, we're trying to guess, so try things in order of cost first.

[Publicradiohead]

Pulled the sound card... more blue screens and app shut downs.

video card... argh!

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: Rtvscan.exe
Application Version: 10.2.0.298
Application Timestamp: 4580ab9c
Fault Module Name: MSVCR71.dll
Fault Module Version: 7.10.3052.4
Fault Module Timestamp: 3e561eac
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 00010186
OS Version: 6.0.6001.2.1.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: a34a
Additional Information 2: c9c5f4fd744690d388ab9d5b3eb051a7
Additional Information 3: bf4a
Additional Information 4: f1ea91ae32511d63575c3b59717fed46

[RickyTick]

Application Name: Rtvscan.exe



This has something to do with Symantec.

[The Wise Monkey]

Ok, try running a repair on Windows before you change any hardware. The fact that there are so many BSODs means that it isn't just a single piece of hardware that is the problem - BSODs can be caused by problems with the way Windows accesses the hardware. One of the people I used to work with created an image for the staff laptops and propagated it out, only to find that somehow the image caused the PC to blue screen whenever a USB device was inserted! It only took a simple repair of the OS, but doing that on 80 laptops takes a long time...

Anyhoo, repairing your OS: boot from the Vista DVD, and there should be an option to repair an existing installation - choose this option. You won't lose any of your programs, but any Vista related stuff will be as new e.g. IE bookmarks will go, WMP library will need to be re-imported, all updates will need to be downloaded again etc.

[Publicradiohead]

Here the latest... its not good.


Ran Memtest86 for 2 hours no errors.
Ran prime95 2 minutes -- errors.
Updated drivers -- errors.
*attempted to repair Vista 64 -- but got confused*
swapped/pulled memory -- errors.
pulled the soundcard -- errors.

My last attempt yesterday was putting the soundcard back in and the MB would not post at all!

Fans spinning, some lites flashing, but no post tone and nothing on my monitor.

I'm thinking the MB now. I know MB's are supposed to last way longer than 5 months!

[zburns]

Several comments that may help. In real time problem solving on things electrical (or anything,for that matter), the odds of their being two separate unrelated causes to an occuring problem are simply astronomical; that is unless one of the causes screwed up something else that also causes trouble. Point is you have to assume "one cause", probably, until you can prove otherwise.

There has to be something common to all symptoms of the problem. I went to Memtest86.com. In their first para they say that memtest runs independent of any OS on your computer. In running Memtest86, what hardware device is not fully exercised? Is the hard drive exercised or not (harddrive is a storage device, not memory?). But certainly, the RAM, Mobo, CPU, CPU cache are exercised. How about the video card.

From memtest website: "Please be aware that not all errors reported by Memtest86 are due to bad memory. The test implicitly tests the CPU, L1 and L2 caches as well as the motherboard." This is something I quickly read! Does memtest exercise anything else other than what their quote says it does?

So if memtest runs ok for two hours, what does Prime 95 exercise that memtest does not? Does Prime 95 use the OS? If memtest does not exercise the harddrive or video card, then perhaps one of them is at fault. But after the HD and Video card, that only leaves the OS.

If the OS has a virus or malware that is new, and the antivirus program and malware programs are not "updated to contend with the new virus or malware", then they can run wild despite any attemps to rectify.

Is it possible for the OS to have a "defect" when downloaded from the HD, caused by a HD defect?

(I currently have a virus/malware problem right now, maybe - its all in my posts. But it is not disabling to my computer, as your computer is disabled. I mention this, WM knows of it, but I am not focused on it as your cause, just because I am going thru it presently. However one solution available is to go to Microsoft EASY ASSIST, where I presume you pay, and a Microsoft professional somewhere in the US takes control of your computer and runs down the virus / malware, gets rid of it, notifys you, etc.; next everybody gangs up on the criminal thru the local state attorney general and puts the bad guy in jail.)

Last comments. Is memtest a low, medium or high frequency test. Does not make sense that it can test memory fully unless it does it at high speed. A component on the mobo, CPU or RAM failing at high speed only, but running ok at low and medium speeds, seems possible (a capicitor freaking out at high speed). You would think the OS would self check for such a failure.

If memtest runs at very high speeds (maximum tough game speeds), then CPU, RAM, cache and mobo are probably ok (as I read the memtest website). This leaves video card, HD, the OS and a virus / malware in the OS. (Ricky's comments on Symantec).

Sorry for the long post; hope my discussion is helpful and clear.

[Publicradiohead]

Ok -- Gigabyte is tell'en me 3-4 weeks to get the board fixed or replaced. TOO LONG!

If I were to purchase a new gigabyte p45 board would it just be a matter of swappin' stuff to the new board?

[chunkylover53]

Yeah, but I'd hate to see you buy a new one just to find out it was a hard drive or other component. Before you buy a new one, try one more time to re-install vista. Not a repair, but a full format reinstall. I'd also reset the bios to default values before you do it, just in case you have changed something along the way that it doesn't like.

If that doesn't work, I'd prefer to see you buy a new/cheap hard drive and see if that works. Even if that doesn't work, you can always re-sell an extra hard drive or use the extra space. If you buy a new board and they fix the old one, you are stuck with an extra board that will be harder to sell and is of less use to you than extra space.

Anyway, that's my POV.

[The Wise Monkey]

The fact that you can run memtest outside the OS and get no errors kinda indicates a problem with the OS.

Here's a link to an excellent tutorial for running a repair on Vista 64:

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/91467-startup-repair.html

[Publicradiohead]

The relationship has definitely turned cold. The super-computer is totally un responsive to my touch -- no beeping, no posting, nothing on the monitor, no input devices.

Fans do spin, lites on the MB do flash, but nothing else...

I took it to a professional yesterday, hopefully will have an idea tomorrow.

When I dropped her off the lady at the counter commented "Wow, look at all the stickers on this one..." I mentioned how proud I was that I built it myself, and maybe I went a lil' sticker crazy. It's still a homebuild, just needs a lil' tune-up.

11/4/08 -- get out and VOTE!

[The Wise Monkey]

Ah, maybe not the OS then... XD

Faulty motherboard perhaps? You made the right decision to get someone to look at it as there is only so much diagnosing that we can do without looking at the machine itself.

By the way, I agree - you should all vote! I would, but I'm in the UK, so voting would be difficult...