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Me oul nemisis BSOD is back ;(

  • 27-03-2016 11:03pm
    #1
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭


    3 BSOD's in 2 days, 2 today, every time it's happened it's been when I've just left the computer doings stuff and left winamp playing MP3's, the music suddenly starts buzzing, the screen freezes and doesn't react (not sure if it goes black or it's just black because I have the screen go black after 10 minutes of inactivity), then after a few seconds the BSOD appears and says something about failed memory dump and it switches off.

    Restarting asks if I want to start normally, I say yep and there's no indication of any problem then after that. Seems fine in regular use.

    I was considering getting a SSD HD recently, maybe it's a sign I should just bite the bullet and migrate to SSD? Would that fix it?

    Any feedback appreciated :)


Comments

  • #2
    Keplar240B
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 883 ✭✭✭Keplar240B


    What's your setup?
    Have you anti-virus software?
    Do you know how to run memtest and scandisk?


  • #3
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    I have Avast anti virus and I know scandisk through the accessories yup, not sure what memtest is though.

    It happened again, this time there was no music playing, it's just when the screen went blank after the 10 minutes, so maybe something happens here when it goes into a low consumption mode. Has never happened when I've actually been at the computer using it..

    thanks for your help thus far :)


  • #4
    LeinsterDub
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,229 ✭✭✭LeinsterDub


    What Windows are you using I've not experienced a bsod in years in fact I think they dress it up in more decent versions with a error screen.

    Format and reinstall an option?


  • #5
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    If I was going to format and reinstall, I'd go for that SSD upgrade at the same time I think as things are taking a long time to boot and start up.

    I've a L502x and I'm still not entirely sure what SSD to go for based on this: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057542357


    I'm using W7 at the moment but I have that W10 upgrade thingy, so I was thinking, if I needed to, I could get the SSD, upgrade to W10 and hope for the best from there :) The problem is, doing any of these kind of upgrades is a huge task for me as I set up my laptop in a very OCD way and need everything right. I also use it for work so need as little downtime as possible, but it usually takes me about 3/4 days to get a reinstall set up how I want.


  • #6
    whizbang
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,967 ✭✭✭whizbang


    Disable Sleep, Hybrid sleep, Hibernate, etc, any other power related settings one by one.

    Most likely culprit is graphics driver. try to update this first, then disable all applications that run in idle mode. i.e. Windows updates, AV update etc.

    Simple check- disconnect internet before letting PC alone for a while.


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  • #7
    whizbang
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,967 ✭✭✭whizbang


    http://lifehacker.com/5260396/hidden-windows-7-tool-troubleshoots-sleep-mode-problems

    this!


  • #8
    Edgarfrndly
    Registered Users Posts: 489 ✭✭Edgarfrndly


    Download an app called WhoCrashed. It will give you a more detailed report of what caused the BSOD. Could be a driver fault.


  • #9
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    Thanks again. These things kinda puzzle me, I mean if it's a driver issue, how did it come about? There's been no problems since I last updated the driver probably 2 years ago, so why would there be a problem now? what has changed? or would something just get corrupt some and would that more likely to be a hardware or software issue? Would it be anything to do with a HD that's on the way out?


  • #10
    Edgarfrndly
    Registered Users Posts: 489 ✭✭Edgarfrndly


    cormie wrote: »
    Thanks again. These things kinda puzzle me, I mean if it's a driver issue, how did it come about? There's been no problems since I last updated the driver probably 2 years ago, so why would there be a problem now? what has changed? or would something just get corrupt some and would that more likely to be a hardware or software issue? Would it be anything to do with a HD that's on the way out?

    Really could be anything. You just need to dig a little deeper. Try that app I suggested.


  • #11
    Keplar240B
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 883 ✭✭✭Keplar240B


    cormie wrote: »
    I have Avast anti virus and I know scandisk through the accessories yup, not sure what memtest is though.

    It happened again, this time there was no music playing, it's just when the screen went blank after the 10 minutes, so maybe something happens here when it goes into a low consumption mode. Has never happened when I've actually been at the computer using it..

    thanks for your help thus far :)

    Run a full anti-virus scan in normal and also in safe mode.
    Also Run the scandisk on the HDD

    memtest checks your RAM modules link here
    http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ie/windows7/diagnosing-memory-problems-on-your-computer


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  • #12
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    Thanks folks. Will try get around to testing it soon. It happened again since, again while in screensaver mode (I say screensaver, but I just have it set so the screen goes blank/turns off). No issues at all when I'm just working away at the computer.


  • #13
    Vandall
    Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭Vandall


    If you get bsod again write down and post here error code looks like
    0x00000xxx


  • #14
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    Noooo! I can't believe it, I just went to turn my laptop on and it's just giving me a blank screen after the screen that gives f2 for setup or f12 for boot options. I tried a few times turning it on and off but nothing seemed to be happening so I ran a pre boot system assessment suck it's still going through now, but it has already given the following error which I've attached a photo of.

    I never got around to doing any of the options suggested above. I woke up and the power button wasn't it's usual softly pulsating self as it is in sleep mode, so I'm not sure if I put it in sleep and this happened in sleep, or if I forgot to put it in sleep and it went into its usual screen saver mode mentioned above and then this is a result of another bsod :(


  • #15
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    Ok, very weird, I'm back using it in normal mode now. I let it just sit at the screen it was blank at and fell asleep and when I woke up it was at the login screen, but I think then it restarted and asked if I wanted to go into safe mode, so I chose yes, when in safe mode I was able to burn a bootable disc with some backup program I have and I'm not sure if that helped boot up, but here I am back in normal mode.

    Also when I was in safe mode, things kinda froze up a little and I couldn't view the desktop for example, I was able to shut it down normally then I started up in the boot mode and everything appears normal but very strangely, there's a notice saying the settings file is missing or empty on my rainlendar calendar program and then when I started up firefox, my home page was replaced with the firefox home page and now it's asking "choose what I share" as if it's the first time I used ff, but all my bookmarks etc are still there :confused:

    I think I'm going to try take a back up next just so I know if it gets worse, at least I have an image of it. I'm not sure is this the start of the HD failing though or something else?


  • #16
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    Ok, I'm getting pretty scared now..

    I tried restore state from a system restore and it says there's no restore points.

    I downloaded whocrashed, ran it and it says:
    "Crash dump directory: C:\Windows\Minidump

    Crash dumps are enabled on your computer.

    No valid crash dumps have been found on your computer"


    I'm checking for windows updates and it says:

    "Most recent check for updates: Never"
    Updates were installed: Never"


    This is in addition to firefox settings being wiped and my rainlendar settings having to restore from a backup file too :(

    I'll run chkdsk and memory test next, but I'm kinda afraid to turn off the computer again incase it won't restart.


  • #17
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Judging by the PBSA test, it looks like your hard drive is failing.


  • #18
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    That's what I'm fearing alright, things seem to be going a little slow too. I'm in the process of looking for a new SSD as I was considering upgrading to one anyway.

    I haven't a clue what happened all my settings though, maybe booting into safe mode did something to them? I did a quick google and I saw a few posts about people saying booting into safe mode got rid of their settings.


  • #19
    unkel
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 65,936 ✭✭✭✭unkel
    Chauffe, Marcel, chauffe!


    cormie wrote: »
    I'm in the process of looking for a new SSD

    In the process of looking for one??? Get off the pot and go buy one right now!

    Or rather a kit that lets you clone your old disk. Clone as soon as you get it, it might take a few tries, but it might very well work.

    My ads on adverts.ie

    https://www.adverts.ie/member/5856/ads



  • #20
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    I'm going to clone the system now soon with some cloning software, and then order the SSD from Amazon and then back up all the files then too, and I think I might just start afresh with W10 instead of restoring this version of 7 and then having to upgrade to 10 with it.

    I downloaded the W10 upgrade thingy, I'm not sure is it an installshell itself and can install W10 from boot or if it needs a system already on it though.

    Do you think waiting for a delivery from Amazon is silly?


  • #21
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    cormie wrote: »
    I'm going to clone the system now soon with some cloning software, and then order the SSD from Amazon and then back up all the files then too, and I think I might just start afresh with W10 instead of restoring this version of 7 and then having to upgrade to 10 with it.

    I downloaded the W10 upgrade thingy, I'm not sure is it an installshell itself and can install W10 from boot or if it needs a system already on it though.

    Do you think waiting for a delivery from Amazon is silly?
    You can clean install 10 and activate it with your 7 key. No need to upgrade.


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  • #22
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    Great, that's probably what I'll do so. It takes me f**king ages though as I personalise it so much so going to have to learn the whole new OS.

    I just hope I'm ok to wait for the SSD from Amazon :o The oul bargain hunter in me doesn't like paying more than I have to :pac:


  • #23
    Skerries
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,624 ✭✭✭✭Skerries


    I know that Dell error code like the back of my hand, definite hard drive failure
    Untitled Image




  • #24
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    Very strange that it still seems to function ok once it's booted up. It must just be a bad sector that's thankfully not affecting most functions :confused:


  • #25
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    So I changed the settings to not have the pc go into sleep now but it didn't seem to change anything, so I've been having to play a 10 hour classic music youtube video any time I'm away from the computer so it doesn't go to sleep :D

    I left it doing a backup yesterday while I was out, but I was gone for more than 10 hours, came back and it had the BSOD again :o

    I wasn't sure if the backup had completed properly so I turned it back on and there was a 117gb backup file, I assumed it had finished and all was good, but I decided to run the backup again just incase and during the backup it popped up an error saying it failed to backup sector XXXXXX of the HD, so I skipped this and it then finished the backup a while later and the new backup file is 159GB.

    So I guess all signs leading to a f**ked HD, now it's just a case of waiting and hoping it doesn't go completely kaput before delivery. I have my classical music anyway :pac:


  • #26
    DopeTech
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,930 ✭✭✭DopeTech


    cormie wrote: »
    So I changed the settings to not have the pc go into sleep now but it didn't seem to change anything, so I've been having to play a 10 hour classic music youtube video any time I'm away from the computer so it doesn't go to sleep :D

    I left it doing a backup yesterday while I was out, but I was gone for more than 10 hours, came back and it had the BSOD again :o

    I wasn't sure if the backup had completed properly so I turned it back on and there was a 117gb backup file, I assumed it had finished and all was good, but I decided to run the backup again just incase and during the backup it popped up an error saying it failed to backup sector XXXXXX of the HD, so I skipped this and it then finished the backup a while later and the new backup file is 159GB.

    So I guess all signs leading to a f**ked HD, now it's just a case of waiting and hoping it doesn't go completely kaput before delivery. I have my classical music anyway :pac:
    99% certain playing a YouTube video doesn't stop a laptop going to sleep. Think it needs you to move the mouse or press a key every so often to stop it going asleep.


  • #27
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    Oh no, it's working for me anyway, I put it in full screen just to be sure :) but what happened yesterday is the 10 hours finished because I was out for so long and it went into sleep then after ;(


  • #28
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    Oh ****, just found out that the affected area of my HD might be the one that's most important to me, what the hell are the chances of that???

    I got my new SSD and I've been trying to backup files this morning through a clone program and then just dragging and dropping too and I've had 3 BSOD's in doing so. I decided so to just go to my most important folder to back that up now and then I'd maybe get the rest to the new install with a SATA/USB adaptor I'm going to borrow off a friend as the rest of the files and programs aren't as important.

    So I see after the last BSOD, the last folder showing up in the archive was Thunderbird in appdata and it was 4gb instead of the 12gb it shows up as in C. I tried then to copy thunderbird alone then and it gave another BSOD just trying to copy that folder :(


  • #29
    Vandall
    Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭Vandall


    Hi
    Apparently i am new user and cant post links, PM me, i'll give you ling to software which might help


  • #30
    human 19
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 854 ✭✭✭human 19


    I have recently had a HDD crap out on me.
    Instead of booting into the HDD which only increases the prpblem, I would boot from an OS on a DVD or USB stick and then only access the HDD as I needed to i.e, only access it to copy files. I would start with the most important files first, preferably the smaller ones.

    Do you have such an option available?


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  • #31
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    Thanks for the replies on.

    I managed to install W10 on the new SSD anyway so up and running on that now.

    I can't recall the exact procedure I followed, but I seem to have my thunderbird emails all accessible now too.

    I haven't started with any other programs yet, but I think that time I booted into safe mode on the old HDD has messed up some settings for me. As I said, it cleared loads of settings, but it's also made the search function in thunderbird not work and there's no longer a "view message in conversation" option in thunderbird. This is since booting in safe mode, not just since installing w10.

    Of course I want all my thunderbird and firefox emails and bookmarks etc, so I just need to figure out how these things happened too.

    I've a feeling w10 will take a lot of customisation to get it how I want it, but it seems pretty good so far :)

    I got a lend of a SATA usb adaptor from a friend, so I have the old HD ready to plug in for when I need more files off it.


  • #32
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    Ohh, this thunderbird email recovery is proving pretty tricky ;(

    It appears some emails I had in my inbox didn't recover. I tried "repair" the inbox, but all that did was make some older emails and duplicates of newer ones show up, but definitely still some missing.

    I'd like to boot the old HD back up to manually try salvage these emails from the inbox as they seemed to be accessible last time I booted. Will replacing the new SSD with the HDD and booting back to the old system, cause any knock on issues with the new W10 install when I put the SSD back in?

    I tried change the boot options so usb storage was above HD, and it appeared to be about to boot from the USB, but in doing so, a BSOD appeared each time I tried. I guess it's possible this way, but I guess the HD is too corrupt or there's some other issue.

    Is it possible to run it virtually /emulate it from within Windows 10 without the need to swap out the drives etc I wonder?


  • #33
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    Hey folks, due to some recent profile issues I've had , I ended up seeing if I could reinstall Windows on the above HDD that was failing. I installed the W10 Creator edition and it seemed to install just fine and it seems to be working fine now for the last hour or two. I haven't done much with it, but I did run a disk check and it said there were no errors:confused:

    Maybe it was all to do with something on my last install and the HDD is actually ok?

    Can the diagnosis W10 gave be trusted, or is it still possible there are errors and if so, how can I find out? Any help would be great :)


  • #34
    degsie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,754 ✭✭✭degsie


    I'd suggest using the chkdsk command from the command prompt. Use the switches /f /r /x to do a thorough test and repair. Always back up important data before doing this.


  • #35
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    Thanks degsie, but it seems to be working fine now after freshly installing W10 creators on the old 750GB HDD which the diagnosis from all the above posts is that it must be hard drive failure.

    I ran command prompt as admin from the search bar, It started in c:\windows\system32> and I just typed chkdsk and hit enter, it ran a test and said it scanned the file system and found no problems. Is this the test you are referring to? It only took about 40 seconds so not sure it could check the integrity of a 750HDD in that time?


  • #36
    degsie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,754 ✭✭✭degsie


    cormie wrote: »
    Thanks degsie, but it seems to be working fine now after freshly installing W10 creators on the old 750GB HDD which the diagnosis from all the above posts is that it must be hard drive failure.

    I ran command prompt as admin from the search bar, It started in c:\windows\system32> and I just typed chkdsk and hit enter, it ran a test and said it scanned the file system and found no problems. Is this the test you are referring to? It only took about 40 seconds so not sure it could check the integrity of a 750HDD in that time?

    The complete command is 'chkdsk /f /r /x' (assuming you have only one disk installed)

    It will take some time as it is thorough.


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  • #37
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    Thanks again, have tried this from command prompt "run as admin" and also by pressing Windows key and x and then tapping A to get powershell and entered the command there and was told it would check at the next restart. Tried 3 times now but it doesn't check and just goes straight to the login screen :(


    EDIT: No mention of w10 here: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc730714(v=ws.11).aspx

    But this says it can be done in w10?? https://www.tekrevue.com/tip/fix-hard-drives-chkdsk-windows-10/


  • #38
    cormie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,842 ✭✭✭✭cormie


    Hey again, so I ran a chkdsk by hooking the hdd up to a caddy and this is the result attached. Does it look like the HD is failing/risky to use from this report or should it be ok for another few weeks while I sort out my new laptop I wonder?


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