SOLVED BSODs persist after a clean OS install

[MscTch]

Reinstalled the OS last week & I'm still experiencing numerous BSODs. MiniDump Files are attached. "RAMMon - SPD Info" also attached. CPU-Z screenshots also attached.

MemTest86+ Results:
1st Test Results: No Errors after 8 passes taking nearly 18 hours
SETTINGS: **668 MHz (DDR3-1337)** CAS 9-9-9-24

2nd Test Results: No Errors after 8 passes taking 17 1/2 hours
SETTINGS: **802 MHz (DDR3-1605)** CAS 9-9-9-24

 

[Shintaro]

Have you installed ALL the drivers for the motherboard?
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_1155/P8Z68V/#download

If you used the CD that came with the motherboard they could be old. So it is best to use the ones from the internet.

Hope this helps.

 

[MscTch]

The short answer is most assuredly yes. Checked and double checked laboriously. I've lived on that page...it feels...after this latest clean OS install. A long answer is as follows:

-I purchased the hardware & assembled my machine in late December 2011
-Full Retail version of Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
-Multiple (at least 4) clean installations of the OS over the past 6 months, all BSODing
-Initial OS installations (at least 2 from Dec. to Feb.) were performed on a WD hdd...all had BSOD problems
-RAM: In January performed "stick by stick" & "slot by slot" testing with Memtest86+. No reported errors on Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4x4GB) DDR3 1600 CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9B
-SSD: This latest clean OS installation is the 2nd clean OS installation onto a Samsung 128GB SSD 830 Series purchased & installed in late February & updated to the latest FW update (CXM03B1Q) prior to any OS installations. Using the latest Samsung SSD Magician software & its OS optimization
-CPU: Intel i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core cooled with Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
-Video Card: XFX DoubleD HD-687A-ZDFC Radeon 6870 1GB 256bit GDDR5 PCIe
-MB: Asus P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 LGA 1155 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX w/ UEFI bios

Secondly, I have a 'method' whereby I've been able to increase my chances and/or rapidity of this intermittent but consistent BSOD I'm experiencing. Although I've experienced BSODs while doing all of these particular things in this combined method singly, I've seemingly had it happen in any and many other unremembered scenarios. In other words, I'm not necessarily convinced of any specific causation or any conclusion as a result of using this method to more quickly guarantee the eventual BSOD. It just works. I used this method to solve my curiosity as to whether I could induce a BSOD while also in SAFE MODE a few days ago. It was successful. I'm not sure if this fact is helpful or not.

All the programs or tasks comprising this are opened and then ran simultaneously. This "method" of inducing an eventual BSOD...sooner rather than later...is as follows:
1. Open Media Center and play a recorded show. (When attempted in Safe Mode, I was only able to open WMC but unable to playback an actual recorded show.)
2. Run a full scan of Microsoft Security Essentials
3. Run a full scan of Malwarebytes
4. Open 3 different browsers (Chrome, IE & FF) and have all 3 browsers simultaneously playing a lengthy YouTube video playlist.

Again, this is after yet another clean install of the OS. I most often get through full scans of MSE or Malwarebytes w/ no problem or detections just in case someone is trying to send me down the malware causation route. These are a compilation of tasks that where more notably underway in a singular form when previous BSODs occurred. These are however not the only singular or combined scenarios in which BSODs have happened over the past 6 months of numerous clean OS installations on both an HDD & an SSD.

Thirdly, more in regards to the Asus motherboard and Corsair RAM. In this latest clean installation of the OS (6/13/2012), I've updated the MB with the very latest bios and been sure that any other Asus available download for my MB is up-to-date via the MB's OS specific support page. I've also used the Intel Driver Update Utility to be sure that everything is current on that front also.

Having previously completed (back in January) both a full 16GB config test AND also literally every conceivable "stick by stick" & "slot by slot" & 'extended tests' testing possibility with no errors, I opted this time to only run the Memtest86+ in my full 16GB configuration since I seriously doubted to encounter any error detection anyway. Here are results of Memtest 86+ over the past 2 days for my Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4 GB) 240-pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9B:

1st Test Results: No Errors after 8 passes taking nearly 18 hours
SETTINGS: **668 MHz (DDR3-1337)** CAS 9-9-9-24

2nd Test Results: No Errors after 8 passes taking 17 1/2 hours
SETTINGS: **802 MHz (DDR3-1605)** CAS 9-9-9-24

 

[Shintaro]

So the latest points to the Video card.
[FONT=&quot]Who is the manufacturer ?

I would suggest that you uninstall the video card driver -> reboot -> reinstall -> reboot.

[/FONT]

BUGCHECK_STR: 0xC1_23

SPECIAL_POOL_CORRUPTION_TYPE: 23

CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT: 1

DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID: VERIFIER_ENABLED_VISTA_MINIDUMP

PROCESS_NAME: ehshell.exe

CURRENT_IRQL: 0

LAST_CONTROL_TRANSFER: from fffff8000316534a to fffff800030df1c0

STACK_TEXT:
fffff880`0c2b6318 fffff800`0316534a : 00000000`000000c1 fffff980`1f4a0f90 fffff980`1f4a0d04 00000000`00b14070 : nt!KeBugCheckEx
fffff880`0c2b6320 fffff800`031ddfa3 : fffff6fb`7dbf1000 fffff880`0c2b6430 00000000`00000000 00000000`c0000001 : nt!MiCheckSpecialPoolSlop+0x9a
fffff880`0c2b6360 fffff800`0320993b : fffff800`03060000 00000000`5958504b 00000000`00007e10 00000000`00000000 : nt!MmFreeSpecialPool+0x1d3
fffff880`0c2b64a0 fffff880`05607388 : fffff980`037f4540 fffff880`040890d1 00000000`00000001 fffffa80`1141c000 : nt!ExDeferredFreePool+0xf33
fffff880`0c2b6550 fffff980`037f4540 : fffff880`040890d1 00000000`00000001 fffffa80`1141c000 fffff8a0`00000001 : atikmpag+0x7388
fffff880`0c2b6558 fffff880`040890d1 : 00000000`00000001 fffffa80`1141c000 fffff8a0`00000001 fffff8a0`0db589d0 : 0xfffff980`037f4540
fffff880`0c2b6560 fffff880`040bc204 : fffffa80`1141c000 fffff880`0c2b6600 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000001 : dxgkrnl!DXGADAPTER::AcquireDdiSync+0xc9
fffff880`0c2b65a0 fffff880`040c02c1 : fffff8a0`0db589d0 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 fffff8a0`0a3e5000 : dxgkrnl!DXGADAPTERDdiDestroyAllocation+0x50
fffff880`0c2b65d0 fffff880`040bf65f : fffff8a0`0a3e5000 00000000`00000000 fffff8a0`00000000 fffff880`00000799 : dxgkrnl!DXGDEVICEDestroyAllocations+0x83d
fffff880`0c2b66c0 fffff880`040bf8e1 : 00000000`00000010 fffff8a0`0a3e5000 00000000`00000001 00000000`00000000 : dxgkrnl!DXGDEVICE:rocessTerminationList+0xa3
fffff880`0c2b6710 fffff880`040c379c : fffff8a0`138ba800 fffff880`0c2b6b60 fffffa80`1141c000 fffff880`0408a3af : dxgkrnl!DXGDEVICE::TerminateAllocations+0xb9
fffff880`0c2b6760 fffff880`040c5e57 : fffff8a0`0a3e5000 fffff880`0c2b6870 00000000`00000001 00000000`e0a91701 : dxgkrnl!DXGDEVICEDestroyAllocation+0x448
fffff880`0c2b67f0 fffff960`001ff82e : 00000000`00000000 fffffa80`0d572060 00000000`00000020 00000000`40002180 : dxgkrnl!DxgkDestroyAllocation+0x9bf
fffff880`0c2b6ab0 fffff800`030de453 : fffffa80`0d572060 fffff880`0c2b6b60 00000000`00000000 fffffa80`12b6cd50 : win32k!NtGdiDdDDIDestroyAllocation+0x12
fffff880`0c2b6ae0 000007fe`ff924a4a : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : nt!KiSystemServiceCopyEnd+0x13
00000000`2899f2e8 00000000`00000000 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : 0x7fe`ff924a4a


STACK_COMMAND: kb

FOLLOWUP_IP:
atikmpag+7388
fffff880`05607388 ?? ???

SYMBOL_STACK_INDEX: 4

SYMBOL_NAME: atikmpag+7388

FOLLOWUP_NAME: MachineOwner

MODULE_NAME: atikmpag

IMAGE_NAME: atikmpag.sys

DEBUG_FLR_IMAGE_TIMESTAMP: 4f7e4294

FAILURE_BUCKET_ID: X64_0xC1_23_VRF_atikmpag+7388

BUCKET_ID: X64_0xC1_23_VRF_atikmpag+7388

Also have you been to Intels site:
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Default.aspx

Let us know how you go.

Hope this helps.

 

[MscTch]

yes, on the Intel site as previously mentioned I used the Intel Driver Update Utility to make sure all their items were u-to-date. Additionally when updating the BIOS I was careful to note and install an Intel driver in the proper order after the recent BIOS update...which also didn't improve my BSOD situation.

I'll try to reinstall the video drivers after uninstalling them but I'm not quite sure how I should handle that this time. First of all, I'll use Driver Sweeper v3.2 to uninstall it, but it's the re-installation that has me baffled since I was careful how I did it on the last 2 clean installs. When I reboot Windows is going to install its version of the ATI/AMD Radeon 6870 driver for my video card (built by XFX.) I always then go to the AMD support site and both manually find my OS specific driver and use their auto-detect utility to download the driver and ensure that they are both indeed the same and then install the version I downloaded. I then install that version to get full use of it's features. Although that is apparently the best practice, it isn't working out for me. If I only allow the update that Windows update provides, I lose a lot of customization of the CatalystControl Center. Although right now I'd gladly do without that additional functionality if I just had a stable system with the apparently lighter driver that Windows update pushes upon it after thoroughly & cleanly uninstalling my appropriate video driver. If what I'm supposed to do doesn't work then I guess I should defer to the less desirable practice. I'll do that again any how...uninstall, reboot, let windows install it, reboot and try to induce another BSOD. That's all I know to do that is remotely any different from my previous attempts. It seems as if I can usually induce a BSOD within an hour if I put the system to the task. Many thanks mate. I'll let you know how it goes Shintaro

 

[Shintaro]

I would suggest that you download the driver. And only install the driver not the other stuff.
Try not to let windows install the driver if you can. Just cancel it, if you can.

 

[brkkab123]

Try setting the RAM's tRC to 41 in your bios. In your CPU-z Memory tab screenshot tRC is blank in the CPU-z SPD tab, screenshot CPU-z says it should be 41 for your ram. Try that and see if bsod's go away. If they don't then rule out your drivers next. Also, what antivirus software are you using ? AVG is known to cause bsod's. Upload your

I would suggest that you download the driver. And only install the driver not the other stuff.
Try not to let windows install the driver if you can. Just cancel it, if you can.

 

[MscTch]

@brkkab123 I'm using Microsoft Security Essential antivirus. I've spent this past week extensively looking thru RAM settings on on my BIOS. I saw many, many settings in every single sub-menu & any other possible setting and none that specifically addresses setting "tRC" to 41...many that look similar but nothing exactly by that name. I'm far from even remotely knowledgeable about those settings so I'm sure my not finding it or being able to make it show up via some other "non-auto" setting is probably my lack of knowledge.

@Shintaro I first uninstalled the driver via the "uninstall Programs" menu then rebooted. I then ran Driver Sweeper and uninstalled all remains of the AMD Catalyst Center & video drivers then again rebooted. Then again checked with Driver Sweeper and verified that there were no remains and then turned OFF the computer. I decided to chose another path because I've uninstalled the correct manufacturer's recommended driver numerous times cleanly and reinstalled it again and apparently to no differing results. I'm not up for being insane so as to expect a different result. I've done it correctly in the past and this is no different than what I haven't already done before.

So I thought this a good opportunity while the computer was off, to make use of why I purchased the particular Motherboard and Processor I bought and see if that would help my troubleshooting. I have onboard IGX (Intel 3000 HD) graphics. I plugged the DVI cable for the monitor into the appropriate DVI cable for the MB and physically removed my AMD (XFX) video card and then restarted the computer.

I again verified there was no remnants of AMD drivers on my computer and then began my tried and true method of expediting and inducing a BSOD. It indeed happened within approximately 45 minutes. Now I say that with one possible caveat that I'm not sure that matters or not...I still have Driver Verifier enabled for everything but Microsoft items...but I'm not sure if that is relevant or not. I've attached the new minidump files and it may be important to note the following things about those dumps. There was a BSOD that happened @ 6/19 9:30 PM GMT was while I was first uninstalling the AMD video card drivers. I was however subsequently successful at the uninstallation. The following BSOD on 6/19 @ 10:17 PM happened while using the onboard Intel Graphics. "WhoCrashed" is apparently pointing to the Intel RST drivers. Again, I'm not sure if having Driver Verifier in use is noteworthy in that regard. That brings me to my next question. Being that I'm not using a RAID setup, I don't believe I need to have the Intel RST installed. Can't I just go ahead and uninstall that and also eliminate that from this whole ongoing BSOD situation.

 

[Shintaro]

Mate,

Just a quick question, have you installed the latest motherboard BIOS?

 

[Shintaro]

Mate,

Could you give this a try:
http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/CatalystAGPHotfix.aspx
From that site:

A conflict between Microsoft DirectX® and the AMD Radeon™ HD AGP series graphics cards.

STACK_TEXT:
nt!KeBugCheckEx
dxgkrnl!TdrBugcheckOnTimeout+0xec
dxgkrnl!TdrIsRecoveryRequired+0x1a2
dxgmms1!VidSchiReportHwHang+0x40b
dxgmms1!VidSchiCheckHwProgress+0x71
dxgmms1!VidSchiWaitForSchedulerEvents+0x1fb
dxgmms1!VidSchiScheduleCommandToRun+0x1da
dxgmms1!VidSchiWorkerThread+0xba
nt!PspSystemThreadStartup+0x5a
nt!KxStartSystemThread+0x16

 

[Shintaro]

In regards to brkkab123's excellent suggestion, look at page 3-9 of your motherboard manual.

DRAM Timing Control
The sub-items in this menu allow you to set the DRAM timing control features. Use the <+>
and <-> keys to adjust the value. To restore the default setting, type [auto] using the keyboard
and press the <Enter> key.

 

[MscTch]

yes I have installed the latest MB BIOS. I also noticed that the BIOS prior to this latest one detailed important steps to follow in regard to updating and activating Intel RST. I followed it to the exact letter and thought it somewhat odd that my last "WhoCrashed" report seemed to point to the Intel RST. Since that is useful primarily...as best I can follow...for RAID setups, I was contemplating uninstalling it to possibly eliminate any conflicts since I seemingly might not need it anyway. I've also however seen a number of people say not to mess with it although they give no solid evidence that deleting it is detrimental. So I'm not really sure how to approach that possibility or peel away another layer that seemingly gets me no closer to the root cause.

Also in regard to that last link you supplied, I'm not sure that would apply or work for that desktop AMD Radeon HD Graphics 6xxx series PCIe card that I have now physically removed from my machine until I can eliminate the still continuing BSODs...just for sake of troubleshooting right now.

 

[MscTch]

I'll further investigate & attempt the auto settings in the DRAM timing control. I noticed that previously fiddling with some of the 'auto' settings seemed to set my RAM to variations of 1337MHz, 1648MHz and possibly some other slightly similar variations when used.

 

[Shintaro]

Sorry I cannot help you with the DRAM settings. The manual for the motherboard is very vague.
At least you know how to show if the timings are correct using CPU-Z.

 

[brkkab123]

It may say Bank Cycle Time.

 

[brkkab123]

All the AMD driver's are the same. I know this from when I upgraded my Radeon HD 5770 to a Radeon HD 6950. You basically just shut your pc off, put the new card in and turn it back on. The same AMD driver's get reapplied. No uninsta;;/reinstall is necessary. Also, what are you doing when the bsod actually happens ? Is it the same thing each time ? If it is, hunt for a update for that whether it be software, a web browser, jave, flash player, etc. Alot of patches were released the same time Microsoft put out the Patch Tuesday updates. Adobe updated flash player, Oracle updated Java, Firefox went from 13 to 1.0.01 and Opera went from 11.64 to 12 all in the same week.

 

[MscTch]

Because it can never be said enough, Thanks for your help thus far @Shintaro & @brkkab123 !

Attached are 2 pics giving my DRAM Timing Control Menu of my BIOS since I can't find anything I know to be equivalent to "tRC" or "Bank Cycle Time". For the time being I'm not going to physically re-install my AMD video card for the sake of keeping one more variable out of the equation, at least for now. I've just now disabled or rather reset Driver Verifier to possibly keep anything that it might induce out of the equation for now also.

I did however find some more recent drivers that I had overlooked or missed for a number of different reasons. I'm seeing that I can't solely rely on the MB support site's download page. I'm just learning that the The Intel Driver Update Utility may show a driver as valid yet it not necessarily be the most properly up-to-date driver available. That was a new discovery for me. That enlightenment led me to the following drivers updates:

RAID: Marvell* SATA Driver
AHCI: Intel® Rapid Storage Technology Driver for Intel Desktop Boards
JMicron JMB36X Controller driver

I have been doing many different things in the past when BSODs have happened. Some tasks singly and some in combination with others. There seems to be no one specific thing. As far as software updates go, that's probably the one thing I'm very cognizant of diligent about and almost obsessive about. I use Update Checker & Software Informer primarily along with other sources to make sure Java, browsers, flashplayer, shockwave and so forth are up-to-date. I have no worries or suspicions on that front whatsoever.

I'm again going to try my BSOD inducing stress test after now resetting Driver Verifier to see if it is any more stable now. My method simply consists of doing everything that I can ever surely remember ever doing when a BSOD occurred. I just happen to do them all at the same time so as to not have to wait for ever for the eventual & inevitable bad news. Watching a recorded video on WMC, while playing a long YouTube playlist on FF, Chrome, & IE, while running a full scan on Malwarebytes and finally while running a full scan of MSE usually causes a BSOD within an hour. I'm not sure why, it just does. I assume it's equally as bad if it took 1 day or more in a less stressed manner as it is when it happens in my all-at-one-time stress inducing manner. I monitor the CPU usage, RAM usage and Temps during the whole process and the system handles all that like a champ. I'm not sure that allowing the BSODs to happen under normal or usual usage loads will get me to a resolution any faster. (I certainly won't even attempt to do any video editing on this machine using Sony Vegas Movie Studio until it becomes stable...the horror!) I certainly could be wrong or maybe clouding my minidumps or error reports I guess...I don't know. The 6 months of this may have final frayed my patience just a bit I guess...lol.

Well again, I've more accurately updated my drivers, reset Driver Verifier, removed my AMD video card & all it's drivers. I'm going to put it through the rack again and see what happens. If that doesn't work, I'm leaning toward 3 things. First, RAM...either the RAM is intermittently bad in some manner that memtest86+ doesn't detect or I'm just configured wrong or unstably in my BIOS. Secondly, there is something intermittently bad on my MB that I just don't understand. I'm not sure if these minidumps are skewing to hardware or software. I have no ideal. But thirdly...I'm really reaching now...I wondering if there might strangely be something wrong w/ my OS installation disc and if so since I know of no way to verify its accuracy like I could an iso. Maybe I should do yet another clean install from an iso copy of Win7. I'm running out of ideals...haha.

I digress, let me see what happens this time.

 

[Shintaro]

I would not reccomend that you run MS AV and MalwareBytes at the same time, It would most likely conflict.

So we will wait for the mini dumps.

 

[brkkab123]

Do yourself a favor and contacj your motherboard's support.Send them the 2 picture's you took of your bios and also send them the CPU-z Memory tab and SPD tab screenshot's. They know their motherboards bios and can tell you what one to change. As far as MSE and Malwarebytes free. They're fine together. Malwarebytes free isn't acive and won't conflict with MSE.You could even add SUPERAntiSpyware free to give malware a 1,2,3 punch.

 

[Shintaro]

You might get a quicker responce on the ASUS forums:
http://vip.asus.com/forum/default.aspx?SLanguage=en-us