Intermittent BSOD's - mainly triggering when shutting down

Hi everyone! I seem to be having a funny BSOD issue that I can't quite pin down. The issue is intermittent, and is generally triggered by selecting the shut down option in the start menu - but this doesn't always happen. Have seen other weird behavior as well like the start menu continually crashing and restarting, meaning I can't search anything. A reboot seemed to fix that one.

A link to my specs: http://speccy.piriform.com/results/zL5EdcQj26OQBZsR56LEFdy

So that I don't waste anyone's time, here is what I've tried so far:

- Memtest - Passed with no errors

- OCCT Error test - Passed, no errors

- SFC scannow and DISM commands - No integrity violations/component store corruption found

- Updating drivers - all drivers are current from what I can tell

The BSOD points to "ntoskrnl.exe" as the faulting module.

I've attached the SysnativeFilecollectionApp.zip as well.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this.

Edited by smokbreak, 02 March 2024 - 09:49 PM.

Hi, Welcome to BC.

Speccy shows running BIOS Version A.E0 and Current Version is A.F0   Release Date : 2023-10-12

AGESA ComboAm4v2PI 1.2.0.B update. - AMD security issue patch. - Support new Ryzen 5000 CPU.

Please update for support of your chip : https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B550-A-PRO/support 

As well update : AMD Chipset Driver : Release Date : 2024-02-19

In BIOS please turn off XMP  / AMD equivalent.

In Bios turn off anything that speeds up the Boot for the same reasons as below :

Turn off MS Fast Start : https://www.windowscentral.com/how-disable-windows-10-fast-startup /11

While there change : Active power scheme: High performance to Balanced as High is a form of Overclocking.

Reset anything to stock if Overclocking.  When Exit Bios Optimized defaults turns back on what have asked you to turn off / sometimes.

NOTE : The Microsoft Store is a Integral part of updating Win 11, you do not need to be logged in.  Go down left side of Store to Library and update only what you use.

When using Windows Update do not take any Windows Driver Updates.  Use your Motherboard Support Page or the Products Support Page, Especially no Video Drivers.  Keep Video Drivers current.

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-disable-automatic-driver-updates-windows-10 /11

& / or

https://www.howtogeek.com/263851/how-to-prevent-windows-from-automatically-updating-specific-drivers/

&

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-roll-back-device-driver-windows-10 /11

Note : in Network you have : EABackgroundService.exe (11232) running possibly when not in use. : https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=EABackgroundService.exe+%2811232%29

DxDiagx86

=========

Event Name: StoreAgentAcquireLicenseFailure1

MirrorsEdgeCatalyst.orig.exe

RADAR_PRE_LEAK_64

MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_1000.22684.1000.0_x64__cw5n1h2txyewy                 praid:CortanaUI

MSInfo32

=======

NOTE : Most amount of Faulting app ever seen.   23/02/2024 11:35  before Crunch.....

DUMP Files

==========

Note : Only 2 Crash Dumps collected and a difference of dates.      Better results with 3 & up and consecutive.

Dump File 12500-1 :   PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA (50)
PROCESS_NAME:  wininit.exe
SYMBOL_NAME:  nt!NtQueryDirectoryObject+172

IMAGE_NAME:  ntkrnlmp.exe

Ok, this possibly Video Card Driver Issue :

Please download DDU and run it after you have downloaded a fresh Driver for your Video Card to have on hand and ready :  https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/drivers/

Note the BSOD Kernel Dump Expert  @ubuysa will need to go through this and will report to you when gets to it :=}

Edited by Pkshadow, 03 March 2024 - 05:06 AM.

Windows was installed two weeks ago yet the most important drivers have not been installed and that is most likely why your storage devices are list as unknown.

In this instance only the chipset drivers were required and they can be obtained from here please be aware that retro installing the chipset does not always resolve issues that are already present meaning that a clean start is required.

Couple of questions for you, what two slots on the MB do you have the RAM populating, for ease we will call the slot nearest to the CPU DIMM one and the slot furthest away from the CPU DIMM four with #2 and #3 obviously in between one and four.

What is the brand and model name or number of the PSU and how old is it.

Thanks to both of you for your responses!

I have done everything you both suggested:

- Disable windows automatic driver update via gpedit

- Attempted to install chipset drivers - BSOD NTFS.sys (Link is here, as it is over the file size limit for upload https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bPQf2gFpAU40eTWXq0ol98ISXsxAEHJg/view?usp=sharing)

- Check disk with crystaldiskinfo, all okay

- Check drivers - windows has installed chipset drivers

- Removed these, attempted AMD chipset install - worked fine this time

- Updated BIOS - all ok

- Disabled XMP

- Changed power plan to balanced

- Disabled fast startup

- Booted into safe mode, used DDU to uninstall GPU drivers, reinstalled with ones downloaded from Nvidia website

Couple of questions for you, what two slots on the MB do you have the RAM populating, for ease we will call the slot nearest to the CPU DIMM one and the slot furthest away from the CPU DIMM four with #2 and #3 obviously in between one and four.

 

What is the brand and model name or number of the PSU and how old is it.

 

To answer your questions:
 

- Ram modules are in slots #2 and #4

- PSU is Super Flower Leadex VII Gold 1000W ATX 3.0 Power Supply - it is about a month old

Edited by smokbreak, 03 March 2024 - 06:38 PM.

 

Check drivers - windows has installed chipset drivers

Want you to install the Chipset Drivers as was informed in Post #2 & # 4   - AMD Chipset Driver : Release Date : 2024-02-19

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B550-A-PRO/support#driver

As was stated do not want Windows Drivers.  They are drivers to get a system up and running so that you can install the proper drivers. Please do so and as well please post another Speccy Report After you have done so.

Did Attempting to Install the AMD Chipset Drivers cause a BSOD ??

Note the BSOD Kernel Dump Expert  @ubuysa will need to go through this upload from Post # 1 and # 5

As has been pointed out to you the proper way to install is load Win 10 or 11 then install your Chipset Drivers, SATA Drivers and Video and then the lesser drivers.

(personal opinion is that if do not do the above then should do a clean install as the install has been ruined as well the performance has been ruined)

Hi,

Yeah as I mentioned a bit further down in my previous post, I uninstalled the default chipset drivers, then re-attempted the official amd chipset install and it worked fine.

Here is the speccy as requested. Thanks.
 

As has been pointed out to you the proper way to install is load Win 10 or 11 then install your Chipset Drivers, SATA Drivers and Video and then the lesser drivers.

(personal opinion is that if do not do the above then should do a clean install as the install has been ruined as well the performance has been ruined)

^Just on this, is it not the same to just remove the drivers windows installed and replace them with the OEM ones? I don't mind doing a fresh install, I guess the idea would be to disconnect it from the internet until install all the oem ones?

 

Edited by smokbreak, 03 March 2024 - 09:47 PM.

Hi, Speccy shows XMP is enabled.

Your ram : https://www.gskill.com/product/165/184/1535687484/F4-3200C16S-16GVK

See if can set your timings for it in SPD some where possibly under Advanced.  See your Manual.

So the timings for your ram is   16-18-18-38     @ 1.35V     As per Specs from above URL  

In Speccy they are all over the place.

The Voltage showing in Speccy is also off and are powering the ram @  1.200 V

So Voltage is off on the ram.   This also is set somewhere in Advanced maybe under SPD  as well.  (Not going into your manual)

So the above may well be the issue of under volting the ram.

Hmmm, that's odd as XMP was definitely disabled according to the Bios settings. Anyway, I changed the timings manually to 16-18-18-38 @1.35v, and put the frequency back to the non XMP default of 2133. Here's the speccy.

Based principally on the two dumps, but also on several non-BSOD crashes in your System log and several application errors in your Application log, it's quite possible that this is a RAM problem.

Since you have two 16GB RAM sticks, by far the best way to test your RAM is to remove one stick for a couple of days, or until you get another BSOD/crash. Then swap RAM sticks and run on just the other stick for a day or two. The big advantages of this method are that you can continue to work whilst testing your RAM, and this is guaranteed to reveal a flaky stick.

Alternatively you could run Memtes86, but this can never find 100% of RAM problems and you can't use the PC whilst Memtest86 is running. Its only advantage is that you don't have to open the case and mess with the hardware...

• Download Memtest86 (free), use the imageUSB.exe tool extracted from the download to make a bootable USB drive containing Memtest86 (1GB is plenty big enough). Do this on a different PC if you can, because you can't fully trust yours at the moment.


• Then boot that USB drive on your PC, Memtest86 will start running as soon as it boots.


• If no errors have been found after the four iterations of the 13 different tests that the free version does, then restart Memtest86 and do another four iterations. Even a single bit error is a failure.

Let us know how the RAM testing goes.

Edited by ubuysa, Yesterday, 05:21 AM.

Hi ubuysa!

Thanks for the tips - I had run memtest86 a couple weeks ago with no issues, however I am running it again now, and after it has finished its 4 passes I'll get it to do another 4.

I feel like PKShadow is onto something with the weird timings and incorrect voltages potentially being a cause of the problem - even when disabling XMP in the bios it stills seems to be showing as enabled and manual corrections to timings, voltage and frequency seem to be applying to the XMP profile and not SPD

If these ram tests pass, I might try a CMOS reset on my motherboard, and see if that restores them to the default (non XMP specification). I just need to work out what the stock timings are actually meant to be, as with a bit more investigation, it seems the only timings quoted on any documentation for this ram refer to the XMP values and not the SPD ones. At least I now know the SPD voltage is 1.20v and speed is meant to be 2133

If you exit BIOS and use Optimized Defaults that will turn XMP back on.

Did you create a Profile.  If so will need to stop using it or delete it.

The Stock Timings and Voltage came from your Ram Product Page : https://www.gskill.com/product/165/184/1535687484/F4-3200C16S-16GVK  as was noted : 16-18-18-38     @ 1.35V

If need to or want can stick in CPU-Z to tell you what you are running after you have exited BIOS.    Do not run more than one BIOS Tool at a time.  It effects the results when it compensates after looking at any cores so the data would not be correct.   https://www.techpowerup.com/download/cpu-z/  NOTE it is not the homepage but is a respected site worth bookmarking.

So I ran memtest86 twice as suggested by ubuysa, and it passed without any errors both times.

I also took the liberty of running Testmem5 with the stock XMP profile enabled, and within 20 minutes posted "error 5". Did a cmos reset, and it seemed to properly disable XMP, ran Testmem5 twice and it passed without errors both times - I am beginning to wonder if my BSOD's are simply bad silicon lottery and my ram just cant run at the advertised XMP speeds
 

The Stock Timings and Voltage came from your Ram Product Page : https://www.gskill.com/product/165/184/1535687484/F4-3200C16S-16GVK  as was noted : 16-18-18-38     @ 1.35V

Correct me if I'm wrong, but It seems like that value of 1.35V corresponds to the XMP (overclocked) profile, whereas 1.20v @2133 MT/s corresponds to the SPD (non overclocked?) profile, as taken from the spec page you linked below:

Bad silicon lottery would explain what you're seeing. You might want to try creating custom XMP profiles and see how far you can push your RAM before it becomes unstable?