BSODs becoming more frequent

AlexK

Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2020
Posts
5
I build a new PC in March of this year and over the past couple of weeks BSODs have become more frequent. I have tried troubleshooting on my own without success. I have looked at the .dmp files with WinDbg Preview and it seems like possibly some kind of driver problem, but I cannot figure out specifically which driver, if that even is the problem. I have run a system file check, disk check, and windows memory diagnositic; all tests have reported no errors.

  • System Manufacturer? Custom built PC
  • Laptop or Desktop? Desktop
  • OS ? (Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista) Windows 10, 64 bit
  • x86 (32bit) or x64 (64bit)?
  • What was original installed OS on system? Windows 10
  • Is the OS an OEM version (came pre-installed on system) or full retail version (YOU purchased it from retailer)? I created installation media on a USB drive on the MS website and then purchased the full version key from the MS website
  • Age of system? (hardware) All purchased new in March 2020, except 2 stick of RAM purchased later, BSODS have occurred before and after installation of new RAM
  • Age of OS installation? March 2020
  • Have you re-installed the OS? No
  • CPU Intel core i7 9700K
  • RAM (brand, EXACT model, what slots are you using?) 4 x 8GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3600 MHz
  • Video Card - Nvidia Geforce 2070 Super
  • MotherBoard - (if NOT a laptop) ASUS Z390-e
  • Power Supply - brand & wattage (if laptop, skip this one) Corsair RM850x
  • Is driver verifier enabled or disabled? Enabled and then disabled, it causes a crash within 10-15 seconds of logging in to desktop
  • What security software are you using? (Firewall, antivirus, antimalware, antispyware, and so forth) Windows defender
  • Are you using proxy, vpn, ipfilters or similar software? No
  • Are you using Disk Image tools? (like daemon tools, alcohol 52% or 120%, virtual CloneDrive, roxio software) No
  • Are you currently under/overclocking? Are there overclocking software installed on your system? Only RAM is overclocked with XMP. MSI afterburner is installed, but just for monitoring performance in-game. GPU and CPU are not overclocked
*Post edited to include attached file*
 

Attachments

Hi AlexK,​


The logs displayed:

An out of date BIOS.

Recent start up repairs reporting:
The system volume was corrupt.
Repaired file system errors.

The bugchecks were:
A
3B
7E

One bugcheck displayed the use of Windows driver verifier with no misbehaving drivers.

Windows failed fast startup.



Please perform the following steps:


1) Open administrative command prompt and type or copy and paste:
2) sfc /scannow
3) dism /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth
4) dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
5) sfc /scannow
6) chkdsk /scan
7) wmic recoveros set autoreboot = false
8) wmic recoveros set DebugInfoType = 7
9) wmic recoveros get autoreboot
10) wmic recoveros get DebugInfoType
11) bcdedit /enum {badmemory}

12) When these have completed > right click on the top bar or title bar of the administrative command prompt box > left click on edit then select all > right click on the top bar again > left click on edit then copy > paste into the thread

13) Turn off Windows fast startup:
Turn On or Off Fast Startup in Windows 10

14) The BIOS: Version/Date American Megatrends Inc. 1302, 9/2/2019

Upgrade the BIOS: 1302 > 1602

Code:
ROG STRIX Z390-E GAMING BIOS 1602
"- Improve system stability
- Update Microcode and ME firmware for Intel security issue"
ROG STRIX Z390-E GAMING BIOS 1502
Improved system stability.
ROG STRIX Z390-E GAMING 1401
Improve Memory overclocking rules
Improved compatibility with the Intel H10 Optane Module
Fixed an issue that prevented the adjustment of the Tjmax parameter when using an i9-9900KS processor


15) Make sure that there is no overclocking while troubleshooting

16) Create a brand new restore point.
Create System Restore Point in Windows 10

17) Open administrative command prompt and type or copy and paste:
chkdsk /r /v
This may take hours to run so plan to run overnight.
Run on all drives using the syntax: chkdsk /r /v C: or chkdsk /r /v D: changing the drive letter to the applicable drive.

C:\Windows\system32>chkdsk /r /v
The type of the file system is NTFS.
Cannot lock current drive.

Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another
process. Would you like to schedule this volume to be
checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)

Type: Y
reboot


18) Use the information in this link to find the chkdsk report in the event viewer.
Copy and paste into notepad > save to desktop > post into the thread using a one drive, drop box, or google drive share link:
Read Chkdsk Log in Event Viewer in Windows 10 Windows 10 Performance Maintenance Tutorials
Read Chkdsk Log in Event Viewer in Windows 10


19) Run Memtest86 version 8.4 (or newer version if available) for four passes.
Repeat the test so that eight passes are performed.

MemTest86 - Official Site of the x86 Memory Testing Tool

Use a camera or smart phone camera to take pictures and post images into the thread.
In case there are any problems uploading images use share links (one drive, drop box, or google drive)

Memtest86 has a feature to produce a text report.
Please post this in addition to the images.

20) Run the Intel Driver and Support Assistant to update drivers:
Download IntelĀ® Driver & Support Assistant
 
Last edited:
Hello @AlexK and Welcome to Sysnative :-)

I think the reason your system has been problematic is simply because you have set the clock speed for your memory modules too high for the system.

The recommended memory clock speed for optimum performance with your CPU is 2666Mhz. Your RAM is set to 3600MHz

Please reset the memory settings in the bios and you should be fine.
 
Hello zbook and phil. Thank you so much for your responses, I really appreciate it!

zbook - That is quite a troubleshooting list! I will start working on it and will report back with my results.

phil - This is the first time I have built a computer myself. I researched everything to the best of my ability, but never came across the fact that a CPU has a maximum recommended RAM speed. Now I see that my cpu has a max speed of 2666 Mhz. I found this interesting and looked up the stats for some high end CPUs by Intel and AMD. The Intel 10900K has a recommended RAM speed of 2933 Mhz and the new AMD 5950x says up to 3200 Mhz. If high end CPUs dont support RAM speeds this high, why do manufacturers sell it? Is it just to get a few extra dollars out of people who don't know better, or are there cases in which fast RAM can be made stable? Would overclocking the CPU increase its ability to handle faster RAM? I have no problem setting my RAM to default speed, I am just asking out of curiosity.

Will running memtest86 provide more clues as to whether the XMP overclock is the source of my instability? I think I will run the 8 passes of memtest86 that zbook recommended both with and without XMP applied. I am guessing XMP will cause errors in the test and disabling XMP may resolve them. The built in windows diagnostic did not detect any problems, but from little I understand memtest86 is a more thorough test.

Again, thank you both for your time.
 
The drive towards faster RAM speeds is understandable and meets the needs of those who want to achieve significant overclocks. The AMD and Intel CPU specs are set as far as I understand to ensure maximum stability. Quite often they will tolerate higher memory speeds but if you start to get BSODs and there are no other obvious reasons I usually recommend removing the overclock.

I would simply let your system work with RAM at 2666Mhz doing all the things you normally do and see if it is stable. It may not be necessary to do any of the other steps unless you continue to get BSODs.
 
I will try running at 2666Mhz and see if the system stabilizes. I tried to disable the XMP profile completely and let the RAM stay at the DDR4 default of 2133 and immediately got 2 BSODs. I turned XMP1 back on to get my PC to boot. Should I disable XMP and then manually set DRAM frequency to 2666, or keep XMP on to take care of settings such as voltage and timings and manually decrease the frequency to 2666?
 
I will try running at 2666Mhz and see if the system stabilizes. I tried to disable the XMP profile completely and let the RAM stay at the DDR4 default of 2133 and immediately got 2 BSODs. I turned XMP1 back on to get my PC to boot. Should I disable XMP and then manually set DRAM frequency to 2666, or keep XMP on to take care of settings such as voltage and timings and manually decrease the frequency to 2666?

See if you can disable XMP.

The BIOS upgrades: Improve system stability, Improve Memory overclocking rules, etc.

Chkdsk switches can be ran overnight.

For any BSOD run the log collector > post into the thread
 
I will try running at 2666Mhz and see if the system stabilizes. I tried to disable the XMP profile completely and let the RAM stay at the DDR4 default of 2133 and immediately got 2 BSODs. I turned XMP1 back on to get my PC to boot. Should I disable XMP and then manually set DRAM frequency to 2666, or keep XMP on to take care of settings such as voltage and timings and manually decrease the frequency to 2666?
I think you may have to experiment with the various options. Manually setting 2666MHz or leaving XMP but making sure the maximum is 2666 not 3600MHz.
 
This morning I tried to adjust my DRAM settings and got a lot more BSODs. zbook's original set of instructions says to make sure there is no overclocking while troubleshooting, so I tried to turn off XMP and leave RAM at DDR4 default of 2133 Mhz. I got 2 BSODs within 10 seconds of booting to the desktop. I then increased RAM to 2666 Mhz with no XMP with the same exact result. I then turned on XMP1 and kept RAM frequency at 2666 Mhz. Since that adjustment I have not crashed, though all I have done so far is rerun the BSOD log collector and post this message. I am going to start going through zbooks instructions today.

It does look like there are several new versions of BIOS which all list improvements to system stability and one said something about RAM overclocking. I think it will be a good idea to update BIOS, so I am researching how to do that. I think I read that if your system crashes during a BIOS update it is possible to brick the motherboard, so I am a little nervous about updating since things have been so unstable.
 

Attachments

There were 5 new BSOD dump files collected.
All displayed bugcheck WHEA 124.
This bugcheck is most often seen when there is / are underlying malfunctioning hardware, problems related to heat, and or overclocking.

Place the computer into safe mode: (shift + restart)
Boot into Safe Mode on Windows 10

The longer the continuous duration in safe mode the better the testing conditions.
(Plan several days)
Monitor for computer stability / instability.
Run the log collector for any unexpected shutdowns or restarts.



Choose one of the temperature monitoring software applications: Speecy, HW monitor, Speed fan:
Speccy - Free Download - Piriform: Speccy - System Information - Free
Download Speccy | Find your computer specs, free!
Download Speccy | Find your computer specs, free!
HWMONITOR | Softwares | CPUID: HWMONITOR | Softwares | CPUID
HWMONITOR | Softwares | CPUID
SpeedFan - Access temperature sensor in your computer: SpeedFan - Access temperature sensor in your computer
SpeedFan - Access temperature sensor in your computer


When available update the progress with the steps in post #2.
 
That is very strange. That is the only time I have ever seen the WHEA errors and it is hard to believe that it could be from heat or overclocking. Those popped up immediately after removing the XMP overclock from the RAM. This was also after the computer was off all night, so components would be cool. I run a Noctua NH-d15 on my CPU which is not overclocked and I have 2 140mm intake fans, and 2 140 mm exhaust. My ambient room temp is always 63 F. I will get one of those monitoring programs and see if I can log temps.

Here are the results from steps 1-12. I'm currently working on the others and will edit this post with additional results. I ran 4 passes of memtest86 yesterday with XMP enabled and speed decreased to 2666 Mhz. No errors were detected. I will run an additional 4 passes once I get to that step again.

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19041.572]
(c) 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>sfc /scannow

Beginning system scan. This process will take some time.

Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.

Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>dism /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.19041.572

Image Version: 10.0.19041.572

[==========================100.0%==========================] The component store is repairable.
The operation completed successfully.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.19041.572

Image Version: 10.0.19041.572

[==========================100.0%==========================]
Error: 0x800f081f

The source files could not be found.
Use the "Source" option to specify the location of the files that are required to restore the feature. For more information on specifying a source location, see Configure a Windows Repair Source.

The DISM log file can be found at C:\WINDOWS\Logs\DISM\dism.log

C:\WINDOWS\system32>sfc /scannow

Beginning system scan. This process will take some time.

Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.

Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>chkdsk /scan
The type of the file system is NTFS.

Stage 1: Examining basic file system structure ...
735232 file records processed.
File verification completed.
Phase duration (File record verification): 4.37 seconds.
11230 large file records processed.
Phase duration (Orphan file record recovery): 0.00 milliseconds.
0 bad file records processed.
Phase duration (Bad file record checking): 0.48 milliseconds.

Stage 2: Examining file name linkage ...
307 reparse records processed.
1012276 index entries processed.
Index verification completed.
Phase duration (Index verification): 11.07 seconds.
0 unindexed files scanned.
Phase duration (Orphan reconnection): 1.64 seconds.
0 unindexed files recovered to lost and found.
Phase duration (Orphan recovery to lost and found): 0.35 milliseconds.
307 reparse records processed.
Phase duration (Reparse point and Object ID verification): 4.19 milliseconds.

Stage 3: Examining security descriptors ...
Security descriptor verification completed.
Phase duration (Security descriptor verification): 39.68 milliseconds.
138523 data files processed.
Phase duration (Data attribute verification): 0.94 milliseconds.
CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
34689496 USN bytes processed.
Usn Journal verification completed.
Phase duration (USN journal verification): 91.46 milliseconds.

Windows has scanned the file system and found no problems.
No further action is required.

976197631 KB total disk space.
495780452 KB in 547693 files.
366300 KB in 138524 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
871619 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
479179260 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
244049407 total allocation units on disk.
119794815 allocation units available on disk.
Total duration: 17.24 seconds (17241 ms).

C:\WINDOWS\system32>wmic recoveros set autoreboot = false
Updating property(s) of '\\DESKTOP-0VJRK1H\ROOT\CIMV2:Win32_OSRecoveryConfiguration.Name="Microsoft Windows 10 Home|C:\\WINDOWS|\\Device\\Harddisk2\\Partition2"'
Property(s) update successful.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>wmic recoveros set DebugInfoType = 7
Updating property(s) of '\\DESKTOP-0VJRK1H\ROOT\CIMV2:Win32_OSRecoveryConfiguration.Name="Microsoft Windows 10 Home|C:\\WINDOWS|\\Device\\Harddisk2\\Partition2"'
Property(s) update successful.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>wmic recoveros get autoreboot
AutoReboot
FALSE


C:\WINDOWS\system32>wmic recoveros get DebugInfoType
DebugInfoType
7


C:\WINDOWS\system32>bcdedit /enum {badmemory}

RAM Defects
-----------
identifier {badmemory}

C:\WINDOWS\system32>
 
For all steps / tests please make sure images are posted into the thread.
For any problems posting images use share links: one drive, drop box, or google drive


For Memtest86 please post images and text reports.


Code:
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

Error: 0x800f081f

The source files could not be found.
 
It looks like XMP1 with the max speed set to 2666MHz is a stable setting for your system. XMP is not really an overclock - it is a controlled extreme memory profile and only kicks in when the system demands it but it makes use of the extra speed the RAM is capable of delivering. The WHEA BSODs that you got prior to that could be explained by not having the correct memory speed settings.

I would see if this remains stable for a few days. If it does you can decide if you want to try the BIOS update or simply continue as you are if there are no further problems.
 

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