Hi guys Basically I'm quite new to this whole process, whilst I'd like to think I'm good at building PC's - Seems there's always things to be learnt. Anyway the problem is that my PC keeps intermittently getting BSOD or just freezing so I can't do anything except force power down the PC. This issue has been going on for quite a while now and I'd really appreciate it if anybody could help me out! I looked in the event viewer and found loads of different errors, so have no Idea where to start or which one could be causing the problem. Firstly is it only the Critical and Error events that I should be concerned with? I have warnings too - but these seem irrelevent. The critical error is the same error and has been occuring since 01/01/2011. It is: Event 41 Kernel-Power: The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly. This is obviously what has been happening but I'm not sure why. Most of them come without any details (as I'm guessing they were unexpected and not able to create a dump file?) but the latest one had this - <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event"> - <System> <Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power" Guid="{331C3B3A-2005-44C2-AC5E-77220C37D6B4}" /> <EventID>41</EventID> <Version>2</Version> <Level>1</Level> <Task>63</Task> <Opcode>0</Opcode> <Keywords>0x8000000000000002</Keywords> <TimeCreated SystemTime="2011-06-04T17:24:11.649224900Z" /> <EventRecordID>95554</EventRecordID> <Correlation /> <Execution ProcessID="4" ThreadID="8" /> <Channel>System</Channel> <Computer>Rafiq-Family-PC</Computer> <Security UserID="S-1-5-18" /> </System> - <EventData> <Data Name="BugcheckCode">36</Data> <Data Name="BugcheckParameter1">0x1904fb</Data> <Data Name="BugcheckParameter2">0xfffff8800ad53a88</Data> <Data Name="BugcheckParameter3">0xfffff8800ad532f0</Data> <Data Name="BugcheckParameter4">0xfffff8800151e2a3</Data> <Data Name="SleepInProgress">false</Data> <Data Name="PowerButtonTimestamp">0</Data> </EventData> </Event> Any clues? Under the Errors event, I have a Event 11, Disk: The driver detected a controller error on \Device\Harddisk1\DR1. But it doesn't state which one! - <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event"> - <System> <Provider Name="Disk" /> <EventID Qualifiers="49156">11</EventID> <Level>2</Level> <Task>0</Task> <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords> <TimeCreated SystemTime="2011-04-13T10:41:51.355980700Z" /> <EventRecordID>78143</EventRecordID> <Channel>System</Channel> <Computer>Rafiq-Family-PC</Computer> <Security /> - <EventData> <Data>\Device\Harddisk1\DR1</Data> <Binary>0E01800001000000000000000B0004C003010000000000000000000000082D0000000000000000005A35000000000000FFFFFFFF0600000058000000000000000000061208000010000000003C00000000000000000000008029660480FAFFFF00000000000000006027570480FAFFFF0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000</Binary> </EventData> </Event> I tried updating drivers - and the graphics one updated so hopefully this solves it! I also read on other posts that this may be the cause of the BSOD so hopefully this may fix the issue. The only other issue worth mentioning is that I have a Event 34, Kernel-Processor-Power issue: Idle power management features on processor 1 in group 0 are disabled due to a firmware problem. Check with the computer manufacturer for updated firmware. I get this for both cores. Some reading around told me that the issue is due to the BIOS not having the energy effeciency settings on - but I have them all switched on :S If anyone can help me - I will be forever in your debt. My Dad uses this PC to conduct his Research and doesn't know how to fix it, I'm just his kid trying to help out - but my knowledge of PCs is unfortunatly limited! Many Thanks Aryan

Bug Check Code 0x36: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff557496(v=VS.85).aspx You problem is caused by a driver. Please use Microsoft Skydrive to upload dump files (c:\windows\minidumps). Once done, post a link here. You can also contact Microsoft CSS. This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights. Microsoft Student Partner 2010 / 2011 Microsoft Certified Professional Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator: Security Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Security Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows 7, Configuring Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Enterprise Administrator

Hi Mr X Thanks for your help - I really appreciate it. How were you able to tell its a driver error? Just so I can learn for next time! I tried updating all the drivers, but either nothing was avalible or they were up to date. I updated the graphics card - but I just had a crash so it can't be that! I went to the minidump location but nothing was in there :S Is there anything else I can upload for you? I went to the Action center and looked at my previous problems and it sent a copy of that to microsoft - I saved those dumps if they are any use to you? Once again - thanks for your help! Aryan

Also I have a few updates waiting to be installed on my PC including SP1 - should I do this in the hope it fixes the problem or will this not help? Thanks

In the article I gave: This indicates that a driver attempted to delete a device object that still had a positive reference count. => I suspect that there is driver / program causing that. Is there a file named MEMORY.DMP under c:\windows\? If yes, zip it and upload it. It is possible that this is caused by a security software so disable all security software and try again. Also, uninstall all programs that you don't need. This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights. Microsoft Student Partner 2010 / 2011 Microsoft Certified Professional Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator: Security Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Security Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows 7, Configuring Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Enterprise Administrator

I found that file, ziped it and tried to upload it - but its larger than 50MB so won't let me upload it. Is there any other way to upload it?

Right I broke it up into 2 seperate parts and uploaded it. Hope this helps! http://cid-332eadfe97bb4feb.office.live.com/browse.aspx/.Public

******************************************************************************* * * * Bugcheck Analysis * * * ******************************************************************************* NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM (24) If you see NtfsExceptionFilter on the stack then the 2nd and 3rd parameters are the exception record and context record. Do a .cxr on the 3rd parameter and then kb to obtain a more informative stack trace. Arguments: Arg1: 00000000001904fb Arg2: fffff8800ad53a88 Arg3: fffff8800ad532f0 Arg4: fffff8800151e2a3 Debugging Details: ------------------ EXCEPTION_RECORD: fffff8800ad53a88 -- (.exr 0xfffff8800ad53a88) Cannot read Exception record @ fffff8800ad53a88 CONTEXT: fffff8800ad532f0 -- (.cxr 0xfffff8800ad532f0) Unable to read context, NTSTATUS 0xC0000147 DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID: VISTA_DRIVER_FAULT BUGCHECK_STR: 0x24 CURRENT_IRQL: 0 LAST_CONTROL_TRANSFER: from 0000000000000000 to fffff80002e7f700 STACK_TEXT: fffff880`0ad52ac8 00000000`00000000 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : nt!KeBugCheckEx STACK_COMMAND: kb SYMBOL_NAME: ANALYSIS_INCONCLUSIVE FOLLOWUP_NAME: MachineOwner MODULE_NAME: Unknown_Module IMAGE_NAME: Unknown_Image DEBUG_FLR_IMAGE_TIMESTAMP: 0 BUCKET_ID: ZEROED_STACK Followup: MachineOwner --------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bug Check Code 0x24: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff557433(v=VS.85).aspx Please check your disk cables. Also run chkdsk /r /f. More in the article I gave. If the problem persists, I recommend contacting your manufacturer Technical Support. This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights. Microsoft Student Partner 2010 / 2011 Microsoft Certified Professional Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator: Security Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Security Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows 7, Configuring Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Enterprise Administrator

So is the issue one with the HDD? I'll run checkdisk now and also use Samsungs check disk facility. I have created a disk image of the HDD in an earlier state - if I restore to this - will this solve the issue? How were you able to find this out via that dump? Is there any way I could learn? Thanks again

If it is a hardware problem then you have to contact your manufacturer Technical Support. From the dump, I extrated the Bug Check Code: NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM (24) then I tried to get more information from STACK_TEXT and these lines: MODULE_NAME: Unknown_Module IMAGE_NAME: Unknown_Image The problem is that I am unable identify the cause of the problem so I search the Bug Check Code Microsoft article and it indicates that it can be due to ntfs.sys driver, disk failures or unsufficient RAM .... Details in the article. This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights. Microsoft Student Partner 2010 / 2011 Microsoft Certified Professional Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator: Security Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Security Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows 7, Configuring Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Enterprise Administrator

It passed check disk fine, I started up the computer in safe mode as it froze again in order to read some logs, but even in safe mode the computer crashed! The monitor turned off and the computer was completely unresponsive - does this point towards the graphics card as the culprit?

I recommend contacting your manufacturer Technical Support. This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights. Microsoft Student Partner 2010 / 2011 Microsoft Certified Professional Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator: Security Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Security Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows 7, Configuring Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Enterprise Administrator

I built the PC myself though :L Is there no other way to sort the issue out? Could you remote access my PC and look at it? Would that help?

Hi, As for this BSOD issue, we generally need to analyze the performance monitor logs and memory dump files to locate the root cause. Unfortunately, debugging is beyond what we can do in the forum because of the nature of forum support. A support call to our product service team is needed for the debugging service. I'd like to recommend that you contact Microsoft Customer Support Service (CSS) for assistance so that this problem can be resolved efficiently. To obtain the phone numbers for specific technology request please take a look at the web site listed below: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;PHONENUMBERS If you are outside the US please see http://support.microsoft.com for regional support phone numbers. Alex ZhaoPlease remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Hi there Alex Is this a hardware fault or a software fault? If it is a software fault, all I have to do is re-image my PC and this should fix the issue. My worry is though is that I reimage it and I will loose all the log files - then the crashes will happen again. I have uploaded the logs online to my skydrive - is there any chance you could have a look at them and help me? To contact Microsoft cost £50, which to be honest is quite extortionate, seeing as if this is a software fault - its there fault in the first place! Personally I don't want to pay £50 to call someone when there is no guarentee that this will fix my PC and considering I paid for a version of Windows 7 which is not cheap - don't see why I should have to pay £50 to somebody to assist me with a fault on my PC - I paid enough to get the software which has now broken on me :S Not having a go at you - just explaining my side. Is there a free phone number to call microsoft? Thanks for your help Aryan

Hi there Alex Is this a hardware fault or a software fault? If it is a software fault, all I have to do is re-image my PC and this should fix the issue. My worry is though is that I reimage it and I will loose all the log files - then the crashes will happen again. I have uploaded the logs online to my skydrive - is there any chance you could have a look at them and help me? To contact Microsoft cost £50, which to be honest is quite extortionate, seeing as if this is a software fault - its there fault in the first place! Personally I don't want to pay £50 to call someone when there is no guarentee that this will fix my PC and considering I paid for a version of Windows 7 which is not cheap - don't see why I should have to pay £50 to somebody to assist me with a fault on my PC - I paid enough to get the software which has now broken on me :S Not having a go at you - just explaining my side. Is there a free phone number to call microsoft? Thanks for your help Aryan

Hi there Alex Is this a hardware fault or a software fault? If it is a software fault, all I have to do is re-image my PC and this should fix the issue. My worry is though is that I reimage it and I will loose all the log files - then the crashes will happen again. I have uploaded the logs online to my skydrive - is there any chance you could have a look at them and help me? To contact Microsoft cost £50, which to be honest is quite extortionate, seeing as if this is a software fault - its there fault in the first place! Personally I don't want to pay £50 to call someone when there is no guarentee that this will fix my PC and considering I paid for a version of Windows 7 which is not cheap - don't see why I should have to pay £50 to somebody to assist me with a fault on my PC - I paid enough to get the software which has now broken on me :S Not having a go at you - just explaining my side. Is there a free phone number to call microsoft? Thanks for your help Aryan

Please check your disk cables and try using another disk if you have. I suspect that there is something wrong with your disks / cables. It will be better to see that with a hardware expert. This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights. Microsoft Student Partner 2010 / 2011 Microsoft Certified Professional Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator: Security Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Security Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows 7, Configuring Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Enterprise Administrator