Random BSODs and freezing, most commonly DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

PHVNTOM · 20 Mar 2020

I've been getting BSODs and a lot of freezing recently and it's been getting more and more frequent. They can happen at any time such as when I'm gaming or when I'm just browsing the internet. The freezing definitely seems to be related because it's been getting worse as the BSODs have become more frequent. Sometimes everything will just stop loading and everything freezes for a few seconds, or sometimes it just completely stops and I have to do a hard shutdown. With the blue screens, the most common stop code seems to be DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL but there have been a few others show up.

I've updated any outdated drivers, ran a malware scan, ran chkdsk and used Crystal Disk Info to check the health of my SSD. See screenshot below.

Attachment 271156

Log files:Attachment 271157

I'm running Windows 10 64-bit Build 18363.720.

MrPepka · 20 Mar 2020

Update Samsung SSD firmware - SSD Tools & Software | Download | Samsung V-NAND SSD | Samsung Semiconductor Global Website
Update BIOS to version beta - GA-970A-DS3P (Rev. 1.0) | Płyty głowne - GIGABYTE

zbook · 20 Mar 2020

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) Make sure that there is no over clocking while troubleshooting.

14) Sometimes there are problems in the bios that produce BSOD.

The BIOS: Version/Date American Megatrends Inc. F1, 08/04/2013

15) Please check to see if this is the most up to date version

16) Upgrade the BIOS to the most recent non-beta BIOS

17) To ensure that there are no improper bios settings please reset the bios.

18) Sometimes there can be failure to boot after resetting the bios.

19) Backup the computer files to another drive or to the cloud.

20) Make a backup image using Macrium:
Macrium Software | Macrium Reflect Free:
Macrium Software | Macrium Reflect Free

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

How to Clear Your Computers CMOS to Reset BIOS Settings:
How to Clear Your Computer’s CMOS to Reset BIOS Settings
3 Ways to Reset Your BIOS - wikiHow:
3 Ways to Reset Your BIOS - wikiHow
3 Easy Ways to Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS)
How to Clear CMOS (AKA Reset BIOS Settings)

22) In the left lower corner search type: system or system control > open system control panel > on the left pane click advanced system settings

a) > on the advanced tab under startup and recovery > click settings > post an image of the startup and recovery window into the thread

b) > on the advanced tab under performance > click on settings > on the performance options window > click on the advanced tab > under virtual memory > click on change > post an image of the virtual memory window into the thread

23) Run HD Tune (free version) (all drives)
HD Tune website
Post images into the thread for results on these tabs:
a) Health
b) Benchmark
c) Full error scan

24) Run Sea Tools for Windows
long generic test
Post an image of the test result into the thread
SeaTools for Windows |
Seagate
How to use SeaTools for Windows | Seagate Support US

25) For any BSOD:

a) run the V2 log collector to collect new log files

b) open file explorer> this PC > C: > in the right upper corner search for: C:\Windows\memory.dmp
> if the file size is < 1.5 GB then zip > post a separate share link into the thread using one drive, drop box, or google drive

26) Uninstall Driver Easy

27) Post a share link for C:\windows\memory.dmp

Code:

LastWriteTime       Size (MB) FullName             
-------------       --------- --------             
20/03/2020 12:15:52    726.47 C:\Windows\MEMORY.DMP

28) Run memtest86+ version 5.01 for at least 8 passes.
Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool
This may take hours so plan to run it overnight.

a) Please make sure you use the Memtest86+ version 5.01 with the link below.
Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool

The testing is done not by time but by passes.
The more passes the better the testing conditions.
There are a significant number of false negatives if fewer than 8 passes are made.
A false negative is a test pass when there is malfunctioning RAM.
There is 8 GB of RAM on the computer.
Memtest86+ version 5.01 testing takes approximately 1 - 2 hours /GB RAM
Just 1 error is a fail and you can abort testing.
Then test 1 RAM module at a time in the same DIMM each for 8 or more passes.

b) When Memtest86+ version 5.01 has completed 8 or more passes use a camera or smart phone camera to take a picture and post an image into the thread.
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...f-ecc7b7ff6461
MemTest86+ - Test RAM

PHVNTOM · 20 Mar 2020

zbook said:

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) Make sure that there is no over clocking while troubleshooting.

Code:

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.18363.720]
(c) 2019 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: 10.0.18362.1


Image Version: 10.0.18363.720


[==========================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: 10.0.18362.1


Image Version: 10.0.18363.720


[==========================100.0%==========================] The restore operation completed successfully.
The operation completed successfully.


C:\Windows\system32>
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 ...
  564480 file records processed.
File verification completed.
  10397 large file records processed.
  0 bad file records processed.


Stage 2: Examining file name linkage ...
  1259 reparse records processed.
  727492 index entries processed.
Index verification completed.
  0 unindexed files scanned.
  0 unindexed files recovered to lost and found.
  1259 reparse records processed.


Stage 3: Examining security descriptors ...
Security descriptor verification completed.
  81507 data files processed.
CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
  34913792 USN bytes processed.
Usn Journal verification completed.


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


 487726079 KB total disk space.
 331813356 KB in 440373 files.
    267768 KB in 81508 indexes.
         0 KB in bad sectors.
    683331 KB in use by the system.
     65536 KB occupied by the log file.
 154961624 KB available on disk.


      4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
 121931519 total allocation units on disk.
  38740406 allocation units available on disk.


C:\Windows\system32>wmic recoveros set autoreboot = false
Updating property(s) of '\\DESKTOP-V65Q7UT\ROOT\CIMV2:Win32_OSRecoveryConfiguration.Name="Microsoft Windows 10 Home|C:\\Windows|\\Device\\Harddisk0\\Partition4"'
Property(s) update successful.


C:\Windows\system32>wmic recoveros set DebugInfoType = 7
Updating property(s) of '\\DESKTOP-V65Q7UT\ROOT\CIMV2:Win32_OSRecoveryConfiguration.Name="Microsoft Windows 10 Home|C:\\Windows|\\Device\\Harddisk0\\Partition4"'
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>

Anything significant here? Otherwise I'll get started on updating the BIOS tomorrow.

zbook · 20 Mar 2020

Looks good.

These can be performed overnight:

HD Tune full error scan
Sea Tools for Windows long generic test
RAM testing

PHVNTOM · 21 Mar 2020

Had quite a few more BSODs since making this thread. Also updated my SSD firmware as suggested. Updated log files: Attachment 271335

Memory dump: MEMORY.DMP - Google Drive

Here are the results from HD Tune and SeaTools:

Attachment 271340
Attachment 271341
Attachment 271342
Attachment 271343

I'll update the BIOS when I can, let me know if there's any problems here. Thanks for the help so far.

zbook · 21 Mar 2020

Download and Install Samsung Magician:
Samsung Magician Software | Samsung V-NAND SSD | Samsung Semiconductor Global Website
Post images for all test results.

RAM testing can be started in the late afternoon and ran overnight so that there are > 8 passes.
The greater the number of passes the better the testing conditions.

PHVNTOM · 23 Mar 2020

Had another BSOD since the last post and a lot of crashes/freezes.

Attachment 271623

MEMORY.DMP - Google Drive

Here are the results from Samsung Magician:
Attachment 271626
Attachment 271627

And the other screenshots you asked for:
Attachment 271629
Attachment 271630

Memtest86+ results:
Attachment 271632

Also uninstalled Driver Easy and I cleaned off a little bit of dust inside my PC. That just leaves me with the BIOS. I checked and my BIOS seems to be the most up to date non-beta version available for my motherboard, though there is a beta version from 2014 that MrPepka said I should upgrade to. What should I do?

zbook · 23 Mar 2020

Upgrade the BIOS to the most recent non-beta BIOS version.
The beta version can be used for certain configurations (specific).

For Samsung Magician please post images for: (results for steps on each row)
Driver updates
Drive details
Performance Benchmark
Diagnostic Scan
Over Provisioning
Performance Optimization

PHVNTOM · 23 Mar 2020

Upgrade the BIOS to the most recent non-beta BIOS version.
The beta version can be used for certain configurations (specific).

Well I currently have the most recent non-beta version, so I'm guessing I shouldn't do anything to the BIOS then?

For Samsung Magician please post images for: (results for steps on each row)
Driver updates
Drive details
Performance Benchmark
Diagnostic Scan
Over Provisioning
Performance Optimization

Attachment 271634
Attachment 271635
Attachment 271636
Attachment 271637
Attachment 271638

And here are SMART values in case you wanted to look at them as well: S.M.A.R.T.(SATA)_20200323.csv - Google Drive

EDIT: Did you want me to actually do everything on each tab or just take screenshots of them?