Occasional BSODs a few minutes after startup

lj551 · 12 Jun 2023

About a week ago, I experienced a BSOD a few minutes after starting my computer. A month before that, the exact same thing happened. I don't usually get BSOD's; in fact, the first I've had on this computer was two years ago, and at the time WhoCrashed identified Norton as the problem. The circumstances of the BSODs are identical: all occurred a few minutes after the lock screen, and all were described as "page fault in nonpaged area".

Considering that Norton was responsible for the first BSOD a few years back, it's probably not too much of a stretch to assume it's responsible for the last two as well. But WhoCrashed isn't being very helpful right now, and its reports contain even less detail than years ago. So I'm hoping that someone here might point me in the right direction.

Here's the zip:

DESKTOP-L0Q0BU0-(2023-06-12_00-56-08).zip - Google Drive

Note: The BSOD on 5/29 was entirely on me and has nothing to do with the issue I've described.

zbook · 12 Jun 2023

What method was used to disable Windows updates?

It's been successful since 09/20.

Uninstall and reinstall the AMD GPU drivers: atikmpag.sys

Make sure that a clean install is performed using Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU)

Display Driver Uninstaller: How to use | Tutorials

DDU Guide / Tutorial | Wagnardsoft

Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) | Wagnardsoft

https://www.amd.com/en/support

Code:

Name	AMD Radeon(TM) Vega 8 Graphics
PNP Device ID	PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_15D8&SUBSYS_314817AA&REV_D9\4&28056CF2&0&0041
Adapter Type	AMD Radeon Graphics Processor (0x15D8), Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. compatible
Adapter Description	AMD Radeon(TM) Vega 8 Graphics
Adapter RAM	(2,147,483,648) bytes
Installed Drivers	C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\u0356467.inf_amd64_30a3777929656864\B356316\aticfx64.dll,C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\u0356467.inf_amd64_30a3777929656864\B356316\aticfx64.dll,C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\u0356467.inf_amd64_30a3777929656864\B356316\aticfx64.dll,C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\u0356467.inf_amd64_30a3777929656864\B356316\amdxc64.dll
Driver Version	26.20.14054.2004
INF File	oem5.inf (ati2mtag_PicassoAM4 section)
Driver	C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERSTORE\FILEREPOSITORY\U0356467.INF_AMD64_30A3777929656864\B356316\ATIKMPAG.SYS (26.20.14054.2004, 584.53 KB (598,560 bytes), 9/11/2020 2:40 PM)

ubuysa · 12 Jun 2023

You have Malwarebytes AND Norton installed and that's definitely not wise. Malwarebytes is fairly tolerant of other anti-malware products, but Norton isn't. TBH Norton happily fouls up on its own, if it's battling with another anti-malware tool then the chances of a BSOD are magnified astronomically.

In addition, your Malwarebytes drivers are old, dating from 2020, and Malwarebytes is a product that MUST be kept up to date. Your Norton drivers seem to mostly date from last year too and, like Malwarebytes, Norton needs to be kept updated.

In the latest dump (060523-42859-01.dmp) there was a disk access operation in progress, we see several calls to the Windows filesystem driver ntfs.sys. Whilst no Norton nor Malwarebytes drivers are on the call stack, there are calls to fltmgr.sys, the Windows filter driver manager, and either security product could be applying filter drivers via fltmgr.sys and getting in each other's way.

My best advice is to remove both Malwarebytes and Norton completely. Malwarebytes can be uninstalled like any other app via Programs & Features, but for Norton I would recommend that you use the Norton uninstall tool. Windows Defender and Windows Firewall are all that you need.

lj551 · 12 Jun 2023

Thanks for the responses, guys.

I will reinstall the AMD drivers and uninstall Malwarebytes and Norton and hopefully the intermittent BSODs will stop. Malwarebytes doesn't usually run until I open it myself, and I disabled it from running at startup a while ago. I don't know if that narrows it down to Norton.

Unless I'm misinterpreting what I'm hearing it seems this is very likely a driver issue.

zbook · 12 Jun 2023

Please comment on the methods used to prevent Windows updates.

If there was no method then it can be troubleshooted.