BSOD on another of my laptops has to be an update issue

tzxlyd · 07 Jan 2017

Can someone please look at my other post titled "Slow startup and operating not found" in General Support by "tzxlyd" this cannot be a coincidence that now 3 of my laptops are crashing and the other one I cannot get to stay on anymore. I was communicating with Cottonball and I have not heard anything from that member in about a week. I cannot get my other laptop to keep from locking up even after I power if off and restart it repeatedly and it goes to safe mode then windows defender scan.

Caledon Ken · 07 Jan 2017

Wow lots to digest. I imagine that with the Window updates it has been installing drivers and they have taken you past the red line.

For interests sake, are all these devices Sony Vaio. I peeked at your dumps and I'm no pro. Using Nirsoft Bluescreen Viewer two of the dumps involved Realtek network drivers. I wish I had better skills in this area.

This seems to have all started recently, I assume, and by recently I mean in last three weeks. Do you have restore points enabled?

I would go through the troubleshooting boot options and try a system restore on one machine. Please ensure your "Data" is backed up safely to an external storage unit, better safe than sorry. I would shoot for a restore point around December 6th, before the release of monthly updates on December 13th. Assuming you want to try this process I would disconnect from the Internet. Given you get your machine back you need to tell Windows you will take care of driver updates.

Stop Windows Updating Drivers
Right click on Windows Start
Click on Control Panel
Click on System and Security
Click on System
Click on Advance system settings
Click on Hardware tab
Click on Device Installation Settings
Click on No
A menu appears (first time) click Never Install driver software.
You may get a warning. Click the option that says I’ll take care of it (not exact words)

Once this is done reconnect to internet. Updates will come, I would let them install. Maybe even force the issue by checking for updates.

See if you have stability. If so repeat on other devices.

Use Macrium Reflect to create an Image of system. Use it regularly. Then when life happens you will restore to a working system.

I'll be out this afternoon. Post back results.

PS if you put a @ in front of a member name the system will notify them they were mentioned in a post.

Good luck.

tzxlyd · 07 Jan 2017

Ken,
Well I was typing a reply and it crashed again but it beep like an external device (either HD drive for the backup I was about to do or the realtek Wi-Fi booster).

I was saying yes the 2 most recent PC BSODs are on Sony Vaios but I have another BSOD thread with my Acer that has been crashing apps for months -- specifically voice recorder.

Again, yes the problem with the Sony's started about 3 weeks ago so that makes sense to me if it is an update problem -- I use the Wi-Fi booster on the Sony's especially because they are usually farthest away from the Wi-Fi signal. I have been using the boosters for at 6-12 months there are 2 of them to help with the weak U-verse signal to another part of the house where the modem is located.

I don't know what happened to Cottonball -- he just vanished about a week ago and that other Sony is useless now because I cannot get it to do anything but show the windows wallpaper at best. It freezes at that point or if I get a logon screen it freezes after I logon so I do not know how to proceed with it -- maybe it will operate in safe mode -- I am not even sure if that will work.

I will try to back this computer up and then see if there is a restore point available from late November preferably -- I cannot remember if I had that enabled. I used to not never enable automatic updates for the reason that may be causing my problems but after having a problem with my PC over a year ago I was advised by the windows seven forum to enable that especially on windows 10.

I am attaching the latest dump just in case it shows something additional than the earlier dump -- this pc has never experienced any problems so I am very disappointed with what is happening. Of course the backup will take quite some time so I am sure it will be tomorrow before I can do anything else with the laptop. I thank you for replying -- eh.

tzxlyd · 07 Jan 2017

Ken,
I am curious does 10 actually allow you to do a complete backup or is that file history the only option -- I do not see any other backup features available. On my other Sony I did a physical copy of my named personal folder and that took about 10 hours for over 300GB -- I do not want to do that again unless that is the only option.

I did see a system restore box available under the system protection in control panel so I assume that once I click on it I will be shown some previous dates to choose from and my computer will be reverted to a previous restore point on this PC. Can a system restore be done in safe mode on my other Sony pc if I can get it so safe mode and use control panel?

Caledon Ken · 08 Jan 2017

I'll look at dump but there are people on this forum that have a finely developed skill for this in the BSOD section of forum.

Yes Windows 10 brought back Backup and Restore (Windows 7) and it does full Image. Now lot's of people recommend making the & Start / Repair disk. You will see it in process. I will caution you though that lots of people have reported spotty success with tool. Others have found it good. Can't remember who, was on the forum, sorry, said the trick was to have this start disk for each image. The disk seems to find the image it was created with.

The recommended tool is Macrium Reflect. Free to home users.

On your 300GB, you need to have a copy of that offline in any event, drives die. Ransomware invades. Processes to refresh your backup are another thread.

I suggest a data back up to be safe rather that sorry. Thousands, likely millions of restores have been run without a backup. That said we all know s^&t happens.

Yes you can invoke restore from safe mode and restore is an option in the trouble shooting boot menus.

axe0 · 08 Jan 2017

Remove these programs and revert back the changes they have made (use a restore point to revert the changes), they are known to cause trouble and most of these are either useless or there are better alternatives for them.
If there is no backup, it would be best to perform a clean install. You do not want to risk any problem with these utilities.

Code:

Start Menu\Programs\Advanced SystemCare 8	Public:Start Menu\Programs\Advanced SystemCare 8	Public
Start Menu\Programs\Driver Booster 3	Public:Start Menu\Programs\Driver Booster 3	Public
Start Menu\Programs\IObit Malware Fighter	Public:Start Menu\Programs\IObit Malware Fighter	Public
Start Menu\Programs\IObit Uninstaller	Public:Start Menu\Programs\IObit Uninstaller	Public
Start Menu\Programs\Smart Defrag 4	Public:Start Menu\Programs\Smart Defrag 4	Public

I peeked at your dumps and I'm no pro. Using Nirsoft Bluescreen Viewer two of the dumps involved Realtek network drivers. I wish I had better skills in this area.

To be more precise, the Realtek USB network adapter is causing problems.

Code:

1: kd> lmvm rtwlanu
Browse full module list
start             end                 module name
fffff802`a2c90000 fffff802`a31aa000   rtwlanu  T (no symbols)           
    Loaded symbol image file: rtwlanu.sys
    Image path: \SystemRoot\System32\drivers\rtwlanu.sys
    Image name: rtwlanu.sys
    Browse all global symbols  functions  data
    Timestamp:        Fri Apr  1 10:11:07 2016 (56FE2D1B)
    CheckSum:         005042F5
    ImageSize:        0051A000
    Translations:     0000.04b0 0000.04e4 0409.04b0 0409.04e4

I have requested this thread to be moved to the appropriate section.

tzxlyd · 08 Jan 2017

Ken & Axe0,
Thanks guys I will do the complete backup overnight and then proceed with your advice. Axe0, I bought the PC with those programs already on it but I never use them because I do not understand why anyone would -- I just never uninstalled them and that is my fault. Those programs are always requesting updates but I always says decide later or just close the window -- this will be a good time to uninstall them.

As for the other Sony it does not have those programs but the common denominator is the realtek wi-fi booster that I use on all of the PCs at some point. The Acer is closer to the wi-fi signal so I do not use the booster on it very often -- perhaps that is why I have not been seeing it crash lately.

Once I have done the backup I will perform the restore and see what happens from there -- as far as a clean install I will use that as a last resort. I am not opposed to the clean install but I was advised to think about doing that on a previous occasion with the other Sony (at that time it was running windows 7). However, I found out that my most likely the HD was loose so the clean install would not have solved the problem -- the solution ended up being me re-seating the HD.

The guys on the sevenforum who assisted me with that problem were Arc, Gregrocker, Derekimo, Icit2lol, NoelDP and Layback Bear.