"Your PC encountered a problem and needs to restart." - Round 2.

hbenthow · 07 Mar 2017

A while back, I posted a thread about my computer giving me the bluescreen message "Your PC encountered a problem and needs to restart", and then forcibly restarting. You can read that thread at this link. I was never fully satisfactorily convinced that my problem had been solved, and it is now clear that it wasn't. Today, my computer restarted itself while I was out of the room. When I pulled up the error information with BlueScreenView, it became immediately apparent that the same thing had happened once again. It was almost exactly the same error information all over again.

If you read my previous thread, you will see that I ran a battery of hardware tests (MemTest86, Prime95, Furmark, Western Digital Data Lifeguard, CHKDSK, Scannow, etc), all without incident or error. I find it hard to believe at this point that the problem is purely hardware-related. There was a suggestion in the last thread that I update my BIOS, but I'm afraid to do this, as it runs the risk of messing up my system to the point of making my computer unbootable

Furthermore, I am now completely convinced that the problem is in some way connected to Opera browser. The first time that this problem occurred, the DMP file cited Opera as the process that was running when the problem occurred.

Then, a few days ago, my entire system suddenly froze completely after I went from the page of one Youtube video to the next with - you guessed it - Opera browser (I had to forcibly turn off my computer with the power button after it wouldn't respond for over an hour, then I ran a system image restore afterwards to ensure that there was no lingering damage to my system caused by the freeze and forcible restart).

Today, I had left a Youtube video paused in Opera browser and left the room for about an hour when the forcible restart happened.

I don't believe that this is coincidental. In the space of one month, my computer has given bluescreen errors that resulted in a forcible restart twice, and frozen up completely once. All three times, Opera browser was involved. That said, it does not seem normal to me that Opera browser itself should cause such a problem. Thus, there may be some other underlying problem with my system, although I don't believe that it is a hardware flaw.

I'm at my wit's end. I just bought this computer a few months ago, and I still can't trust it to run reliably without crashing. I don't know how to ascertain the exact problem, and am afraid of trying the wrong corrective measures and creating worse problems.

Here is the information about today's crash from BlueScreenView:
==================================================
Dump File : 030717-28312-01.dmp
Crash Time : 3/7/2017 8:59:17 PM
Bug Check String :
Bug Check Code : 0x00000124
Parameter 1 : 00000000`00000000
Parameter 2 : ffff908a`be9a4038
Parameter 3 : 00000000`b0800000
Parameter 4 : 00000000`00060151
Caused By Driver : hal.dll
Caused By Address : hal.dll+3627f
File Description : Hardware Abstraction Layer DLL
Product Name : Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
Company : Microsoft Corporation
File Version : 10.0.14393.206 (rs1_release.160915-0644)
Processor : x64
Crash Address : ntoskrnl.exe+14a6f0
Stack Address 1 :
Stack Address 2 :
Stack Address 3 :
Computer Name :
Full Path : C:\WINDOWS\Minidump\030717-28312-01.dmp
Processors Count : 2
Major Version : 15
Minor Version : 14393
Dump File Size : 345,860
Dump File Time : 3/7/2017 9:01:12 PM
==================================================

And here is the zip file that the instructions of this section of the forum say to upload (containing more detailed information):

Attachment 124157

Wullail · 08 Mar 2017

Try not using Opera for a while and see if it re-occours?

hbenthow · 08 Mar 2017

Wullail said:

Try not using Opera for a while and see if it re-occours?

Well, I have used Opera browser extensively almost every day since I got the computer (as it has been my go-to browser for years), and have only run into trouble three times. (I do use other browsers, but not every day, and only for short periods of time per session.) If I were to try switching browsers, it could be weeks or longer until the other browser would trigger the same problem (if it were ever to do so). Do you think that such a test would be a reliable indicator of whether Opera alone is the problem?

BSODHunter · 08 Mar 2017

Code:

0x00000124:    WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR (8.03.2017 03:59:17) [Windows 10] 
 
CAUSED BY:     AuthenticAMD [16.07.2016]   
               hal.dll  (Hardware Abstraction Layer DLL. NO Driver)  
 
WHEA Notify:   Machine Check Exception 
     Type:     Cache error 
     Error:    ICACHEL1_IRD_ERR (Proc 0 Bank 1) 
 
PROCESS:       utorrentie.exe 
 
Usual causes:  Hardware, Incompatibility, May be driver corruption

Seems to be a hardware failure. I think RAM or CPU could be the culprit.

U have different RAM Modules installed. Incompatibility can cause bluescreens like this:

Code:

[Memory Device (Type 17) - Length 34 - Handle 002dh]
  Size                          4096MB
  Speed                         667MHz
  Manufacturer                  U
  Part Number                   S                
[Memory Device (Type 17) - Length 34 - Handle 0031h]
  Size                          4096MB
  Speed                         800MHz
  Manufacturer                  M
  Part Number                   1

Please perform following STEPS:

0x124

WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR

A 0x124 is one of the worst STOP codes to encounter for the sole reason that the dump files usually give nothing away as to the cause of the problem. WHEA (Windows Hardware Error Architecture) errors signify a problem with hardware but very rarely pinpoint the culprit. In these scenarios it is advised to run a series of hardware stress and diagnostic tests to try and pinpoint the problem. A template is offered below which covers the four main components (GPU, CPU, RAM, HDD) and gives you a fighting chance of narrowing down the problematic device.

Diagnostic Test

RAM TEST

Run MemTest86+ to analyse your RAM. MemTest86+ - Test RAM - Windows 10 Forums

Note

MemTest86+ needs to be run for at least 8 complete passes for conclusive results. Set it running before you go to bed and leave it overnight. We're looking for zero errors here. Even a single error will indicate RAM failure.

Make a photo of the result and post it.

Diagnostic Test

CPU TEST

Run Prime95 to stress test your CPU. Prime95 - Stress Test Your CPU - Windows 10 Forums

Warning

Your CPU temperatures will rise quickly while under this stress test. Keep a keen eye on them and abort the test if overheating occurs.

hbenthow · 08 Mar 2017

BSODHunter said:

Seems to be a hardware failure. I think RAM or CPU could be the culprit.

U have different RAM Modules installed. Incompatibility can cause bluescreens like this:

Code:

[Memory Device (Type 17) - Length 34 - Handle 002dh]
  Size                          4096MB
  Speed                         667MHz
  Manufacturer                  U
  Part Number                   S                
[Memory Device (Type 17) - Length 34 - Handle 0031h]
  Size                          4096MB
  Speed                         800MHz
  Manufacturer                  M
  Part Number                   1

Interesting. I had no idea that my RAM sticks were different from each other.

Run MemTest86+ to analyse your RAM. MemTest86+ - Test RAM - Windows 10 Forums

Note

MemTest86+ needs to be run for at least 8 complete passes for conclusive results. Set it running before you go to bed and leave it overnight. We're looking for zero errors here. Even a single error will indicate RAM failure.

Make a photo of the result and post it.

Diagnostic Test

CPU TEST

Run Prime95 to stress test your CPU. Prime95 - Stress Test Your CPU - Windows 10 Forums

Warning

Your CPU temperatures will rise quickly while under this stress test. Keep a keen eye on them and abort the test if overheating occurs.

I've already run both of those tests (after the first time that this error happened), and both came back error-free. I took a photo of the screen after the MemTest test (which I ran for over 24 hours - it was definitely over 8 passes, 11 or so if I recall right), but I'm not sure if I still have it. I'll have to look for it tomorrow.

hbenthow · 08 Mar 2017

Well, I looked, but can't find the photo. I must have deleted it. I do know for certain that it had 0 errors, though.

Do you believe that replacing one or both RAM sticks could possibly solve the problem?

Or that it could maybe be an issue with an out-of-date BIOS installation? I ask this because the Revision History tab of the page for my computer's BIOS says the following about a revision that is newer than the one currently on my computer:

"Version:2.57 Rev.A (10 Sep 2013)
Enhancements
-Added support for AMD Richland Processors.
-Added support for DASH remote management.
-Optimize memory settings to improve the reliability of the memory system."

BSODHunter · 08 Mar 2017

Yes, U should do Update the BIOS to the newest Version

hbenthow · 09 Mar 2017

UPDATE: I've updated my BIOS. It went uneventfully. I think I'll look into trying to buy some RAM in the near future. My current plan goes as follows.

1. Update BIOS (which I've just done).

2. Wait to see what happens for a while, but buy some RAM as soon as is practical. If I replace the RAM without a BSOD having happened in the meantime and no more BSODs follow after the RAM replacement, it doesn't really matter whether it was the BIOS or the RAM that fixed it. Either way, my problem would be gone. If a BSOD does occur before buying replacement RAM, then remove one RAM stick until the replacement comes.

3. If any more BSODs happen after RAM replacement or removing one stick, possibly uninstall Bitdefender and see what happens.

Does this sound like a good plan to you?

hbenthow · 10 Mar 2017

UPDATE: I just noticed something that may or may not be relevant. Out of curiosity, I opened Speccy to look at my CPU temperature, and it fluctuated between about 50 and 72 Celcius. It seemed to stay in the 60s most of the time, but frequently climbed into the 70s. I then stopped JDownloader (which I had running some downloads at the time), and it dropped significantly, staying mostly between 47 and 58 (with occasional climbs into the 60s), staying mostly in the lower 50s. Apparently, my CPU (an AMD A4-5300B) isn't supposed to stay at 70 degrees or higher for long (based on what I've read).

This got me thinking: could it be possible that CPU overheating might have contributed to my BSODs? I have already run Prime95 for three hours to stress-test my CPU, and it showed no problems, but I'm wondering if some of my software might occasionally put such extreme stress on the CPU that it pushes the temperature beyond even what such a program such a Prime95 does, and this temporary overheating could cause a BSOD. This is pure speculation, as I have never been checking my CPU temperature at the times that the BSODs happened.

BSODHunter · 10 Mar 2017

What temps do u get when running Prime95?