BSOD - even in safe mode - CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED ... 0x000000EF

Following advice by @BSODHunter - I've uninstalled the graphics software and rolled back to my older nvidia drivers. Got another blue screen (0x000000EF, as usual - followed by "A required device isn't connected or can't be accessed" 0xc000000e, as usual.
Still no dump files created (mini or regular).

I've updated my motherboard bios to latest as advised, installed Samsung Magician SSD software, and updated my SSD firmware with it. Waiting to see if it happens again.

Have you checked the cable connections to the disk drive and SATA ports? Its almost as if there is an intermittent break in the cable.

philc43 said:

Have you checked the cable connections to the disk drive and SATA ports? Its almost as if there is an intermittent break in the cable.

I'm actually going to switch the cables for C and D and see what happens. I presumed the hardware shop that had it last week tried testing cables - but *shrugs* who know?

Plugged the system drive into a new SATA port, with a new cable, and... blue screen, as before.
(0x000000EF, as usual - followed by "A required device isn't connected or can't be accessed" 0xc000000e, as usual on soft boot - hard stop/start allows system to startup normally).



Should I be getting a new system drive next? Not sure where else to go from here...

Decided to go with new disk and new install of OS. Will report back if that resolves issue after letting it run for a few days (unless, of course, it blue screens again)

Final update (?)

I loaded my old system drive as a data drive on my new OS (loaded on a new SSD). After a few minutes... it disappeared. Unplugging/replugging the data cable did not fix it. So it appears to be some kind of power problem on the drive - a hardware problem that no hardware scan reported to me

Thanks for the advice and suggestions everyone.