bsodPC repeatedly freezes with various error screens, fails to start (five beeps), or doesn't turn on from sleep mode
bsodPC repeatedly freezes with various error screens, fails to start (five beeps), or doesn't turn on from sleep mode
The system resumed functioning after a delay, similar to what I mentioned earlier. Now I can add the event logs. I narrowed the filters to errors and critical issues from the past few months. I also included the minidumps, even though there was no new dump today—just some older ones. I’ll do this again next time the PC fails to start.
Do you have any insight on how to induce a boot failure? Otherwise, it might take days or weeks until I can try again (though I’m not very hopeful about that). Everything seemed normal for me. But I’m not an expert. Could you examine the event logs and minidumps for signs of a failing motherboard? Although replacing the motherboard is the most involved option, it would be a much cheaper alternative than buying a new CPU or GPU.
Why should I cut the power pins? I haven’t experienced this before. Wouldn’t it be wise to keep my GPU connected as well? Otherwise, the five beeps indicating a missing GPU (since my CPU doesn’t have built-in graphics) would actually be expected, right? event_log_errors_2023-10-17.evtx Minidump.zip
Nothing resembles a motherboard malfunction; it simply appears as the connector to the damaged area or multiple hardware components. The dump files seem mostly RAM-like. In the event logs, you'll find numerous volmgr errors indicating the inability to create a dump file after a crash. This typically points to storage issues. Several of the crash reports strongly suggest faulty storage, especially the drive containing the page file. Memory and storage often appear similar due to the page file's role. Low-priority data in RAM is transferred to disk via the page file, making the observed behavior dependent on where the corruption occurs. * As you receive some dump files, I’ll outline other potential causes if they’re contributing to the problem, reducing the likelihood since you do encounter them. Almost full storage drive. Encrypted storage drive (You wouldn’t generate dump files unless you have multiple page files and not all drives are encrypted). If you’ve manually configured the page file size and it’s too small for a dump, consider this. Minidumps are compact, but they initially start as complete kernel dumps that get truncated on the next boot. Depending on the crash and RAM usage, they can grow to gigabytes in size. The CPU might also resemble RAM if the memory controller is defective. A motherboard fault could manifest in various ways.
Looking into the issue, consider testing your four memory modules one by one in various slots. Check if any specific combination causes the system to fail to boot. It might help to inspect the condition of all four modules together, not just the ones you recently replaced. CrystalDiskInfo still reports the SSD as "Good," but you mentioned a recent BSOD with IRQL NOT LESS event. Reviewing the logs from yesterday’s incident could provide more insight into what triggered the problem.
The dump files still resemble RAM, but from the event logs we notice it can't create certain files due to a storage issue. The key is identifying what might be missing in those files. Have you verified which drive hosts the page file? Changing to the alternate drive should allow full dumping (also check available space there). Reminder: if it's an external device like USB or SD card, avoid proceeding. For internal drives only—note that using an HDD may cause slower performance while the page file is active.
I relocated the page file to another internal SSD, which now holds more than 20 GB of free space. All new mini dumps and logs are attached. Here’s the download link for the MEMOR.DMP: MEMORY_2023-11-02.DMP In the meantime, I experienced between two and four blue screens daily: UNEXPECTED SOTRE EXCEPTION (5x), KERNEL SECURITY CHECK FAILURE, SYSTEM SERVICE EXCEPTION, FLTMGR.SYS ION NOT HANDLED, MEMORY MANAGEMENT, DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION, HYPERVISOR ERROR, and PAGE FAULT IN NONPAGED AREA. Based on what I know, the issue likely lies with the main SSD, RAM, or motherboard—not the CPU, GPU (despite the 5 beeps during booting), or software/driver errors. Would you like any diagnostic tools or guidance on testing further? A repair shop could perform hardware checks if needed. Minidumps 2023-11-02.zip event_log_errors_2023-11-02.evtx
We found something pointing to storage. If you missed the earlier warnings about dump creation failure, this might seem more like RAM issues, though it could overlap. Having both problems at once is unlikely but should be noted. You're still seeing volmgr errors related to dump creation failing. Most of these occur during a storage crash (Unexpected_Store_Exception), but I also noticed another unexpected crash unrelated to storage. It's unclear what's affecting the dump files. I'd suggest installing Windows on a different drive and testing with one at a time using this new drive if the issue persists.
Let me give an update: last weekend I unplugged the main SSD with the Windows installation, added a new SSD to the previously unused M2_1 slot and did a fresh install of Windows 10 on this drive. After this, I had no longer any problems for the whole week. So, looks like this solved the issue Thank you all sooo much for your support, especially @Bjoolz for the final suggestions!