BSODs, system failures and app crashes, none of the fixes I attempted worked
BSODs, system failures and app crashes, none of the fixes I attempted worked
Over the last weeks I've faced frequent BSODs, system freezes and crashes, especially during gaming and video playback on YouTube or Floatplane. I've tried standard fixes like using DDU to clear video drivers and running Memtest86 for four cycles which passed. Testing with Heaven and Cinebench revealed no unusual issues. Analyzing the .dmp files from bug checks hasn't helped much. Now I'm uncertain about further steps except a clean Windows install, which I'd prefer to avoid. Additional details: One BSOD occurred in safe mode where DDU was usable. After a short Windows session, my system froze for about a minute before the blue screen appeared with code DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION. During gameplay, Windows Error Reporting in Event Viewer logged an event named RADAR_PRE_LEAK_64 a few minutes prior to crashes or BSODs. Before another crash while playing MWII, AUDIODG.EXE stopped with the module THXV2RenderAPO_0528.dll, causing audio loss. Multiple apps sometimes crashed simultaneously—for instance, when MWII failed, a Firefox tab also crashed. I found useful links to diagnostic data and screenshots in my Event Viewer logs: [link 1] and [link 2].
Test the setup with one RAM stick, run it separately in the machine, and check for stability.
I removed one stick and everything appears to be working well. I haven’t experienced any crashes while playing a game or watching a video for more than an hour. Could it be that I simply had bad luck with the silicon selection, making my CPU unable to handle two 16GB RAM sticks even at the lower speeds of 4800MHz? Or is there another reason? It’s unexpected that I passed Memtest86 just yesterday.
I mentioned things too quickly, experienced a game crash and my screen went dark for a moment before returning. It didn’t end with a blue screen or complete failure. I’ve collected some event viewer logs that I haven’t viewed yet (including pictures). After the crash, my cursor vanishes when I move it to the taskbar, though it still detects clicks and reacts oddly when hovering over icons. I’ve looked into the error details and noticed a few posts suggesting updating the Xbox Series Controller firmware might help—this one matches the logs I received. I’m not optimistic about a fix, but I’m willing to try it anyway.
Only one of your dumps mentions a driver clue. The file 020523-19609-01.dmp points to "mtkbtfilterx.sys," likely a MediaTek module. This suggests it's your Wi-Fi driver. Other dumps point to "ntkrnlmp.exe," which is the Windows kernel. As @emosun noted, update your MOBO BIOS first and verify all drivers are current. Make sure your Windows install is patched and consider using a different memory stick. Run a memory test, adjust OC settings (turn them off if enabled), and set the page file to a fixed size on a non-OS disk (e.g., 147456 MB for 32 GB RAM).
Updated my MOBO BIOS to the newest release (0823) right after finishing the build. Chipsets drivers were also installed. My Windows OS is kept up to date, and I’m part of the Windows Insider program. I turned off memory overclocking since I’ve been experiencing BSODs and crashes a couple of weeks ago.
Another update: yesterday my system crashed without a blue screen. Examining the memory dump revealed errors related to hardware RAM settings—specifically “FAILURE_BUCKET_ID” and “IMAGE_NAME: hardware_ram.” After the crash, I reran Memtest86 with the same RAM stick, which passed. I also ran Windows Memory Diagnostic on Extended mode, and no problems were found. Since both tests cleared, could it be the VRAM causing these issues?
I also want to mention that problems started after swapping in the new MOBO and RAM. Previously, I could play many games without the inconsistent crashes and BSODs I’m facing now. There’s a ZIP file with a minidump from the latest crash here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OTAPy9K...sp=sharing
No, I haven't been using the same Windows installation process consistently.
I recently performed a fresh installation of Windows after swapping my Mobo and RAM a couple of weeks prior. Another update followed, and before heading out for work I ran the OCCT VRAM stress test, which triggered the error displayed in the attached screenshot. Upon returning home, my system froze with a blue screen and a stop code labeled "KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED," showing that the CLASSPNP.SYS module failed. It seems my problems likely involve the VRAM, but I'm uncertain whether these crashes can be resolved or if my graphics card is damaged.