Random BSOD - Need Help Troubleshooting

[Anlace]

Greetings,

I built a multi-media computer using the following parts:

GIGABYTE GA-EP45C-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz
2 - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) for a total of 8 GB of RAM
2 (RAID 0) - Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drives
EVGA GeForce 9800 GT 512MB PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
ASUS My Cinema-PHC3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/RC TV Tuner Card PCI Interface
EDIMAX EW-7128G PCI Wireless Card
Pioneer Blu-Ray Combo SATA Model BDC-202BK
LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe SATA Model GH22LS30

This system is built with Vista Home Premium. Everything is operating with the most up to date drivers available for Vista 64-bit downloaded from their respective web sites. All available firmware updates have also been applied (i.e. BIOS, Blu-Ray).

The system left here in stable condition shortly after I built it. Since my client has had it it will run for only about 2 hours at the longest stretch before it blue screens and shuts down. Since I've had it back on the bench the longest it has ran is 45 minutes without blue screening, 10 or 15 minutes is more common.

Error logs are showing WMI errors, I downloaded and ran Microsoft's WMI troubleshooting utility but can not keep the system running long enough to pull anything useful out of the log file. I will try and transfer that log file over to a pen drive, provided the act of plugging in a USB drive doesn't blue screen the system again.

I suspect a faulty RAM module so I tried to run MemTest (ver 2.11) on it but it will not boot from either optical drive. I did manage to get it to boot into Ultimate Boot CD but it locks up whenever I try to use any of the system tools. The same with Ubuntu 8.1, MemTest locks the computer up.

The next step is to start pulling hardware but before I start to disassemble this system to troubleshoot hardware I am looking for opinions as to what other options I might take to find out what has caused this system and Vista to degrade so badly. In particular, what might be causing MemTest to be unable to run?

I value any and all comments that will assist me in narrowing down the problem.

Respectfully,
GL

 

[Airbot]

Take a picture of the BSOD and post what it says.

 

[lordbob75]

The Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 drives have a bricking problem, check it out here, perhaps that is causing an issue.

Please do tell us what the BSOD says, as that will point us in the right direction.

~Lordbob

 

[Anlace]

Thanks for the replies Airbot & lordbob75.

I haven't been able to take any kind of "picture" of the BSODs yet, they happen very quickly, so fast that it hasn't been possible to even write down the last few digits of the error code 0x00000 etc etc. Interestingly enough there is no BCCode or error message given when Vista reboots either although many times Windows complains of being shut down improperly and offers Safe Mode booting as an option.

If I can grab a screen shot I will do that and post it here. I was hoping to get MemTest going and let it run through the night, and see what I had in the morning.

I don't understand why I'm not able to boot into a boot disc, what could be preventing that I wonder.

Thanks again for the replies, I will do my best to supply more info as I can.

Best Regards,
GL

 

[lordbob75]

Use a camera if you have to.

Go into BIOS, and make sure that the first boot option is CD/DVD. I am sure you have done this, but you never know. You could also disable booting after the first choice. So it boots from CD or hangs.
You could also reset your CMOS, maybe that will help. Also, try removing all nonessential hardware, and try again.

~Lordbob

 

[lordbob75]

Oh, remove the RAM and replace it with good RAM, and try that as well.

~Lordbob

 

[Anlace]

Whoa, I checked the post you linked to lordbob75 and these hard drives are on the list. That would do it.

 

[lordbob75]

Yes that could indeed be the problem. The website was posted just recently, so you can go check that out to see if it is indeed your problem... Also, try another hard drive in the computer to see if the same error occurs.

~Lordbob

 

[Anlace]

Go into BIOS, and make sure that the first boot option is CD/DVD. I am sure you have done this, but you never know. You could also disable booting after the first choice. So it boots from CD or hangs.
You could also reset your CMOS, maybe that will help. Also, try removing all nonessential hardware, and try again.

The first option is indeed CD/DVD and I have disabled booting from HD and it still hangs. I've also tried booting from both the optical drives.

I hesitate to reset CMOS since this system is set up with RAID0, I need to back everything up and then try these things so I do not lose my client's data.

Oh, remove the RAM and replace it with good RAM, and try that as well.

I'm a bit frustrated because the tools that I use to test hardware will not function, I would much prefer to do that instead of shuffling hardware around. At this time I don't have any "spare" RAM lying around for this computer other than raping my own tower for it.

Also, try another hard drive in the computer to see if the same error occurs.

Again I would like to be able to test without removing hardware if possible. Although I do have a spare HD, I am not inclined to install Vista and all of the hardware drivers just to see if I can get it to blue screen in the same way which, btw, is completely random.

I am under certain time constraints as well since this is not my computer but one that I custom built for a client. Some of the time spent on this project I am totally going to eat at a time when I can't really afford to that. Reinstalling Vista on a computer where I will end up pulling the drive later is not a good use of my time. (Yes I am frustrated, please don't take that personally.)

I'm inclined to think that it is a memory issue because of the random nature of the BSOD. It seems to me that I read in a post somewhere (I have read a lot of posts in the last few days) that mentioned a problem with 2 GB RAM modules in Vista 64-bit. This computer has 4 - 2 GB RAM modules for a total of 8 GB of RAM. Could that be more RAM than Vista can handle? On other note this RAM is on the list of those recommended for the motherboard by the manufacturer.

Thanks for the help, I really do appreciate it even if I'm feeling snarky about the whole thing this morning!

Peace,
GL

PS I intend to suggest to my client that we purchase and install WD HDs and scrap the SeaGate HDs. I will do more research into the 2 GB RAM module problem, if a problem really exists and wasn't just a memory fart from lack of rest.

 

[lordbob75]

If you truly believe it to be a memory error, go buy some more memory, and ask if you can return it if it does not fix it. I don't think that you have much choice other than to mess with hardware. Sorry.

~Lordbob

 

[Anlace]

If you truly believe it to be a memory error, go buy some more memory, and ask if you can return it if it does not fix it. I don't think that you have much choice other than to mess with hardware. Sorry.

~Lordbob

I think you may be right about that. It's not so easy though, you see, I literally live on an island and the closest place to buy hardware is a ferry ride away.

I'm going to start with unplugging the drives out of the RAID 0 array and see if I can then boot from CD. That would let me run my hardware tests without stripping the computer. I realize I may end up doing that anyway but the memory tests (IMHO) can tell me a lot if I can get this stupid thing to boot from CD.

Thanks for the reply!
GL

 

[lordbob75]

Its kinda cool you live on an island, but I can see it could be a pain. Hope it works out for you though.

~Lordbob

 

[Anlace]

It's kinda nice too, there are only two of us that support a population of about 5,000 so we tend to stay pretty busy. You also learn not to be in a hurry for anything, UPS will deliver to the door if you can wait 3 days ;-)

BTW this stupid computer hasn't blue screened once today (so far).

 

[Anlace]

Hurray! Unplugged the hard drives, reset BIOS from RAID to SATA and I am able to boot into my system utility discs.

Now let's see what MemTest shows us.

 

[lordbob75]

Yay. Thats good. Sounds like you got a good deal going there. You are the only two to maintenance roughly 5000 computers. Thats called job security.

~Lordbob