bsod- 2 different error codes

[fsutrill]

Hi All
I've been having random BSODs since Saturday and am clueless. I can run fine in safe mode. The first thing I did was to restore the system to before Friday, and it didn't help. I have fixed the registry with registry mechanic, run Avast and removed the one thing it found, run spybot and removed those as well. I did the startup diagnostic and it passes and says that the system is fine to start up. I updated my video driver. I ran the memory diagnostic through 7 passes, no problems detected (yay?). I did the pfcscan (could not fix 2 errors- tcpmon.ini and autochk.exe) and also chkdsk /f/r (which got to 55% and then froze completely- after running for 4 hours).

The problem started right after I downloaded a game pack (a platinum pack I purchased from Playrix). Maybe I was trying to do too much? While 1 was downloading, I would install another, so I had a bunch of windows open when the first crash happened. So, I removed/uninstalled all of them. It seemed fine, so I started downloading them one by one with a little 'rest' in between to see if I could pinpoint which game was the prob. Nothing happened until after the last one. So, I restored the system again. I went to redownload, but instead of clicking 'run', I saved each one's setup file to the HD, but it crashed before I could install any of them. I then moved all the setup files to the other partition on the HD, restored the system again but still have crashes. Most often it's the IRQL, but I've had others as well.

I've tried to narrow it down by only enabling 5 services at a time and then 5 startup items using msconfig, but I don't have *quite enough* knowledge to do that correctly - how to test or which ones would be the most likely suspects...

I get to where I can see the photo on my desktop, and about 30 seconds to a minute later, *crash*. If at all possible I don't want to have to reinstall Windows as there are 3-4 programs on here that I don't have the CDs for. I've attached the minidump file.

This is about the extent of my computer know-how, so if y'all can use more layman terms, I'd appreciate it.

 

[stoneys-nutz]

Hello fsutrill,
Here are the results of your bugchecks.
As you can see its a mixed bag, a bit of everything in there.
I hope your ready for some serious diagnostic work.

STOP 0x0000000A: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
Usual causes: Kernel mode driver, System Service, BIOS, Windows, Virus scanner, Backup tool, compatibility

STOP 0x0000008E: KERNEL_MODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
Usual causes: Insufficient disk space, Device driver, Video card, BIOS, Breakpoint in startup without having a debugger attached, Hardware incompatibility, Faulty system service, 3rd party remote control, Memory

STOP 0x0000007E: SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
Usual causes: Insufficient disk space, Device driver, Video card, BIOS, Breakpoint with no debugger attached, Hardware incompatibility, Faulty system service, Memory, 3rd party remote control,

STOP 0x00000096: INVALID_WORK_QUEUE_ITEM
Usual causes: Device driver.


Probably caused by,
ntkrpamp.exe
aswSP.SYS
Ntfs.sys

First, do you have all Windows updates and service packs installed ?.

Un-install your AV, Avast is mentioned in one bugcheck. "Microsoft Security Essentials" is good to use, but download and install after this has been fixed. (don't forget).

Memory is mentioned in a few of the bugchecks, so download Memtest and run overnight, about six or seven passes.

If you have anything overclocked, set it to default, for now.

You will need to run driver verifier, follow this tutorial.

How to identify a buggy device driver on Windows Vista | Vista Rewired

Open a command prompt as administrator and type sfc/scannow press enter and let it scan, if errors are found you will need to scan again until clear.

To check your HDD, follow the link, download the diagnostic software for you HDD and run.

Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.

Make sure all your drivers are up to date, Video, Sound, and Chipset.

I will get back to you when i have checked what drivers you have installed and their dates.

The above are not in any order, so do what you are comfortable doing first.

Theres a few things to be going on with, if you need any help at all, just ask, if i am not online somebody will help, good luck and post your results.

 

[richc46]

After trying all of Stoney's solutions, if you still have a problem, I would concentrate on hardware. When there are many error codes it usually points in that direction.

As a last resort, if it cannot be corrected, I would go with a system restore. You see where the problem lies, its with the games.

 

[fsutrill]

okay, step one- tried verifier, when I typed it in the run box, it came up but when I clicked it, I got an error (black dos box with smaller error box that says "No devices match the name specified ((null))". Can I run that directly from the command prompt? If so, would that eliminate the error?

Also, I forgot to mention this, I have some sort of hijacker that opens windows up in IE for advertisements. Ad-aware didn't catch it and (thinking I was infected) neither did Window's malicious removal tool. I can't pinpoint if there is something I *do* that triggers them or if it's random. The ad subjects aren't at all related to each other, and luckily there's been no porn.

I've uninstalled Avast, have not yet restarted, will do that after I finish typing here.

I had all Windows updates (SP2) until I started restoring the system backwards, now my last installed update is a Silverlight update from June 5. I can't access the Windows Update site from the internet or the control panel.

I ran the Windows memory diagnostic- 7 passes. Can you give a link to the memtest you mentioned?

Nothing is overclocked...

As far as the game pack I downloaded, should I contact playrix to let them know that their download service (which had a different web address) may include malware? If so, what should I tell them exactly? Should I get rid of their setup files? I scanned each one with Avast and with Ad-aware and there were no problems/threats detected- can this stuff hide in a setup file and not be detectable?

Trying step 2 now...thanks for all y'all's help!

FORGOT TO MENTION- I am running in safe mode, could that be why the verifier tool won't work? When I restart, I'll see...

 

[richc46]

Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool

Before anything else we have to get rid of the malware. That could be the problem

Run a thorough antivirus scan

Download and run malwarebytes.
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

Safe mode runs with few if any drivers. The verifier has nothing to check, if you are in safe mode.

 

[fsutrill]

Hi-
Which version of memtest do I download? I had run 7 passes on the windows memory diagnostic tool, which showed no problems. Is it worth doing a second version? (my guess is yes, since I also checked each driver in the device manager and it said they were all up to date, which isn't true).

Malwarebytes- quick scan and thorough scan both showed no malware.

Weirdest thing- I restarted yesterday, got the BSOD, hit 'start windows normally' (bc
often on the second restart everything works) and it's been working like a champ.

I tried running verifier the first time I was able to log on normally (no longer in safe mode) and got the same message, but since this logon (the 2nd or 3rd NOT in safe mode since that other one) it now works.

I had run CCCleaner as well. (could that be it?)

OOOO- I did delete the FOLDER that had held all the suspect games from the system, that may be what did it. When I looked in each subfolder there were only 4-5 things, but when I put it in the recycle bin, it was over a GIG of crap (hidden?). Maybe I will try a restart after all, since there seem to be no probs since then (but, that was last night and I don't remember the exact sequence right now...)

I have no AV software now, as I was advised to remove Avast in the first reply. As I understood it, I was told not to DL and install it until after the issue was resolved (but it's completely possible that I misunderstood the poster's instructions).

I will say, I am afraid to restart bc of how well things are going! Is there anything I can check settings-wise and write down so that if I *do* restart, I can look in X place and check that?

I really appreciate this forum! Most of the time in a tech forum it's either too simple (see the little button? push it, and your computer will turn on) or too complicated (the computer flange must not touch the nibbly bits or the snorkum glibble will react and kill the rain forest...you DON'T WANT TO KILL THE RAIN FOREST WITH YOUR COMPUTER, DO YOU?). I have a good amount of knowledge, but more importantly I can google like a madman (well, woman), but so often, the tech forums are run by experts FOR experts, not advanced beginners/intermediate users like me. I really appreciate how in this forum you have techs who CAN COMMUNICATE clearly in plain English giving the 'why' and how it works. Once I can see the big picture it's much easier to fix things bc I know then how my little piece of the puzzle is supposed to fit. So thanks so far, Richc46 and stoneysnutzs!!!

 

[richc46]

Here is a link with a better explanation of memtest86 that will explain exactly what is to be done
Guide to using Memtest86+

Download and use Microsoft Security Essentials. It is made for Windows, it is good and causes not conflicts

There is nothing else I can think of before restarting, except hope.

Good luck

 

[fsutrill]

Windows security essentials detected a dos trojan- DOS/Sinowal.N - and removed it. This went undetected by Avast, Ad-aware, Spybot, windows malicious removal tool

just ran sfc/scannow 3 times. The first, in the CBSlog there were fatal things with warnings and 3 corrupted files (autochk.exe of microsoft_windows_autocheck, tcpmon.ini of microsoft-windows-sidebar, settings.ini of microsoft-windows-printing ) that it was unable to repair. Second time, in the log, neither the word fatal nor warning appeared, but the same 3 corrupted files were unable to be fixed. Third time (after the trojan removal), the only corrupted file seems to be the tcpmon.ini. I'm going to run it again now.

Have not yet run memtest, will do after the 4th scannow run (and will post those results)

**update** after 4th run, autchk.exe and tcpmon.ini are still corrupt. In my googling to find a solution as to why I can't update windows, I found the (oooo) advanced section for repair (after trying all the regular steps). They have
Advanced Method A: Remove entries for Windows Update and Microsoft Update from the hosts file as one option and Advanced Method B: Remove the proxy server entry from the WinHTTP proxy configuration. Would I profit from doing those 2 things? my error code when trying to do any sort of windows update is 0x80072efe - error internet connection aborted. I can see the updates I need (already a step forward, since I couldn't even do that the other day), but can't DL them (I tried going through the list one by one - there are 12 - but got the same message after each of the first 5...)

 

[stoneys-nutz]

Try running the sfc scan a couple of more times, it should eventually repair the files, if not, then F8 on boot up and choose "Last Known Good Configuration", then an sfc scan again.