BSOD caused by ntoskrnl.

Hi. I've have been having many BSOD since I bought my computer, and even after completely reformatting twice, they do not stop. I get them occasionally while making videos, on the web, and while playing games. However, the one thing i have noticed that they all have in common is ntoskrnl.exe. I have been reading up on other people that have had problems with it but I still do not have the knowledge to fix it myself.

I have run a Memtest and replaced a faulty RAM card. I have ran it after and passed with no problems.

My specs are :
Windows 7 Professional x64
Thermaltake TR2 PSU
Gigabyte GA-MA785GT-UD3H
DDR3-1333 2 GB x4 Gaming series brand
GeForce GTS 250
X-FI XtremeGamer Sound Card

I have a few plenty of dump files, and bluescreenview to boot.

If there is any extra information I can provide, I would be most happy to upon request.

Thanks again for any help.

 

ntoskrnl.exe can be corrupted in a few different ways but seing how you have restored your computer and it still happens It might be because of a short in your keyboard. For some reason it causes ntoskrnl to be corrupt or it could be your boot loader

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000646.htm

 

Welcome to MajorGeeks

I've run the last 3 dmps through WinDbg and 2 come up with just the NT Kernel - that (to me) is pretty inconclusive as it's very unlikely to be the actual cause, BlueScreenView gives few clues either.

The 3rd (IRQ not less ...) implicates Steam.

I assume that the earlier dmps were from a previous installation; I checked 2 of them anyway, nothing obvious in the first, the other implicated a hardware problem on USB.

 

Would that indicate that steam is the cause of the problems?

As for the USB hardware problem, it could be possible. Recently i tripped over a wire and broke the 2 frontal USB ports. Haven't had it fixed since its seems to be on the other side of the motherboard, and last thing I need to do is break anything else trying to fix something I have plenty more of.

So possibly it could have to do with the keyboard? I have never had any sort of problem with the keyboard, but it sounds like a reasonable cause.

 

It indicates that Steam was a major factor in the BSOD. I wouldn't rule out Steam being affected by security software, for example (some games use rootkit-like security).

I think if you had a bad keyboard, you'd get many more BSOD's than you attached here.

Generic advice: uninstall all software you won't need for a week or so, check and clean all physical and electrical connections, fully uninstall your security software (rely on the Windows Firewall + router?) for a few days. Thrash the PC on Steam and video-making. Disconnect as many hardware devices as you can.

Really, just minimise the variables (hard- and software) and try to force more BSOD's.

 

Uninstalling all software i do not need sounds fine, and i cleaned out the computer completely about 2 days ago. As for removing Norton, wouldn't it be just as effective to keep the program from running? I mean, removing it completely can be a bit of a hazard, because I love to browse the internet in my free time.

Thrashing the games is easy, i'll use Crysis and Garry's Mod which are both very stressful on computers.

 

Some A/V and security suites still leave Services running even though you stop the main Apps from starting (or even uninstall them!), an alternative might be to use Sysinternals Autoruns to disable all Symantec startups, be careful though .

 

Hi. Ive removed almost every program except for a select few. Ive also removed my virus protection, Norton. Ive been giving my computer hell since about noon and have yet had a problem with it. Following your suggestion, I'm going to continue pounding it with tasks for 2 days.

I have yet to have a blue screen though while using 100% of my processor while multitasking anything I could think of:

Backing up files
Crysis
Recording the Crysis play session
Video Rendering in Sony Vegas

 

So far, so good, I hope it keeps up.

I think you should use the Norton Removal Tool to ensure it's fully removed. Then, if things are still 100%, we'll need to find a good layered protection system for you.

 

I'm guessing that means a program other than Norton that is less likely to cause errors. What I don't understand is how a lot of people have windows 7 and are just like me, yet have absolutely no problem with Norton 360. Might there be a small possibility that Norton wasn't updating correctly and I never got 4.0, which is '7 Compatible'?

 

With software as complex and low-level as a full security suite, there's always a chance that it doesn't get installed correctly or fully updated. Often these suites are not created from scratch as a fully integrated system but grubbed together from several sources (often after buying out other security software companies) so there's a lot of potential for conflicts given the variety of systems it may be installed on.

When troubleshooting, removing one layer of protection for testing purposes is usually easier and leaves the PC at less risk than having to remove all the security at once.

Once your PC has proven to be stable and is fully updated, installing Norton again may have no ill-effects. Just make sure you have a full, working backup ready

 

Alright, its been almost a day and no BSOD so we'll check it again tomorrow.

 

Ill reinstall Norton tomorrow if I still haven't had a BSOD. Its looking pretty good right now. Thanks again for the help so far.

 

No problem, I hope it all works out well

 

Was on steam games today, and had already reinstalled Norton to test for problems reoccuring. Got another BSOD, however it was not ntoskrnl.exe that caused it. BlueSceenView says it was tunnel.sys.

The minidump is attached.

 

Probable cause dxgmms1 according to WinDbg.

Nothing conclusive about that, could still be an old driver interfering, bad RAM, loose connection or almost anything else.

Keep pushing it but keep the software/hardware as simple as you can.



EDIT: You're running off a wireless (USB?) adapter, right? Try using an Ethernet connection.

 

Sorry I havent been able to update in a while. School and all that stuff.

Im unable to use a ethernet cable due to the fact that i am unreasonably far from the router. Wiring the route would be complex and difficult.

Yes I do run a USB adapter.

Another BSOD aswell, as i got it today while playing games.