Can't take BSODs anymore!

[bklyn1028]

I've had Vista for years now, and I re-formatted my hard drive and re-installed it about 3 months ago. I am getting BSOD just about everytime I go on. I can be surfing, bsod....playing online...bsod....COD WAW zombies online and either bsod, or the system crashes/freezes/reboots. It is annoying to say the least.

My question is....go back to XP?.....Go to Windows 8 (I have it at work and it's pretty nice)....7?.....I have upgraded drivers and at my wit's end...I am even toying with maybe using Linux / Ubuntu....I am willing to try anything!

 

[nickbits]

Try 7 but I'm going to put my money on a hardware problem, either motherboard or power supply.

 

[bklyn1028]

Try 7 but I'm going to put my money on a hardware problem, either motherboard or power supply.

Motherboard seems fine, same with PS.....tell you what.....
What if I (have disk) go back to XP...and see if problem persists...that should narrow it down to NON OS
no?

 

[radhak]

Motherboard seems fine, same with PS.....tell you what.....
What if I (have disk) go back to XP...and see if problem persists...that should narrow it down to NON OS
no?

You could do that, but frankly, you should move forward, not back. You should save yourself the labor, time and angst and get Win 7, and maybe clean-install it.

Even if all your hardware had worked fine, Win 7 is streets ahead of Vista in every way, and an upgrade would be recommended. If by doing so you solve your BSOD problems, you are golden. If not, as and when you isolate the h/w problem and fix it, you'll have a nicely working machine with an OS worth the money you pay for it.

edit : btw, those symptoms are what I remember of a time when one of my RAMs went kaput.

 

[zebrax2]

I would agree with nickbits that it is more likely a hardware problem. Test you ram

 

[ControlD]

Motherboard seems fine, same with PS.....tell you what.....
What if I (have disk) go back to XP...and see if problem persists...that should narrow it down to NON OS
no?

Maybe not. If your problems are at the driver level then going to XP isn't going to tell you anything more than you got the proper drivers installed. Have you tried to analyze any of the crash dumps from Vista to see exactly what is causing your blue screens? I am betting your have a hardware problem, either physical or driver related.

 

[bklyn1028]

I would agree with nickbits that it is more likely a hardware problem. Test you ram

Thanks fellas....i'll do that...ram is cheap now anyway

 

[hamunaptra]

Yeah, BSOD's more often than not are hardware problem / driver problem. Its not vista itself, its a fine operating system. So is 7, I would stay away from xp (age & functionality issues) and windows 8(complete junk).
BSOD's at random can often be attributed too... faulty PSU, motherboard, CPU, RAM, HDD or other devices such as GPU .. etc...(pretty much anything). It also can be caused by overheating of various components.
What I would suggest is running a SMART attribute check on the HDD, make sure theres no 'current pending sectors', 'reallocated event', 'reallocated sectors' or UDMA CRC error higher than 0(for all). If there are, your HDD is the culprit. Next, run a low level scan of the HDD to make sure.
Then RAM test, and stress tests on CPU.
I do this all simultanously using various utils in systemrescuecd. But, in windows you can run HDD-SCAN for SMART and low level scan. And run linx (linpack) for cpu stress - vague memtest. For exhaustive memtest, use memtest86 at bootup.
Inspect your motherboard for bulging / leaking caps - if there are thats the reason.

Those are places to start... if after all that, those tests turn out find then your troubleshooting process becomes a little more difficult.

 

[Compman55]

RAM, swollen or buldged capacitors on the mb, or maybe a video card fan problem.

However certain new drivers can wreck havoc on a fresh install of a legacy operating system. Try installing genuine drivers instead of ones from windows update.

Also if you cannot get to the bottom of it, change the crash to "kernel dump" and send the bugcheck file to someone that can decode it. I used to have debugging tools for windows XP but no longer kept up to date with the newer OS's.

 

[bklyn1028]

Yeah, BSOD's more often than not are hardware problem / driver problem. Its not vista itself, its a fine operating system. So is 7, I would stay away from xp (age & functionality issues) and windows 8(complete junk).
BSOD's at random can often be attributed too... faulty PSU, motherboard, CPU, RAM, HDD or other devices such as GPU .. etc...(pretty much anything). It also can be caused by overheating of various components.
What I would suggest is running a SMART attribute check on the HDD, make sure theres no 'current pending sectors', 'reallocated event', 'reallocated sectors' or UDMA CRC error higher than 0(for all). If there are, your HDD is the culprit. Next, run a low level scan of the HDD to make sure.
Then RAM test, and stress tests on CPU.
I do this all simultanously using various utils in systemrescuecd. But, in windows you can run HDD-SCAN for SMART and low level scan. And run linx (linpack) for cpu stress - vague memtest. For exhaustive memtest, use memtest86 at bootup.
Inspect your motherboard for bulging / leaking caps - if there are thats the reason.

Those are places to start... if after all that, those tests turn out find then your troubleshooting process becomes a little more difficult.

HP has a nice computer for $499....man, that's a lot of work...

 

[ControlD]

Also if you cannot get to the bottom of it, change the crash to "kernel dump" and send the bugcheck file to someone that can decode it. I used to have debugging tools for windows XP but no longer kept up to date with the newer OS's.

I have always used the free program "WhoCrashed" to analyze my crash logs. It can generally point you in the right direction by telling what driver or subsystem caused the blue screen.

 

[ImDonly1]

Thanks fellas....i'll do that...ram is cheap now anyway

Check event viewer.
Before you buy new RAM, you should probably run memtest (with a single DIMM) then repeat with another single DIMM.
http://www.memtest.org/

If you were to upgrade, upgrade to Win 7 or 8. Don't go back to XP. Or even re-install Vista (clean install).

 

[Piotrsama]

RAM, swollen or buldged capacitors on the mb, or maybe a video card fan problem.

Yes, it's very likely a hardware problem.
Inspect your mobo for soon to blow caps.

 

[cheez]

Incorrect drivers can easily cause BSOD not only hardware issues. Sometimes, the new driver / software can cause BSOD too, so going with "old" driver might work better.

Make a bootable Memtest CD and run it.
Make a bootable CD for hard drive scan and run it.
Check CPU temperature in BIOS.

If all is good, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Reformat again.

Step 2: Install original drivers from the motherboard manufacturer.

Install the driver in the CD that came with your video card.

Step 3: Take a break. Go grab a green tea or coffee or something.

Step 4: Take a dump.

Step 5: Install the latest service pack for your OS if you have it.


Now check and see if you get BSOD again....


cheez

 

[PeteRoy]

It is probably your video card, I had the same problem with a dying GTX 285.

 

[Ketchup]

I noticed all you listed were with online games/activity. Are those the only ones you play? Try something like 3dmark and see if it causes the same crashes.

 

[JackMDS]

Maybe this can Help.

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/blue_screen_view.html

 

[styrafoam]

Everyone else said it, ill just repeat it. As soon as i hear a computer has an Nforce board its assumed that the comp has one foot in the grave. Replace your motherboard while you can still get your hands on a 775 DDR2 board for a decent price and it hasn't completely died and taken some of your other hardware with it. Not to pile on the bad news, but the 8800 will probably die soon also.

 

[smitbret]

Thanks fellas....i'll do that...ram is cheap now anyway

It's more likely to be your Power Supply. Especially if the problems aren't consistent. What is it and how old?