Thread: Windows 7 lockup and BSOD

This is a Windows 7 pro x64 box.

Haven't had the need run my desktop for more then a day or two a month for almost the past year. Last month I used it 3 days straight, everything OK. This week I started using it every couple days because it has a specific program on it, and found i had an issue with a missing a pluggin file for said program (keep this in mind), along with other issues.

Machine would run fine, I would let it go to sleep and then it would be locked up on wakeup. Restarting (via the power button) would correct for a while. initially I attributed this to letting it go to sleep while leaving memory intensive FEA software running.

I had it off for a few days and went to start up last night and during Windows startup it went straight to BSOD, restarting did not help. Started in safe mode, worked for 5 minutes then locked up. Restarted and went to BSOD.

This morning 1 startup went to BSOD, then the 2nd made it to login but froze.

Ram issue? I was really cranking on the FEA for a few hours one night...

Failing HD (remember the pluggin that just went missing...)?

How would i go about diagnosing.

hopefully fairly backed up? I'm no tech guy but replaced a hard drive for somewhat similar symptoms, reloaded OS and it's rocked since then.

Originally Posted by Tye 1on

hopefully fairly backed up? I'm no tech guy but replaced a hard drive for somewhat similar symptoms, reloaded OS and it's rocked since then.

All critical data is on a secondary HD, the HD that has the OS is the OS and everyday files that wouldn't be tragic to loose. IIRC both HD are backep up, but it has been so long since I have run this box that I really can't say.

Getting a BSOD in Win7 is pretty hard.
Dust out the box, reseat your RAM.
Turn it on while the box is open, and ensure all your fans are running. Try to stop your cpu fan, or a few other fans with your finger (don't be scared, shouldn't hurt......much). If they stop with little or no resistance, then you need to replace the fan.
If BSODs continue, google a ram tester.
A Harddrive failing tends not to cause a crash. Ram, or other parts failing, or overheating does.
Also try looking for a tool that can check your registry. Should be something on download.com.
Also, could be a virus.
I would definitely check into the dust and overheating route.

Might have this licked, fingers crossed.

Working my way through stuckathuntermtn's list, I vacuumed/blew out everything in the case (wasn't bad, did this a few months back). I pulled the fan from the CPU heatsink and got all the dust out of there. Then I pulled the RAM to and re-installed. Powered up, fans looked good.

Received a BOOTMGR is missing notice, re-started and noticed only 2/3 hard drives were showing as active. My system drive is run through a trendnet SATA adapter, which now I remember noting at install does not clip onto the SATA cable. The SATA wire was 1/2 out!

I assume losing connection the the system drive will BSOD?

Pushed that back in and restarted, system is up for the moment. Thinking a dab of hot glue across the SATA cable and onto the adapter might keep that from getting loose again.

hahaha, yeah, loose connections can do it.

Instead of using hot glue just get a tube of silicon and put a little dab of that across the cable and onto the board. Then let it dry. It will hold the cable from coming off, but will still allow you if needed to get the cable off by removing the small dab of the silicon.

BSOD troubleshooting is best to have the system set up so it does not restart automatically. Then the actual error code will stay on the screen and the stop code can be written down and gives clues to whether the problem is software or hardware.
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic74712.html

The BSOD will have a stack trace of what the system can display as an error. It's not always right, but most of the time it is. If it's right, that stack tace will show the call stack of the cause of the problem, indicating which driver is related to the problem.

Always, always, always copy this stack trace down. It likely has information one can use to debug the problem.

Thanks guys, BSOD is set to not automatically reboot, just never wrote down the errors...

Silicone was my first thought, done.

System ran fine remainder of yesterday, shut down fine last night, started fine this morning and just came out of sleep. Good to go it looks like.

sooooo.......
SAHM, ftw?

Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn

sooooo.......
SAHM, ftw?

Kind of, you never told me to reseat the HD cable

Details

Sent from my cell phone. no, a cell phone.

Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn

sooooo.......
SAHM, ftw?

Originally Posted by krp8128

Kind of, you never told me to reseat the HD cable

i'm giving SUBBM the win, that opening the box up was key.

And tracking it down to a layer one issue. Lol.
Win7 rules.

I would still never silicon the sata connector, was it the port on the mobo that was bad or the sata cable? a new sata cable is like 2 bucks on newegg and won't give you grief in the long run if it needs to be replaced. In fact... I have several extras and have no problem mailing you one.

^^ Cable is fine, it is the adapter plugged into the HD. The adapter has no clip to hold the SATA cable. I used hot glue, it will peel of easily if i ever need to pull the cable.