BSOD, Hardware or software issue?

[Banzai_Joe]

Hi all,
So my gamer P.C. (in my sig) was fine last night as I played BFV for about 3 hours or so. I rarely turn if off. Came to it tonight BSOD. As usual the error code is useless.
It even gave me a GSOD citing “wpprecorder.sys”
I’m running w10 pro Feature update 2004 insiders build.
Tried uninstalling the latest high quality feature. Tried doing a system restore.
I booted from a USB recovery disk To troubleshoot and still kept getting BSODs..
So, I’m wondering whether there is a hardware error as it’s not even touching my w10 OS.
Tried reinstalling windows from the bootable usb but it crashes within seconds of it starting.
Any ideas?

 

[ED209]

Do you have anymore info on the BSOD at all?

First thing I would try is to check your ram, make sure there is no faulty sticks, re seat the ram or try with just 1 stick. If this fails then try with the other stick of ram.

You can get memtest (doownload to USB stick, reboot and boot off the USB stick and run for a good 2 hours+) to check the ram or use Windows windows memory diagnostic (this can be found by going to start and typing in memory).

 

[Banzai_Joe]

Thanks for the advice mate,
The irony of your 2nd suggestion though...... windows or even the bootable doesn’t stay on long enough for me to launch anything really.
Not really got any more info on the error I’m afraid.

 

[ED209]

Thanks for the advice mate,
The irony of your 2nd suggestion though...... windows or even the bootable doesn’t stay on long enough for me to launch anything really.
Not really got any more info on the error I’m afraid.

Ok, does the PC BSOD and then reboot and gets stuck in this loop or does it shut down?

I would go back to the basics and try the following.

Try one stick of ram (if it fails to boot try the other)
Remove any other SSDs or HDDs that are not part of the OS, replace the sata cable or try another sata port.
Use onboard gpu and remove any dedicated card
Re seat 24 pin and the 8 pin PSU connecters to the mobo and to the PSU (if modular)
Try a bios reset to factory settings.

 

[Banzai_Joe]

Memtest (bootable) has been running for over 20mins and all so far.

been building systems for nigh on 20 years now and I don’t think I’ve actually come across this issue before.

when it BSODs is just loops and reboots, doesn’t shut down.

if it passes the memtest I shall try booting normally and see what happens......

 

[ED209]

Memtest (bootable) has been running for over 20mins and all so far.

been building systems for nigh on 20 years now and I don’t think I’ve actually come across this issue before.

when it BSODs is just loops and reboots, doesn’t shut down.

if it passes the memtest I shall try booting normally and see what happens......

It is a strange issue, something is causing the system not to boot.

If memtest is running and not BSOD this would indicate (to me anyway) a corrupt os or failed drive (most likely a failed drive as you cannot access it to re install the OS either).

Which one of the 2 drives are you using for the os? SM951 or the Pro? Do you have anything you need to recover from the OS drive at all or can you wipe and reinstall everything?

 

[Banzai_Joe]

OS is on the SM951 (m.2).
Happy to reformat and install but I tried that last. And and it kept BSODing. That’s when I suspected a hardware issue, but I guess it could be a drive issue, and as soon as something, be it repair options or re-install tries to read from the drive it BSODs.
All my docs are backed up onto onedrive. The 1tb 850 pro has most of my steam/uplay/epic/origin games on it.

In quick desperation last night I came across “Just Answers”, I paid £5 for some goober to tell me that wpprecorder.sys was hard drive failure and to reinstall.

But ok, so if I do try and reformat and reinstall onto the SM951, I really need to try and test it first, but how?

 

[Banzai_Joe]

So I guess I could boot up from an os disk, go into a recovery cmdlt and run diskpart to wipe out and format the partitions?
If it BSODs then that probably a good sign that accessing the disk in anyway screws it, and i might just have to take the drive out and buy a new one.

 

[ED209]

How old is the drive? as it could still be under warranty with Samsung.

You could give the recovery a try and open command prompt, maybe even try and run sfc /scannow, see if it can repair anything.

shame the Samsung secure erase doesnt work on this as you could try and create a USB stick and then secure erase the drive then try again

I did find this when doing a google search

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/forums/threads/secure-erase-a-sm951-nvme.18876062/

Do you have a old drive that you could sling in to test and just remove the SM951? just to test if it boots and allows you to re install the OS

just a FYI, if you do get a new drive or manage to get it to boot make sure you disconnect all non OS SSDs to stop Windows storing anything during install on the drive

 

[Banzai_Joe]

Ok, so used diskpart to delete all partitions of the sm951, rebooted into bootable w10 usb, started to install it and it only took about 1 min to get to 80% of copying files, then BOOM! BSOD again “WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR”
Should I assume it’s the sm951?
That said, it rebooted back to the install windows screen from the bootable usb, I left it on that screen and in the time it took to type this is BSOD’d again with the same error, and the sm951 certainly wasn’t being accessed as I’d done nothing.
Oh, the joy!

 

[Banzai_Joe]

How old is the drive? as it could still be under warranty with Samsung.

You could give the recovery a try and open command prompt, maybe even try and run sfc /scannow, see if it can repair anything.

shame the Samsung secure erase doesnt work on this as you could try and create a USB stick and then secure erase the drive then try again

I did find this when doing a google search

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/forums/threads/secure-erase-a-sm951-nvme.18876062/

Do you have a old drive that you could sling in to test and just remove the SM951? just to test if it boots and allows you to re install the OS

just a FYI, if you do get a new drive or manage to get it to boot make sure you disconnect all non OS SSDs to stop Windows storing anything during install on the drive

Cant remember how old the drive is tbh, (just BSOD’d again, lol).
I might another m.2 drive lying around somewhere to try. I have pretty of sata SSD’s so could also try one of those as it’s possible it could be the m.2 controller?

 

[Banzai_Joe]

Ok, so I tried once more, but this time I unplugged the 1tb SSD in case it was getting involved. Still BSOD.
So, whilst keeping the 1tb disconnected I replaced the m.2 for another one that I used as an external. I wiped out and removed the existing partitions during the install......and it BSOD’d.
This leaves me thinking it’s a mobo issue!
next is to try installing windows onto a sata SSD. If it works I’ll not be happy as I want m.2 speeds so will have to replace the mobo.

 

[Banzai_Joe]

Wow......so it BSODs when trying to install onto Sata SSD too.
What.....the......hell!?

 

[ED209]

so sounds like a mobo issue then, have you tried to do a bios reset and then trying again?

 

[Banzai_Joe]

Just been into bios and reset the defaults, tried again and BSOD straight away.
I can’t see a battery or jumper on the mobo to physically reset it.
I’ve just sent off a report to as rock as it’s still within its 3 year warranty.
So, I’m boogered until ASrock come back to me.

 

[ED209]

Just been into bios and reset the defaults, tried again and BSOD straight away.
I can’t see a battery or jumper on the mobo to physically reset it.
I’ve just sent off a report to as rock as it’s still within its 3 year warranty.
So, I’m boogered until ASrock come back to me.

The clear Cmos is two pins in the bottom right, called CLRCOMS1.

do to a factory reset get a screwdriver or something metal to bridge the two pins

2.5 Jumpers Setup
The illustration shows how jumpers are setup. When the jumper cap is placed on
the pins, the jumper is "Short". If no jumper cap is placed on the pins, the jumper is
"Open".
Clear CMOS Jumper
(CLRMOS1)
(see p.1, No. 14)
CLRMOS1 allows you to clear the data in CMOS. To clear and reset the system
parameters to default setup, please turn off the computer and unplug the power
cord from the power supply. After waiting for 15 seconds, use a jumper cap to
short the pins on CLRMOS1 for 5 seconds. However, please do not clear the
CMOS right after you update the BIOS. If you need to clear the CMOS when you
just finish updating the BIOS, you must boot up the system first, and then shut it
down before you do the clear-CMOS action. Please be noted that the password,
date, time, and user default profile will be cleared only if the CMOS battery is
removed. Please remember toremove the jumper cap after clearing the CMOS

 

[Banzai_Joe]

Thanks I’ll look for it.
Had a response from a Asrock and the plonkers are basically asking me to try everything that I’d already tried and detailed in my message to them.
With the exception of removing the gpu, and trying a different cpu (which I don’t have).
I de-lidded my 8700k when I first got it. Not sure why it might throw up problem now though.

 

[ED209]

Thanks I’ll look for it.
Had a response from a Asrock and the plonkers are basically asking me to try everything that I’d already tried and detailed in my message to them.
With the exception of removing the gpu, and trying a different cpu (which I don’t have).
I de-lidded my 8700k when I first got it. Not sure why it might throw up problem now though.

I guess you could try the on board gpu to please them but with the cpu its not so easy, not everyone has a spare one just sitting there

 

[Banzai_Joe]

Indeed.
They asked me to update the bios from P2.10 to P4.20.
But for as long as I’ve had the mobo I’ve NEVER been able to flash the bios using any of the methods available.
Dunno why, maybe the board was flawed from the start ‍

 

[Banzai_Joe]

Ok, so, weirdly I managed to flash update the bios to P4.20.
I re-connect the blank m.2 drive (only) and try booting from the usb to install windows. I choose the boot drive but get an immediate BSOD with “MACHINE CHECK EXCEPTION”, which is new.