Any genius types here able to read and understand windows dump files?

Timmy51m

Thanks for taking a look, much appreciated.
I actually downloaded the windows debug tools myself last night, wasn’t as rediculous to use as I feared it might be. I got the impression it was memory trouble, how did you come to the conclusion that it was a graphics driver? I’m not doubting your judgement, just wondering if the info I extracted is different to yours somehow or I simply have mis-read it. He’s updated all drivers and bios several times over the last few months since he built it and achieved nothing unfortunately. This is what I got:

Loading Dump File [C:\091810-20810-01.dmp]
Mini Kernel Dump File: Only registers and stack trace are available

Symbol search path is: SRVc:\symbolshttp://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols
Executable search path is:
Windows 7 Kernel Version 7600 MP (8 procs) Free x64
Product: WinNt, suite: TerminalServer SingleUserTS
Built by: 7600.16617.amd64fre.win7_gdr.100618-1621
Machine Name:
Kernel base = 0xfffff80002c1e000 PsLoadedModuleList = 0xfffff80002e5be50
Debug session time: Sat Sep 18 21:51:46.416 2010 (UTC + 1:00)
System Uptime: 0 days 0:08:25.431
Loading Kernel Symbols
……
…
…
Loading User Symbols
Loading unloaded module list
…

Bugcheck Analysis *

Use !analyze -v to get detailed debugging information.

BugCheck 109, {a3a039d8956e2513, b3b7465ee7eaf719, fffff80002d78840, 1}

*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for win32k.sys
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for win32k.sys
Probably caused by : memory_corruption

Followup: memory_corruption

4: kd> !analyze -v

Bugcheck Analysis *

CRITICAL_STRUCTURE_CORRUPTION (109)
This bugcheck is generated when the kernel detects that critical kernel code or
data have been corrupted. There are generally three causes for a corruption:

A driver has inadvertently or deliberately modified critical kernel code
or data. See http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/driver/kernel/64bitPatching.mspx
A developer attempted to set a normal kernel breakpoint using a kernel
debugger that was not attached when the system was booted. Normal breakpoints,
“bp”, can only be set if the debugger is attached at boot time. Hardware
breakpoints, “ba”, can be set at any time.
A hardware corruption occurred, e.g. failing RAM holding kernel code or data.
Arguments:
Arg1: a3a039d8956e2513, Reserved
Arg2: b3b7465ee7eaf719, Reserved
Arg3: fffff80002d78840, Failure type dependent information
Arg4: 0000000000000001, Type of corrupted region, can be
0 : A generic data region
1 : Modification of a function or .pdata
2 : A processor IDT
3 : A processor GDT
4 : Type 1 process list corruption
5 : Type 2 process list corruption
6 : Debug routine modification
7 : Critical MSR modification

Debugging Details:

BUGCHECK_STR: 0x109

CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT: 1

DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID: CODE_CORRUPTION

PROCESS_NAME: System

CURRENT_IRQL: 0

LAST_CONTROL_TRANSFER: from 0000000000000000 to fffff80002c8e740

STACK_TEXT:
fffff880033695d8 0000000000000000 : 0000000000000109 a3a039d8956e2513 b3b7465ee7eaf719 fffff80002d78840 : nt!KeBugCheckEx

STACK_COMMAND: kb

CHKIMG_EXTENSION: !chkimg -lo 50 -d !nt
fffff80002d78997 - nt!B_TREE<_SM_PAGE_KEY,ST_STORE<sm_traits>::_ST_PAGE_ENTRY,4096,NP_CONTEXT>::BTreeSplitChild+157
[ 2b:2a ]
1 error : !nt (fffff80002d78997)

MODULE_NAME: memory_corruption

IMAGE_NAME: memory_corruption

FOLLOWUP_NAME: memory_corruption

DEBUG_FLR_IMAGE_TIMESTAMP: 0

MEMORY_CORRUPTOR: ONE_BIT

FAILURE_BUCKET_ID: X64_MEMORY_CORRUPTION_ONE_BIT

BUCKET_ID: X64_MEMORY_CORRUPTION_ONE_BIT

Followup: memory_corruption</sm_traits>

? Offline

Look Html Report - last two records about atikmdag.sys.

Take Hardware Compatibility Guide of your Motherboard and look what concrete memory modules you must have.

Timmy51m

Many thanks. I’ll drop him a mail to clean out his graphics drivers properly and install a new set.

Already run through memory compatibility with him, looks good to me, they’re listed. I’ll get him to run memtest x86 if updating the graphics drivers doesn’t work.

What’s weird about this, once the machine is up to temperature it will run fine, no crashes, no bsod, totally stable, he ran it for over a month letting it hibernate rather than shut down and not one problem. As soon as he switched it off again, the problem returned from a cold boot.

LancerSolurus

I would suspect a hardware, not software problem. The give away is that ‘runs fine once it’s warmed up’. I would suspect that he has bad capacitors on either the motherboard or in the power supply (more likely). This is quite common, even in TVs, Caps are supposed to be flat on top, look for ones that have popped their top. To check the PSU unfortunately it means you will need to open it up. If it is the PSU replace it as soon as possible, if it blows there is a good chance it will take out the motherboard and possibly other parts.

BTW, the video card driver is usually the first thing to crash when the power is unstable (as in has AC in it).

FriendlyFire

I would warn against opening up the PSU. If it’s still under warranty you’d void that and you can hurt yourself with the stuff in there.

Make sure all the connections are well seated and if you can’t determine what’s wrong you’d be best off asking a repair shop about it. If they break something, they have the insurance to replace it and will not charge you for it; if you screw up, you’re dead in the water.

Timmy51m

Thanks for your input guys, once again, it’s all appreciated. He’s a PAT tester by trade so he knows what he’s doing electrically, it’s just the business of pinning the fault down that’s a pain in the behind as usual.

He’s pulled the graphics card and switched it for another first to see if that solves the problem, we think as Lancer does that it’s most likely hardware due to the cold start issue. I agree with you FF that it would be unwise to open anything up seeing as all the parts are only a couple of months old so are under warranty.

It’s looking good so far, with any luck that might be it, but best not speak too soon

Thanks.

Wicked_Witch

On the mainboard you have all kind of little Condensators

Check if none of those are looking weird “thik/fat” as if they look on blowing up.

? Offline

WW wow! You are real specialist

Examples:

Timmy51m

Well, he switched graphics cards and drivers, didn’t help unfortunately. So he switched power supplies, that seems to have done the job. Cold boot it again tomorrow and see what happens, if it boots fine again chances are that’s the culprit.

Brand new Enermax, not some cheap garbage either, really surprised as I’ve always sworn by them for my own builds and my old alienwares came fitted with them to. What’s the bet they’ve switched over to some cheap arse supplier for their lower range units just to save a few bucks.

LancerSolurus

The infamous green caps. There is actually two colors to watch for, the green ones and the golden brown ones. Green ones are commonly used in LCD tvs and computer motherboards. The golden brown ones are normally found in PSUs.

The pic that Helloween posted is exactly what I meant, the tops are bubbled. What causes it is due to the wrong electrolytic formula. The ones thjat pop are usually made from the formula that was stolen from the US in 1999 (industral espionage), problem is that formula was intentionally screwed up just in case someone got ahold of it. The bad part is the ones who stole it are responsible for all of the bad caps in the Eastern Asian electronic products….

Here is a linky if you wish to know more
Capacitor Plague

BTW, Im an electronic tech, been dealing with this problem a long time. Counter to what the wiki article states, they are still making and distributing these caps in lots of electronic equipment. I’ve replaced plenty in 2010 LCD tv’s.