Periodic BSOD on Cold Boot - Win7 64Bit

[JimmyC]

My son is away at college and called me to tell me that his Toshiba Satellite laptop BSOD's on a cold boot about 50% of the time. He says that when the computer auto-reboots after the BSOD the computer reboots fine (i.e. no windows error messages, etc.). He cannot find a common demoninator...for example, when the computer is off all night, some mornings on the first cold boot its ok and other mornings it BSOD's. The same results occur as he turns the computer off and on during the day when transitioning to classes--some cold boots work and others BSOD.

Based on my limited knowledge, this fact pattern would seem to indicate a sporadic hardware problem--the computer was purchased new and is only 6 months old and has performed without issues until now. I did have him run a memory test all night--and the memory tests fine. A chkdsk yields no problems with the hard drive either.

The BSOD is an IRQL_not_less_or_equal with the following stop code:
0X000000A (0x0000000000000000, 0x0000000000000002, 0x0000000000000000, 0xFFFFF800030D4CD4)

In my previous few encounters with BSOD's over the last 10 years, I have been fortunate enough to have Google hits when I queried the error code...no luck this time. I can get some matches without using the last sequence (0xFFFFF800030D4CD4) but no matches when I use the full error code.

I have found sites that offer to diagnois the problem if you attach a dmp file or some sites even require that their software be installed...all of this makes me a bit nervous to have my son do this given he is fairly naive about computers in general and I can't be there to "watch" the screen. Any advice? Thanks.

[stuck]

No real wisdom I'm afraid but I offer you my recent experience of a Win 7 laptop dying from this thread:
http://eileenslounge.com/viewtopic.php? ... ilit=+acer

If I were your son I'd get any valuable data of his laptop's HDD asap and given it is only a few months old get the laptop checked under warranty.

My story had a happy ending, I got all the data off the HDD and a full refund from the retailer because they couldn't supply an identical model. The catch was I had to increase my budget to get an alternative / replacement.

Ken

[JimmyC]

Ken--thanks for the reply. I have told him that the laptop could fail or may have to be sent for service (i.e. though that means I would need to buy a new one since his college classes require a laptop) so he is actively backing all his documents / classwork to a flash drive. He was able to e-mail the following after this morning's cold boot crash and subsequent successful re-boot after the crash:

BlueScreen
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033

Additional information about the problem:
BCCode: 3b
BCP1: 00000000C0000005
BCP2: FFFFF800030E7B55
BCP3: FFFFF880071B7A60
BCP4: 0000000000000000
OS Version: 6_1_7601
Service Pack: 1_0
Product: 768_1

Files that help describe the problem:
C:\Windows\Minidump\022013-28501-01.dmp
C:\Users\TaylorC\AppData\Local\Temp\WER-37455-0.sysdata.xml

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[jaystarter]

I had a similar problem with my Toshiba laptop (3 years ago now) but a check for updates to that model on Toshiba support website indicated a critical BIOS update which did the trick. Maybe worth a look and checking.

[JimmyC]

Jeff--thanks...I will check it out.

One additional issue, and I always seem to learn the hardway, is that this particular Toshiba laptop was sold exclusively at Best Buy...My son's laptop model is not even listed as a model number on the Toshiba website. ...I have seen a couple of random posts in other forums, that my son's model number L775-S7114 uses the same drivers / Bios as model number L775-S7111--which is listed on Toshiba's site for drivers / Bios updates. I sure hope that is true... :-) JimC

[DaveA]

You need to contact Toshiba or Best Buy by phone.

[MalcolmWalker]

FWIW my PC, Win 7 64-bit, has this problem and under warranty the mainboard was replaced although, primarily, for a Ethernet socket and one of the SATA connections neither of which were active. As the BSOD problem persists I am advised that it could be due to a faulty hard drive or faulty memory module(s). A mutually convenient day for repair has yet to be arranged.

[JoeP]

That particular stop code (0x0a) usually represents a driver bug but can be a hardware problem too. You should try to find the most current drivers for the NIC & video. Be careful about video drivers for notebooks. You should get those only from Toshiba. Also, make sure that Windows has all patches applied.

Joe

[stuck]

That particular stop code (0x0a) usually represents a driver bug but can be a hardware problem too.

I don't claim to know anything about stop codes but I'l ask anyway...

Given that the laptop was fine until recently then, unless MS updates has 'helpfully' applied a bad driver (not unknown, it happened to me once with the sound driver for my XP system), does that not downweight a driver as being the fault and more strongly suggest the problem is failing hardware?

Ken

[JimmyC]

Ken
That is a good observation as his PC is set for automatic window updates from Microsoft and Tuesday, Feb 12 was a significant patch day. What my son can't remember is exactly what day last week when the BSOD's started. I had my son check and Win7 says if fully patched with no critical updates...so I know that the Feb 12 patches were applied...but, did they cause the problem and again its only 40%-50% of the cold boots? It seems odd to me that a driver would produce sporadic problems....but maybe so as that is why I am seeking help. :-)

Joe---I still haven't been able to confirm that the my son's Toshiba model (L775-S7714) made exclusively for Best Buy can use the same drivers as the L775-S711. As Toshiba does not even list my son's model on their website. This has been a struggle to find new drivers. There is also a BIOS update, issued in Aug 2012, for the L775-S7111 model...but do I dare update not knowing for sure that the models are identical? Jim

[JoeP]

Updates of almost any kind could affect the way the machine operates. It might change the time when a driver is loaded by affecting the timing of other components. A timing difference could cause an issue or surface a previously unknown bug. A updated software component that uses the driver could corrupt the driver. An update piece of software could require an updated driver. Third party program updates or new programs could change some system component.

Could be a hardware problem too. Running hardware tests is in order too.

Joe

[stuck]

...A timing difference could cause an issue or surface a previously unknown bug...

Ah yes, hadn't thought of that.

While running hardware tests and BIOS updates etc. may lead to a fix eventually if it were me I'd be looking for a warranty repair/replacement.

Ken

[JimmyC]

Ken,
Yes, I have started dialog with Best Buy...but they, so far, want the oportunity to service the PC prior to any replacment disucssion...The repair route is a 5-7 business days proposition. My "real" problem is that my son needs the computer every business day for his college classes. He is taking two classes (Excel intro and Powerpoint intro) that require a laptop computer...So if I opt for the service, then I would still need to buy a replacement computer for the 5-7 days as there is no "spare" laptop available in the household to replace his current one. I am just struggling as to what to do....JimC

[JimmyC]

Joe,
Thanks...I have instructed him on running the memory test...and he ran this over night with no errors reported and a chkdsk did not yeild anything either....Is there any other hardware that I could "test".... Thanks
JimC

[stuck]

...there is no "spare" laptop available in the household...

I've got an old IBM 390 that runs Win 98 sitting under my study desk at home.

OK so that doesn't help. Perhaps this will...

How confident are you that you can patch up this laptop in less than the 5-7 days Best Buy say it will take them, especially if the laptop has to stay in daily use?

If you think you can do that then carry on, you'll learn a lot about the laptop and the $$ cost is nil.

If you can't see it being back to full operation within that time scale then:

a) Either you have to buy a new laptop because of the daily use requirement and Best Buy can't fix the original, so Best Buy end up refunding part/all of the cost of the original. You are out of pocket but the daily use has not been disrupted and (hopefully) the odds you getting a second laptop that fails after only a few months of use is low.

b) Or you have to buy a new laptop because of the daily use requirement and Best Buy can fix the original. In the short term you're more out of pocket than in you are in case a) but your household now has an extra laptop. After another few weeks, to see how the Best Buy fix holds up, you could sell which ever one of your household's laptops is the poorest performer / least reliable and so recover some of your losses. Or you could just keep the extra laptop.

Who was it that said, "You pays your money and you takes your choice."

Ken

[JimmyC]

Ken,
You are correct....a decision must be made. I have always said if you stand in the middle of a road, you double your chances of getting hit by an automobile....one needs to decide to stand on the either side of road--but a decision must be made to reduce the chances of getting hit by a car. Somehow I remain standing in the middle of the road. Sigh. :-(

[stuck]

...but a decision must be made...

Can't help you there I'm afraid. Nor can I think of any other alternatives to the choices I posed earlier (except borrowing a laptop from ???) and only you can judge the cost/benefit of each of the options I set out.

Ken

[JoeP]

He could try using BlueScreenView to get more information about the BSOD. It is a free program from Nirsoft. It may shed some light on the driver involved.

Also, check the Event Viewer to see if there is more information about the error.

Joe

[JoeP]

If SP1 is not installed it should be.

See the second post at IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL Windows 7 Blue Screen Error and Blue Screen on Windows 7 - IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. Each has links and debugging information.

Joe

[JimmyC]

Joe,
THank you....He is suppose to call me on Saturday when both of us can spare some time to talk about the problem and I will definitely have him try that. Thanks. Jim