Blue Screen Computer Crashes

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: nike360baller
Originally Posted By: another Todd
OP, Mine did the same thing a week ago. It would never restart again, so I took it to my local computer fix it guy, he ran some tests and determined the hard drive failed. He is trying to recover data but its not looking good. I bought a new Dell at Costco since the last one (HP) was 9 years old.


Lot of people don't know you can run that from the BIOS too.


The BIOS will usually give you SMART status but typically lacks any sort of in-depth diagnostic capability such as that which can be provided by diagnostic tools that are available as stand-alone programs. Many times, by the time you are getting SMART errors, the drive is already well on the way to failing. Often, an obviously failing drive yields no SMART failure status at all.

Some OEM's ship HDD and RAM diagnostic tools as part of their integrated suite of utilities that are accessible via the BIOS, but again, these are typically lacking when compared to dedicated stand-alone apps and this is far from universal Joseph.

 

[sleddriver]

Be advised you'll need to restart in order for the file changes to take effect.

 

[nike360baller]

Originally Posted By: sleddriver
Be advised you'll need to restart in order for the file changes to take effect.


My Blue screens, in the past anyway cause I have proclaimed my Win7 pC to be impervious and battle tested after my finaggling it. I got just one blue screen on this windows 7 but that was due to a newer bios trying to play nice with older hardware or lets just say not optimized for that BIOS. Reflashed the OG and bam, back to heaven.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: nike360baller
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
Be advised you'll need to restart in order for the file changes to take effect.


My Blue screens, in the past anyway cause I have proclaimed my Win7 pC to be impervious and battle tested after my finaggling it. I got just one blue screen on this windows 7 but that was due to a newer bios trying to play nice with older hardware or lets just say not optimized for that BIOS. Reflashed the OG and bam, back to heaven.


That doesn't even make sense. The BIOS and its updates are literally designed specifically for the hardware that the ROM is programmed for. The updates are released to deal with bugs, newer microcode to support newer CPU's, better RAM timing...etc. The support for the hardware is the same because the target chipset is the exact same.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

I've never seen the blue screen of death but see the pink screen of death every other time I turn my TV on connected to Spectrum. Several techs have looked at this problem and five years later guess what? That's right, it's alive and well, THE PINK SCREEN OF DEATH.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Yah-Tah-Hey
I've never seen the blue screen of death but see the pink screen of death every other time I turn my TV on connected to Spectrum. Several techs have looked at this problem and five years later guess what? That's right, it's alive and well, THE PINK SCREEN OF DEATH.


The GSOD was an ATI bug (Grey Screen Of Death) that presented in various firmware iterations. I had it on my 7970, but the upgrade flash to the Ghz Edition card (it was a reference card, so no issue) fixed it.

 

[virtualking]

Generally blue screen appears when you have a memory problem check the ram modules and tighten it properly if it wont work you have to replace it

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: virtualking
Generally blue screen appears when you have a memory problem check the ram modules and tighten it properly if it wont work you have to replace it


Memory, drivers, failing HDD, failing vid card...etc. There are plenty of reasons for a BSOD. Catching the dump is often extremely helpful in tracking down the culprit. If it is a memory problem, Memtest86+ is pretty good at identifying that.

 

[Subdued]

What problem were you trying to fix with a BIOS update?

You typically don't need to do those unless you're trying to fix a specific bug.

 

[Subdued]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: nike360baller
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
Be advised you'll need to restart in order for the file changes to take effect.


My Blue screens, in the past anyway cause I have proclaimed my Win7 pC to be impervious and battle tested after my finaggling it. I got just one blue screen on this windows 7 but that was due to a newer bios trying to play nice with older hardware or lets just say not optimized for that BIOS. Reflashed the OG and bam, back to heaven.


That doesn't even make sense. The BIOS and its updates are literally designed specifically for the hardware that the ROM is programmed for. The updates are released to deal with bugs, newer microcode to support newer CPU's, better RAM timing...etc. The support for the hardware is the same because the target chipset is the exact same.

Flashing a new BIOS can introduce bugs, which is why you're not supposed to update it unless you're trying to fix a specific problem.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Subdued
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: nike360baller
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
Be advised you'll need to restart in order for the file changes to take effect.


My Blue screens, in the past anyway cause I have proclaimed my Win7 pC to be impervious and battle tested after my finaggling it. I got just one blue screen on this windows 7 but that was due to a newer bios trying to play nice with older hardware or lets just say not optimized for that BIOS. Reflashed the OG and bam, back to heaven.


That doesn't even make sense. The BIOS and its updates are literally designed specifically for the hardware that the ROM is programmed for. The updates are released to deal with bugs, newer microcode to support newer CPU's, better RAM timing...etc. The support for the hardware is the same because the target chipset is the exact same.

Flashing a new BIOS can introduce bugs, which is why you're not supposed to update it unless you're trying to fix a specific problem.


That policy changed a long time ago (relatively speaking) when exploitable security issues and microcode updates became more mainstream. All of the mainstream manufacturers release BIOS updates through their update tools now. Firmware updates for things like TPM and Intel RST are often rolled into them, which in turn also address bugs and security issues. While it is certainly possible that a BIOS update will have a bug not present in the previous version, that bug will likely be eliminated by the next release. If you order an HP ProBook for example and then the same one a month later, the odds of them coming with two different BIOS revisions is quite high. And there may even be a newer release that you'll find on the HP Softpaq download manager when run on both that will appear as the factory one on the next batch shipped.

Back in the day when you were booting from floppies and running afudos or amiflash or one of the many other BIOS update tools where a motherboard MIGHT get a couple BIOS updates over its lifespan, you are correct, that updating the BIOS at that time was only recommended if you were affected by the bug it was released to correct.

This is the BIOS update revision history for the HP ProBook 450 G3:

Originally Posted By: HP

Version: 01.25 Rev.A

Fixed in this release: - Fixes an issue where the network boot order is changed after the PXE ROM version is updated.
- Fixes an issue which causes a blue screen event to occur when the operating system is updated to Windows 10 v1709 after the hard drive is encrypted and BCDBOOT is set.
- Fixes an issue where the BIOS cannot be updated by Windows Update after the Administrator Password is set.
- Fixes an issue on a system with a Seagate 2 TB HDD installed which causes an audible beep sound when system exits from the F10 BIOS Setup menu.
- Fixes an issue where a system that is not connected to an AC power source continues to run a scheduled power-on function in battery mode.
- Fixes an issue where the BCU unintentionally removes the feature, Disable Charging Port in sleep/off if battery below (%).
- Fixes an issue on a system with a Hynix m.2 OPAL2 SSD installed which causes the system stop functioning (hang) during start up at the HP logo.
- Fixes an issue where the system does not boot properly to a USB recovery disk created by Cloud Recovery. - Adds support for the HP Thunderbolt Dock G2.
- Improves security for an Intel MEBx (Management Engine BIOS Extension) that is protected by an Administrator password.

NOTE: Due to the security changes in this release, attempts to install older BIOS versions require the user to be physically present to accept the older version.

Version: 01.24 Rev.A

Fixed in this release: - Updates the CPU microcode for Intel 6th generation processors (Skylake) to version 0xC2.

Version: 01.23 Rev.A

Fixed in this release: - Provides a rollback of the CPU microcode for Intel 6th generation processors (Skylake) to 0xBC to prevent the occurrence of frequent system restarts and other unpredictable system behavior.

Version: 01.19 Rev.A

Fixed in this release: - Fixes an issue where the Ctrl+Alt+Delete key combination can be used unintentionally to bypass the DriveLock Password.
- Fixes an issue where BitLocker cannot be enabled while FastBoot is enabled.
- Fixes an issue where a Sandisk SDSSDHII-480G-G25 drive in the system is not recognized when the system is run in legacy mode.
- Fixes an issue where the SMC blob file for a FAT32 hard drive on the system does not function properly when the USB Storage Boot feature is disabled.
- Fixes an intermittent issue where the update for USB type C firmware on the system fails to install.
- Fixes an issue where the x2APIC is unexpectedly disabled.
- Fixes an issue which causes an unexpected beep sound to be emitted when the F10 BIOS setup is used. - Adds the feature where the power-on password is bypassed only on the initial Wake-on-LAN.
- Adds the Boot to normal boot order option to the Wake-on-LAN option in the F10 BIOS setup menu.
- Adds the TPM 1.2 to 2.0 Upgrade PPI to the TPM Activation Policy.
- Adds a feature in the F10 BIOS setup menu in Intel systems to enable or disable individual hard drives separately.
- Adds a feature in the F10 setup menu and the BIOS Configuration Utility (BCU) to enable battery shipmode.
- Adds a feature in the F10 BIOS setup menu in Intel systems to enable or disable individual hard drives separately.
- Adds the option to enable or disable Active Management (AMT) using the F10 BIOS setup menu and the BIOS Configuration Utility (BCU).
- Updates the Intel microcontroller (MCU) of Skylake-based U/Y systems to version 0xBC.
- Provides improved security of UEFI code and variables. HP strongly recommends transitioning promptly to this updated BIOS version which supersedes all previous releases.

NOTE: Due to the security changes in this release, attempts to install older BIOS versions require the user to be physically present to accept the older version.

Version: 01.17 Rev.A

Fixed in this release: - Updates the Intel Microcode to version 0xBA for systems with the Skylake CPU.
- Provides improved security of UEFI code and variables. HP strongly recommends transitioning promptly to this updated BIOS version which supersedes all previous releases. NOTE: Due to the security changes in this release, attempts to install older BIOS versions require the user to be physically present to accept the older version.

Version: 01.16 Rev.A

Fixed in this release: - Fixes an issue where Intel Active Management Technology (AMT) appears to be enabled in the BIOSConfigurationUtility on non-vPro/AMT CPU.
- Fixes an issue where the system stops functioning (hangs) when the HP S230tm external touch display is connected to the system using a USB port.
- Fixes an issue where a USB optical drive connected to the system does not function properly when additional USB devices are connected to the system.
- Fixes an issue where the Bitlocker recovery key screen does not launch when the user forgets the PIN and presses ESC to enter the Bitlocker recovery key.
- Fixes an issue on a system using Bitlocker where a USB keyboard/mouse cannot be used to enter the PIN to unlock the drive.
- Fixes an issue where system does not UEFI boot from a SSD or HDD after the USB key is used to initiate Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT).
- Fixes an issue where response of the touch interface is slower than expected during pre-boot authentication.
- Fixes an issue where the Wireless LAN/LAN Switching function does not function properly after the system is upgraded to or downgraded from a different operating system.
- Fixes an issue on a system with Device Guard enabled where the system stops functioning (hangs) when the system is restarted after a system test is run.
- Fixes an intermittent issue on a system with Samsung 18nm memory installed which causes a blue screen event to occur when the system is powered on. - Updates the Intel Reference Code to version 2.1.0.
- Updates the Micro Code to version 0x9E.
- Adds an option in the F10 BIOS setup menu to suppress prompts for user confirmation.
- Adds the ability enable or disable external ports in the F10 BIOS setup menu.

Version: 01.15 Rev.A

Fixed in this release: - Fixes an issue where the Windows activation key is erased when the real-time clock (RTC) battery in the system is completely discharged.
- Fixes an issue where the USB Type-C Power Delivery (PD) firmware update procedure does not run properly. - Adds the Launch Hotkeys without function key press option in the F10 BIOS setup menu.
- Adds the DriveLock password on restart option to the F10 BIOS setup menu.
- Removes the feature where the BIOS emits a sound (beeps) throughout the BIOS update.
- Provides the DGPU (dedicated graphics) VBIOS to support an additional graphics memory model.
- Adds support for the Japanese language keyboard.

Version: 01.14 Rev.A

Fixed in this release: - Fixes an issue where the system does not power on properly after Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2 settings are cleared in the F10 BIOS menu.
- Fixes an issue where the system stops functioning properly (hangs) when the system is restarted after the BIOS Configuration Utility is used to change BIOS settings.
- Fixes an issue where BitLocker does not function properly after the BIOS is updated.
- Fixes an issue where Ramaxel (R1) memory information is not displayed properly when F2 is pressed while the system is being powered on.
- Fixes an issue where a system with Intel Active Management Technology (AMT) enabled does not power on properly (boot) from a USB drive connected to the system.
- Fixes an issue where the virtual keyboard does not display properly at the POST F1 and F2 prompts.
- Fixes an issue on a system running Windows 7 with hard drive encryption enabled where the system does not power on properly (boot) after a BIOS update is run. - Removes the feature where the BIOS emits a sound (beeps) throughout the BIOS update process.
- Provides the updated BIOS.
- Provides the updated Keyboard Controller Firmware.

Version: 01.12 Rev.A

Fixed in this release: - Provides support for Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0.

Version: 01.11 Rev.A

Fixed in this release: - Provides the updated BIOS.

Version: 01.06 Rev.A

Fixed in this release: - Fixes an issue which causes the system to stop functioning properly and display a black screen when the system resumes from sleep (S3) mode on a system where the Graphics Option is set to UMA (shared memory) in the F10 BIOS settings. - Provides improved TPM (Trusted Platform Module) activation policy.

Version: 01.05 Rev.A

Fixed in this release: - Provides the updated Intel ME firmware, microcode, and video BIOS.

Version: 01.01 Rev.A


And the description of the current release:

Originally Posted By: HP

Description:

This package creates files that contain an image of the System BIOS (ROM) for the supported notebook models with a N78 family ROM. This package is used to flash the System ROM on a supported notebook.

Fix and enhancements:

- Provides updated security with a new microcode version.


Whereas, as I'm sure you recall, back in the day there would be a "we only recommend installing this update if you are affected by xxx issue" statement.

 

[Subdued]

I have far more experience with HP hardware than most. I absolutely will not update an HP BIOS unless I'm trying to fix a specific issue. Even now in 2018.

HP is a terrible example, they are NOTORIOUS for introducing errata that isn't repaired for several versions after. I'm not talking annoying issues, either, I'm talking "forcing me to backrev" issues.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Subdued
I have far more experience with HP hardware than most. I absolutely will not update an HP BIOS unless I'm trying to fix a specific issue. Even now in 2018.

HP is a terrible example, they are NOTORIOUS for introducing errata that isn't repaired for several versions after. I'm not talking annoying issues, either, I'm talking "forcing me to backrev" issues.


Then our experiences with HP have been remarkably different. I updated a ProBook 450 G3 yesterday

 

[ZeeOSix]

I'm reviving this thread because I got another Blue Screen crash yesterday when logging into my bank's on-line banking system. So at that point I decided to update my "RealTek Network Adapter" since the Blue Screen crash error was indicating a problem with the file tcpip.sys again. Thread where I updated RealTek Network Adapter - LINK

It took 5 weeks for the Blue Screen to happen again after doing the earlier "fix" with 'sfc /scannow' talked about earlier in this thread. So when the computer crashed yesterday I went for the Network Adapter drivers update in hopes that was it ... but apparently not.

The tcpip.sys file is supposedly associated with the networking of the computer from the research I did on the internet about this. The file tcpip.sys is in the C:\Windows\System32\drivers folder.

I scanned the whole C:\Windows directory with Bitdefender, Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware and nothing wrong was found. Also did a 'sfc /scannow' and it found nothing.

So I took some snap shots of the info for file 'tcpip.sys' and was wondering if anyone with Windows 7 could go look in their C:\Windows\System32\drivers folder to see how their tcpip.sys compares. I'm wondering if there is something wrong with my tcpip.sys file. Like said at the beginning of this thread, I only seem to get this Blue Screen crash when I try to log into my bank's on-line banking website. I've let them know, and they don't think it's anything on their end ... just some weird incompatibility between my computer and thier website. It doesn't happen all the time, which makes this problem harder to track down.

Screen shots of tcpip.sys file info. If someone with Windows 7 could look at thier tcpip.sys file info and post it I'd appreciate it. I want to verify if my file is officially OK. Since no virus scanner found any issues, I'd have to say it's not infected.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Did you disable Bitdefender - then restart the computer - then try the bank website?
Also look into your Firewall settings and look for website blocks.
My Firefox has Options for blocking websites. Not sure which browser you have.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: Triple_Se7en
Did you disable Bitdefender - then restart the computer - then try the bank website?
Also look into your Firewall settings and look for website blocks.
My Firefox has Options for blocking websites. Not sure which browser you have.


I don't think it's any of that - I've been logging in for years to their website with Malwarebytes and Bitdefender running.

After the Blue Screen crash today I logged in twice with no problems. I'm using Firefox that's 100% up to date. I'll probably start logging in with Google Chrome and see if I get any crashes ... could be the combo of Firefox and their on-line banking website not playing well together. My bank's website when trying to log-in seems to be the only site that causes my computer to crash once and awhile.

 

[OVERKILL]

It is quite possible for antivirus software, particularly one with any sort of firewalling component, to negatively interact with the windows TCP/IP stack. Triple_Se7en's suggestion is a good one, though I would take it one step further and uninstall Bitdefender and then try and make it crash again.

It is unfortunate that the update to the NIC drivers didn't alleviate the issue, they have in my past experience with this issue, but I also had Bitdefender routinely BSOD several WIndows XP computers to the point where I no longer used the product.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
It is quite possible for antivirus software, particularly one with any sort of firewalling component, to negatively interact with the windows TCP/IP stack. Triple_Se7en's suggestion is a good one, though I would take it one step further and uninstall Bitdefender and then try and make it crash again.

It is unfortunate that the update to the NIC drivers didn't alleviate the issue, they have in my past experience with this issue, but I also had Bitdefender routinely BSOD several WIndows XP computers to the point where I no longer used the product.


I don't really want to uninstall Bitdefender, but I could put that website in the exclusion list. My bank's website should be very secure and not have any kind of malware.

This issue is so random and infrequent that I can't really trouble shoot it well. It took 5 weeks and probably 20~25 log-ins over that time for it to happen again today. The crash today did tell me though that updating the Network Adapter drivers yesterday didn't fix it, so I at least know that it's something else going on, so I'm back on the hunt.

 

[OVERKILL]

Creating an exclusion for the site isn't likely to isolate it from any sort of packet filtering taking place, it would just exclude it from taking action. Personally, I'd uninstall the product, as it isn't like you can't reinstall it later, and install a 30-day trial of ESET NOD32 and see if the problem disappears. That way, you can rule out or confirm Bitdefender.

 

[ZeeOSix]

^^^ Guess I could uninstall or disable Bitdefender and spend an afternoon logging in and out 100 times to see if the crash happens or not.

Before trying that I think I'll try using Google Chrome from now on to log into the website a few times a day for awhile and see if I get a crash or not.

Thanks to all for the suggestions.