Persistent issue with freezing; elusive diagnosis

[John Tzimisces]

I haven't manually downloaded the drivers from the website; after installing windows I used the DVD that came with the motherboard to install the various drivers.

However might be on to something. On 4/29 there is a long list of hardware errors.

The first of which:
Source
Windows

Summary
Hardware error

Date
‎4/‎29/‎2016 4:16 PM

Status
Not reported

Description
A problem with your hardware caused Windows to stop working correctly.

Problem signature
Problem Event Name: LiveKernelEvent
Code: 141
Parameter 1: ffffe00087b21010
Parameter 2: fffff800160e014c
Parameter 3: 0
Parameter 4: 31b0
OS version: 10_0_10586
Service Pack: 0_0
Product: 768_1
OS Version: 10.0.10586.2.0.0.768.101
Locale ID : 1033

edit: also yes I have updated the video driver, forgot to mention. First thing I did.

What was it doing when it crashed? Did it create a minidump? Whocrashed can be helpful in finding out what is causing these minidump files.

Another thing to keep your eye on is voltages. CPUID HWMonitor can show you what your voltages are like with loads (particularly cpu and 12v).

No minidumps are being created.

 

[UsandThem]

I haven't manually downloaded the drivers from the website; after installing windows I used the DVD that came with the motherboard to install the various drivers.

edit: also yes I have updated the video driver, forgot to mention. First thing I did.

Ok, in the future, never use the drivers on the disc. By the time you use them, they are outdated. Aways use the website drivers as they are current. The first thing you want to install before doing anything else after installing the OS is to run the inf file. This is a communication file from Intel that lets Windows know what your motherboard/chipset is.

After installing that file, Windows then can then install a good chunk of the correct drivers.

But we are where we are right now. So, do this:

Go here and download and install: System & Chipset drivers (Intel chipset driver). Restart. Go back and download and install: Others Drivers (Intel Management Engine Driver + Microsoft hotfix. Restart.

https://us.msi.com/Motherboard/support/H170-GAMING-M3.html#down-driver&Win10 64

After you do that, go and install this:

http://www.resplendence.com/whocrashed

It can analyze your system's crash logs and hopefully give a lead on what is crashing your system. After doing all of this, let us know what it says (likely a hardware or driver issue).

Edit

You changed the quoted post to reference that no minidump files are being created. So look at this and make sure your settings are correct so they can be created.

http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5560-bsod-minidump-configure-create-windows-10-a.html

 

[John Tzimisces]

The microsoft hotfix doesn't install; says its not applicable to my computer.

As for minidumps, I'm not getting BSODs on the new machine; would they necessarily be created to begin with?

Windows is configured to automatically create memory dumps.

edit:
@ketchup

I have HWmonitor (albeit the free version which has a number of values blanked out), but I have no idea what to look for.

 

[UsandThem]

Ok. No BSODs are happening.

Under the reliabilty report I had you go to, you said on 4/29 you had errors showing. Did you change out or add any hardware on that date?

 

[John Tzimisces]

No, as far as I know, an hour later I turned the computer off (as I was going out of town) at which point Windows 10 took the opportunity to begin installing updates.

Come to think of it, that may have been when I first attempted to launch the game; the game locked up (the computer didn't seize up, I was able to ctrl alt del back to desktop) windows 10 threw a number of error messages at me along the lines of "the program Fallout4.exe doesn't have permission to access the video card" over and over (I paraphrase).

If memory serves I was satisfied by attempting to launch the game again (which it did) and thought it was just gremlins.

edit: did some quick googling, it may have been "[Program Name Here] has been blocked from accessing graphics hardware". This apparently happened 15 times in quick succession.

 

[UsandThem]

No, as far as I know, an hour later I turned the computer off (as I was going out of town) at which point Windows 10 took the opportunity to begin installing updates.

Come to think of it, that may have been when I first attempted to launch the game; the game locked up (the computer didn't seize up, I was able to ctrl alt del back to desktop) windows 10 threw a number of error messages at me along the lines of "the program Fallout4.exe doesn't have permission to access the video card" over and over (I paraphrase).

If memory serves I was satisfied by attempting to launch the game again (which it did) and thought it was just gremlins.

edit: did some quick googling, it may have been "[Program Name Here] has been blocked from accessing graphics hardware". This apparently happened 15 times in quick succession.

Have you already tried a different video card or do you know anyone that has one you can test in your system to rule it out as the issue?

 

[John Tzimisces]

Unfortunately I don't have another known-good card lying around. Was there maybe some kind of conflict with the integrated graphics? The Nvidia is currently the only thing listed under display adapters.

 

[UsandThem]

Unfortunately I don't have another known-good card lying around. Was there maybe some kind of conflict with the integrated graphics? The Nvidia is currently the only thing listed under display adapters.

If the integrated graphics were active, it would be listed there. Most motherboards automatically disable Intel graphics when a video card is installed.

I'm going to have to get off in a few minutes for the night, but try one last thing for tonight since we can't rule out the card as of right now.

Left click on your start button, settings, update & security, advanced options, view your update history.

Under that, does it show there were updates installed on 4/29? Specifically:

Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1511 for x64-based Systems (KB3147458)

 

[John Tzimisces]

Yes, KB3147458 was installed on 4/29, but it says it failed to install on 5/1? (on 4/29 I turned the computer off when I left town, turned it back on on 5/1 when I got back)

Thank you for your help so far, by the by. In the meantime I suppose I can try and reinstall the graphics drivers along with the game in question.

 

[UsandThem]

Yes, KB3147458 was installed on 4/29, but it says it failed to install on 5/1? (on 4/29 I turned the computer off when I left town, turned it back on on 5/1 when I got back)

Thank you for your help so far, by the by. In the meantime I suppose I can try and reinstall the graphics drivers along with the game in question.

Yeah, on my son's pc that update fubared his computer. There are many people out there who started experiencing issues after it was installed. Microsoft pushed it twice for some reason, so it would show it was installed on two separate days.

Tonight, run Windows update and see if it wants to install any new drivers since you ran the inf file from MSI's website.

Tomorrow I'll post how to uninstall that update and then hide it from the automatic Microsoft updates. Plus, we will see if you need to do some manual driver updates.

So until tomorrow........

 

[John Tzimisces]

Looking forward to it.

Before we do that though want to call attention to the Microsoft Hotfix not installing; MSI's website there says it must be installed for intel management engine driver to install successfully, but I missed that and installed the driver first...is it perhaps not allowing me to install the hotfix because it's already applied? Fairly certain I only prepared the windows installation media prior to first power-on maybe only 2 weeks ago.

 

[Ketchup]

Starting with Windows 10, Microsoft can automatically download and install Drivers that it deems "better" than the drivers you have installed. You may want to make sure you aren't having an issue with this option, which is turned on by default.

The option is in Control Panel\System\Hardware\Device Installation Settings.

 

[UsandThem]

Looking forward to it.

Before we do that though want to call attention to the Microsoft Hotfix not installing; MSI's website there says it must be installed for intel management engine driver to install successfully, but I missed that and installed the driver first...is it perhaps not allowing me to install the hotfix because it's already applied? Fairly certain I only prepared the windows installation media prior to first power-on maybe only 2 weeks ago.

You are probably right about the hotfix already being installed. If the Intel Management Engine installed successfully, you should be ok.

Now we want to uninstall the KB3147458 update.

Go here and follow the directions for uninstalling a Windows Update.

After that, download the 'troubleshooter package' further down that same page and install it.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3073930

After installing it, read this post (option 1 and option 2) to see how to use it to hide the KB3147458 update.

http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/8280-windows-updates-hide-show-windows-10-a.html

Hopefully this will eliminate the hangs and crashes. It did on my son's computer, who like yours was not actually having BSODs and had no minidump files.

If this doesn't work, the last option would to be remove your video card and only use integrated graphics (or find another cheap video card to try out).

 

[John Tzimisces]

Alrighty, the update is uninstalled and hidden. I'll report back later if something comes up. Fingers crossed, since installing the video card was by far the most nerve wracking part. (it doesn't help that the PCI-E tab on my old mobo was literally snapped off, distracting me so much I didn't notice for a while that the stupid thing was still fastened to the case, so that was my first experience actually inserting something into a slot like that)

Starting with Windows 10, Microsoft can automatically download and install Drivers that it deems "better" than the drivers you have installed. You may want to make sure you aren't having an issue with this option, which is turned on by default.

The option is in Control Panel\System\Hardware\Device Installation Settings.

would drivers downloaded in this manner appear in the update history?

 

[UsandThem]

Alrighty, the update is uninstalled and hidden. I'll report back later if something comes up. Fingers crossed, since installing the video card was by far the most nerve wracking part. (it doesn't help that the PCI-E tab on my old mobo was literally snapped off, distracting me so much I didn't notice for a while that the stupid thing was still fastened to the case, so that was my first experience actually inserting something into a slot like that)



would drivers downloaded in this manner appear in the update history?

It should. Any Microsoft update should be in there unless you manually clear the history (like cleaning up system files to free up disk space) in the control panel.

 

[John Tzimisces]

I'm pleased to report I haven't had any similar issues since disabling the Windows update from 4/29!

Just within the last hour I had two BSODs but they appear to be related to an nvidia driver update from earlier tonight, considering they cropped up pretty much immediately. Other than that it's been smooth sailing!

 

[Ketchup]

Nice! Thanks for the update.