• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

What solved my Windows 8.1 issue? Take a wild guess

Berryracer

Berryracer

Platinum Member
I was having an issue with Windows 8.1 (clean install) where I would randomly but too often get a brief error upon every restart that was screwing with my OCD since something's not right....

2u5q7w6.jpg




Here is what I did differently this time, I don't know which of the below steps did it but I`m happy now:

1) Instead of using the latest ISO from Micro$haft, I used the Dell Windows 8.1 DVD that DELL sent me when I bought it since it originally shipped with Windows 8 DVD and not 8.1, this is a red DVD that says DELL Windows 8.1 on it (thanks for Ketchup79 for this suggestion)

2) Instead of signing in with an MS account right from the initial setup, I signed in using a local account, once all the updates were done and I was forced to sign in with an MS account to use OneDrive, I signed in with my MS account BUT this time I set the sync settings to NOT synchronize my metro apps and I've uninstalled all metro apps myself

3) Office 2013 365 installs another version of OneDrive even though Windows 8.1 has OneDrive already, I always uninstalled that extra version that Office installed. This time, I didn't, I left it everything as it and to my surprise, there were no conflicts or anything, the OneDrive that Office installed simply would now redirect me to the Windows OneDrive and wouldn't initiate the initial setup like it does on Windows 7 where you have to sign in and choose your OneDrive location

4) Since Office 2013 installed OneDrive again, it also created 4 new startup entries pertaining to OneDrive sync and sync in progress and browser integration, I used to always disable those entries, this time, I left them alone

5) I did not install the latest nVIDIA Graphics Driver + GeForce Experience, instead, I installed the old driver from DELL which is ancient (v332.70) and did NOT install GeForce experience. Who knows, maybe this new nVIDIA Shield and streaming stuff caused issues as I did see many errors in event log upon every restart because of them.

6) I always had auto login enabled so I wouldn't have to enter my password each time I login to Windows via the netplwiz tool, this time, I didn't touch that tool and have learned to live with manually entering my password each time because according to my research, it seems that if auto login was enabled, it creates some kind of problem when you run programs as an admin by right clicking on them and choosing Run as Admin, and what I also noticed is that it is somehow true, if I restart and don't launch any programs as admin then reboot again after a while, the issue didn't happen, but when I did run any program by right clicking/ run as admin the issue might happen. Who knows, just wanted to eliminate all possibilities this time.

7) I used to always rename the start menu program folders and the shortcuts in them as in:

If a program says: MiniTool Partition Wizard Professional Edition, I would rename it to MiniTool Partition Wizard just to make things look tidyOr like if I had all the Adobe applications installed, they would create all their shortcuts in the main start menu not in a folder called Adobe, so I used to create a folder called Adobe and put all the Adobe related shortcuts under that one folder8)I used to use a hosts file with only few entries in them to block certain stuff like Open Candy crap, this time, I didn't touch the hosts file9) I used to delete everything under the Windows\Software Distribution\Download folder since those are just the temporary downloaded Windows updates and once installed, I *believed they are not needed* this time, I left them all alone and did the standard Disk Cleanup that's in Windows and even though it was cleaning the Windows Updates, it didn't delete any of the files there........hmmm...

10) Used to disable Windows System Restore, this time I didn't

This time, I didn't rename or touch anything in the Start Menu folder

Not a single error on restart and it's been 24 hours
smile.gif
 
I hate to say it but that sounds very fussy and finicky steps to get a product to work when the MS people are paid to do this.
 
Do you use start8 or something?

That error is usually driver related. It basically means that something is shutting down in the wrong order, causing explorer to reference memory that has already been freed.

And why "micro$shaft"? You installed the base OS without installing the Dell approved drivers. That isn't MS' fault, either Dell hasn't published the drivers for your system for you to use or it's a PEBKAC...
 
Last edited:
RampantAndroid said:
Do you use start8 or something?

That error is usually driver related. It basically means that something is shutting down in the wrong order, causing explorer to reference memory that has already been freed.

And why "micro$shaft"? You installed the base OS without installing the Dell approved drivers. That isn't MS' fault, either Dell hasn't published the drivers for your system for you to use or it's a PEBKAC...
Click to expand...
I use classic shell, but the error happens even before Classic Shell is installed

about shutting down order, it might be, the only diff. driver I installed now is rather than using the latest nVIDIA Driver 347.09, I used the Alienware version of the nVIDIA Driver v332.70 that is 7 months old.

Why Micro$haft, because getting their OS to work right takes a lot of effort, doesn't work outside the box.

Well Dell has published the drivers and what they do is, they place a service tag for each laptop so when you enter the service tag you get the drivers relevant to your laptop


About installing the base OS, well I installed the OS, performed all Windows updates ensuring to hide any drivers that WU wants to install to only use the OEM drivers. Even in the drivers DVD that comes with the laptop, when you click on the install order link, they suggest you to install all the latest Windows patches/updates then proceed with the driver installation.
 
berryracer said:
I use classic shell, but the error happens even before Classic Shell is installed

about shutting down order, it might be, the only diff. driver I installed now is rather than using the latest nVIDIA Driver 347.09, I used the Alienware version of the nVIDIA Driver v332.70 that is 7 months old.

Why Micro$haft, because getting their OS to work right takes a lot of effort, doesn't work outside the box.

Well Dell has published the drivers and what they do is, they place a service tag for each laptop so when you enter the service tag you get the drivers relevant to your laptop


About installing the base OS, well I installed the OS, performed all Windows updates ensuring to hide any drivers that WU wants to install to only use the OEM drivers. Even in the drivers DVD that comes with the laptop, when you click on the install order link, they suggest you to install all the latest Windows patches/updates then proceed with the driver installation.
Click to expand...

I have installed Windows more times than most people here, and aside from an instance where the base install was missing a driver for my NIC (a pre-release version of Win8) it's worked out of the box. Heck, without drivers Windows even works on my Macbook pro. It CAN work, you just have some odd combination going.

What you need to do is take a restore point, install nvidia drivers...let the system for for a few days. No error? Remove the extra Onedrive stuff, etc.

I occasionally get this error on my home desktop...and I pay zero attention to it.
 
RampantAndroid said:
I have installed Windows more times than most people here, and aside from an instance where the base install was missing a driver for my NIC (a pre-release version of Win8) it's worked out of the box. Heck, without drivers Windows even works on my Macbook pro. It CAN work, you just have some odd combination going.

What you need to do is take a restore point, install nvidia drivers...let the system for for a few days. No error? Remove the extra Onedrive stuff, etc.

I occasionally get this error on my home desktop...and I pay zero attention to it.
Click to expand...
since now it's running perfectly, I'll give it a week and probably update the nVIDIA drivers on the next update they release, this way I'd be able to tell for use if it was the nVIDIA driver or something else causing that issue
 
If it's happening in explorer.exe that could indicate that it was a problem with some explorer extension.

You can look at the list of modules (dll's) that explorer is loading with VMMap or Process Explorer. It won't tell you what's causing it but it can point you in the direction of what might be the problem.
 
It may have been using the older Dell drivers, rather than trying to get newer manufacturer's drivers to work, or it could be other things as well, like leaving OneDrive alone, rather than adding and removing it so much on the old install.
 
I get it occasionally on my Windows 8.1 system. I always thought it was because I wait so long between reboots. I also have NVIDIA. :hmm:
 
silicon said:
I hate to say it but that sounds very fussy and finicky steps to get a product to work when the MS people are paid to do this.
Click to expand...

There are no steps. OP finally left everything alone at stock with official drivers instead of %$$%ing with it. And you know what? IT WORKED.

And honestly spending thousands on a laptop (Alienware of all choices) is a bad idea as this once again shows - with Win 10, is your expensive laptop going to be up to date? Its on 8.1 and Dell seems to have gone pfffft.
 
escrow4 said:
There are no steps. OP finally left everything alone at stock with official drivers instead of %$$%ing with it. And you know what? IT WORKED.

And honestly spending thousands on a laptop (Alienware of all choices) is a bad idea as this once again shows - with Win 10, is your expensive laptop going to be up to date? Its on 8.1 and Dell seems to have gone pfffft.
Click to expand...
True, that issue was torturing my brain for so long, that this is a $6500 USD laptop that I can't even get to work with no errors when all my low end Dell laptops that I bought for my wife, mother, and small sister, work perfectly with 0 errors with almost the same software installed like I have.

I'll never pay so much for a single laptop again....because to be honest with you, ever since I bought it, it was replaced twice by DELL with a brand new one, and still, I have spent my time formatting and trying to solve these small quirks rather than enjoy it!

Believe me, I have some games installed, but I never played with one.......EVER....trying to figure out other issues....
 
Install the Intel Chipset drivers before installing other device drivers, as a general rule. I would tend to doubt that nVidia drivers were causing any kind of problem, as long as the Intel Chipset drivers were installed first.
The only Adobe software that I use are: Adobe Flash & Adobe Air. I prefer Foxit Reader for reading .pdf files.
 
berryracer said:
True, that issue was torturing my brain for so long, that this is a $6500 USD laptop that I can't even get to work with no errors when all my low end Dell laptops that I bought for my wife, mother, and small sister, work perfectly with 0 errors with almost the same software installed like I have.

I'll never pay so much for a single laptop again....because to be honest with you, ever since I bought it, it was replaced twice by DELL with a brand new one, and still, I have spent my time formatting and trying to solve these small quirks rather than enjoy it!

Believe me, I have some games installed, but I never played with one.......EVER....trying to figure out other issues....
Click to expand...

I am not trying to be rude, but you had a $6500 Dell laptop and just blew away all original software, which ran fine on it, as it does on the lower-model machines you referred to. If noting else, I hope that lessons were learned.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top