BSOD woes, anyone have input?

[kimilein]

So this saga begins a few days ago after I installed an update for Mass Effect 3.
-I installed the update, started playing a round of multiplayer, 20 minutes in, I get a BSOD.
-Restart computer, BSOD on Win7 loadscreen.
-Restart again, I get back into Win7, BSOD again when I start ME3.
-I updated my ATI drivers, and BSOD problems go away, I can play ME3 no problem.

Today:
-I start up Mass Effect 2. I wanted to play it through again. Get past the initial cutscene, a few seconds after I first take control of the character, I get a BSOD.
-This time, the computer won't POST after restarting.
-If I wait for a while, computer will power on again as normal. Otherwise I just get nothing. No post, no video output.
-The 2nd time I manage to boot back into Win7, BSOD again after getting the Mass Effect 2 splash screen.
-3rd time, I didn't even start anything, I was looking around my video settings and hadn't started any game when I got the same BSOD.

So basically I have no idea whether this is a hardware or software issue. Keeping in mind that I updated the video drivers just not very long ago at all. Last night I was playing ME3 just fine for a hour or so. If it's a software issue I don't know how to approach it. If it's a hardware issue, what should I be looking at? Overheating? Component failure?

This is the other stuff I know:
-"bugcode usb driver" is the message I get from the BSOD.
-I took out my video card and tried booting the computer with on board video, I wasn't getting any video or POST either.
-No hardware changes before the first BSOD or since.

The system is
Athlon II X3 435
4GB DDR2 RAM
ASUS M4A785-M
ATI Radeon 4850
2 SATA optical drives, 2 SATA HDDs, USB Wifi dongle, USB Keyboard, USB Mouse. Nothing else installed.

If anyone has insight, I'd like to know where I should start looking.

[patrikman]

When I get BSOD, I demand a blowjob from the wife.

[kimilein]

When I get BSOD, I demand a blowjob from the wife.

Gross, BSODs are contagious. You might be infecting your wife.

[VarianceVQ]

When I get BSOD, I demand a blowjob from the wife.

This flippant remark is actually quite relevant.

Have you given the inside of your tower a good compressed air cleaning lately? Dust (and the related overheating issues) can cause some weird intermittent problems sometimes.

Maybe check your RAM, too? Try removing and reseating it and check to see if it might be bad.

[patrikman]

This flippant remark is actually quite relevant.

Have you given the inside of your tower a good compressed air cleaning lately? Dust (and the related overheating issues) can cause some weird intermittent problems sometimes.

Maybe check your RAM, too? Try removing and reseating it and check to see if it might be bad.

Well, that and because I can't watch porn.

[jamezwhite]

ensure that memory is seated correctly
clean your case
go into the bios and make sure that you SATA operations are set to AHCI
disconnect power to any optical drives and remove any usb devices connected
hard reset the system (unplug main power, remove the cmos battery and hold the power button for 15 seconds. replace bat and start system)

[kimilein]

Thanks guys, I just cleaned the case just in case, though there wasn't very much dust build up. I pulled the RAM while I was at it too.

I'm doing the hard reset right now, and I'll try the other stuff too if the problem persists. Lousy way to start off the weekend. Though the bottle of DuPont Saison I have stashed away might just make me feel better.

[kimilein]

go into the bios and make sure that you SATA operations are set to AHCI

My SATA was set to IDE, I'm curious what the difference between AHCI and IDE is.

I'm getting an endless boot loop right now. Right after the Windows splash screen, I get a quick flash of what looks like a BSOD and then the computer reboots. It's consistently POSTing now, but no luck getting into Windows. I was able to boot into Start Help mode and it's doing some sort of restoration process.

I had disconnected power to all drives except the Windows drive, no USB device and I'm using a PS2 keyboard.

*update* System Start Repair failed, I got the endless loop again. I switched SATA from AHCI back to IDE and was able to get back into Windows.

[SOAR]

OP, I moved your post to a more suitable forum where you are likely to receive more help on your issue.

-SOAR

[Egilbe]

My SATA was set to IDE, I'm curious what the difference between AHCI and IDE is.

I'm getting an endless boot loop right now. Right after the Windows splash screen, I get a quick flash of what looks like a BSOD and then the computer reboots. It's consistently POSTing now, but no luck getting into Windows. I was able to boot into Start Help mode and it's doing some sort of restoration process.

I had disconnected power to all drives except the Windows drive, no USB device and I'm using a PS2 keyboard.

*update* System Start Repair failed, I got the endless loop again. I switched SATA from AHCI back to IDE and was able to get back into Windows.

all fixed now?

[kimilein]

all fixed now?

I'm not sure. It seems like the system start repair may have reverted some of the drivers or settings. After my last post I was able to boot into Win7 and actually get ME2 to run with no BSODs. I'm not convinced that the system is stable though. It seems like a software issue.

[Aonarch]

I have run into that problem at lot at work.

Everyone double check their HDD is set to AHCI.

I normally see that problem on HP's after a new HDD install.

[Angry_Birds]

You can't switch between AHCI and IDE willy-nilly. You have to pick one and then install Windows over it (or reinstall it if it's already installed). That's the reason he was having issues with a boot loop.

[kimilein]

You can't switch between AHCI and IDE willy-nilly. You have to pick one and then install Windows over it (or reinstall it if it's already installed). That's the reason he was having issues with a boot loop.

The system had been stable for a couple years set to IDE, I still don't understand why everyone is saying AHCI.

Anyway, I haven't gotten a BSOD again yet after the system start repair and setting SATA back to IDE. Games work fine, left it on overnight with no stability issues. I just remembered that there was a Windows Update done just before the BSODs that I forgot about, and it seems that Windows had rolled back the updates with the system repair. I reinstalled some of the updates but there were a couple of .net framework updates that I haven't touched. I'm deducing that those updates may have had something to do with the BSODs.

[Angry_Birds]

The system had been stable for a couple years set to IDE, I still don't understand why everyone is saying AHCI.

That's what I'm saying. If anything IDE will be more stable as it's older and more compatible, and I'm not sure what about this indicates that switching from IDE to AHCI mode will fix the issue.

[PhReE]

AHCI is newer, supports more/newer commands. It's better but not exactly necessary. (and has NOTHING to do with this issue)

When you get the bluescreen in-game what's on the bluescreen?

You might have a failed fan, on the video card or power supply. Check those out. It's not going to be incorrectly seated memory. I would also try removing all video drivers and installing the latest ones.

[kimilein]

AHCI is newer, supports more/newer commands. It's better but not exactly necessary. (and has NOTHING to do with this issue)

When you get the bluescreen in-game what's on the bluescreen?

You might have a failed fan, on the video card or power supply. Check those out. It's not going to be incorrectly seated memory. I would also try removing all video drivers and installing the latest ones.

Bugcode USB Driver is the BSOD message. I have't gotten BSODs since my past post. I think it was something with last batch of updates that Windows rolled back.

[PhReE]

USB driver huh, is it one of the on-chip usb controllers or a 3rd party one? What is the file name?

[euro sport]

IMO, I'd back up everything on your computer that is important to you. This can be a sign that the motherboard is on its way out. Physically check all capacitors on the Asus motherboard to make sure none of them are bulging or leaking. Your BSOD error could also be caused by a failing USB controller. I'm not sure if you have anything plugged into the USB ports, but if you don't, you could try disabling USB support in the BIOS and see if that improves stability.

[O_G]

You can switch from IDE to ACHI after installing Windows, but you have to make a change to the Registry or you'll end up with the endless loop.