BSOD when 16GB RAM installed (but not 8GB), what can I do?

[Aaargh Zombies]

BSOD when 16GB RAM installed (but not 8GB)

I have a factory built machine from Chillblast which was shipped with Windows 7 and 16GB of RAM in 2 8GB sticks.

I upgraded the PC to Windows 10 late last year and I've been having a persistent problem with BSOD ever since.

If the PC has a clean shutdown from the start menu it BSOD the next time that I switch it on. The BSOD happens at the exact moment that the login screen appears. Sometimes the message is MEMORY_MANAGEMENT, sometimes it is PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA.

It only happens when the last shutdown was clean. If I reboot after a BSOD then it boots normally. If I switch it off at the mains without shutting Windows down then it doesn't BSOD.

This only happens if I have both RAM sticks in. If I have one stick in (Regardless of which stick it is, or where I put it, then everything is OK). I've run Memttest with multiple combinations of each stick in each slot, and it's not brought up a single error. I've also checked my primary and secondary HDDs (Solid state, and magnetic) and they don't show any errors.

As this only happens after a clean shutdown, I strongly suspect that it has something to do with the Paging File. Such as Windows attempting to speed up booting by restoring the system state from the paging file.

I have attached two dump files.


EDIT

What I've tried so far:

In Place upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 on Magnetic Western Digital disc - Error
Fresh install on Sandisc SSD, new cable, different port (No anti-virus) - Error

1) Each RAM chip individually, in each spare slot - No errors
2) Both RAM chips together in different combinations of slots - Error
3) Upgraded Bios to latest version - Error
4) Reset Bios to default - Error
5) Disable readyboot\fastboot\hybernate - Error
6) Set memory available to maximum from Advanced system menu - Error
7) Memtest - No errors found
8) IntelBrun - No errors found
9) Fresh install on new SSD (Original install was on standard magnetic HD) with default drivers, new cable and new port (Other discs unplugged), no Anti virus. All drivers picked by OS - Error
10) As above but with manufacture's drivers - Error
11) Page file set grater than available RAM with both chips - Error
12) As above but with Page file set to auto - Error
13) As above but with page file disabled - Error
14) Ran Windows Memory Diagnostic - No errors found
15) Set Readyboot logging to circular - Error

As the error ONLY happens at a specific time, and never happens during high stress times such as during gaming, it's unlikely to be the PSU.

 

[Giddora]

Re: BSOD when 16GB RAM installed (but not 8GB)

Have you tried disabling the paging file? You really shouldn't need one with 16Gb of RAM as it is mostly a help when it comes to computers with lower memory. Everything you need should fit on 16Gb of RAM.

 

[Aaargh Zombies]

Re: BSOD when 16GB RAM installed (but not 8GB)

I've tried increasing it, but I'd never even thought of turning it off.

Right now, I've set it to Automatic, to see if it helps. Previously I had it fixed at a large size.

Any idea what might be causing this. Everything that I've read says that it's a problem with one of the RAM sticks, but all of the software that I've run says that the RAM is OK.

 

[TechFreak1]

Re: BSOD when 16GB RAM installed (but not 8GB)

Interesting, does the same occur for instance if you mount the image of the hdd in a virtual machine?

1) Use Disk2Vhd to create virtual disk image (Sysinternals)
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/ee656415.aspx

2) Then use VHD to VMDK to enable you to use VMware player (free) using winimage (shareware for 30 days) (or you can use Hyper V to mount the VHD - presuming you have Windows 10 Pro)
Download WinImage

If the same occurs then you're only solution maybe a clean install using the Media Creation tool.

https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...Fsoftware-download%2Fwindows10&token=sD54Bopd

 

[Aaargh Zombies]

Re: BSOD when 16GB RAM installed (but not 8GB)

I've already tried a clean install on a fresh SSD that was straight out of the box. Same problem.

 

[Devhux]

Re: BSOD when 16GB RAM installed (but not 8GB)

Judging from other forums in which people had this kind of thing happen, a BIOS update may help (seemed to see this on various MSI motherboards).

 

[Aaargh Zombies]

Re: BSOD when 16GB RAM installed (but not 8GB)

OK

I have a Gigabyte Motherboard, but the Bios is coming up as American Megatrends.

Whose website should I download the latest Bios from?

 

[Devhux]

Re: BSOD when 16GB RAM installed (but not 8GB)

Gigabyte. The motherboard should have the model # on it. Let us know what that is and we can go from there.

 

[Aaargh Zombies]

re:

It's a GA-Z87-HD3 with version F5A bios.

 

[midnightfrolic]

Re: BSOD when 16GB RAM installed (but not 8GB)

Here are a few thing you could try. No paging file. Disable fastboot. Update all drivers again, especially video drivers. Different ram brands. Update BIOS.

For driver updates, start with video drivers as they are the most likely culprits. Uninstall all graphics drivers. Reboot and let Windows auto install WHQL drivers first. Try it out. If problem persists, then use specific OEM drivers. If issue persists, then use manufacturer drivers.

Seeing as it's a clean install, security software and other software should not be the issue. If it doesn't happen with both sticks, then either the other stick is bad or ram slot on mobo is faulty. Tests can give false negatives.

GL

 

[Devhux]

re:

It's a GA-Z87-HD3 with version F5A bios.

I believe that's a beta version of the BIOS actually (and probably one of the first ones for that board). Given that Gigabyte's site lists F6 as the first available BIOS, I'd definitely recommend updating it. Note that it's entirely possible the F5A BIOS was the only one available if the board was brand new when your system was built.

I'd suggest downloading Gigabyte's App Center & @Flash utilities from here:

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4489&kw=GA-Z87-HD3#utility

The @Flash app should walk through updating the BIOS to the latest F8 version.

 

[Aaargh Zombies]

re:

I've installed the latest bios, and have reset the Paging file form a fixed size to automatic.

If it continues to BSOD I will try disabling it totally.

I performed a clean install earlier on so I've already been through the software checks for the graphics card.

 

[realwarder]

re:

Turn off Fast Startup and see if that helps. Could be a weird hardware issue due to boot not being totally clean.

 

[Aaargh Zombies]

re:

Turn off Fast Startup and see if that helps. Could be a weird hardware issue due to boot not being totally clean.

That was automatically switched off when I disabled Hibernate.

 

[realwarder]

re:

Your minidump shows the crash started from here:

DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID: WIN8_DRIVER_FAULT


PROCESS_NAME: SanDiskSSDDash


If you've loaded some Sandisk drivers, I would uninstall them.

 

[realwarder]

re:

Your minidump shows the crash started from here:

DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID: WIN8_DRIVER_FAULT


PROCESS_NAME: SanDiskSSDDash


If you've loaded some Sandisk drivers, I would uninstall them.

Mind you, the other dump was just in the kernel, completely unrelated to anything interesting.

I'd guess you just have bad memory, some memory timing issues or a bad motherboard given that it started when you added memory.

Check your memory is in the right banks of pairs (sometimes it's not side by side).

 

[Krystianpants]

re:

Go to Control Panel
Administative tools

Run: Windows Memory Diagnostic


Then it may give a solution or report an issue.

If not go to the same adminstrative tools again:

>System Configuration
>Advanced options
> Put checkmark in maximum memory and make sure it shows up at 16 gigs. If not enter 16384.
> Hit OK
>restart

Go back and make sure settings take place. I forget but you may have to select selective startup if they don't.

 

[xandros9]

Re: BSOD when 16GB RAM installed (but not 8GB)

I'm going to throw out the idea of using memtest here.

 

[Aaargh Zombies]

Re: BSOD when 16GB RAM installed (but not 8GB)

I'm going to throw out the idea of using memtest here.

I ran it for about 15 hours, and it didn't find any problems.

Given that my PC didn't have any issues with Windows 7, I think that this is likely a software problem.

 

[Aaargh Zombies]

re:

I originally tried with a WD disk, the SanDisk is the second disk that I used and I had the same problem with both.

I've tried the each RAM chip individually in each slot, the problem only happens when I have both RAM chips in at the same time regardless of which slots they are in, and it only happens when I boot from a clean shutdown.