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

[Aaargh Zombies]

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

It very well could be the problem, or more precisely, the driver could be. I'd try safe boot first though.

Any particular settings, for safe mode?

 

[Aaargh Zombies]

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

It very well could be the problem, or more precisely, the driver could be. I'd try safe boot first though.

How do I do get to Safe mode from power down?

It never does a BSOD if I restart. Only ever from a totally clean shutdown.

 

[Aaargh Zombies]

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

I've had about a dozen boots from clean shutdown to power off (switched off at the mains), and then booted to safe mode with no BSOD.

I don't know if this means that ti's a service\driver issue or if it's just random chance that it didn't BSOD.

 

[Aaargh Zombies]

I've disabled the add on sound card in Windows and I will see how it goes.

 

[a5cent]

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

I don't know if this means that ti's a service\driver issue or if it's just random chance that it didn't BSOD.

Yes, this very likely means it's a hardware driver. Your sound card and your GPU are the most likely culprits, so try and eliminate them first from the list of possible causes.

Important:

1) Remove a hardware extension card
2) Reboot
3) Use a program like Ghost to completely delete ALL unused drivers from your system.
4) Test
5) Repeat with next card

If simply disabling the device (using the device manager) works then that's great too, but to be 100% sure you've eliminated a hardware extension as a culprit you need to really get rid of it entirely, as described above. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Aaargh Zombies]

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

It doesn't BSOD every time, so I'll leave it a day or so and see if simply disabling it helps.

 

[v535]

Are you using a optical drive? Check if its detecting in UEFI BIOS every time you log into UEFI. Mine had a similar BSOD with IRQ_NOT_EQUAL narrowed down the problem to ODD which disappears itself randomly and was fixed with firmware update. Did you inspect the motherboard?
Can you boot through UBCD/HBCD and pass all stress tests successfully?
Just check msconfig and navigate to adv. options and check memory size if its 16GB or just uncheck that memory option to see if it helps.

 

[Krystianpants]

I don't think Insider is a risk. Keep in mind that it's pretty close to becoming RTM. And any failures you can revert back easily through the settings area. But there's a lot of optimizations in the insider build including memory management that could solve the issue. If things work fine in windows 7 and not in windows 10 I wouldn't bother looking at the hardware itself.

 

[Aaargh Zombies]

I've rebooted 10 times and I've not had that the IRQ message again. It may be because I moved the stick to a different slot that one time.

 

[Aaargh Zombies]

I don't think Insider is a risk. Keep in mind that it's pretty close to becoming RTM. And any failures you can revert back easily through the settings area. But there's a lot of optimizations in the insider build including memory management that could solve the issue. If things work fine in windows 7 and not in windows 10 I wouldn't bother looking at the hardware itself.

I'm struggling to find any way that a hardware problem could present itself under such specific circumstances. It ONLY happens at the exact moment that you'd normally get the log in screen, if you have both sticks of RAM installed, and if the last thing that you did was to do a clean shut down to power off.

If it were a hardware problem wouldn't it be just as likely to happen on the boot after the BSOD? The only difference is that one comes after a clean shut down and the other comes after a dirty shut down.

I'm not sure that the insider build would have a fix for my problem, it doesn't seem like many people are having the same issue, so it's unlikely that they'd put a fix in for it.

 

[a5cent]

I've rebooted 10 times and I've not had that the IRQ message again. It may be because I moved the stick to a different slot that one time.

No IRQ message, but still BSOD?

 

[Aaargh Zombies]

No IRQ message, but still BSOD?

Still BSOD, but the normal memory management message.

I've disabled my sound card and it hasn't happened since then, but it doesn't happen every time so this may not fix it. I won't know until tomorrow if this has fixed the problem.

 

[a5cent]

Still BSOD, but the normal memory management message.

I've disabled my sound card and it hasn't happened since then, but it doesn't happen every time so this may not fix it. I won't know until tomorrow if this has fixed the problem.

You're not describing well what the current situation is. Is this right:

after a normal shutdown, booting in safe mode = no issues at all
after a normal shutdown, booting normally with disabled sound card = BSOD, but some message somewhere has disappeared

 

[Aaargh Zombies]

You're not describing well what the current situation is. Is this right:

after a normal shutdown, booting in safe mode = no issues at all
after a normal shutdown, booting normally with disabled sound card = BSOD, but some message somewhere has disappeared

I rebooted in safe mode about 8 times and there was no BSOD.
I disabled my sound card and booted normally, and there was no BSOD.

I think that the IRQ message was a one off, and was related to me having moved the RAM stick immediately before I switched it on.

Right now I'm not getting any error messages at all, but I don't get them every time so I don't know if it's fixed or if it's just one of those times that I don't get an error message.

 

[Krystianpants]

I'm struggling to find any way that a hardware problem could present itself under such specific circumstances. It ONLY happens at the exact moment that you'd normally get the log in screen, if you have both sticks of RAM installed, and if the last thing that you did was to do a clean shut down to power off.

If it were a hardware problem wouldn't it be just as likely to happen on the boot after the BSOD? The only difference is that one comes after a clean shut down and the other comes after a dirty shut down.

I'm not sure that the insider build would have a fix for my problem, it doesn't seem like many people are having the same issue, so it's unlikely that they'd put a fix in for it.

MS has a lot of security based functionality that improves over time. Some of that include checks to make sure that intrusive root kits or other things don't take over your computer. These containers get updated with newer versions. They even have a hardware based security implementation that with proper firmware will keep bad stuff off your PC. Not sure if they had any code for it in the actual TH2 version of windows 10 but it's definitely going to be in Anniversary update. They have worked with partners to make sure chips support it to. So either you have some virus that is causing this issue and you weren't aware of it because it hijacked your PC(it could be in the mbr which doesn't get wiped with clean install, or reserved system area of drive), or the software is causing compatibility issue in certain circumstances. Anniversary update also comes with newer improved drivers and additional compatibility. So it's worth a try given how much you already went through. Alternatively you can go back to Windows 7. But seriously I'm using insider and everything works great. I have one issue that not many people experience where at times my keyboard lags. Though I think the latest build has improved it since I haven't noticed it yet.

 

[Aaargh Zombies]

MS has a lot of security based functionality that improves over time. Some of that include checks to make sure that intrusive root kits or other things don't take over your computer. These containers get updated with newer versions. They even have a hardware based security implementation that with proper firmware will keep bad stuff off your PC. Not sure if they had any code for it in the actual TH2 version of windows 10 but it's definitely going to be in Anniversary update. They have worked with partners to make sure chips support it to. So either you have some virus that is causing this issue and you weren't aware of it because it hijacked your PC(it could be in the mbr which doesn't get wiped with clean install, or reserved system area of drive), or the software is causing compatibility issue in certain circumstances. Anniversary update also comes with newer improved drivers and additional compatibility. So it's worth a try given how much you already went through. Alternatively you can go back to Windows 7. But seriously I'm using insider and everything works great. I have one issue that not many people experience where at times my keyboard lags. Though I think the latest build has improved it since I haven't noticed it yet.

I would like to explore the possibility that this is driver\service issue before I look at an insider build. I would like to keep the variables to a minimum.

 

[Krystianpants]

I would like to explore the possibility that this is driver\service issue before I look at an insider build. I would like to keep the variables to a minimum.

If you have intel chipsets get the intel driver update utility.
Update your graphics card drivers.
Make sure bios is set to UEFI.

But in the end you have to realize that between Windows 7 and windows 10 it's a massive Kernel overhaul. And Windows 10 insider uses the onecore optimized kernel. Anything that could be caused by the kernel interacting with drivers could be fixed.

 

[a5cent]

Right now I'm not getting any error messages at all, but I don't get them every time so I don't know if it's fixed or if it's just one of those times that I don't get an error message.

Ok. Then we wait. I'd also advise you not to change anything else for the moment and keep testing until you've got enough issue-free reboots to convince yourself that it was/is a sound card related issue.

I also agree that you shouldn't move to the W10 insider preview at this time. IMHO we already have more than enough evidence that this is very likely a driver issue for which a move to W10 insider would achieve absolutely nothing, as neither the kernel, the driver model, or much else that far down in the Windows 10 software stack has changed.

 

[enahs555]

So many post here, I did not read them all. But this is a fairly common issue. Put all your memory in, download memtest MemTest86 - Offical Site of the x86 Memory Testing Tool and create a bootdisk of boot flashdrive for it, and run it, and test the memory. You will find out you have a bad memory stick, and can stop doing all kinds of crazy things to fix it and move on with your life.

 

[realwarder]

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

Ok, I just read what you have.. Two single 8GB modules. Which I assume are not identical. That makes life more interesting.

Memory is normally used in pairs to utilize dual channel modes (more performance), but for that it is critical that the pairs are identical.

Looking at your motherboard manual, I suggest you should not try and use the memory in a manner that tries to enable dual channel mode. So don't have modules in ddr3_2/ddr3_1 or ddr3_4/ddr3_2. Try the modules in say ddr3_3/ddr3_2 or ddr3_4/ddr3_1.

Saying that, it may not work as 16gb in single channel mode.

General rule is always buy pairs of memory at the same time.