[Anomalous]

Hello,

Several months ago I got hit hard by a virus, thanks to the support of this forum I was able to clean out the problem. But this is only where my hardware problems began,

A couple days after reformatting and installing windows XP my computer just started randomly freezing and/or crashing constantly, it kept doing this until it got to the point where I couldnt even fully install an OS onto the computer before it froze and/or crashed. I worked with someone on this website troubleshooting the less expensive solutions to this problem but nothing worked. A few months later of my computer just sitting around I brought it to Geek Squad, although they said they dont work on custom computers they said its more than likely a HD problem.

I bought a new HD and installed Windows 7 home premium 32-bit onto my computer. Everything seemed to be working fine except for a little overheating which I solved by replacing the heatsink. I have been using it for under a week and now the very same problem has reared its ugly head yet again, this time with Windows 7 I got a BSOD after my computer possibly overheated and crashed:

-----
MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION

STOP: 0x0000009C (0X00000000, 0X8A95CDAC, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)
-----

I am a computer gamer, I play alot of online games and do other things that put stress on the CPU, my CPU is usually running a temp of 38-42C
idle and 47-53C on a full load, I try my best to monitor my temps so it doesnt crash but when in fullscreen on a game I cant.

COMPUTER SPECS:

Mobo: ASUS P5WD2-E Premium
CPU: Pentium-D 3.4GHz
Memory: Corsair XMS 2 1GB (2x)
GPU: Radeon X1900XTX
PSU: OCZ Gamer Xtreme 700W
Sound: Creative Soundblaster X-Fi platinum
HD: Seagate Barracuda 500GB


So whats going on here?, am I frying hard drives?, is another device failing?, am I working this computer too hard? As of today all my computer can do is freeze and/or crash while trying to run windows...again...on my brand new HD, I am at my wits end with this PC.

Thanks in advance,

Edited by Anomalous, 03 November 2010 - 11:46 AM.

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0x0000009C: MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION
(Click to consult the online MSDN article.)
This is a hardware issue: an unrecoverable hardware error has occurred. The parameters have different meanings depending on what type of CPU you have but, while diagnostic, rarely lead to a clear solution. Most commonly it results from overheating, from failed hardware (RAM, CPU, hardware bus, power supply, etc.), or from pushing hardware beyond its capabilities (e.g., overclocking a CPU).

Explanation of your stop error. Lets take a look at the listed hardware.
Overheating and voltages first.
Download Speedfan (The download link is to the right), and install it. Once it's installed, run the program and post here the information it shows.
The information I want you to post is the stuff that is circled in the example picture I have attached.
To make sure we are getting all the correct information it would help us if you were to attach a screenshot like the one below of your Speedfan results.

To do a screenshot please have click on your Print Screen on your keyboard.

• It is normally the key above your number pad between the F12 key and the Scroll Lock key
• Now go to Start and then to All Programs
• Scroll to Accessories and then click on Paint
• In the Empty White Area click and hold the CTRL key and then click the V
• Go to the File option at the top and click on Save as
• Save as file type JPEG and save it to your Desktop
• Attach it to your next reply

If the above does not work then do the below





Motherboard Info:

Download SIW from HERE and get the Standalone English version
It will install itself and when finished

Then Click on SIW Icon to run program
On the left side click on the Motherboard directory and then on the right, copy and paste the information in your next reply
On the left side click on the Sensors directory and then on the rightcopy and paste the information in your next reply.

http://www.gtopala.c...w-download.html

[rshaffer61]

0x0000009C: MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION
(Click to consult the online MSDN article.)
This is a hardware issue: an unrecoverable hardware error has occurred. The parameters have different meanings depending on what type of CPU you have but, while diagnostic, rarely lead to a clear solution. Most commonly it results from overheating, from failed hardware (RAM, CPU, hardware bus, power supply, etc.), or from pushing hardware beyond its capabilities (e.g., overclocking a CPU).

Explanation of your stop error. Lets take a look at the listed hardware.
Overheating and voltages first.
Download Speedfan (The download link is to the right), and install it. Once it's installed, run the program and post here the information it shows.
The information I want you to post is the stuff that is circled in the example picture I have attached.
To make sure we are getting all the correct information it would help us if you were to attach a screenshot like the one below of your Speedfan results.

To do a screenshot please have click on your Print Screen on your keyboard.

• It is normally the key above your number pad between the F12 key and the Scroll Lock key
• Now go to Start and then to All Programs
• Scroll to Accessories and then click on Paint
• In the Empty White Area click and hold the CTRL key and then click the V
• Go to the File option at the top and click on Save as
• Save as file type JPEG and save it to your Desktop
• Attach it to your next reply

If the above does not work then do the below





Motherboard Info:

Download SIW from HERE and get the Standalone English version
It will install itself and when finished

Then Click on SIW Icon to run program
On the left side click on the Motherboard directory and then on the right, copy and paste the information in your next reply
On the left side click on the Sensors directory and then on the rightcopy and paste the information in your next reply.

http://www.gtopala.c...w-download.html

[Anomalous]

[rshaffer61]

OK temps and voltages look good for what is showing. Just wanted to ask are you overclocking your cpu or your memory?
Lets move on to the memory now.
If you have more than one RAM module installed, try starting computer with one RAM stick at a time.

NOTE Keep in mind, the manual check listed above is always superior to the software check, listed below. DO NOT proceed with memtest, if you can go with option A

B. If you have only one RAM stick installed...
...run memtest...

1. Download - Pre-Compiled Bootable ISO (.zip)
2. Unzip downloaded memtest86+-2.11.iso.zip file.
3. Inside, you'll find memtest86+-2.11.iso file.
4. Download, and install ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/
5. Insert blank CD into your CD drive.
6. Open ImgBurn, and click on Write image file to disc
7. Click on Browse for a file... icon:



8. Locate memtest86+-2.11.iso file, and click Open button.
9. Click on ImgBurn green arrow to start burning bootable memtest86 CD:



10. Once the CD is created, boot from it, and memtest will automatically start to run. You may have to change the boot sequence in your BIOS to make it work right.

To change Boot Sequence in your BIOS

Reboot the system and at the first post screen (where it is counting up memory) start tapping the DEL button
This will enter you into the Bios\Cmos area.
Find the Advanced area and click Enter
Look for Boot Sequence or Boot Options and highlight that click Enter
Now highlight the first drive and follow the directions on the bottom of the screen on how to modify it and change it to CDrom.
Change the second drive to the C or Main Drive
Once that is done then click F10 to Save and Exit
You will prompted to enter Y to verify Save and Exit. Click Y and the system will now reboot with the new settings.


The running program will look something like this depending on the size and number of ram modules installed:




It's recommended to run 5-6 passes. Each pass contains very same 8 tests.

This will show the progress of the test. It can take a while. Be patient, or leave it running overnight.



The following image is the test results area:



The most important item here is the “errors” line. If you see ANY errors, even one, most likely, you have bad RAM.

[Anomalous]

I tested both sticks of memory and found no problems, I overclocked the CPU when I first made the computer but reset it a long time ago. I never overclocked the memory.

Not sure if the GPU could have anything to do with this, very few things cause the issues I've been having.

•Bad media as in cd: Tested

•Bad optical player: Tested

•Bad memory: Tested

•Bad HD: Replaced the HD and was able to use the computer for a little bit before the same problems returned.

•Bad CPU: Possibly, dont know how to test it.

•Bad Mobo: Dont know how to test it.

Edited by Anomalous, 03 November 2010 - 02:56 PM.

[rshaffer61]

Please run the hd diagnostic just to make sure.
Also back on post 2 I included the instructions for SIW... could you go ahead and do that one also please.

[Anomalous]

I could not get the computer to run in anything but safe mode (again), even there it randomly freezes.

when I ran SIW it showed me under motherboard:

Manufacturer: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
Model: P5WD2-E
Version: REV 1.xx
Serial Number: -----

It said nothing about chipset, also under sensor it only showed my HD temp, and it read the same as speedfan.

I'm sure there's a bunch of missing drivers, specifically windows cannot find drivers for Serial ATA controller even though the disk that came with the HD has no drivers. I'm having difficulty locating these drivers and was wondering if there is reliable program that can identify and update my drivers in Windows 7.

[rshaffer61]

Closest I can find from Asus is Vista drivers located HERE

Before installing Win 7 did you run the Win 7 upgrade adviser to make sure there were no compatibility problems?

[Anomalous]

Those drivers wont work, I did run the adviser and it passed.

[rshaffer61]

Go to

Start and then to Run
Type in Chkdsk /r Note the space between k and /
Click Enter ...It will probably ask if you want to do this on the next reboot...click Y
If the window doesn't shutdown on its own then reboot the system manually. On reboot the system will start the chkdsk operation
This one will take longer then chkdsk /f

Note... there are 5 stages...
It may appear to hang at a certain percent for a hour or more or even back up and go over the same area...this is normal...
DO NOT SHUT YOUR COMPUTER DOWN WHILE CHKDSK IS RUNNING OR YOU CAN HAVE SEVERE PROBLEMS
This can take several hours to complete.
When completed it will boot the system back into windows.

Let me know if this fixes the problem

[Anomalous]

It bahaves strangely, right now it seems to be running okay even before I ran chkdsk. I'm not even in safe mode right now.

Usually what will happen is I'll be running a game or something else that is intensive to the computers preformance and it will suddenly crash, after that first crash the computer will start freezing and crashing when trying to do anything, it seems like the longer I dont have the computer running the better its preformance next time I try using it.

My computer seems to detect all my devices okay, theres only two devices under "Other Devices". One is Serial ATA controller and the other is NTativrv01.

Edited by Anomalous, 05 November 2010 - 10:32 AM.

[rshaffer61]

I tested both sticks of memory and found no problems,

Did you run memtest on each stick for at least 6 passes?

I overclocked the CPU when I first made the computer but reset it a long time ago. I never overclocked the memory.

How soon after changing this back did the issues start?

[Anomalous]

Yes I ran memtest with no problems found, its been around two years since I changed it back.

[rshaffer61]

NTativrv01

You will need the WDM drivers to fix this issue (if you're running Windows Vista, update to the latest beta Catalysts for Windows Vista, now downloadable from ATI)

.


I think onve the above is resolved the Serial ATA controller should correct itself but if not then we can work further on that.

[Anomalous]

NTativrv01 is still under other devices, of course it was for vista and that seems to be the closest thing I can get for just about all my drivers.

Serial ATA controller problem is pretty strange, for some reason it will randomly decide to detect my HD every now and then but most of the time it cant, speedfan doesnt notice my HD. I checked to make sure all the wires where in tight and that everything was clean involving the HD