[averysadman]

My friend brought me his PC to repair, and I'm at the limit of what I can do.
He has been plagued by BSODs, and twice now I thought I had fixed it, and the issue keeps coming back, 'PFN_LIST_CORRUPT'. It's very frustrating.
So far I have:

-Run all the usual virus scans and cleaning tools
-Run Gparted with no detected problems
-Run SeaTools with no detected problems
-Run Memtest, detected and removed a faulty RAM card
-Reinstalled Windows 7 three times, once from USB, twice from retail disk, including all related drivers and updates
-Stress tested the CPU with Prime95, it's functioning fine
-Stress tested the GPU using Furmark, it's fine
-Stress tested the PSU by running at max voltage, it's fine
-Replaced the hard drive, fresh install of 7, which I thought had fixed it for a while

There doesn't seem to be any trigger, yesterday it ran Metro 2033 in 1080p DX11 for 24 hours without a single issue, today I try to run it again, immediate BSOD.
I can't think of anything else to try, and I'm not even sure this belongs in this section of the forums, but surely I've ruled out hardware issues?

Help is appreciated, as I've been working on this PC for 5 days now, and I'm stumped.

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give us the make and model numbers or if home built the mobo make and model number...
if you don't know you can get that info by going here and getting CPU-Z...launch it and click on mainboard..the make and model will be there...
get the REV number too


download and install WhoCrashed from http://www.softpedia...hoCrashed.shtml ' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>here..
This program checks for any drivers which may have been causing your computer to crash....

click on it...then run...then next...put a tick in accept...then next..put a tick in the don't create a start menu folder..then next...put a tick in create a desktop icon..then install.. then make sure there is a tick in launch whocrashed...then finish...then click Analyze ...

if you get a message
This software requires the right version of Windows Debugging Tools for your type of computer. Because this is not normally installed and is not redistributable, we suggest you select the download option from below. Then the right package will be downloaded to a temporary folder and the required files will be extracted from the package automatically. You only need to do this once
click on download then try running it again

WhoCrashed will create report...you have to scroll down to see it
Copy and paste it into your next reply..

[happyrock]

give us the make and model numbers or if home built the mobo make and model number...
if you don't know you can get that info by going here and getting CPU-Z...launch it and click on mainboard..the make and model will be there...
get the REV number too


download and install WhoCrashed from http://www.softpedia...hoCrashed.shtml ' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>here..
This program checks for any drivers which may have been causing your computer to crash....

click on it...then run...then next...put a tick in accept...then next..put a tick in the don't create a start menu folder..then next...put a tick in create a desktop icon..then install.. then make sure there is a tick in launch whocrashed...then finish...then click Analyze ...

if you get a message
This software requires the right version of Windows Debugging Tools for your type of computer. Because this is not normally installed and is not redistributable, we suggest you select the download option from below. Then the right package will be downloaded to a temporary folder and the required files will be extracted from the package automatically. You only need to do this once
click on download then try running it again

WhoCrashed will create report...you have to scroll down to see it
Copy and paste it into your next reply..

[averysadman]

Hi, sorry for the slow reply, I'll get those to you by tonight.

[happyrock]

okie-dokie...

[averysadman]

The MoBo is a GIGABYTE GA-880GM-UD2H with an M2 socket, I've included a Speccy screenshot.

Crash dump directory: C:\Windows\Minidump

Crash dumps are enabled on your computer.


On Tue 07/08/2012 03:36:57 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\080712-29078-01.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: ntoskrnl.exe (nt+0x70040)
Bugcheck code: 0x4E (0x99, 0x1A921, 0x2, 0x1A91B)
Error: PFN_LIST_CORRUPT
file path: C:\Windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: NT Kernel & System
Bug check description: This indicates that the page frame number (PFN) list is corrupted.
This appears to be a typical software driver bug and is not likely to be caused by a hardware problem. This might be a case of memory corruption. More often memory corruption happens because of software errors in buggy drivers, not because of faulty RAM modules.
The crash took place in the Windows kernel. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver which cannot be identified at this time.


On Tue 07/08/2012 03:36:57 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\memory.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: ntkrnlmp.exe (nt!KeBugCheckEx+0x0)
Bugcheck code: 0x4E (0x99, 0x1A921, 0x2, 0x1A91B)
Error: PFN_LIST_CORRUPT
Bug check description: This indicates that the page frame number (PFN) list is corrupted.
This appears to be a typical software driver bug and is not likely to be caused by a hardware problem. This might be a case of memory corruption. More often memory corruption happens because of software errors in buggy drivers, not because of faulty RAM modules.
The crash took place in the Windows kernel. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver which cannot be identified at this time.


On Mon 06/08/2012 06:19:45 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\080612-31449-01.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: ntoskrnl.exe (nt+0x71F00)
Bugcheck code: 0x4E (0x99, 0x98C8A, 0x2, 0xC99)
Error: PFN_LIST_CORRUPT
file path: C:\Windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: NT Kernel & System
Bug check description: This indicates that the page frame number (PFN) list is corrupted.
This appears to be a typical software driver bug and is not likely to be caused by a hardware problem. This might be a case of memory corruption. More often memory corruption happens because of software errors in buggy drivers, not because of faulty RAM modules.
The crash took place in the Windows kernel. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver which cannot be identified at this time.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3 crash dumps have been found and analyzed. No offending third party drivers have been found. Consider configuring your system to produce a full memory dump for better analysis.

[Ztruker]

Most of the PFN_LIST_CORRUPT BSODs I found doing some Google searches were resolved by replacing defective RAM.

You said you replaced some already but I wonder if the new one is defective or the ones not replaced have problems? Memtest doesn't always find the problem. Nothing exercises a computer like Windows.

If you have two memory modules, remove the one not replaced and run for awhile, see if the problem occurs. If not, replace it.
If you have 4 then remove two at a time and test.

[averysadman]

Most of the PFN_LIST_CORRUPT BSODs I found doing some Google searches were resolved by replacing defective RAM.

You said you replaced some already but I wonder if the new one is defective or the ones not replaced have problems? Memtest doesn't always find the problem. Nothing exercises a computer like Windows.

If you have two memory modules, remove the one not replaced and run for awhile, see if the problem occurs. If not, replace it.
If you have 4 then remove two at a time and test.

It's very unlikely, he bought two RAM cards, two 4Gb Corsair Vengeance. Both cards come in separate packages as units. One of the cards showed over 200,000 errors in Memtest within a minute of scanning, the second card showed clean after multiple passes. I removed the defective card, and I'm using the second one. Unless it's possible for a faulty RAM card to damage the slot on the motherboard, I think we can rule out RAM.
Unfortunately I don't have any other DDR3 cards that I can test, all of the ones I have on hand are DDR or DDR2, unless they're backwards compatible (which funnily enough, I have never attempted), I would have to wait for the new card to arrive.

[happyrock]

is the ram compatible with your mobo...you can check at crucial memory tester here
are both sticks of ram the exact same size and speed and made by the same manufacture...
mixing brands and speeds will occasionally work but buying matched sets is the only way to go

[averysadman]

is the ram compatible with your mobo...you can check at crucial memory tester here
are both sticks of ram the exact same size and speed and made by the same manufacture...
mixing brands and speeds will occasionally work but buying matched sets is the only way to go

He has two 4GB cards, same make, same model.
The Corsair Vengeance RAM is on the Quality Vendor List, it's 100% compatible, I also use the same motherboard and same model of RAM on my older PC.

Edited by averysadman, 09 August 2012 - 11:37 AM.

[averysadman]

Located the error, a faulty driver, usbfilter.sys.

Posting so others can find help if they're looking.

[happyrock]

thanks for letting us know...