[Chimiti]

My computer has started periodically rebooting by itself or getting BSODs.

Someone on a different Forum gave me the advice to try BlueScreenViewer and WhoCrashed so as to at least get a clue as to what might be causing the problem.

After another BSOD this afternoon, I did try those 2 Apps and they both agreed that the cause of my computer's problem was very likely caused by the ntkrnlpa.exe and ntkrpamp.exe Drivers.

What exactly is my next course of action?
Does that translate to having to update 2 Drivers? 1 Driver? THOSE exact Drivers?
If so, from where do I get whatever legit & SAFE Drivers I need to fix this rebooting / BSOD problem?

I have a Compaq Presario SR5710y Desktop computer.
It has Windows Vista Home Premium 32-Bit SP2 in it. It has 3 Gig of RAM.
It has an AMD Athlon 64 X2 4450e Processor in it.
It has 64MB NIVIDIA GeForce 6150SE nForce 430 (HP) in it.

It has avast Free 8.0.1497 as the only Real Time Anti-Malware App in it.
It has no separate Firewall other than the Windows Firewall.

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Look in C:\Windows\minidump. See if there are any .dmp files there. If yes, zip up the last 3 or 4 (no more) and upload here so we can look at them.

[Ztruker]

Look in C:\Windows\minidump. See if there are any .dmp files there. If yes, zip up the last 3 or 4 (no more) and upload here so we can look at them.

[Chimiti]

I only had 1 DMP File in there, Ztruker.
I have attached it here.

I had 2 more last week, but I eventually cleared them out in the normal course of my periodic CCleaner routine cleanings.
Well, that and I got peeved after trying to have them looked at in another Forum went nowhere.

Hopefully you can find something in there that will lead to a solid solution.

If you need more Mini Dumps ... I have a feeling before the week is over, I'll have more if you absolutely need more to zero in on the culprit.

Attached Files

•  Mini091813-01.zip   21.08KB   359 downloads

[Chimiti]

Oh WAIT! I did have another Mini Dump still stashed in my Documents Folder.

I have attached it now. So now you have a 2nd Mini Dump with which to work, Ztruker.

Attached Files

•  Chim MiniDump 09-10-2013.zip   20.49KB   327 downloads

Edited by Chimiti, 18 September 2013 - 06:52 PM.

[Chimiti]

My computer just got another BSOD as I was shutting things down to go to sleep.
I have attached the latest Mini Dump.

Attached Files

•  Mini091813-02.zip   20.64KB   312 downloads

[Chimiti]

I got yet another BSOD a while ago, just barely after trying to log Online.

I have attached the Mini Dump.

I sure hope there is a solution quickly because the problem is getting progressively more frequent now.
The reboots and BSODs used to be few and far in between, only mildly annoying.
Then they changed to appearing more frequently and being fully annoying.
And now they have picked up the pace and are borderline making me go unhinged.

Attached Files

•  Mini091913-01.zip   20.79KB   322 downloads

Edited by Chimiti, 19 September 2013 - 03:14 PM.

[Ztruker]

Mini091013-02.dmp 2013/09/10
BUGCHECK_STR: 0x4E_99
CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT: 2
DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID: VISTA_DRIVER_FAULT
PROCESS_NAME: AvastSvc.exe


Mini091013-01.dmp 2013/09/18
CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT: 1
DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID: VISTA_DRIVER_FAULT
BUGCHECK_STR: 0xA
PROCESS_NAME: svchost.exe

Mini091813-02.dmp 2013/09/18
BUGCHECK_STR: 0x4E_99
CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT: 2
DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID: VISTA_DRIVER_FAULT
PROCESS_NAME: AvastSvc.exe

Mini091913-01.dmp 2013/09/19
BUGCHECK_STR: 0x1a_403
CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT: 1
DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID: VISTA_DRIVER_FAULT
PROCESS_NAME: AvastSvc.exe

Looks like Avast is the culprit. I'd suggest uninstalling it and switching to Microsoft Security Essentials or some other free anti-virus.

[Chimiti]

Ahhhhh HAH! I strongly suspected this might be the case, Ztruker.
Why? Because last week I tried to run an avast manual FULL scan for the first time in quite a while and very early on in the scan I got BSODs on 2 consecutive attempts. That had never happened in avast scans before for me.

The thing is, then this past weekend I finally upgraded to the latest version 8.0.1497.
Then I ran an avast FULL scan ... and this time it completed without incident.
However, the BSODs in the normal course of operation of my computer continued

So, I still didn't rule out that avast might be the culprit.
And now you have confirmed my suspicion, Ztruker.
THANKS a bunch, Ztruker.

I hope you don't mind me showing the Info regarding your findings to the avast personnel.
I want to give them a chance to fix the problem. Because avast has served me very well since 2008.
It's been only in about the last 7 weeks that suddenly these reboots and BSODs started appearing.
So, it looks like something somewhere in there in avast is suddenly not playing well with my Windows Vista.

If they don't want to fix it, then I WOULD have to try another Anti-Virus.

This weekend I'll be using my sister's High Speed Internet.
I'll download Avira Antivir and maybe AVG just in case my trying to get avast to fix the problem is getting nowhere.

Thanks again for your help with my computer's problem, Ztruker!

[Chimiti]

Out of curiosity, why do BlueScreenViewer and WhoCrashed flag the ntkrnlpa.exe and ntkrpamp.exe Drivers as the culprits when the Mini Dumps flag avast as the culprit?

What is the connection?

Are BlueScreenViewer and WhoCrashed totally wrong in this case?
Or is there something legit in what they're claiming?

[Ztruker]

I honestly don't know. They must not look in the same place or as deeply as Windbg. I've often wondered that myself. It's why I don't suggest people use them any more.

[Chimiti]

Well, bottom line, you hit the nail on the head, Ztruker.
After uninstalling avast last night as per your suggestion, my computer worked perfectly today.
No random reboots. No BSODs.

[Ztruker]

That's great news. What will you replace it with? Microsoft Security Essentials is a good, basic, low impact anti-virus program. It's all I;ve used for several years now.

[Chimiti]

Well, I don't plan on replacing avast permanently.
Yesterday I E-mailed someone higher up the ladder at avast and gave him the lowdown on my problem and how so far, getting someone from avast to fix it was falling through the cracks.

So I'm gonna give avast the chance to look into what in avast was causing reboots & BSODs in my computer ... and fix it. They've fixed similar issues for other people when avast was causing them reboots and BSODs. Now if they can't fix it or choose to keep on letting my problem fall through the cracks, then yeah, I'd have to replace avast permanently.

Today when I get to use my sister's High Speed Internet, I'll download all three ... Avira, AVG and MSE. Then when I get back here, I'll one way or another decide which one to install. I'm hoping it's only for a couple of days to a week.