Blue Screen Of Death - 0x00000116 Bug Check Code

frugal_mike

Hi All

I posted a few weeks ago about problems I was having with my PC (poor performance in games). It turned out to be the HSF not working so I returned it for a to be fixed.

They sent it back to me last week, but now there is a new problem. Basically whenever the GPU is asked to do anything intensive it fails, often with a BSOD.

When it fails it generally starts with pixelated horizontal lines appearing across the screen, and then the screen either goes blank or multi-coloured.

Several things have caused this error so far:

1. Running games (such as TombRaider)
2. Running OCCTPT, a GPU load tester
3. Attempting to access the display properties in Windows.
4. The password prompt screen in Windows 7 (right after it boots).

Even the bios splash screen has suffered from the pixelated line issue sometimes.

The minidumps list the Bug Check Code as either 0x00000116 (no Bug Check String) or 0x0000003b (SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION). Both of these appear to be display driver related according to Google.

So far I have uninstalled and re-installed the graphics drivers, and completely removed and re-seated the graphics card. The problem has got no better.

So, is there anything else I can try before sending it back once again? Does it look like a hardware fault rather than a driver issue?

My specs are:

Radeon HD 7850 GPU
Intel i5 4430 CPU
Windows 7 64-bit

Thanks in advance

Ratboy

You have obviously done the basics, and seems like a GPU/bus error, so other things to check, BIOS settings match specs? Setup for comfort not speed to test? Heat/Ventilation issues?

Then after that mis-matched clock speeds on system / vid card ram?

And bsod, will always occur with a damaged system file, so upto a point, was anything installed/uninstalled, and does the issue relate to the initial fault, and did you get back the origional system from repair, and what was replaced, and does the initial fault relate to this - or can be linked to?

bsod - pita ! Amiga - Guru Meditation....Hmmm nice!!!!

Others are sure to add further info for you, I'm sure, good luck! Nothing worse than bsod..even after you decode it.

debitcardmayhem

Have you checked the DDR memory reseated and run memcheck before booting ?

Johnmcl7

The artifacts you've described point more to it being a hardware failure rather than software, do you ever get any artifacts in the POST screen or the Windows loading screen before it reaches the logon box?

If you can I'd try a clean Windows install and see if you're still having problems with nothing else installed apart from drivers and any basic software. Alternatively since your i5 has an onboard GPU it may be worth seeing if the machine runs ok on that to rule out other parts of your system although that won't help identify whether it's a hardware or software issue with your GPU.

John

Nilrem

Also, check the videocard fan is turning - if it's stuck/stopped (IE if you've done any work in the PC recently a cable might have moved...), that could cause the videocard to show graphical distortion once it heats up.

But generally if you're getting graphical disruption on multiple programmes* it's a sign the videocard is either overheating, or dying


*Firefox has a bug with some combinations of ATI 7 series cards and Windows 7/8 ATI drivers which can lead to little squares appearing.

frugal_mike

Thanks for all the replies. Just to answer a few of the questions:

Ratboy wrote: »

... BIOS settings match specs? Setup for comfort not speed to test? Heat/Ventilation issues?

Everything should be stock. I certainly haven't overclocked anything so it should be well within the recommended parameters. I don't think it's an overheating issue. I have various fan monitoring utilities from when I was investigating the Heat Sink Fan problem and they all show the GPU fan running and the temperature being reasonably low. Just checked now and the GPU fan is at around 1000 RPM and temperature is about 25 degrees.

debitcardmayhem wrote: »

Have you checked the DDR memory reseated and run memcheck before booting ?

No, good idea. Where's the best place to get memcheck? I have a knopix CD lying around somewhere so I imagine it will be on there if it's not installed with windows.

Johnmcl7 wrote: »

The artifacts you've described point more to it being a hardware failure rather than software, do you ever get any artifacts in the POST screen or the Windows loading screen before it reaches the logon box?

If you can I'd try a clean Windows install and see if you're still having problems with nothing else installed apart from drivers and any basic software. Alternatively since your i5 has an onboard GPU it may be worth seeing if the machine runs ok on that to rule out other parts of your system although that won't help identify whether it's a hardware or software issue with your GPU.

John

Yes, I thought the same about it being a hardware failure. It has indeed shown itself on the BIOS post screen. I'm going to try a re-install as a last resort before sending it back for a replacement graphics card. I'll give the on-board GPU a go too.

Nilrem wrote: »

Also, check the videocard fan is turning - if it's stuck/stopped (IE if you've done any work in the PC recently a cable might have moved...), that could cause the videocard to show graphical distortion once it heats up.

It certainly appears to be working according to all the software based fan monitors I've looked at. I haven't looked with the side of the case off yet though so I'll give that a go. The problems do only appear when the GPU switches to the full power mode rather than the underclocked mode it uses for just displaying Windows.


Anyway, I'm off to work now so won't actually be able to do anything for a while. I'll run memcheck, reseat the RAM, try the on-board GPU, and then ultimately re-install Windows if I have to. If after that it's still failing it will be back to Aria again.

In the 6 weeks or so I've owned this machine it's only actually been in my house house for a couple of those weeks, and I'm yet to actually play more than 20 minutes or so of a game without it failing for one reason or another! Not been a good experience so far.

Cycrow

have you checked if the power cable is properly plugged into the GPU incase its not getting enough power?

you could also try installing a different driver version incase its a bug in the current version.

it does sound like a possible hardware failure thou

frugal_mike

Ok, I didn't have time to do anything with this yesterday. I've had a play around with it tonight though.

Firstly AMD released a new driver version today so first thing I did was to install that. It made no difference at all. Coupled with the fact that previous versions of the drivers used to work fine I think it's unlikely to be a driver bug.

Secondly I opened up the case to watch the GPU fan. It is indeed turning. The GPU power cable seems very securely attached. Indeed I couldn't remove it by pulling (obviously with all the power switched off at this point!). I played around with it anyway to see if I could push it in tighter. I don't think it was a problem though. I followed the cable back to the PSU to see if it was lose at that end, but the connection appears to be on the inside of the case so I couldn't get at it. I assume it's all fine there though. It's definitely getting 'some' power.

Interestingly when I ran a test with it on its side it initially worked fine. I ran the GPU load test and it ran fine for several minutes, and the GPU fan speed increased. I then stood the machine back up and ran it again and it failed. That trend hasn't continued though. It now fails even when laying on its side.

I have some GPUz logs I took while the GPU loader was running (from when it failed). Interestingly the fan speed drops when the GPU switches from low-power mode into full-power mode. The temperature never exceeded 50 degrees before I stopped the test though, so I don't think it was overheating. It was much hotter than that when it was working.

So now that just leaves a re-install of Windows. I don't expect that to work at all because it really does look like a hardware fault, but I guess I should try that just so I can say I've done it. I'm glad I put the operating system on it's own partition now!

Ratboy

Interestingly when I ran a test with it on its side it initially worked fine. I ran the GPU load test and it ran fine for several minutes, and the GPU fan speed increased. I then stood the machine back up and ran it again and it failed. That trend hasn't continued though. It now fails even when laying on its side.

Hmm - interesting, I've had this before!

What was happening was the the motherboard wasn't aligned correctly, and screwed down tight, so the VGA card/netcard and soundcard didn't line up properly, and kept dropping out, spinning - like you did - fixed it temporarily.

What to do - unscrew mobo fixing screws slightly, and twist mobo, you will hear it creak and crack a bit maybe?

Reseat cards and make sure ports at back are aligned properly, and as suggested make sure RAM is seated/clean, I've heard that running a pencil erasor or 'rubber' along the contact can clean it (on the simm, not mobo!), but maybe urban myth?

Tighten mobo screws, not too tight, and work round them slowly, like torqueing an engine head gasket up, but make sure a good mobo to earth is available (sometimes they have plastic washers installed incorrectly, which would mean the mobo is at a floating earth, so the 0V line, would be like 0.5V or so, which would knock all other voltages out - just a theory!)

Worth a go? Rather than a full reinstall, and be faced with same issue? Good Luck!