Freeze Up/BSOD While Playing Games in Windows Vista (Updated)

[DrSatanDracula]

Hey friends,

I am having a problem where during gameplay on several games (I list at least three below) I begin to show signs of stuttering followed by the computer locking up. When the computer locks up, it either does one of three things (from most often to least often):

1. Simply freezes, not allowing me to move the mouse, input any keys, or otherwise do anything but force a restart. During this, the audio remains stuttering in my earsets.

2. Gives me a blue screen of death. A blue screen report is found below. The game freezes (with the audio stuttering) until the Blue Screen pops up.

3. The audio stutters, I can't input any keys, but the mouse works.

I have updated the drivers for my video card, the BIOS of my mother board, and the soundcard. The soundcard I have not tested yet to see whether that has fixed the problem. I have also run a full hardware diagnostic and the full SMART test on the HD without any problems.

The problem has occurred on these three games at least:

Battlefield: Heroes
Watchmen: the End is Nigh
Dungeons and Dragons Online: Unlimited

The error report on the last Blue Screen in Windows was this:

Problem signature:
  Problem Event Name:   BlueScreen
  OS Version:   6.0.6001.2.1.0.768.3
  Locale ID:   1033

Additional information about the problem:
  BCCode:   124
  BCP1:   0000000000000000
  BCP2:   FFFFFA800867D030
  BCP3:   0000000000000000
  BCP4:   0000000000000000
  OS Version:   6_0_6001
  Service Pack:   1_0
  Product:   768_1

The C:\Windows\Minidump\Mini100309-01.dmp file is attached.


What can I do to fix this and what is the likely culprit? This is extremely frustrating.

My computer stats are:

Windows Vista 64-bit Home
4 GB RAM
768 MB NvIdia Geforce 9600 GS
Intel I7 740 quad-core 64-bit procesor at 2.93 GHZ.

I bought this computer from HP.

EDIT: It is a desktop.

EDIT: As I said in the thread, another interesting aspect of this is that the problem does not repeat itself following the forced restart or BSOD. It is only when I let the computer rest for several hours turned off (properly turned off) that when I try the games again that it occurs.

UPDATE: 12-15-2009:

The system needed a new motherboard. The problem seems to be resolved. Three lemons of a computer sent by HP. They've lost my patronage forever.

[Saving space, attachment deleted by admin]

[Broni]

Download BlueScreenView
No installation required.
Double click on BlueScreenView.exe file to run the program.
When scanning is done, go Edit>Select All.
Go File>Save Selected Items, and save the report as BSOD.txt.
Open BSOD.txt in Notepad, copy all content, and paste it into your next reply.

[DrSatanDracula]

Download BlueScreenView
No installation required.
Double click on BlueScreenView.exe file to run the program.
When scanning is done, go Edit>Select All.
Go File>Save Selected Items, and save the report as BSOD.txt.
Open BSOD.txt in Notepad, copy all content, and paste it into your next reply.

First off? Awesome program. Secondly: Thanks.

Here's the info:

==================================================
Dump File         : Mini100309-01.dmp
Crash Time        : 10/3/2009 8:27:35 PM
Bug Check String  :
Bug Check Code    : 0x00000124
Parameter 1       : 00000000`00000000
Parameter 2       : fffffa80`0867d030
Parameter 3       : 00000000`00000000
Parameter 4       : 00000000`00000000
Caused By Driver  : hal.dll
Caused By Address : hal.dll+772a
File Description  :
Product Name      :
Company           :
File Version      :
Processor         : x64
==================================================

[Broni]

So, your computer bluescreened just once?
If so, there is not much to worry about.

[Mulreay]

Is this a laptop or a desktop?

[computeruler]

Sounds like a desktop from the cpu

[DrSatanDracula]

So, your computer bluescreened just once?
If so, there is not much to worry about.

The other blue screens didn't log a minidump file. This was the only one.

Also, none of the freezings and half-freezings left a minidump file. As I said, the most common situation is just the computer freezes, followed by situations where it freezes + BSOD, and those situations where it half-freezes with mouse control but no video movement, no computer control, no response to CTRL alt delete, et cetera.

This is a generally repeatable problem, too.

[DrSatanDracula]

This is a desktop, sorry.

[Broni]

The other blue screens didn't log a minidump file.

BSOD always leaves dump file (if dump files are enabled).

Download, and install Everest Ultimate Edition 4.6: http://www.lavalys.com:8081/everestultimate460.exe
Enter following registration code (Help>Enter product key) to make it fully functional:
RHGJE-54X47-HML9C-V498I-UUMVI
(it's all legal, the above version has been recently offered as a free download)
Expand Computer folder.
Click on Sensor.
Post all info from there.
Run it, when you play some game, so it's likely, the computer will freeze.

[DrSatanDracula]

BSOD always leaves dump file (if dump files are enabled).

Download, and install Everest Ultimate Edition 4.6: http://www.lavalys.com:8081/everestultimate460.exe
Enter following registration code (Help>Enter product key) to make it fully functional:
RHGJE-54X47-HML9C-V498I-UUMVI
(it's all legal, the above version has been recently offered as a free download)
Expand Computer folder.
Click on Sensor.
Post all info from there.
Run it, when you play some game, so it's likely, the computer will freeze.

I get this error message upon putting in full functionality:

This computer seems to have an Intel "Nehalem" CPU
The Current Version of Everest does not support your system.

It also tells me I can send in a hardware report. Shall I?

The sensor data reads:

Sensor type: CPU, HDD

GPU Sensor Type: Diode (NV-Diode)

Temp:

CPU#1/Core #1         47C (117 F)
CPU#1/Core #2         47C (117 F)
CPU#1/Core #3         44C (111 F)
CPU#1/Core #3         44C (111 F)
GPU Diode             51C (124 F)
SamsungHD642JJ        26c (79  F)

[Broni]

It also tells me I can send in a hardware report. Shall I?

No.

Did you take the above reading while playing some game?

[DrSatanDracula]

No.

Did you take the above reading while playing some game?

Not yet. That was just base.

I'll be loading up the game momentarily and give you that after 5 minutes of play or thereabouts (to make sure the CPUs warm up).

[Broni]

OK.

[DrSatanDracula]

Okay. I played the game for 7 or so minutes and it froze. It didn't BSOD, but just froze (again the most common is just freezing).

CPU#1/Core#1           50c
CPU#1/Core#1           50c
CPU#1/Core#1           48c
CPU#1/Core#1           48c
GPU Diode              72c
Samusng HD642JJ        26c

I wrote down what it said at the time of crash.

[DrSatanDracula]

Another notable thing:

Once the computer is forced to restart or has a BSOD, the problem doesn't occur again. It is only when I keep the computer off for about seven hours and play the games again (in the above case it was D&D online) that I have a problem.

That is to say, it is highly likely I could go and play D&D right now and not have a problem for hours on end. But if I were to shut off my computer now, restart it at 10 am, and play? I'd most likely have a crashing scenario.