BSOD when exiting a game

[Sclify]

Hello,

 

As this my first post, i'd like to salute all the members of Linus Tech Tips wonderful community.

 

So, my problem is that when I exit Starcraft II Hots I almost always get a BSOD (SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION, 0x0000003b) related to win32k.sys+c4283 with ntoskrnl.exe+71f00 crash adress. It is unusual because it only happened in SC2, other games did not have this issue.

 

Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate on 64bit

Specs: Laptop: TOSHIBA Satellite S50-A with an i5 - 3230m CPU, 4 GB of RAM, nVidia Geforce 740m with 2 GB VRAM (Bought in september 2013)

BIOS: Insyde Corp. 1.20, 15/05/2013

 

Overheating i believe is not an issue, i will include a log which i made with HWiNFO64 just before it crashed (The bottom entry was in the exact moment when it crashed), also i always monitor my cpu and gpu temperatures in game with msi afterburner (i do not touch the overclock functions), HWiNFO64 and rivatuner.

I will include event viewer logs and blue screen view logs aswell.

I did a sfc /scannow and a chkdsk /r scan which both ended with no errors.

 

Thank you, best regards,

 

- Sclify

 

Event viewer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2ry-JD12M53NmpPVFdudXhJd3M/edit?usp=sharing

 

HWiNFO64(excel format): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2ry-JD12M53NXJnMEpXS3hPalU/edit?usp=sharing

 

HWiNFO64(CSV format): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2ry-JD12M53b1N0ZWdnbERJWHc/edit?usp=sharing

 

Minidumps Archive: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2ry-JD12M53RWFIZHlyLTdFbjQ/edit?usp=sharing

 

Blue screen view: Blue screen last 5 entries.txt

[zsanfusa]

First try this-

https://support.microsoft.com/kb/980932

 

Those two windows system files may hint at a corrupt driver.  Try reinstalling your graphics driver.  If that doesn't work use Toshiba's Display Adapter driver from their website, and if all of this fails your onboard graphics card could be crapping out on you.  I had a Toshiba Satellite A665 with an i7 and those symptoms are very close to what i experienced before the card went haywire

[Sclify]

First try this-

https://support.microsoft.com/kb/980932

Those two windows system files may hint at a corrupt driver. Try reinstalling your graphics driver. If that doesn't work use Toshiba's Display Adapter driver from their website, and if all of this fails your onboard graphics card could be crapping out on you. I had a Toshiba Satellite A665 with an i7 and those symptoms are very close to what i experienced before the card went haywire

Hello zsanfusa and thank you for the very fast reply !

I tried what you just told me and i'm afraid i successfully made it BSOD again,(It BSOD when i was Alt-tabbed). My graphics driver is the latest one from nVidia for my card, GeForce 337.88 Driver. I had issues like these before 1 or even 2 updates ago.

Regarding TOSHIBA's drivers, i rather stay away from those ones, because i saw that they have alot of stability issues and are very old.

I am afraid of updating the BIOS because i never done it.

I will attach the next event viewer log with the BSOD : https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2ry-JD12M53OFlubkN3STVwajQ/edit?usp=sharing

Best regards,

- Sclify

EDIT: I will run memtest86 for a while then i will come with the results.

Best regards,

- Sclify

EDIT: After 3 passed memtest86 loops it has shown no errors, which excludes the faulty RAM idea, any suggestions?

Thank you, best regards,

-Sclify

Edited July 29, 2014 by Sclify

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

I looked up the bug code, and it states it's excessive page pool. This means your ram is hitting 100%, and heavily paging. Increase the size of the page file, or instal more RAM

 

Edit: 4GB of ram is enough for daily, normal usage like web browsing, but I'd say 8 is the min for gaming.

[Sclify]

I looked up the bug code, and it states it's excessive page pool. This means your ram is hitting 100%, and heavily paging. Increase the size of the page file, or instal more RAM

 

Edit: 4GB of ram is enough for daily, normal usage like web browsing, but I'd say 8 is the min for gaming.

Hello SlayerOfHellWyrm, thank you for your reply!

 

As you are saying, i can escape buying more RAM by increasing the page file. My question is, how much more should i increase it?

 

Best regards,

 

- Sclify

 

EDIT: At the moment, the page file size is 3971MB.

 

EDIT: Coincidence or not, a new version of my graphics card driver just popped up, therefore i will proceed installing it aswell.

Edited July 29, 2014 by Sclify

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

Hello SlayerOfHellWyrm, thank you for your reply!

 

As you are saying, i can escape buying more RAM by increasing the page file. My question is, how much more should i increase it?

 

Best regards,

 

- Sclify

 

EDIT: At the moment, the page file size is 3971MB.

Well, yes. Increasing the max page file size would allow more paging, hopefully enough to bypass the BSOD. If all else fails, more RAM would almost certainly fix it. Increase the max page size to 8,192 or even better 12,288. Dislaimer htough, TechNet has occasionally forgotten to list causes of bug check codes, so their could be another reason.

[Sclify]

Well, yes. Increasing the max page file size would allow more paging, hopefully enough to bypass the BSOD. If all else fails, more RAM would almost certainly fix it. Increase the max page size to 8,192 or even better 12,288. Dislaimer htough, TechNet has occasionally forgotten to list causes of bug check codes, so their could be another reason.

Thank you for your assistance SlayerOfHellWyrm!

 

After the newer graphics driver installs i will increase the paging file size to 12288,after i will try to make it BSOD again then i will come here and report back.

 

Best regards,

 

- Sclify

[Sclify]

Ok, so for my test, i thought that i should do an overkill one, i used starcraft 2 unit preloader map (which loads all units/buildings in game in RAM), then opened 40 chrome tabs spread in 2 chrome windows and started skyrim on steam too.

Before i was opening starcraft and playing it at 2 - 2.5 gb of used ram.

Now i was able to run it at 3.8gb of used ram and could load all the units in the game/play a game with the AI.

 

Besides my system being extremely slow and sluggish i was able to exit and alt tab between windows WITH NO CRASH/BSOD. 

 

Therefore i came to thank you guys (Linus Tech Tips Community), especially SlayerOfHellWyrm, and zsanfusa for solving my laptop issue that i probably never i couldve solved myself. 

 

Seems like increasing the page file minimum value size to 5956 MB and the maximum to 12288 MB aswell as installing the newest graphics card driver (version 340.52) solved that worrying BSOD.

 

If the issue reappears (I HOPE NOT!) i will be here searching for help aswell.

 

You guys have gained a trustful member which will be forever grateful for helping him.

 

Thank you!

 

Best regards,

 

- Sclify

[zsanfusa]

Hello zsanfusa and thank you for the very fast reply !

I tried what you just told me and i'm afraid i successfully made it BSOD again,(It BSOD when i was Alt-tabbed). My graphics driver is the latest one from nVidia for my card, GeForce 337.88 Driver. I had issues like these before 1 or even 2 updates ago.

Regarding TOSHIBA's drivers, i rather stay away from those ones, because i saw that they have alot of stability issues and are very old.

I am afraid of updating the BIOS because i never done it.

I will attach the next event viewer log with the BSOD : https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2ry-JD12M53OFlubkN3STVwajQ/edit?usp=sharing

Best regards,

- Sclify

EDIT: I will run memtest86 for a while then i will come with the results.

Best regards,

- Sclify

EDIT: After 3 passed memtest86 loops it has shown no errors, which excludes the faulty RAM idea, any suggestions?

Thank you, best regards,

-Sclify

 

Here is your clues to the issues in the event log.  The fifth and sixth events are an application error  followed by the Application hang, or when SC2 crashes.  here is event error six...

 

Faulting application name: nvstreamsvc.exe, version: 2.1.214.0, time stamp: 0x53809acd

Faulting module name: ntdll.dll, version: 6.1.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5be02b

Exception code: 0xc0000005

Fault offset: 0x000000000004d294

Faulting process id: 0xa54

Faulting application start time: 0x01cfab1d216eae14

Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\NVIDIA Corporation\NvStreamSrv\nvstreamsvc.exe

Faulting module path: C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll

 

Nvstreamsvc.exe is nvidia streaming service and when it is requested by the windows kernel (ntoskrnl.dll).  Ntdll.dll is the specific DLL that passes the Nvidia service API to the windows kernel.  So its simple.  More than likely it is simply nvidia streaming service that is causing the crash.  When I googled the nvidia file multiple troubleshooting forums were related to this issue.  Try to uninstall or disable the service (if you have questions feel free to ask).  If that fails which I doubt it will, then more than likely some GDDR on the grapics card is corrupt.  In that case:

 

Is your lappy still under warranty?  If it is RMA it to Toshiba ASAP.  Toshiba is great Co. and they will send a box and label for free to mail to their repair facility.  Looking at the fact you have a 740m it leads me to believe the one year warranty is still valid.

 

[Sclify]

Here is your clues to the issues in the event log.  The fifth and sixth events are an application error  followed by the Application hang, or when SC2 crashes.  here is event error six...

 

Faulting application name: nvstreamsvc.exe, version: 2.1.214.0, time stamp: 0x53809acd

Faulting module name: ntdll.dll, version: 6.1.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5be02b

Exception code: 0xc0000005

Fault offset: 0x000000000004d294

Faulting process id: 0xa54

Faulting application start time: 0x01cfab1d216eae14

Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\NVIDIA Corporation\NvStreamSrv\nvstreamsvc.exe

Faulting module path: C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll

 

Nvstreamsvc.exe is nvidia streaming service and when it is requested by the windows kernel (ntoskrnl.dll).  Ntdll.dll is the specific DLL that passes the Nvidia service API to the windows kernel.  So its simple.  More than likely it is simply nvidia streaming service that is causing the crash.  When I googled the nvidia file multiple troubleshooting forums were related to this issue.  Try to uninstall or disable the service (if you have questions feel free to ask).  If that fails which I doubt it will, then more than likely some GDDR on the grapics card is corrupt.  In that case:

 

Is your lappy still under warranty?  If it is RMA it to Toshiba ASAP.  Toshiba is great Co. and they will send a box and label for free to mail to their repair facility.  Looking at the fact you have a 740m it leads me to believe the one year warranty is still valid.

 

 

Hey zsanfusa, thank you for the reply!

 

When i got rid of that kernel power bsod by increasing the page file (i think it did, anyway this is the order i've done it) i also uninstalled the geforce driver and installed a newer version which got published yesterday on 29th, that got rid of the nvstreamsvc.exe bsod.

 

Yes, my lappy is still under warranty i was also thinking of going to the place where i bought it from and let the tech team handle it, but seems like i don't need it anymore because my event viewer is clean of errors and critical errors messages. Today i played sc2 until now, no issue so far.

 

I have 1 question though, by increasing the page file to 12GB i think it slowed down my system (booting takes longer, opening apps takes longer), do you think i can now try resizing the page file to a lower value so i can get a bit of speed back?

 

Thank you,

 

Best regards,

 

- Sclify

[zsanfusa]

No.  Let windows manage the size of your pagefile, but if you really want to manage it yourself make sure that at least 24 GB are committed to windows (RAM + pagefile).  E.g. 8 GB RAM + 16 GB pagefile.sys = 24 GB

[Sclify]

No.  Let windows manage the size of your pagefile, but if you really want to manage it yourself make sure that at least 24 GB are committed to windows (RAM + pagefile).  E.g. 8 GB RAM + 16 GB pagefile.sys = 24 GB

I don't really want to mess with the pagefile.sys so, should i let windows decide better what's its size or modify it how SlayerOfHellWyrm advised me to (which is the config i am running now) or increase it further more as you advised me to do?

 

Thank you,

Best regards, 

 

- Sclify

[zsanfusa]

move it to the middle option the click set.  This lets windows dynamically manage (adjust as needed) the pagefile.sys file.

[zsanfusa]

Page file is like repository where windows can stick unused or under used apps and processes, running in the background (its an old system that goes to when RAM was measured in MB not GB).  So the size really depends more on what your pc is running at that given moment, which explains why I let windows manage itself.

[Sclify]

After i modified it, i restarted my pc and i noticed the booting time got to normal again, but as it booted i entered in event viewer and something new appeared

 

Link to the new event viewer log: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2ry-JD12M53STBaajhfWFVaZXc/edit?usp=sharing

 

Should I be worried?

 

I made some screens too.

 

Thank you,

 

Best regards,

 

- Sclify

 

EDIT: After googleing a bit, i've found a possible solution to my new issue: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-performance/circular-kernel-context-logger-error-0xc0000188/d2aa4b79-be60-43d0-8d31-0072235a8f43

I've applied method number 2 because method number one was not needed. After restart, there were no more error logs in the event viewer.

 

Thank you,

 

Best regards,

 

- Sclify

 

EDIT #2: Ran the overkill test again, i was still able to exit sc2 and alt-tab between windows with no BSOD. I think the problem is now sorted out.

 

Thank you.

 

Best regards,

 

- Sclify