First time site user here, would appreciate some help on a Windows 7 BSOD

[Orogenesis]

Greetings,

Just recently I got my ASUS laptop back from repair (for a variety of hardware reasons, they replaced GPU, motherboard, and 1 hard drive), and decided to install Windows 7 on it. It performs great and I love the new features, it really is what Vista should have been.
I am still learning the ins and outs of it and it's very refreshing.

Well about 2 hours ago I was just watching a movie when all of a sudden it hanged and I received the dreaded BSOD.
Didn't mind this at first, since it gave me the opportunity to explore 7's event viewer.
After realizing it still sucks I threw it into Windows debugger and came up with this:
(shortened version)

Loading Dump File [C:\Windows\Minidump\020810-21808-01.dmp]
Mini Kernel Dump File: Only registers and stack trace are available

Symbol search path is: *** Invalid ***
****************************************************************************
* Symbol loading may be unreliable without a symbol search path. *
* Use .symfix to have the debugger choose a symbol path. *
* After setting your symbol path, use .reload to refresh symbol locations. *
****************************************************************************
Executable search path is:
*********************************************************************
* Symbols can not be loaded because symbol path is not initialized. *
* *
* The Symbol Path can be set by: *
* using the _NT_SYMBOL_PATH environment variable. *
* using the -y <symbol_path> argument when starting the debugger. *
* using .sympath and .sympath+ *
*********************************************************************
Unable to load image \SystemRoot\system32\ntoskrnl.exe, Win32 error 0n2
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ntoskrnl.exe
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ntoskrnl.exe
Windows 7 Kernel Version 7600 MP (2 procs) Free x64
Product: WinNt, suite: TerminalServer SingleUserTS
Built by: 7600.16385.amd64fre.win7_rtm.090713-1255
Machine Name:
Kernel base = 0xfffff800`02a62000 PsLoadedModuleList = 0xfffff800`02c9fe50
Debug session time: Mon Feb 8 04:27:46.833 2010 (GMT-8)
System Uptime: 1 days 5:26:27.327
*********************************************************************
* Symbols can not be loaded because symbol path is not initialized. *
* *
* The Symbol Path can be set by: *
* using the _NT_SYMBOL_PATH environment variable. *
* using the -y <symbol_path> argument when starting the debugger. *
* using .sympath and .sympath+ *
*********************************************************************
Unable to load image \SystemRoot\system32\ntoskrnl.exe, Win32 error 0n2
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ntoskrnl.exe
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ntoskrnl.exe
Loading Kernel Symbols
...............................................................
................................................................
.............................
Loading User Symbols
Loading unloaded module list
..........
*******************************************************************************
* *
* Bugcheck Analysis *
* *
*******************************************************************************

Use !analyze -v to get detailed debugging information.

BugCheck A, {0, 2, 0, fffff80002a1b477}

***** Kernel symbols are WRONG. Please fix symbols to do analysis.

*************************************************************************
*** ***
*** ***
*** Your debugger is not using the correct symbols ***
*** ***
*** In order for this command to work properly, your symbol path ***
*** must point to .pdb files that have full type information. ***
*** ***
*** Certain .pdb files (such as the public OS symbols) do not ***
*** contain the required information. Contact the group that ***
*** provided you with these symbols if you need this command to ***
*** work. ***
*** ***
*** Type referenced: nt!_KPRCB ***
*** ***
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for hal.dll
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for hal.dll
*************************************************************************
*********************************************************************
* Symbols can not be loaded because symbol path is not initialized. *
* *
* The Symbol Path can be set by: *
* using the _NT_SYMBOL_PATH environment variable. *
* using the -y <symbol_path> argument when starting the debugger. *
* using .sympath and .sympath+ *
****************************************************************************
Probably caused by : ntoskrnl.exe ( nt+71f00 )

Followup: MachineOwner

So after doing some research on ntoskrnl.exe for the last hour I can't come up with anything specific. They way I figure it could be a bad driver, bad boot.ini, wireless card management instructions, or it could be because I just recently installed Win 7?
I even read something about it being an indication of a possible rootkit on my machine.

This leads me all to you, I read a post from your forum, and you all seem like a knowledgeable bunch
My question then becomes: Any definite answers to be had here? And since this is the first time it's happened should I let it go for now? Or should I be worried and be taking preventative measures? I hope this isn't indicative of some damage to my laptop incurred at the ASUS repair center

Since the reboot everything seems to be working fine....
Could this be a somewhat common issue that isn't cause for alarm, or should I start running chkdsk while mumbling curses under my breath?

Any advice or input is appreciated
Thanks.

 

[Route44]

The issue with Windows OS drivers which ntoskrnl.exe is a core one is that they are usually too general to be of much help.

The error code 0xA is either caused by hardware or a driver attempting to address a higher IRQ Level it has no business doing.

Can you attach the minidump in your next posting? If you only have one or two you don't need to ZIP them unless they are so large that you have to.

 

[Orogenesis]

Hi,

Yeah I figured it was pretty general, but hey, at least it's a lead to start the search for the issue

And what I posted up there is pretty much the entirety of the minidump.
It included a bunch of repetition which I didn't post, but I could very well have missed something important.

Here is the whole file: (missed the size upload by 85kb lol)

 

[Route44]

Your error is 0xA and the specific driver cited is a wireless adapter driver NETw5s64.sys Many, many people have issues with this one. Update your NIC/wireless drivers.

 

[Orogenesis]

Thanks Route44! So I don't have to start dreading hard-disk failure
Since I am an avid learner I would love to know how you figured it out and how you were able to narrow it down.

That way I can impart my knowledge onto the next person,
Good detective job though

 

[Route44]

I did use the Windows Debugger but perhaps you used a different version of it. The two things always to look at in a minidump are a) the error code and b) the Probable Cause.

This is not fool proof nor perfect because often Windoews OS drivers are listed or nothing is definitively cited as the cause. When I read your minidump file it gave both error code and NETw5s64.sys which I did a search on and thus learning what kind of driver.

 

[Orogenesis]

Well Route44 I'm back a day later with something for ya if you're here.
Despite me having gone to Intel's site and downloading the latest NIC drivers, I've still gotten 2 more BSOD's since, about seemingly the same thing.
I have attached 2 additional memory dumps as well as the original one, to see if you can dig anything up.

The weirdest thing is that in the last 2 days this hasn't happened while the computer was in use, I'll go to bed and leave it on, then when I wake up in the morning it's turned off, and when I turn it back on it tells me I had another BSOD.

Frustrating....it must be some sort of firmware issue related to me transferring over to Win7 maybe? When I originally bought the laptop it came with Vista.

Any further assistance is highly appreciated.

 

[Route44]

You are correct; all three errors and the cited driver as the cause of your crashes are as before.

Try this: Go to your laptop's manufacture's website, find your exact model and update drivers from there. I should have directed you to do this in the first place because people find a much better experience by doing so.

You may want to update other drivers as well and, yes, it could be due to your upgrade to 7.

Keep us up-to-date.

 

[Orogenesis]

Sorry it took me like a week to get back to you...but after trying 3 separate drivers I finally seem to have found a set that work.
I'm now going on 3 days without a BSOD, which is a record since getting the laptop back.

We will see if it holds up lol
Thanks for all the help though for sure.

 

[Route44]

Thanks for getting back to us. Where did you find the correct drivers, i.e. source?

 

[Orogenesis]

I dug deep in the ASUS driver archive, let's put it that way lol.

 

[Route44]

I dug deep in the ASUS driver archive, let's put it that way lol.

Ouch! Good work! I'm amazed it took an archived driver to work under a Windows 7 install. One would think it required the newest drivers but since this is the world of computing anything can happen.

 

[Orogenesis]

Exactly....fickle things these computers aren't they

 

[Orogenesis]

Lol I guess I'm eating my words now....
For the last few days I've been getting the same damn BSOD's again.....tried to rectify it without going back here again but to no avail.
It gives me the same damn error each time (related to the wireless adapter), and I now have like 12 memory dumps haha
I tried going back to a driver a few months old, that worked fine for a few days, but then just now I got it again, so I uninstalled that and installed the one that windows finds by itself, it seems to be newer.
I have no faith that this will hold up either, but I'm at a loss of what to do besides getting a new wireless card (not really an option because it's a pain in the *** on a laptop), or uninstalling Windows 7 (also not really an option because besides this, Win7 is totally awesome, and going back to Vista would be torture).

Any ideas? Route44? You've stuck by me this long and I appreciate it, but I think we've been defeated by this BSOD haha

Worst case scenario I'll just live with it....happens once every few days or so now...and the computer recovers each time without issue, but who knows what that could do long term

 

[Archean]

I am sure LA will be back at this soon; but perhaps it is an hardware issue with wireless adapter itself?

 

[Orogenesis]

Well one would think right? But I used it just fine for weeks under Vista, only when I upgraded to Win7 and started messing with the drivers did this happen.

Ugh...maybe it's fried itself anyway....but if it was a hardware issue why would the BSOD's occur so infrequently?

 

[Route44]

I have been thinking the same thing as Archean but for clarification did the BSODs start occuring again after the Windows 7 updating?

Attach your five most recent dumps.

 

[Orogenesis]

Hey guys sorry it took me a week, been busy with class

You mean updating Windows 7 itself through windows update or the switch from Vista to 7?
If the former then no that has made no difference, if the latter then yes, that seems to be the biggest over-arching issue, because I never had these BSOD's before going to 7.

But here are all my dumps in one file.
So it comes out to 18 dumps total, all caused by these BSOD's....just had one before making this post in fact.

I just don't understand why the drivers won't take Windows 7....it must be a comparability issue because if it was hardware related then the same thing would have happened in Vista.

Frustrating.

Wait it won't let me attach....I've forgotten how to lol, I click on manage attachments and nothing happens.

 

[Route44]

Are these new dumps since the last ones posted because we only need the new ones. ZIP compresses the files. I take it you are using the ZIP utility?

 

[Orogenesis]

Hey guys, finally got the attachment button to work.

I attached the last 5 crash dumps for your perusal (I tried to add all of them but the file went over the size limit haha).

The last one happened 5 minutes ago

I'm still at a loss of what to do about this besides buying a new wireless card or going back to Vista *shudders*


Any help is appreciated as always.

 

[Route44]

Same as before. All error codes are 0xA and all cite same old NETw5s64.sys.

If this is onboard NIC disable it and install a NIC card.

If it is an installed card get another one. When hardware goes bad no amount of updates will help it.