Windows Vista HP Desktop freezing

Hi,
I have a problem with a HP a6000 desktop, that keeps randomly freezing. It started a few weeks ago and then progressed to the screen having lines down it. I noticed the CPU heatsink was rather blocked up so I cleaned it and it behaved itself for at least a week but then it BSOD�d several times and now apart from one freeze the other night it has been ok. So it is an awkward intermittent fault.

It always passes Prime95 without errors and I have also ran ATI Tool and Freestone graphics card stress tester again without errors.

I have ran Memtest 4.2 several times for different lengths of time, always minimum of several passes, and no errors.

It is onboard graphics and because the screen messed up with the lines across it I presume it must be motherboard dying but I cant understand why it is totally fine most of the time

Here are the minidump details from the program whocrashed
System Information (local)
________________________________________

Windows Vista Service Pack 2,
CPU: Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q9300 @ 2.50GHz
3GB RAM

Crash Dump Analysis
________________________________________

On Wed 15/05/2013 6:13:24 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\Mini051513-01.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: aswsnx.sys (aswSnx+0x19C3E)
Bugcheck code: 0x1000008E (0xFFFFFFFFC0000005, 0xFFFFFFFF82892986, 0xFFFFFFFFB0A8DA38, 0x0)
Error: KERNEL_MODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED_M
file path: C:\Windows\system32\drivers\aswsnx.sys
product: avast! Antivirus
company: AVAST Software
description: avast! Virtualization Driver
Bug check description: This indicates that a kernel-mode program generated an exception which the error handler did not catch.
This appears to be a typical software driver bug and is not likely to be caused by a hardware problem.
A third party driver was identified as the probable root cause of this system error. It is suggested you look for an update for the following driver: aswsnx.sys (avast! Virtualization Driver, AVAST Software).
Google query: AVAST Software KERNEL_MODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED_M



On Tue 14/05/2013 17:48:04 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\Mini051413-02.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: ntoskrnl.exe (nt+0xA75AE)
Bugcheck code: 0x1000000A (0x170068, 0x1B, 0x1, 0xFFFFFFFF828EF5AE)
Error: CUSTOM_ERROR
file path: C:\Windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: NT Kernel & System
The crash took place in the Windows kernel. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver that cannot be identified at this time.



On Tue 14/05/2013 5:39:55 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\Mini051413-01.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: wdf01000.sys (Wdf01000+0xBA70)
Bugcheck code: 0x1000008E (0xFFFFFFFFC0000005, 0xFFFFFFFF8060EA70, 0xFFFFFFFF8B5CB8D4, 0x0)
Error: KERNEL_MODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED_M
file path: C:\Windows\system32\drivers\wdf01000.sys
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: Kernel Mode Driver Framework Runtime
Bug check description: This indicates that a kernel-mode program generated an exception which the error handler did not catch.
This appears to be a typical software driver bug and is not likely to be caused by a hardware problem.
The crash took place in a standard Microsoft module. Your system configuration may be incorrect. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver on your system that cannot be identified at this time.



On Mon 13/05/2013 17:34:21 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\Mini051313-02.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: ataport.sys (ataport+0x8094)
Bugcheck code: 0x100000D1 (0xFFFFFFFF8039E001, 0x2, 0x0, 0xFFFFFFFF8079F094)
Error: CUSTOM_ERROR
file path: C:\Windows\system32\drivers\ataport.sys
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: ATAPI Driver Extension
The crash took place in a standard Microsoft module. Your system configuration may be incorrect. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver on your system that cannot be identified at this time.



On Mon 13/05/2013 16:55:16 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\Mini051313-01.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: classpnp.sys (CLASSPNP+0x59E4)
Bugcheck code: 0x100000D1 (0x0, 0x2, 0x8, 0x0)
Error: CUSTOM_ERROR
file path: C:\Windows\system32\drivers\classpnp.sys
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: SCSI Class System Dll
The crash took place in a standard Microsoft module. Your system configuration may be incorrect. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver on your system that cannot be identified at this time.



On Sat 11/05/2013 16:02:37 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\Mini051113-01.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: intelppm.sys (intelppm+0x1406)
Bugcheck code: 0x1000008E (0xFFFFFFFFC000001D, 0xFFFFFFFF85BA4837, 0xFFFFFFFF8B563C00, 0x0)
Error: KERNEL_MODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED_M
file path: C:\Windows\system32\drivers\intelppm.sys
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: Processor Device Driver
Bug check description: This indicates that a kernel-mode program generated an exception which the error handler did not catch.
This appears to be a typical software driver bug and is not likely to be caused by a hardware problem.
The crash took place in a standard Microsoft module. Your system configuration may be incorrect. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver on your system that cannot be identified at this time.



On Fri 10/05/2013 6:24:47 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\Mini051013-01.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: ntoskrnl.exe (nt+0xB2A9B)
Bugcheck code: 0x1000008E (0xFFFFFFFFC0000005, 0xFFFFFFFF82900A9B, 0xFFFFFFFFAE47A8E0, 0x0)
Error: KERNEL_MODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED_M
file path: C:\Windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: NT Kernel & System
Bug check description: This indicates that a kernel-mode program generated an exception which the error handler did not catch.
This appears to be a typical software driver bug and is not likely to be caused by a hardware problem.
The crash took place in the Windows kernel. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver that cannot be identified at this time.



On Mon 06/05/2013 16:41:46 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\Mini050613-01.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: ntoskrnl.exe (nt+0x329CE)
Bugcheck code: 0x1000000A (0x50536C21, 0x2, 0x0, 0xFFFFFFFF8284E9CE)
Error: CUSTOM_ERROR
file path: C:\Windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: NT Kernel & System
The crash took place in the Windows kernel. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver that cannot be identified at this time.

Try this:
Take the heatsink off the processor (Run the computer for a little while first to soften the heatsink compound), thoroughly clean off the old paste from both heatsink and processor, apply new heatsink compound and reassemble.

Hi

The avast! file listed in the dump immediately lit the bulb!

Not sure what version of avast! you're running (latest is 8.0.1489) but I am aware of previous issues with the virtualisation driver (now resolved).
Download this removal tool, together with the latest version of the installer.
Uninstall avast! from the Control Panel and reboot if required. Run the removal tool for every version you had (it will automate a boot in safe mode).
Reboot normally.
Install the latest version from the installer (I strongly recommend the custom config to your own requirements).

Hope that helps!

Edited by deleted (Thu 23-May-13 13:10:37)

Hi,

Thanks for that I had seen the Avast file mentioned in the minidumps and so last night I uninstalled what was a trial version on Internet Security and installed the latest free version from the web, admittedly i didnt use the removal tool as well - i will give that a go as well.

It seems to be so intermittent though that I'm not sure if anything really works!!

I've done that, it all seems ok at the moment but that doesnt mean much as its so intermittent, but will see how i get on

Thanks

I find that machines of that vintage generally exhibit a dry grey or maybe pink crust where the heatsink pad used to be. It can cause all sorts of errors to be thrown.
Removing that crust and applying some decent compound often works wonders.

I feel your pain!

If it BlueScreens again with the same/similar avast! error, then follow the procedure I gave. If it doesn't appear in any further BS text then another possibility did occur to me...

The power supply.

Is it the original?
How old is it/the machine?

An out-of-spec voltage could also cause this sort of error in my experience.
If you agree, spend a reasonable amount on a good branded replacement (£50+) - even PC World / Maplin do bargains occasionally!

I did the removal tool on Avast and ran Prime95 for over 3hours so it has now gone back to my friend to see if she can break it again!!!

The PSU did cross my mind, it is the original one so must be about 5-6 years old.

If it plays up again I think I will try that and see what happens.......

Thanks