Blue Screen Crashes

[kuchtab]

I began experiencing random Blue Screen crashes on my Toshiba Portege Z830 laptop. I bought it about 2 weeks ago and it started few days after. Usually, when the laptop is just idle. Once, when I started Thunderbird e-mail.

I am not an expert on Windows, I just use it. Could you help me to detect and correct the problem, please!

Thank you in advance.

 

[TrainableMan]

For help with BSOD's you need to enable minidumps (if they aren't already) and then zip and post them.

Please read this THREAD

It's also a good idea to scan for viruses.

And since you say it only started about two weeks ago, you might look to see if you have a restore point and simply attempt to recover your computer to a point prior to two weeks ago.

 

[kuchtab]

I have the minidump enabled but there is no C:\Windows\Minidump folder after the blue screen crash or at least I cannot find it. Is it hidden somewhere?

 

[TrainableMan]

Most likely all of your Windows folder is hidden. You will need to change folder options in Windows Explorer.


Also once you do get to the file you will not be able to zip it there (because you won't have write access to that folder so it cannot create the zip); usually the easiest thing is to copy it to the desktop and zip it there.

Once you have a dmp file zipped, use advanced reply to attach it to your next post.

And once you finished you might want to restore the settings in Windows Explorer to hide OS files and not show hidden.

 

[kuchtab]

I am still fighting with crashes, from time to time. Sometimes it is blue screen,sometimes it is a white box. In the second case my computer restarts. I use PC HealthBoost which corrected many things but it still happens. I still have no Minidump directory even if I can see all hidden directories. What can I do more to solve the problem? I am wondering if this is something related to the model that i am using because we have two of them and both are exhibiting the same symptoms.

 

[TrainableMan]

If both your home computers worked fine for a long time and you didn't make any changes to memory or other hardware but you suddenly start getting BSODs, etc., then would suspect the most likely cause is a virus. A virus can do some very nasty stuff including making them run erratically and/or crash.

I recommend you download and install the freeware version of Malwarebytes. Also download several versions of RKILL (a program to kill rootkits). Once you have Malwarebytes installed and RKILL saved, reboot your machine into safe mode. Then in safe mode run 2 or 3 versions of RKILL. After RKILL runs a few times (and without rebooting, so you are still in safe mode) run a full scan with Malwarebytes and have it delete any viruses found. Links to RKILL and Malwarebytes can be found in our Freeware DB (NOTE: RKILL is near the bottom of the list)

Post back the results. And if a virus is found then be sure to do the same thing on all your other computers.

Note: when you start Malwarebytes it will offer to start a trial version of their full product, be sure to say NO if you already have an anti-virus product running on your machine. The free version of Malwarebytes is passive, it does not stay resident in memory, it only runs when you manually tell it, so it will not conflict with another A/V, the trial version is an active scanner and could potentially conflict.

 

[kuchtab]

I guess the virus is possible. However, both computers started having 'blue screens' few days after we bought them (about 2 month ago). Since then, it appears from time to time. Why the minidump is not built? Is it a virus related problem?

 

[TrainableMan]

Have you already enabled minidumps, see HERE? The dumps only occur if it is an actual BSOD, the white screens you mention or other such things where the computer completely freezes up will not create DMPs.

And if you had these problems since you bought them then it is much less likely a virus, though scanning them wouldn't hurt. Components can be bad or memory mismatched or running at the wrong settings, One thing you could try is running Memtest86+ and see if you have memory problems.

Most likely you only had 30 days to return them to the store but the manufacturers warranty is likely a year or so, so you might also consider calling them.

 

[kuchtab]

I still have the blue screen problem but the minidump is not produced. Additionally, from time to time the system does not want to start giving the message:
C:/Windows/system32/config/systemprofile/Desktop relates to a location that is not available
After restart it starts correctly.
Are they related, blue screen and start problem?
Anybody can help to find the source of the problem and remove it? I am very disappointed with the model that I have bought (Portege Z830 with solid memory). My old Toshiba vista was slower but never had such problems.

What can i do to correct it without going to re-installation of the system which will obviously make some of may software not usable.

 

[TrainableMan]

Can you see an error message displayed in the blue screen?

Did you enable minidumps as explained in the link above? I never saw confirmation this had been done.

Without minidumps there is very little we can do but recommend things to do/try:

Make sure you have the latest drivers.

What Anti-Virus software are you using? It's rare but it could actually cause issues in some machines.

You said this happened from the time you bought them. What have you installed onto the machines after they arrived? hardware, example extra memory? Software, such as an anti-virus, browsers, games, office?

To be honest if a computer starts giving me fits 2 weeks after I buy it, then it gets returned for a refund and I avoid that make/model.

 

[kuchtab]

Yes, the minidump is enabled, all files and directories are visible. Each time after the blue screen I look for the C:/Windows/Minidump but there is nothing like this in the Windows directory.

It worries me that the minidump is not saved.

No hardware was was additionally installed.
After buying the laptop I installed Thunderbird, Firefox, Office2010. The anti-virus was Norton pre-installed by Toshiba.

 

[TrainableMan]

Have you called Toshiba support with this?

 

[Shintaro]

Can you please get a screen capture of "Start up and Recovery". You know the place where you set the directory for minidumps.

 

[kuchtab]

Here it is ...

 

[Shintaro]

OK so given what you said in post #9 either the hard disk is about to die or the laptop motherboard is faulty.

Run chkdsk /r

If it comes back ok and crash dumps are still not be written, then probably your laptop motherboard is broken.

Time to take it back.

 

[kuchtab]

Sorry for simple question: how should I run it? I tried in Command prompt window but there was a message that it cannot be run (see the attached image)

 

[Shintaro]

Sorry mate,

You need to say yes and then reboot. It will run when the system is restarting. It may take a while.

 

[kuchtab]

Yes, it's done. It was ok but still no minidump (I hope I look at the right place, see the attached image)

 

[Shintaro]

I think it is time you to take the Laptop back to where you bought it from.

 

[amaltom61]

Are you sure it was not a second hand laptop or Hard drive.
Check the total run time of the hdd using this tool http://sourceforge.jp/frs/redir.php?m=jaist&f=/crystaldiskinfo/56196/CrystalDiskInfo5_0_0.zip It can tell you a lot about your hdd

Try uninstalling Norton and try other antiviruses.