1

I got a BSOD when my computer was almost idle (only uTorrent was running) with stop error code 0x000000F4.

Also at the blue screen it got stuck at the 2nd step (I don't remember what it says) and as a result I don't have a minidump file.

My pc specs are:

  • Motherboard: ASUS Rampage III Extreme
  • CPU: Intel Core i7 950 @ 3,00 GHz
  • RAM: 3x2GB @ 1866 MHz
  • Windows Drive: 60 GB SSD (OCZ Agility)
  • OS: Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit

This has happened quite a few times during the one year I have this computer. The previous times the Corsair F60 SSD I had stopped working (2 SSDs dead).

The problem is that I cannot reproduce the problem so that we find out the cause. Is it something with the controller of the motherboard? What should I do?

Improve this question
5
  • if only when "idle" for a long time, and normally has no problems, could it be any of the win7 Scheduled items , if your computer is normally wonderfull but fails at 3am every night :-) Check out the history in the scheduled tasks. That particular error is attributed to hardware and driver issues most.
    – Psycogeek
    Commented Oct 4, 2011 at 0:51
  • 1
    The problem rises not only when idle but also if I recall correctly when I was watching a youtube video. How to check the history in the scheduled tasks? But how can I determine which driver might be faulty?
    – Chris
    Commented Oct 5, 2011 at 22:33
  • I have had a weird problem with the way they use the video card for 3D processing the mostly 2D stuff on the desktop. the very light load on the video card. I applied more GPU FAN using a fan graph, and those problems went completely away. I suspect that the video ram was not being cooled well enough. Could play 3d games harsh 3d test, but when it came to this slow low burn :-) the fan wouldnt kick up well enough. video card screws up.
    – Psycogeek
    Commented Oct 5, 2011 at 22:57
  • My gpu is gtx280 o.c. by msi. It does reach high temps. But what do you mean? What can I do? :S If this isn't the problem I don't want the fan of the GPU (a small one) making all that noise :S
    – Chris
    Commented Oct 6, 2011 at 1:06
  • it was just one thing, MSi afterburner (utility) has the ability to create a fan graph. so you can have better cooling and still control things. For TESTING a problem, excessive fan speeds temporarily can be usefull. sure nobody wants to hear that, but I need to find out what causes the problem.
    – Psycogeek
    Commented Oct 6, 2011 at 1:24

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
3

I suffered the dreaded F4 stop error and discovered it was all due to power management.

In the latest install, I have disabled BIOS support for power management on my MSI-7522 mobo (X58 chipset, Core i7-920, 24GB RAM) and selected Performance power profile with no modifications.

System was crashing during the night, always at idle, and research told me a critical thread was being terminated and the system restarted to avoid other unpleasant conditions.

No BIOS PM support, no Windows changes to the performance profile, and the box remained stable for fifteen days. Looks like I found my problem, hope this helps you, too.

Improve this answer
2
  • How can I turn off power management at BIOS? I have looked around at my BIOS but didn't find any of these options. Also, I don't want to change the profile to performance because CPU minimum load is 100% and thus it's working in full load all the time.
    – Chris
    Commented Oct 5, 2011 at 22:37
  • CE states and stepping are the power mananagement items in the bios, the new boards really work well with theses things, especially stepping is working good even OCed. plus any standby states, how far it can go down on standby S1 S3 not sure if you have them. at the Overclock site, they select only specific CE states for some reason.
    – Psycogeek
    Commented Oct 5, 2011 at 23:09
2

BSOD issues come in many shapes and forms and have been covered here, I suggest checking other questions and answers on SuperUser.

In particular because you have the OCZ Agility check my answer here, as it also uses the SandForce controller that's causing issues for a lot of people:

Vertex 3 with Asus P8P67 Pro (B3) locks up

Other debug/BSOD info:

Any advice on what to do when getting a cryptic blue screen in windows?

How to diagnose Blue Screens in Windows 7 (64bit)

What can cause a BSOD

Diagnosing BSOD hardware issues .

Microsoft Bug check page for F4

.

Improve this answer
3
  • 1
    I have just found out that the RAM I use is not at the qualified vendor list. Mine is OCZ3B2000C9LV2G (3x2GB for triple channel).Also I had set at the BIOS the DRAM freq at 1866MHz and it automatically O.C. the system. Now I have set it at 1600MHz which is one of the default freqs my motherboard supports. Could that be the problem? Also the SSD's firmware is 2.06. Should I upgrade it to the latest? Additionally, about the BSOD this is what I have found at the log viewer about critical events happened in a weeks period: dl.dropbox.com/u/44329838/event41%20kernel-power.txt
    – Chris
    Commented Oct 6, 2011 at 0:41
  • 1
    Didn't have chars left, so I continue here: What also troubles me is that the F4 BSOD has happened before but with an Corsair F60 SSD. At your reply you mention these solutions: 1) Attempt to get it refunded under warranty / place of purchase (check with manufacturer) ->have already done this twice (with the 2 Corsair F60 SSDs) 2) Attempt to qualify for a replacement (check with manufacturer) 3) Update BIOS on your motherboard -> latest BIOS 4) Disable hibernate ->done 5) Wait for OCZ and SandForce to fix it. -> With the 2 previous SSDs the device itself malfunctioned after a while.
    – Chris
    Commented Oct 6, 2011 at 1:00
  • Which means that it couldn't be recognised at the BIOS.
    – Chris
    Commented Oct 6, 2011 at 1:03
0

This problem appears due to problematic system files and settings. There is a tool called Windows Memory Diagnostic which conducts memory tests to identify RAM problem. Run the tool and check if that solves your problem. You can use a hotfix available online. Alternatively, the steps given below can be very useful for you. Follow them until your issue is completely fixed:

Run Windows Memory Diagnostic

  1. Open the Start Screen.
  2. Type Windows Memory Diagnostic.
  3. Press ENTER.
  4. Click Restart now and check for problems.

Use System Restore

  1. Open the Start Screen.
  2. Type System Restore.
  3. Press ENTER.
  4. Click Next, select a restore point and then continue the wizard.

Run System File Checker

  1. Open the Start Screen.
  2. Type Command Prompt.
  3. Press ENTER.
  4. Type SFC /SCANNOW in the window and press ENTER.
  5. Restart your computer when you're done.
Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .