How to debug simple repeatable TOTAL FREEZE

I am getting total freeze every time either by
- Starting Powerpoint
- Starting chat session in MSN Messenger V7 Beta.

The other odd thing with this XP system is several minute wait at boot time (at the "Windows is starting up..." screen), with no disk activity going on.

Otherwise system seems to run fine.

How can I catch the culprit? I have reinstalled and repaired the system several times, no help. In Safe mode with networking mode there is NO freeze.

By total freeze I mean mouse not moving, keyboard dead, no disk activity.

 

Its all clean as far as I can see

Thanks! After bringing the system back to SP2 level, there are no errors in the event log, prior freeze nor at boot time.

The system comes up nice and quick now though, no waits.

But same trouble, launching Powerpoint brings the solid freeze on as before.

Video driver is VANTA 4.5.2.3. What next? I saw some suggestions of
using the driver verifier. Is that the thing to try next?

 

my guess would be video subsystem, driver or card. Make sure your video driver and computer BIOS are current. From the version number looks like you are running windows update drivers. You should consider going to nvidia.com and getting latest driver from them.

 

OK, little change now, is it for the better?

Alright, I installed the latest from Nvidia and its now reporting driver 6.6.9.3.

Things are little different as well. Just trying to go into nvidia settings now freezes the system as well. And Powerpoint still hangs the system solid too. BUT, the system now automatically reboots some 15-30 secs after the freeze.

Is there some dump or log we could now inspect? Event viewer is still showing nothing.

Cheers
Juha

 

Set your PC to not automatically reboot and to generate a dump file (see the picture). That will give you a BSOD with some information and should ensure a dump file for analysis if needed.

 

Dump is completed - problem with nv4_disp

This support team works miracles!

I enabled the dump as suggested and the BSOD reports a problem caused by the following file: nv4_disp

"The device driver got stuck in an infinite loop....
...
*** STOP: 0x000000EA (4 hex numbers)

nv4_disp
Physical memory dump was completed. "

What next? This error occurs with the latest driver and also with the Windows Update level. However, in the past this system Powerpoint included has been running just fine. Should I try to locate an older video driver and stick with that?

If anybody wants to see the dump, happy to send it or make it available.

 

The raw dump file won't be much good but if you follow the instructions in This thread by Joe Hobart, you will get an analysis file that will be helpful when posted. Note that the file will probably be too large for a single post so you may have to post it in sections.

 

Short dump log in this message

Here is the dump log. Do I need some symbols and where can I get them?

====================================================
Loading Dump File [C:\MEMORY.DMP]
Kernel Complete Dump File: Full address space is 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+ *
*********************************************************************
*** ERROR: Symbol file could not be found. Defaulted to export symbols for ntoskrnl.exe -
Windows XP Kernel Version 2600 (Service Pack 2) UP Free x86 compatible
Product: WinNt, suite: TerminalServer SingleUserTS
Built by: 2600.xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158
Kernel base = 0x804d7000 PsLoadedModuleList = 0x8055ab20
Debug session time: Sun Jan 09 21:22:48 2005
System Uptime: 0 days 0:02:37.583

Loading Kernel Symbols
....................................................................................................................
Loading unloaded module list
...............................
Loading User Symbols
*******************************************************************************
* *
* Bugcheck Analysis *
* *
*******************************************************************************
Use !analyze -v to get detailed debugging information.
BugCheck EA, {82493be0, 826eaec0, f7b6ccb4, 1}
***** Kernel symbols are WRONG. Please fix symbols to do analysis.
*** ERROR: Symbol file could not be found. Defaulted to export symbols for watchdog.sys -
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for win32k.sys
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for win32k.sys
*************************************************************************
*** ***
*** ***
*** 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: win32k!DEFERRED_WATCHDOG ***
*** ***
*************************************************************************
*** ERROR: Symbol file could not be found. Defaulted to export symbols for nv4_disp.dll -
Probably caused by : nv4_disp.dll ( nv4_disp+3ed27 )
Followup: MachineOwner
---------

 

The debugger takes a fair amount of initialization to function properly, thats why i wrote a tool to do it for you

SNIPPED from debugger.chm

If you cannot find a driver combination that works, then it may not be the software thats the problem. There is no surgical analysis that can be done on these. Swap and Test methodology is the path to resolution.

 

I encountered the same "nv4_disp" error, along with an endless boot loop, after messing around with the Display settings. After disabling the automatic reboot, I got the blue screen with the "nv4_disp" information I needed.

It's a long story but after a replacement video card from Dell, a visit from a Dell tech, escalating to what I guess is Dell's top tier tech support and still no resolution, I started downloading and installing different Nvidia drivers. Fortunately, the third set I tried worked or I'd have been at it for weeks. They've put out a LOT of drivers.

I started with the newest and worked my way backwards on the driver list on this site.