Windows Vista BSOD WUDFRd.sys Vista 64

Hi everyone,

Im experiencing a strange BSOD and Im desperate, please check out my problem and try to give me some advice cause Im running out of options.

My system, which has been working flawlessly for some months until yesterdary:

Intel Core 2 Duo 6850, 3GHZ
ASUS Striker Extreme, latest BIOS (1305)
4 x 1GB OCZ 800 Platinum Rev.2
2 x GeForce 8800 GTS 640 (latest nvidia drivers)
Termaltake Toughpower 750W
2 x Optical Drive
1 x Western Digital Raptor X 150G
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200 400G
1 x Maxtor 150 GB
Standar mouse and KB
Vista Home Premium 64
Kaspersky Antivirus 7.0
COMODO Firewall Pro

On original installation, the problematic hardware was: the MOBO (Striker Extreme boasts a wipping collection of annoyances with RAM, SATA connections and VISTA) and the 4 GB - Vista INstallation Issue. It took me a while to figure out things, but I finally managed to get everything up and running, for some months now, until yesterday.

Yesterday's Hardware Upgrade:

Additional 1 x Western Digital Raptor X 150 GB
Logitech G15 Keyboard (and drivers)
Logitech G9 Mice (no drivers needed)

So, I get these three upgrades on my machine, start up normally. When Windows starts loading (horizontal bar with green "minibar" moving from left to rigth), Blue Screen with "Windows has shut down to prevent damage on your computer" (STOP 0X000000-dont remember final number), pointing WUDFRd.sys as the error. It starts countdown with something like "Dumping error on file ", it gets to 100% and restarts machine. Cant pass through this point, though Im able to enter the system in Safe Mode, Network Mode and System simbol C:\

Now, my procedure facing this issue:

1. Unplug all new hardware (unplug the new WD HDD, revert to previous mice and KB). No result, same screen.

2. In safe mode, run CHKDSK /c /f . It finds some broken files, fixes everything. Restart computer... "Bootmgr missing, Type Ctlr+Sup+Del to restart

3. Unplug every single HDD and Optical Drive, except my C:, still "Bootmgr missing "

4. Boot from Vista DVD, try a System Repair. My OS is not listed when selecting for Repair

Now I take a break, and try to make up my mind of what could possibly cause this mayhem. My thoughts:

1. Driver conflict - Perhaps Logitech G15 KB drivers crashed system
2. PSU - Perhaps 750 W is not enough juice for all these things
3. One of my 4 modules of RAM is dead
4. SATA - A fatal combination of the MOBO+Vista 64+HDDs+Vista recent updates (improved compatibility with drivers, meh) is causing havoc with my SATA connections.

I get fed up with brainstorming pretty fast, so I took direct format approach.

1. Unplug all SATA except C:, unplug 1 optical drive, use original mice and KB, use just 1 RAM module
2. Boot from Vista DVD, fromat C:, create new volume, start installation.
3. Installation finished succesfully, begin downloading all Vista Upgrades.
4. Finished with upgrades, installed Kaspersky, COMODO and the rest of standard apps (Nero, WinRar, iTunes...)
5. During a user restart...The same Black Screen is back, pointing to WUDFRd.sys
6. Refrain myself of throwing my PC through the window
7. Try restart using the other 3 RAM modules, one at a time, same screen with the 4 of them
8. Using F8 I do a memory test, all of them seem to be OK (ran test through the whole night)
9. I can still get to the system via Safe Mode/Network/Simbol
10. Repair utility from Vista DVD wont list my OS. I dont want to run chkdsk again from symbol since last time it took me straight to "bootmgr missing ".
11. To discard HDD failure I swap my original one with the new WD 150GB, install all over again (from point 1 on this list) on this new, immaculate HDD. Exactly same message

Speculations:

1. The PSU. 750W should be enough, it ran perfectly yesterday. It should run when stripped from additional HDD and optical drives. Still, I have no means to check it since its the only one I have.

2. Ram. Tough ran all tests, including memtest, I still have to put it on this list.

3. Wester Digital Raptor X hates my system. It could be something with the drivers, Ill check today if I can run a stable Vista installation on the Maxtor or the Seagate.

4. MOBO. I really hate ASUS. Anyway, maybe the CMOS got corrupted. Shall I clrCmos?? I have no idea on CMOS stuff, how can it get corrupted?? Im positive my system had no virus, at least McAffee, Kaspersky, Counterspy and COMODO said so...

5. SATA. Maybe the SATA on my mobo is causing problems with Vista and the drivers. Hard to tell, since every single HDD ran perfectly yesterday

6. Drivers in general. Something regarding drivers and Vista 64 is messing thins up. It worked yesterday though...

7. Faulty windows installation. Hard to say, since first error took place while Vista had been working fine for some months.

NOTE: the only system changes I made prior disaster where:

1. New HDD (same WD I already had running)
2. New KB and mouse
3. Windows Vista latest updates

Sorry for extending myself for so long, Im trying to be as accurate as possible.

Any ideas on this haunted machine please?

Thank you in advance.

EDIT:

This is the exact error I get

Error:

STOP: 0x0000007E (0xFFFFFFFFC0000005, QFFFFF98010E4DD99, oxFFFFF9801177A3F8,
0xFFFFF98011779DD0)

*** WUDFRd.sys - Address FFFFF98010E4DD99 base at FFFFF98010E40000,
Datestamp 4549bdbd

Collecting data for crash dump...
Initializing disk for crash dump...
Begining dump of physical memory...
Dumping physical memory to disk...(10-100)

 

Already tried Google

Thanks for the quick reply,

Yes, I googled WUDFRd.sys and followed some of the links (there where less than I thought).

People with this issue, according to my research, divide in two groups:

1. Those trying to install Nokia PC Suite on Vista 64, they get exactly same problem

2. On other systems, the cause was the antivirus (Specifically McAffee suite)

Hotfixes addressed where KB933607 and KB929777, downloaded both and installed in safe mode, with no effect.

Right now Im installing Vista on a Maxtor formated HD, with minimum hardware load and 1Gb RAM, Ill see if its stable and post here.

In the meantime, any suggestion will be extremely appreciated

Thanks.

Edit: Ill add im not running the Nokia suite nor the McAffee antivirus. Ive been using Kaspersky since release of Vista 64 compatibility, and it worked perfectly until this big mess.

 

I don't think you said you tried going back to your old keyboard and mouse.

WUDFRd.sys is a

and the best I can find is that they relate to "Sideshow gadets ".
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/933607/en-us

Best I can offer is to look in Task Scheduler and disable any tasks relating to Sideshow.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/939039/en-us

It may think something on the keyboard or mouse is a "Sideshow compatible device ".

Try installing without using Widows Update to update hardware drivers. Use the CD that came with the computer (keyboard & mouse) or get the updates from the manufacturer. Windows can get "confused" identifying hardware and it may be trying to load the wrong drivers (Edit: the hardware manufacturers software, for say, the keyboard, may not be compatible with the updated drivers...the drivers have been updated, but not the software). See if it only relates to the keyboard/mouse and if it may be getting drivers from over the internet.

Matt

 

Fixed

Ok I just fixed the damned thing.

It was not hardware related, it had to do with software.

Specifically, a driver of an API used by many programs (iTunes) for burning media, called GEAR software.

I was able, on my third installation of windows, to return to a previous restore point. Vista specifically advised to restore prior to GEAR drivers installation...and it worked!

So, be aware of this GEAR software, the drivers at least on Vista 64 are unstable (they where the actual 64 bit version).

Thanks for the help guys!

 

Well done! Thanks for letting us know how you solved it.

 

OK, I'm having this exact same problem... I googled this error message and found this thread. Calitri, looks like we have very very similiar components...

Last night I was playing COH and my PC froze and I had to reset PC. After restartting PC I'm getting BSOD with error message: WUDFRD.sys

Previous to game... I attempted to sync my IPhone with ITunes and it downloaded some software to PC when I connected USB cable... It didn't work... looks like ITunes does not support VISTA 64BIT.

I'm currently at work so I'm not able to see if I have this GEAR software installed... I assume that this software was downloaded by ITunes....

You mentioned that you were able to resolve this by making a restore prior to GEAR drivers installation.... I wonder if I can can go to "Add or Remove Programs" and uninstall software from here first ?

If not then I'll attempt to do a restore prior to the ITunes installation update and see if this works.

 

Update: I was unable to find any GEAR software on my PC, but after doing a restore from a previous date, my PC now boots up fine with no errors.

 

Another update: Looks like ITunes released a new software update 7.6 and it's supposed to support VISTA 64BIT so I decided to try it... After updating software... Voila, I was able to syncronise my IPhone with my music & pics... I thought.. all was fine until I decided to restart PC... After restarting PC I got BSOD with error message: WUDFRd.sys... argh !!!

I had to do a system restore in order to get my PC to boot to windows...

 

Hi spike99, thanks for the updates.

I can only suggest that you investigate other software that may be running in the background. Calitri found it was the GEAR software, but I expect that other software manufacturers could use very similar scripting.

Maybe investigate what GEAR software does and see if there is any "similar" types of software running on your computer.

Matt

 

Thanks for the suggestion.... Looks like i got it resolved... I unistalled & re-installed ITunes... I have been able to sync Phone and I have not received BSOD's so far... when I restart my PC.