My PC has been crashing regularly with one of two blue-screen errors: SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION mentioning win32kbase.sys, or FAULTY_HARDWARE_CORRUPTED_PAGE. The issue seemed to begin after a recent AMD driver problem, so I first installed an experimental driver and later updated to version 26.7.1 in an attempt to fix it. However, the crashes are still happening. Running Windows Memory Diagnostic, SFC, and DISM has not found or repaired anything. Could the AMD driver be responsible, or is this more likely a hardware problem such as defective RAM?
3 Answers
SFC and DISM mainly check Windows system files, so a clean result does not rule out bad RAM, unstable memory settings, motherboard problems, or a graphics driver issue. If you have memory overclocking such as XMP or EXPO enabled, temporarily disable it and return the BIOS to stable default settings while testing.
The FAULTY_HARDWARE_CORRUPTED_PAGE error makes defective or unstable RAM worth investigating first. Test each memory stick separately, and also try MemTest86 from a bootable flash drive. That can detect problems that Windows Memory Diagnostic may miss.
The dump files are the best way to determine whether the AMD driver is actually involved. Check C:WindowsMinidump and analyze several recent crash dumps rather than relying only on the stop-code names. If the dumps consistently point to an AMD driver, perform a clean driver removal and install a known-stable release instead of continuing with experimental versions.
MemTest86 is the test I meant: download it from the official site, create a bootable USB drive, and let it complete several passes. Testing the sticks individually can also help identify whether one module or a particular slot is causing the crashes.