My PC has been crashing repeatedly for the past two days with several different blue-screen errors, including SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION, KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE, KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED, and PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA. Windows Memory Diagnostic found no RAM problems, and System File Checker repaired some corrupted files. Temperatures look normal. I also noticed many Event Viewer errors saying the NVIDIA LocalSystem Container service terminated unexpectedly, so I performed a clean NVIDIA driver reinstall. The computer lasted one or two hours afterward, but the crashes returned. My monitor has also developed faint horizontal lines, which makes me worry about a hardware issue. I have several minidump files available for analysis. What should I test next?
3 Answers
The dump files point to several kernel-level crashes, but they do not clearly identify a single third-party driver. Your BIOS and AMD platform drivers appear quite old, and Windows is several years behind on updates. Once you have at least one known-good RAM configuration, update the BIOS carefully and then bring Windows and the chipset drivers up to date. Do not flash the BIOS while the system is unstable or while using memory that may be faulty.
Run an overnight bootable MemTest86 test rather than relying only on Windows Memory Diagnostic. Even a single reported error means the memory subsystem is not stable. Also check whether the crashes follow one particular RAM module or motherboard slot. If both modules fail together but pass individually, the CPU memory controller, board, or firmware becomes more suspicious.
The variety of stop codes suggests memory corruption rather than one specific Windows component. That could come from faulty RAM, the CPU's memory controller, the motherboard, or storage problems affecting the page file. Test each RAM stick separately in the same slot, then test them in the other slot. If only one stick fails, replace it; if both work alone but fail together, the motherboard firmware or memory controller may be involved. Storage can also produce symptoms that look like memory errors.
I’m hesitant to keep using the machine because of the new lines on the monitor and the possibility of damaging hardware, but I’ll test the memory one stick at a time if I can do so safely.