Hey everyone! I'm having a serious issue with my PC, suffering from multiple Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) crashes that seem to be related to RAM or drivers. I recently did a clean install of Windows, but I even encountered a couple of BSOD while formatting. I ran a RAM check with Windows' built-in tool, and that came back clean. After finishing the installation, I used Snappy Driver Installer to update my drivers, but that caused some BSODs during the driver installation process. My Windows Update is acting up too, leading me to upgrade to Windows 11 which went fine, but I'm still getting random BSOD errors. Here are some of the codes I'm seeing:
- Hal initialization failed
- ntoskrnl.exe
- irql not less or equal
- Kernel apc pending during exit
- System service exception
- Kernel security check failure
- Driver overran stack buffer
Okay, I'm a bit desperate here. Friends suggest buying new RAM (I'm currently running 2x 8GB DDR4 3200), but I need to be sure it's the right fix before spending money. Any advice would be much appreciated!
4 Answers
Also, make sure you back up your important data before making any BIOS changes or significant system adjustments. You never know what might happen!
I’d recommend running MemTest86 to check your RAM. It’s more reliable than the built-in Windows tools. If it comes back clean, look at your hard drive health using something like CrystalDiskInfo or Hard Disk Sentinel to rule out drive issues. Sometimes those can cause BSODs too!
One thing to consider is the Realtek GBE LAN driver—it’s known to cause issues like the ones you're facing. Go to your motherboard's website to get the driver directly, then install the latest version from Realtek if that doesn't work. Don’t forget to check if it applies properly in Device Manager; sometimes it seems to install but doesn’t take effect without that step!
It sounds like you're in a frustrating spot! First off, try getting the dump files from the BSODs—they’re usually located in C:WindowsMinidump. If you can get those, zip them up and upload them to a file-sharing site. Having those could really help narrow down the issue! If you're not seeing any dump files there, make sure your system is set to create them. Check out this guide for adjusting dump type settings.
Here’s a link to the guide if you need it: [Configure Windows for Dump Files](https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5560-configure-windows-10-create-minidump-bsod.html). Getting the right files can make a big difference!
I've been running MemTest86 for about three hours and haven’t found any errors yet. I’m starting to feel disheartened.