Help - GSOD with latest beta build

Janner Oyibo · Mar 17, 2024

Hi all,
I need help - I'm currently on Beta channel build (22635.3350) and I've just started getting GSODs after loading Windows and it is running for 4 minutes or so. GSOD error is Memory Management. I've tried dism and sfc commands but PC shuts down before they have completed. I've also tried to rollback but, like the idiot that I am, cleaned up system files just before this started happening.

I'd greatly appreciate if someone could give a 73 year old codger some instructions on how to fix this ( i'd like to try and keep user data (as again like the idiot that i am, last backup is from 2 months ago - I know, I know!)

Many thanks in advance
Janner

zbook · Mar 17, 2024

For GSOD it's best to report using the insiders feedback hub:

Explore the Feedback Hub - Windows Insider Program

Get to know the Feedback Hub

learn.microsoft.com

Provide feedback as a Windows Insider

As a Windows Insider, share feedback to influence changes in the product development stage and help Microsoft build the future of Windows.

www.microsoft.com

RAM can be tested using Memtest86+ > run 8 or more passes > take pictures > post images or share links

Memtest86+ | The Open-Source Memory Testing Tool

Memtest86+ is an advanced, free, open-source, stand-alone memory tester for 32- and 64-bit computers (UEFI & BIOS supported)

www.memtest.org

MemTest86+ - Test RAM

Test your RAM with MemTest 86+

www.tenforums.com

Janner Oyibo · Mar 18, 2024

zbook said:
For GSOD it's best to report using the insiders feedback hub:

Explore the Feedback Hub - Windows Insider Program

Get to know the Feedback Hub

learn.microsoft.com

Provide feedback as a Windows Insider

As a Windows Insider, share feedback to influence changes in the product development stage and help Microsoft build the future of Windows.

www.microsoft.com

RAM can be tested using Memtest86+ > run 8 or more passes > take pictures > post images or share links

Memtest86+ | The Open-Source Memory Testing Tool

Memtest86+ is an advanced, free, open-source, stand-alone memory tester for 32- and 64-bit computers (UEFI & BIOS supported)

www.memtest.org

MemTest86+ - Test RAM

Test your RAM with MemTest 86+

www.tenforums.com

I will proceed to provide feedback on this issue with MS.

In the meantime, I ran memory test for more than 2 hours and no errors reported - I suspect my problem is a corrupted system file. What is the best way forward ?

Rollback_Jockey · Mar 18, 2024

Janner Oyibo said:
I will proceed to provide feedback on this issue with MS.

In the meantime, I ran memory test for more than 2 hours and no errors reported - I suspect my problem is a corrupted system file. What is the best way forward ?

You can do an in-place upgrade if you have applications or data you wish to keep but a ground up re-installation would be the best option.

zbook · Mar 18, 2024

As above if may be best to clean install.

When testing RAM the number of passes determines the quality of the testing conditions (see the tutorial link).

Janner Oyibo · Mar 18, 2024

Just prior to having these problems I was copying a macrium image file to my desktop and was told that there was insufficient space so I cancelled copy but was left with a file of indeterminate size on my desktop which I tried to delete and , from that moment on, kept getting the GSODs. Each time, after rebooting from GSOD, I keep seeing the same file on my desktop ( even though I had previously deleted it) - an endless loop.

I have just booted from an external USB stick with Macrium rescue disk and tried to restore an image backup from Jan-24. Seems to work ok BUT...after removing USB and booting into Windows from internal SSD, I suddenly see appear the same file of indeterminate size appear on the desktop. This file is certainly not on the Jan image so I'm a little lost - how the hell could that happen ?

Awaiting your thoughts.......

Rollback_Jockey · Mar 18, 2024

Janner Oyibo said:
Just prior to having these problems I was copying a macrium image file to my desktop and was told that there was insufficient space so I cancelled copy but was left with a file of indeterminate size on my desktop which I tried to delete and , from that moment on, kept getting the GSODs. Each time, after rebooting from GSOD, I keep seeing the same file on my desktop ( even though I had previously deleted it) - an endless loop.

I have just booted from an external USB stick with Macrium rescue disk and tried to restore an image backup from Jan-24. Seems to work ok BUT...after removing USB and booting into Windows from internal SSD, I suddenly see appear the same file of indeterminate size appear on the desktop. This file is certainly not on the Jan image so I'm a little lost - how the hell could that happen ?

Awaiting your thoughts.......

I would run chkdsk to see if you have any disk corruption.

Janner Oyibo · Mar 18, 2024

Couldn't use chkdsk on the machine booted to windows in terminal as GSODs happened before it could get very far at all. Have taken drive (ssd) out from machine and put into an external m.2 enclosure and connected by USB to another machine. Have tried repairing the suspect windows partition of the drive using Aomei Partition Assistant as it reported errors but didn’t work.
Currently wiping partition and will then delete partition before using Macrium to try and recreate partition with data from last image - does that seem like a plan?

Rollback_Jockey · Mar 18, 2024

Janner Oyibo said:
Couldn't use chkdsk on the machine booted to windows in terminal as GSODs happened before it could get very far at all. Have taken drive (ssd) out from machine and put into an external m.2 enclosure and connected by USB to another machine. Have tried repairing the suspect windows partition of the drive using Aomei Partition Assistant as it reported errors but didn’t work.
Currently wiping partition and will then delete partition before using Macrium to try and recreate partition with data from last image - does that seem like a plan?

Providing your backup wasn't of a corrupted installation all should be well.

Janner Oyibo · Mar 19, 2024

Well that didn't work.......Seems like the ssd is corrupted and not recoverable. I've ordered a replacement but it'll take a while to arrive as I'm in deepest, darkest Africa and will have it hand-carried here with a friend who is travelling here early April.

Thanks for feedback all the same.

Flashorn · Mar 24, 2024

Janner Oyibo said:
Seems like the ssd is corrupted and not recoverable.

How did you come to that conclusion?

Janner Oyibo · Mar 24, 2024

Flashorn said:
How did you come to that conclusion?

Tried everything that I could think of without success - I've just booted to Linux Mint to see if I can't do anything in Linux to fix the issue but I'm not holding my breath.....

Flashorn · Mar 24, 2024

Janner Oyibo said:
Tried everything that I could think of without success

Could we know the make of this SSD pls.
When you say you tried everything, could you be
more specific ?

Janner Oyibo · Mar 24, 2024

It's a Chinese ssd - Blitzwolf m.2 sata3 500 Gb.
I've had no luck using Windows recovery, aomei partition manager, etc. SSD is giving error messages and tasks couldn't be completed. I have had similar errors when trying in Linux (gparted). I'm pretty sure that ssd is corrupted so formatting, deleting partition, etc is not working.
I've got a replacement on order so will wait for that to arrive before attempting anything else....

Flashorn · Mar 25, 2024

Janner Oyibo said:
I've got a replacement on order so will wait for that to arrive before attempting anything else....

Have you tried this app:

CrystalDiskInfo:

CrystalDiskInfo

Download CrystalDiskInfo for free. A HDD/SSD utility software. A HDD/SSD utility software which supports a part of USB, RAID and NVMe.

sourceforge.net

Janner Oyibo · Mar 25, 2024

Flashorn said:
Have you tried this app:

CrystalDiskInfo:

CrystalDiskInfo

Download CrystalDiskInfo for free. A HDD/SSD utility software. A HDD/SSD utility software which supports a part of USB, RAID and NVMe.

sourceforge.net

Installed app on another machine and connected suspect ssd via m.2 adaptor to USB port. It tells me that suspect drive is good but I know that it's not....

Flashorn · Mar 25, 2024

Janner Oyibo said:
Installed app on another machine and connected suspect ssd via m.2 adaptor to USB port. It tells me that suspect drive is good but I know that it's not....

Was worth a try since it's free.
Is the connector good? Have you tried another ssd in it's place?

Janner Oyibo · Mar 25, 2024

Flashorn said:
Was worth a try since it's free.
Is the connector good? Have you tried another ssd in it's place?

Adaptor working OK with another ssd.

Janner Oyibo · Apr 6, 2024

So I finally received the replacement M.2 Sata ssd - loaded last Macrium image to it and it works without problem.
I believe that the defective ssd had gone into "limp mode" - it had made itself read only in order to save any data on it. When connecting this ssd to a PC (using an external ssd to usb adaptor), I can see all of the data, can copy it to another disk however I'm unable to format it or write to it.