BCCode: 9c System Error (not blue screening)

Question

BCCode: 9c System Error (not blue screening)

Anonymous

I am troubleshooting a custom-built computer with Intel parts and running Windows XP Professional SP3. This system has been brought to me twice with supposed blue screen errors. The system errors are not actually blue screens, but I cannot tell the difference in the System Log. I disabled automatic restart of the computer to be able to compile more information, but the system does not actually blue screen so I was not able to compile any stop codes or file information.

What happens is, the system will crash and reboot (maybe, at the very least it logs the user out), and after it comes on it gives the following information (transcribed from a written note):

Microsoft Windows Error Signature

BCCode: 9c BCP1: 00000000 BCP2: 80346E70 BCP3: B2000040 BCP4: 00000800 OSVer: 5_1_2600 SP: 3_0 Product: 256_1

Technical Information:

C:\DOCUME~1\Admin\Locals~1\Temp\wer3f20.dir00\mini061510.01.dmp

C:\DOCUME~1\Admin\LocalS~1\Temp\WER3f20.dir00\sysdata.xml

I have performed RAM and hard drive tests, there are no errors with the RAM or bad sectors on the hard drive. The issue is hard to reproduce because usually no one is doing anything on the computer when it occurs, so no one is sure what is causing it. Sometimes the error will occur 3 times in one day, sometimes not for a few days. The only extra devices connected are a scanner and a printer.

I also have disabled hibernation and standby, thinking it may be related to power settings. These setting changes have not fixed the problem.

Any ideas on what could be causing this? What other tests should be run?

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6 answers

Answer 1

Hi, I have the same exact problem on a Compac Presario notebook running XP Home with SP3. Your discribed the same problem on being random when it occurs.

BCP1 - same, BCP2: 8054E0F0, BCP3: A2000000, BCP4: 84010400, - Same OSVer, - Product: 768_1.

Dump files difference @ \WERb125.dir00\mini 120910-01.dmp, and 2nd one \WER125.dir00\sysdata.xml

I updated my ram stick, except for the built in ram. No difference, Its not a heat problem, been through that.

After sending ms error report, I get pop-up back from them stating my model laptop and a heck of a lot of other HP products having the same problem. Ms also states that my hardware isn't compatible with xp which is rediculous because that's what my machine came with from them originally. They also state to be sure your bios is currently updated.....Have you tried that?

Mine seems like yours, it crashes the same way when sitting with no keyboard or mouse activity.

Have you had any luck solving your problem, I'm about at my wits end. Thanks for any info.

Answer 2

That is a all good information and thanks for posting what was needed.

Having the same resources you do for researching (Google, etc) The 9c error is always some hardware issue. Here is a MS article about it:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=329284&sd=RMVP

It doesn't tell you to much what to do about it though.

All of your BSODs indicate hal.dll which is the Hardware Abstraction Layer which is some code (it doesn't really matter) between your HW and your SW. I have never seen one that needs replacing, but you can replace yours using the XP Recovery Console if you want - I don't think that is the problem. I think the problem is still in the HW.

If you want to replace the hal.dll I can tell you how to do that. Hint: it is not "copy/expand the hal.dll from your XP disk". There are 7 possible hal.dlls on the XP installation disk and XP picks the right one at installation time, so if you think you wanted to do that, you would have to get the right one (or have a one in seven chance of getting it right). Do you know how to figure that out? There is another copy of hal.dll on your system (search for it), but you will probably find a couple, so you need to use the right one. I can compose some steps if you want to do that. I have no steps since I have never had to do it!

If it was me, and since the system was built by hand (not bought), I would take it all apart piece by piece and put it back together again to make sure there are no marginal connection problems. I just don't think you can get a 9c if you don't have some HW problem.

Is the system overclocked/used for games (any of that sound familiar)? It could be being pushed beyond it's specifications (which we now know thanks to your msinfo32 information). You don't see a BSOD from overheating (XP just quits). Put a heat gun on your CPU a few times and try it - you will find out what happens in about 3 seconds.

More analysis can be done on your dump files (but not here) and I am set up for that if you have no interest in digging into them.

Other things I read about (even though you ran a RAM test) is to just replace all the RAM or run the system with 1/2 of the RAM removed and see how it goes, then swap the RAM out to see if you can isolate it to a suspicious stick of RAM - it runs great (but maybe slower) with just this RAM in but when I put this RAM in or they both are in, it crashes, etc.

The MB or some HW component could also just somehow be defective.

Not being able to reproduce it at will makes finding and fixing it tough and then if you make a change, you don't have a good way to try to break it to see if the change helped or not. You will have to wait and see if it breaks which is a frustrating and time consuming wait and see method.

I will think about it some more and maybe somebody else will have some ideas.

Answer 3

I have run Malwarebytes full scans. The first time it came in for the BSOD, I thought it was malware-related since that's all I could find that was wrong with the computer. After it was all removed it still gets the same error, so I'm not so sure anymore.

I have run check disk on the hard drive twice; there is 0 KB in bad sectors.

I have also run Memtest86+ twice, because I thought it was bad RAM. I let memtest run for several hours, but it never found any errors. I have not tried one stick at a time so I can try that next.

I do not have the system currently in my possession, but I will ask for them to bring it back in for the tests that you suggested.

Here is some additional hardware information in the meantime:

APEX DM-387 Black Steel MicroATX Slim Case Computer Case 275W Power Supply
Intel DG31GL uATX G31 chipset motherboard
Intel BX80557430 Celeron 430 Conroe-L 1.8GHz 512KB L2 Cache LGA 775 35W Single-Core Processor
Seagate ST3160813AS 160 GB SATA hard drive
LG GH22NS30 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Drive - Black SATA
Crucial technology CT12864AA800 DDR2 PC2-6400 DDR2-800 memory module - 2x 1GB sticks
Microsoft OEM Windows XP Professional SP3 kit OS
No video card

Answer 4

Looks like some BSOD and it says there was a minidump, so you have things (dump files) you can interpret/analyze.

A BSOD with 9c is usually a hardware problem - RAM, video card, some loose USB connection, some cable inside, overheating (is there gaming involved?).

Here is what MS has to say about it:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=329284&sd=RMVP

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=162363&sd=RMVP

But reading about it, while entertaining and educational does not (usually) help you figure it out and fix it.

Is ZoneAlarm installed or has ZoneAlarm ever been installed?

Since it is homebuilt, I would reseat the RAM and video card (if there is one - is there?), all the cables, etc. - it is probably hardware somewhere.

I would take a look at the last few minidumps and look for some more clues - a pattern.

Download BlueScreenView from here:

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/blue_screen_view.html

Unzip and run it (BSV installs nothing) and let it finish scanning all your dump files.

If you double click one me the dumps, you will get some information about it and you may be able to spot the problem right away - especially if you see a pattern in the dumps.

Select the most recent dump files by clicking them and holding down the Ctrl key to select multiples files. Try to select just the most recent ones that relate to your issue (maybe five or so dump files to get started).

Click File, Save Selected Items and save the information from the dumps to a text file on your desktop called BSOD.txt. Open BSOD.txt with a text editor, copy all the text and paste it into your next reply.

Please provide additional information about your system:

Click Start, Run and in the box enter:

msinfo32

Click OK, and when the System Summary info appears, click Edit, Select All, Copy and then paste the information back here.

There will be some personal information (like System Name and User Name), and whatever appears to be private information to you, just delete it from the pasted information.

For video driver information, expand the Components, click Display, click Edit, Select All, Copy and then paste the information.

This will minimize back and forth Q&A and eliminate guesswork.

Perform some scans for malicious software:

Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free malware detection programs:

Malwarebytes (MBAM): http://malwarebytes.org/

SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS): http://www.superantispyware.com/

They can be uninstalled later if desired.

Run a test of your RAM with memtest86+ (I know it is boring and will cost you a CD).

Memtest86+ is a more up to date version of the old memtest86 program and they are not the same.

The memtest86+ will not run under Windows, so you will need to download the ISO file and create a bootable CD, boot on that and then run the memtest86+ program.

If even a single error is reported that is a failure and should make you suspicious of your RAM.

If you have multiple sticks of RAM you may need to run the test on them one at a time and change them out to isolate the failure to a particular single stick. Always keep at least the first bank of RAM occupied so the test will find something to do and there is enough to boot your system.

Sometimes, reseating the RAM in the slots will relieve the error but a failure is still cause for suspicion.

The file and instructions are here:

http://www.memtest.org/

Here is a link that show you have to create and use the memtest86+ CD:

http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/Guide-to-using-Memtest86-t246994.html

If someone says to run memtest86, you can tell them to go pound sand and that you know memtest86+ supercedes memtest86 and here's why:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memtest86