I can’t figure out where to start fixing the problem. I haven’t figured out how to read the mini dump files to work out what the problem is.

But even then, if it’s the power management drivers, what do I do? Windows update recently updated a load of stuff and that’s when the problems started more or less….

Does Event Viewer give any hints as to the problem?

Or, to put it another way, Cougar please fix my PC for me!

😉

Nothing in event logs.

System restore to before the updates? I’m sure windows creates a system restore point before updating.

A certain corporate build has this problem. Often come back to my desk from a long meeting to be greeted with said blue screen!

Could be any driver but check if any were updated(you should be able to see a list of all the changes)

Before rolling back it might be worth going to the manufacturers website for the main components to see if they have even newer drivers.

For instance, I always go straight to Intel with a new build to get the latest chipset drivers rather than just relying on what Windows updates gives me:

http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/detect?iid=dc_iduu

Have a look in Device Manager (control panel, hardware, device manager) to find the manufacturers of each part – e.g. graphics, network card, etc.

AtP – I do not actually have my particular corporate build, but I do have some of the mandatory corporate spyware which could well be the problem.

Druidh – how to check exactly what the updates did?

If it does it on sleep, disable sleep. Causes more problems than it’s worth.

When it bluescreens, it should give you as a minimum some sort of error, which is a starting point. Tearing the minidump apart is a black art, but can be more reliable. (Two things I abhor about my job is anything to do with minidumps and anything to do with perfmon, both make me itch.)

Might be worth a rollback / system restore, even if it’s temporarily just as a diagnostic step; if the problem stops we can then start isolating what causes it.

If you type “Windows Update” into the Start Search box you’ll be able to see a lit of what has been applied. That would list any driver changes.

Often come back to my desk from a long meeting to be greeted with said blue screen!

One of my colleagues once had that problem – see here for details: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/sysinternals/bb897558.aspx

I’m still waiting for Cougar to finish telling me how to make my old Vista hard drive in an external case recogniseable as a bootable device. (only teasing, Cougar).

On topic: I was surprised to find my new W8 machine hadn’t crashed in the time it took to get bread from the baker’s, both my old Vista box and XP laptop used to.

BSOD.

Nice one aracer 🙂

I’m still waiting for Cougar to finish telling me how to make my old Vista hard drive in an external case recogniseable as a bootable device

I’d forgotten about that. Enable / disable EHCI maybe?

Maybe, I’ll try. Thanks.