Source games crash computer

[Pgpaw3]

Recently I have been experiencing a problem where my computer will shut down randomly and without warning while playing games. There is no timing to when it will do it, it just does. It doesn't go though the whole windows 7 shutting down sequence, it just turns off.

 

Pretty much the only thing it does this with is with Source games, but it has occurred once on Saints Row: The Third as well. I have reinstalled my graphics and network drivers and neither did anything. I have also turned my fan onto the highest setting and it still occurs.

 

I have an MSI GT70 with:

 

Intel i7-3610QM

3 GB Nvidia Geforce GTX 670M

16 GB of Ram

Windows 7 64 bit

 

Usually the split second before it turns off and it shows my computer, my network card software appears asking if I want to do an internet speed test.

 

It seems to only crashes on these games and I can play other games like DayZ, Borderlands 2 and Skyrim without issues.

 

If anyone has any ideas they would be greatly appreciated.

[Dr. Orange]

I'll double up on this problem. It's also been happening to me. 

 

I believe it is a heating issue with laptops. High demanding games and programs when a laptop is on a surface like a deck allows for overheating.

 

My laptop is on a stack of cards, a small children book and a stack of wooden coins. 

[DZComposer]

Start -> control Panel

Click Administrative Tools

Double-click Event Viewer

On the left pane:

Windows Logs -> System

It may take a while to load, bit it should load events on the right

Look for any that are labeled as "Error" around the time the machine last shut off.

Look for the word "bugcheck." If you see it, copy and paste the entire error text here.

[Drasiana]

When was the last time you had your fan cleaned?

[LazerMaster5]

Do you have a cooling pad for your laptop? They can be obtained cheaply, and they work well at keeping heavy duty laptops cooler.

[Pgpaw3]

DZComposer: There are multiple items marked "Error" around the time it shut down, but I could not see any with "bugcheck".

 

Drasinia: Since I got the computer in mid 2012, never. I didn't think the computer was getting that hot but that thought did cross my mind though and when I have time on the weekend I will do that.

 

LazerMaster5: I do not, but if the problem persists I will look into getting one.

[DZComposer]

Look in the log again, this time for "Critical Thermal Event"

If you don't see that, please tell me some of the errors you do see.

Might I add that most laptops are shit for gaming. To get a good one for gaming requires significant monetary investment when you can build a desktop machine for half the price that performs better. See Logical Increments and /r/buildapc if you want to upgrade to a gaming desktop.

[Drasiana]

Drasinia: Since I got the computer in mid 2012, never. I didn't think the computer was getting that hot but that thought did cross my mind though and when I have time on the weekend I will do that.

 

Oh god, yeah, do that. The amount of dust your laptop can suck in even in a few months is incredible. Even if that isn't the issue here (which I suspect it is, since it's exactly what was happening to me when I had a dust-clogged fan), your computer will be a lot happier with a clean fan.

[Pgpaw3]

DZ, I could not see that one either. However I did find some logs I somehow didn't see before marked "Critical" with the source "Kernal-Power." I Have copied one of them down below.

 

Log Name:      System
Source:        Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
Date:          18/06/2014 6:22:26 PM
Event ID:      41
Task Category: (63)
Level:         Critical
Keywords:      (2)
User:          SYSTEM
Computer:      Ashs-PC
Description:
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
  <System>
    <Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power" Guid="{331C3B3A-2005-44C2-AC5E-77220C37D6B4}" />
    <EventID>41</EventID>
    <Version>2</Version>
    <Level>1</Level>
    <Task>63</Task>
    <Opcode>0</Opcode>
    <Keywords>0x8000000000000002</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2014-06-18T08:22:26.542005300Z" />
    <EventRecordID>579441</EventRecordID>
    <Correlation />
    <Execution ProcessID="4" ThreadID="8" />
    <Channel>System</Channel>
    <Computer>Ashs-PC</Computer>
    <Security UserID="S-1-5-18" />
  </System>
  <EventData>
    <Data Name="BugcheckCode">0</Data>
    <Data Name="BugcheckParameter1">0x0</Data>
    <Data Name="BugcheckParameter2">0x0</Data>
    <Data Name="BugcheckParameter3">0x0</Data>
    <Data Name="BugcheckParameter4">0x0</Data>
    <Data Name="SleepInProgress">false</Data>
    <Data Name="PowerButtonTimestamp">130475533063723677</Data>
  </EventData>
</Event>

 

"Errors" are marked with "Service Control Manager", "Event Log", "Application Popup", "DistributedCOM" and "sptd".

 

Also, I am aware that laptops aren't optimal for gaming, but at the time I didn't have money for a desktop so I had to compromise, and it could play almost anything I wanted it to with no problems until about 2 weeks ago.

[DZComposer]

Any others? That error just says the computer shut down, It doesn't really doesn't help much.

 

at the time I didn't have money for a desktop so I had to compromise,

So you bought a $2000 laptop? A $2000 desktop is a hell of a beast that can pretty much handle anything you can throw at it. With a desktop, you pay for power. With a laptop you pay for miniaturization. The $1000 build on Logical Increments is more powerful than that laptop at half the price.

I will admit, though, that the laptop you have is better for gaming than most. But you didn't save money by buying it unless you got it for less than $1000, which would be a hell of a great deal.

Most of the time, Desktops are cheaper.

[Pgpaw3]

Those were the only errors that are there. I looked at them and they were complaining about HP drivers and my antivirus, both of which I have removed and replaced, however at this stage it doesn't seem to have helped.

 

And I didn't think to clarify it before, but I didn't pay full price for my laptop. One of my friends works in a tech store (though not in the computer section) and teamed his staff discount with a massive clearance sale on laptops and got me a large discount on it which was amazing (especially considering computers in Australia can be hundreds of dollars more expensive than the U.S).

 

I would have liked a desktop, but I could get the laptop cheaper, and I am doing a game design course at uni and needed a laptop that could do things like 3d modeling and rendering, so I compromised and got a mix of the two. I would have happily payed more for a desktop, but the laptop was more convenient. Seems like a weird circumstance, but it all worked out at the time.

[Pgpaw3]

It happened again. This was the "Error" report before the "Critical" kernal shutdown report.

 

Log Name:      System
Source:        Application Popup
Date:          24/06/2014 8:02:35 PM
Event ID:      1060
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      Ashs-PC
Description:
SystemRootSysWow64DriversInCDrec.SYS has been blocked from loading due to incompatibility with this system. Please contact your software vendor for a compatible version of the driver.
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
  <System>
    <Provider Name="Application Popup" />
    <EventID Qualifiers="49152">1060</EventID>
    <Level>2</Level>
    <Task>0</Task>
    <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2014-06-24T10:02:35.479605200Z" />
    <EventRecordID>591990</EventRecordID>
    <Channel>System</Channel>
    <Computer>Ashs-PC</Computer>
    <Security />
  </System>
  <EventData>
    <Data>
    </Data>
    <Data>SystemRootSysWow64DriversInCDrec.SYS</Data>
    <Binary>000000000200300000000000240400C0000000006B0300C000000000000000000000000000000000</Binary>
  </EventData>
</Event>

[LazerMaster5]

Update your drivers!

[Pgpaw3]

Tried that, and it didn't help

[DZComposer]

This was the "Error" report before the "Critical" kernal shutdown report.

Can you post the contents of that critical report?

Also, disable automatic restart on system failure. That way if a bsod is the cause, you will actually see it. http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windows7/ht/automatic-restart-windows-7.htm

[Pgpaw3]

Can you post the contents of that critical report?

 

Log Name:      System

Source:        Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power

Date:          24/06/2014 8:02:35 PM

Event ID:      41

Task Category: (63)

Level:         Critical

Keywords:      (2)

User:          SYSTEM

Computer:      Ashs-PC

Description:

The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.

Event Xml:

<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">

  <System>

    <Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power" Guid="{331C3B3A-2005-44C2-AC5E-77220C37D6B4}" />

    <EventID>41</EventID>

    <Version>2</Version>

    <Level>1</Level>

    <Task>63</Task>

    <Opcode>0</Opcode>

    <Keywords>0x8000000000000002</Keywords>

    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2014-06-24T10:02:35.588805400Z" />

    <EventRecordID>591991</EventRecordID>

    <Correlation />

    <Execution ProcessID="4" ThreadID="8" />

    <Channel>System</Channel>

    <Computer>Ashs-PC</Computer>

    <Security UserID="S-1-5-18" />

  </System>

  <EventData>

    <Data Name="BugcheckCode">0</Data>

    <Data Name="BugcheckParameter1">0x0</Data>

    <Data Name="BugcheckParameter2">0x0</Data>

    <Data Name="BugcheckParameter3">0x0</Data>

    <Data Name="BugcheckParameter4">0x0</Data>

    <Data Name="SleepInProgress">false</Data>

    <Data Name="PowerButtonTimestamp">0</Data>

  </EventData>

</Event>

 

From what I can tell, its the same as the last "Critical" report I posted.

[DZComposer]

I'm at a loss without being able to see the machine myself.

Turn off auto restart as I mentioned earlier and try to reproduce again. See if you get a BSOD. Though admittedly, those usually leave a log entry, but try anyway.

Perhaps it is thermal or power related, though only happening during source games doesn't fit that. Check the battery condition and give the machine a thorough work-over with an air duster. Open it if you have to to clear the heatsinks of any dust. Also inspect the battery charger for signs of damage.

[Pgpaw3]

I turned off Auto restart like you said, but nothing different happens. What happens is the game minimizes, my network card software comes up asking if I want to do an internet speed test, and then the screen goes black and that's it. No trace of a BSOD.

 

The problem has also expanded beyond Source as it has occurred with Borderlands 2 and Saints Row: The Third once. There are no visible signs of damage to either the battery or battery charger.

 

The only things I can think of are that InCD is causing the problem, something somewhere is really god damn dirty that I didn't see when I cleaned it the other day, or my network card is faulty. I have removed InCD and I will see where that gets me.

[DZComposer]

Hmm... Tell me more about this network card software. Can I get a title and version if possible?

Also what NIC do you have? You can find out in Device Manager. (Start -> RIGHT CLICK Computer -> Manage, Device Manager on Left. Look for "Network Adapters." List every device that appears.)

[Pgpaw3]

It is the Killer Network Manager, version 1.1.38.1281. Without it I can't use the internet, but I have had it since I bought the computer and I never had any problems with it until now.

 

As for the NIC, I get the following showing up:

 

Intel® Centrino® Wireless-N 2230

Killer e2200 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller (NDIS 6.20)

Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter

 

I uninstalled the Killer Network Manger and reinstalled it and that didn't help. I also attempted to close it down as I can use the internet after it loads once and I tried using wireless rather than ethernet and that didn't do anything. Removing InCD didnt seem to help either, and although I uninstalled it, my computer still tries to run it at startup, and i cant find any trace of it on the computer.

[Pgpaw3]

I have decided that I will completely dismantle the computer as much as I can and clean everything. Maybe I missed something and it is causing the error. All I can think to do at this time.

[DZComposer]

Remove Killer Network Manager. You don't need it.

Also, apparently that NIC is getting famous for causing system instability. It uses a Qualcomm Athero AR8161 chipset and some people are reporting better results using Qualcomm's driver, which you can get here: http://www.qca.qualcomm.com/drivers/AR813x_AR815x_AR816x_v2.1.0.21_WHQL.zip . Not having experience with this NIC (this is the first I've heard of it) I cannot vouch for this solution, but it is out there. This site walks-though the install process: http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/guide-turn-your-killer-e2200-nic-into-qualcomm-athero-ar8161.198899/

[Pgpaw3]

I seem to have fixed the issue. First I removed the Killer Network Manager and put in the new drivers and that is no longer an issue. I also found my computer was in fact getting quite hot, so I took the fan off and found this.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6kw19n6o3zz3g8p/2014-06-28.png

 

Probably should have checked the fans earlier.

 

The only problem I have now is that my charger now seems to be faulty, as sometimes when I move the charger around while its plugged in, it loses its conection with the computer, which most likely means I have to buy a new one.

 

Other then that the computer runs quite smoothly now and has not crashed since.

 

Thanks to everyone who posted on this and helped me out. I most likely wouldn't have fixed the issue without your help.

[DZComposer]

Replace that power brick ASAP. It could arc and that could start a fire.

[Pgpaw3]

I am going to order one today or tomorrow, but I will look around for somewhere cheap in Australia first, and I don't fancy the $100 price tag I have found so far.

[Pgpaw3]

And now the charger is completely unusable. Whenever it is plugged into the computer, whether it is turned on or not, the smell if burning plastic/electronics emanates from the area around the plug on the computer. And that means the whole computer is unusable until a new charger arrives. Just awesome.