I started troubleshooting. The first step is to install the Debugging Tools for Windows<\/a>, if you have not already, run Windbg, and load the minidump which Windows usually creates when it crashes. Minidumps are saved in the \/Windows\/Minidump folder.<\/p>\n It said VISTA_DRIVER_FAULT and identified the SearchProtocol process, but I was not convinced that this process was really to blame. My reasoning is that it is a Microsoft process that is running on most Windows boxes so unlikely to be badly broken.<\/p>\n I decided to look for a faulty driver. You can do this by running the Driver Verifier Manager, summoned by running verifier.exe (this lives in \/Windows\/System32 but you can start it from anywhere).<\/p>\n This application enables a debugging mode in Windows that will scrutinise the drivers you specify for errors. This slows down Windows so it is not<\/strong> something you want to leave enabled, but it is great for finding problems.<\/p>\n I elected to check all drivers and continued. Reboot, and as expected, an immediate blue screen.<\/p>\n While Driver Verifier is enabled and causing a crash you can only boot into safe mode. However Windbg works OK in safe mode. I took a look at the new minidump. The process name this time was services.exe. That means any of the services could be at fault, so not all that illuminating.<\/p>\n I ran msconfig and disabled all non-Microsoft services. Restarted and verifier was happy. Now it was a matter of \u201chunt the service\u201d.<\/p>\n Eventually I discovered through trial and error and hunch (it had to be a service which I had recently installed or updated) which service failed to verify. The guilty party: Intel Desktop Utilities<\/a>. This application monitors sensors on an Intel motherboard for temperature and fan speed, and fires alerts if the readings go outside safe limits.<\/p>\n I uninstalled the desktop utilities. No more blue screens since.<\/p>\n I find it hard to believe that an Intel utility distributed with all its motherboards is causing Windows blue screens; on the other hand in my case it seems clear cut. And yes, I did have the latest version 3.2.0.038b \u201cfor Intel Desktop Boards with 5 or 6 Series chipsets.\u201d My board is the DH67CL. I would be interested to know if others with same version can successfully boot with Driver Verifier enabled.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A recent annoyance was a blue screen when I was in the middle of typing a Word document. \u201cMemory management\u201d it said. You might think faulty RAM, but I did not think so as I had tested it extensively with the excellent Memtest86. So what was causing it? And no, I do not regard Windows … Continue reading Fixing a Windows 7 blue screen with Driver Verifier<\/span> ![\"image\"](\"http:\/\/gadgets.itwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/image_thumb18.png\" "\\"image\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"image\"](\"http:\/\/gadgets.itwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/image_thumb19.png\" "\\"image\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n