ENVY 750-177C constantly Blue Screening

[chrisocowan]

Started experience Blue Screens with ever increasing frequency.   Use the desktop as a Digital Audio Workstation.   Have a Focusrite Scarlett 6i6, iConnectivity Midi4+, and some other USB devices.   Have been using a Bluetooth Logitech Keyboard and Mouse.  (But swapped that out for a USB direct connect).  I do have an iLok dongle which always seemed to have issues updating it's software.  (Had to undefine it's service and reboot, because it wasn't stopping).

Ran the extensive diags for 10 hours, no errors with anything.

I made two significant changes, iLok upgrade, and applied the Intel patch to the process from the HP management software. (which I assume was related to Spectre, et al).

Looking for the next step.   I had it under warranty but I believe that's expired.


I can't seem get Windows to stay up even long enough to enter Safe Mode.   Often failing right as I log in or seconds after.  (Spells like a device driver to me).

What's my next step?   

Run the HP Recovery?   Can I have it leave the personal data?

[chrisocowan]

I should add that I was fairly aggressively running windows update.   Not in preview mode or beta on this box.   

Just standard WIndows Updates

[chrisocowan]

So, reading over parts of this forum, I wondering if this is coming into play.  (I'm keeping in mind, that my PC came with Windows 10 Home 64bit preinstalled.   Even though the support site seems to be indicated that it was originally a Win7 system).

When I got the box two years ago, I pulled the original 5400 RPM 2TB drive and replaced it with a HGST Deskstar 7200RPM with 4TB, and also added a 256GB Samsung Evo.

I made a recovery set of CDs, and reinstalled on to the Deskstar.   Thing ran fine for 2 years.

I've run the Extensive Diags multiple times  (> 10 hrs) and have yet to find a failure.

Yet, it kept blue screening.   Often right after I logged in, but sometimes during repair.

Today I a new 4TB HGST Ultastar, and it blue screens during trying to reinstall from recovery media.
I called support, and they weren't too helpful.

On a lark, I grad a 1TB Hitachi I had laying around, and everything seems to have booted up fine.   Going to wait a while and see if it dies.

I saw another post about drives over 2.2TB being problematic, and some comment about install Intel Rapid Storage Drivers.  The original poster was doing this with a Pavilion and HGST drives.

It is possible that this is what I'm running into?

[chrisocowan]

Argh....

I'm at a loss over what to try next.   **bleep** box is passing diags repeatedly, and yet still dying.

The 1TB Hitachi Disk recovery ran fine until the reboot at the end of disc 3.  It won't proceed with the install.

I'm still suspicious of the Bios.  (Honestly, I'm clutching at straws, now).   

[chrisocowan]

I noticed that my BIOS is 3 years old, A.18 SSID 2B47.    

An A.20 is available.    Since I can't boot Windows, and this particular image's installer does not offer the option to create a recovery USB, is the utility or procedure for doing this.

Is there a utility for preparing the recovery usb?

[Raj1788]

@chrisocowan

Welcome to HP Forums, 

This is a great place to get support, find answers and tips to your technical queries.

I understand that you are facing issue with the computer, need not worry I'll be glad to assist you.

To provide you with an accurate solution, I'll need a few more details:

Did you run the recovery?

This does not look like a BIOS issue.

However, use this link: https://support.hp.com/vn-en/document/c00007682 to update the BIOS.

Keep me posted, how it goes!

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the Accepted Solution and Kudos buttons, that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!

Have a great day!

Cheers:)

[chrisocowan]

Thanks, Raj.   I actually had found that document before posting.  Unfortunately, the installer for this particular BIOS does not offer an option to "Create USB Recovery Flash Drive".   It is attempting to proceed with the BIOS upgrade on the "other computer".

So, something has changed.   I have an unpacked copy of 4 files in c:\SWSETUP\SP86533 on the other machine.

It contains a FLASH.BAT, ODEA20E.exe, ODEA20L.exc, and a setup.exe.

I've tried number arrangements to see if the Diagnostics would grab, but it doesn't recognize them.   

I'm waiting for new recovery media.

[chrisocowan]

I didn't really answer your question.

I ran extended diags for 10 hours, it passed twice.

I've tried a recovery with an HGST Deskstar 4TB drive I was using, a new HGST Ultrastar also 4TB and 1TB Hitachi.

Recovery never started with either 4TB drive.   It blue screened.

With 1TB drive, I used a set of CD I made when I got the machine.   It loaded all 3 discs, but failed at the end when it said "rebooting to begin installation".

I put the machine back on support, and have the USB recovery kit being mailed to me.

[Raj1788]

@chrisocowan

Thanks for the reply

Appreciate all your time and efforts,

I have sent you a private message, for more details that cannot be shared in a public post.

Can you please check your inbox on the forums page for the private message.

Have a great day!

[chrisocowan]

So, I received my Recovery Media Kit today.   Almost finished the first test with 1TB.   So far, so good.   I this works, I will then get the new 4TB drive out and do the real install.

Somewhat perplexed by the fact that the Recovery CDs I burned myself 2 years ago, worked fine then, but not now.

Although to be honest the new kit is 5 CDs, not 3.

Are recovery CDs kits updated from time to time?   I'm just looking for some sort of rational explanation for what is going on here.