BSOD with iaStorAC.sys

[WRP-511]

Hi All,

I've run in to a problem with my HP Spectre x360 (purchased 12/2019) and so far everything I've tried seems to have made things worse.  Any help anyone can provide would be appreciated!  Below is a description of the original problem and what I've tried so far to fix it.

1) The problem started with a BSOD with the error message (see screenshot below):

• Stop Code:  Attempted Write to Readonly Memory
• What Failed: iaStorAC.sys

This problem was repeatable and would occur within a few minutes after rebooting.

2) I tried doing a restore from a recovery point from 7/20/2021, but the error occurred during the restore and after reboot  the system said no changes were made.

3) I've tried running the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI version 7.9.1.0 (ESC during boot ==> F2 System Diagnostics) multiple times.  Both the Symptom Tests (issue #3 - BSOD with error, operating system/windows halts or will not load) and the System Extensive Test have passed every time.

I've also tried running the Memory Extensive Test (once) and that passed, too.

4) I tried getting into the System Recovery (ESC during boot ==> F11 System Recovery), but I couldn't make any selections that didn't end up giving the same BSOD error.

5) Searches online indicated the problem might be with the driver file iaStorAC.sys associated with the Intel RST Managed Storage Controller, so I tried rolling back the drivers (see screen shot below), but that didn't help.

6) I downloaded and ran the Intel Optane Memory and Storage Management app and disabled the Intel Optane memory.  Still no help.

7) I couldn't find a way to start Windows in Safe Mode that didn't also result in the same BSOD error, so I thought I'd restore the system to an earlier version of Windows but there wasn't a restore point (not sure why), so in desperation I tried using the "Reset this PC" under Windows Recovery.  Unfortunately, during this process the same BSOD error occurred and I could no longer boot into Windows.

At this point I could get to the sign-in screen, but then I'd get the same BSOD error.  I couldn't get Windows booted at all.

8 )  Since I couldn't get System Recovery to work, I tried using the HP Cloud Recovery Tool (on a different computer) to create a USB boot device with the HP Recovery Manager.  Inserting the USB and starting the Recovery Manager (ESC during boot ==> F9 Boot Menu ==> select USB Hard Drive UEFI), I get a similar BSOD, but with a different Stop Code:

• Stop Code:  System Thread Exception Not Handled
• What failed: iaStorAC.sys

9) So now I thought that somehow the BIOS had gotten corrupted, so I downloaded the latest BIOS version from the HP website (SP113522) onto a USB drive and used that to reset the BIOS (Windows key + B during powerup to get to the HP BIOS Update).  The update seemed to work okay, but when rebooting I still got the same BSOD error.

I saw a reference online to disabling the Intel Optane in BIOS, but couldn't find anything in the BIOS Setup Utility (ESC during boot ==> F10 BIOS Setup) that looked like it controlled the Intel Optane setup.

10) As a last resort I thought the CMOS might have gotten corrupted, so I reset the CMOS (Windows key + V during powerup).  Still no luck.

So at this point my computer is in an infinite loop:  power up ==> BSOD ==> reboot ==> BSOD ==> reboot ==> BSOD etc...  All of the BSOD errors have been with iaStorAC.sys, nearly always with the stop code Attempted Write to Readonly Memory  but a few times with System Thread Exception Not Handled  and once or twice I've seen Page fault in nonpaged area.

I'm completely baffled about what's causing this problem, and why it continues to happen even when I try booting from a USB drive.  Perhaps there's a memory problem even though it's passed the Hardware Diagnostics tests?  If so, is there a way to more thoroughly test the memory?  Is it even possible to replace the memory if that's the problem?  Unfortunately the computer is out of warranty...

This has been a nice computer and I'd like to get it working again.  I've never had a hardware problem with a computer this new (just 1.5 years old).

Any help anyone can provide would certainly be appreciated - thanks in advance for your time in helping!

Cheers,

Bill