Windows 10: BSOD after installing KB3197954

Hello, I am currently facing an issue regarding a specific windows update (KB3197954). Let me first explain how this BSOD issue started.

So back in summer, I finished building my new rig and installed a clean copy of Windows 10 Pro (november update) on my PC. Everthing worked and I was very happy with it. Then, the Anniversary update was released. The upgrade to the new build went smooth and everthing was working fine. But then Microsoft released update KB3197954 which really screwed it up.

Basicly, ever time when I turn on my system, windows will either keep BSOD'ing at either the boot screen or in the lock screen (sometimes it also BSOD's a few moments later after logging in). When the PC restarts after the BSOD, it happens again and again. Eventuelly after like 3 to 5 restarts, everthing will start working again and I will be able to use the system as if nothing was wrong with it. If I restart again, the pc will restart without any issues. But once I turn off the system and turn it on again next day, the occurance will re-occur again. It seems that this weird occurance happens only once each day.

When I uninstalled the KB3197954 update, the weird BSOD's would stop. Unfortunately windows update automaticly reinstalled the update again which caused the BSOD's to reappear again. To top it off: the update would no longer show up in the list of updates to uninstall, meaning that I was stuck with it.

So I decided to completely format the SSD and begin with a clean copy of the windows 10 anniversary edition. After installing Windows and the neccesary drivers, I installed all the updates including KB3197954 since I had hoped that the OS reinstall would have fixed any issue that might have caused this update to be so incompatible with my system. Unfortunately, all the BSOD's started occuring again after installing KB3197954, even after a full OS-reinstall.

So I uninstalled KB3197954 and disabled Windows update through group policy. But when Microsoft released KB3200970, I decided to download KB3197954 and then install KB3200970 to see if the new update fixed the issue. But unfortunately, the BSOD's were still there.

TL;DR Update KB3197954 caused my system to keep BSOD'ing at bootup.

Attachment 109545

So basicly, my question is how, why is KB3197954 causing my PC to keep BSOD'ing? I noticed that the BSOD's each give a different error message such as BAD_POOL_HEADER, BAD_MEMORY_MANAGEMENT, CRITICAL PROCCES DIED, KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED.

:)

 

Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems (KB3197954) fails to install

What happened when you tried this?

Download and install Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64 based Systems (KB3197954)

Microsoft Update Catalog

 

need fix for cumulative update for windows 10 version 1607 for x64 systems (KB3197954 - Error 0x8e5e0152

After endless failed attempts to install KB3194798, my HP desktop tried to install KB3197954 and this also failed. Then KB3201860 and KB3199986 installed successfully. Now I'm back in the loop of endlessly trying to install KB3197954 over and over again.
It fails exactly the same way as KB3194798 did. Installs patches up to 30%, restarts, continues up to 100% and then says it was not successful and backs everything out and restarts. Come on guys, this is unacceptable!

 

UPDATE:

Basicly, these random BSOD at bootups only occur during cold boots where the system hasn't been used for some time.

However, sometimes instead of giving a BSOD, it will either randomly power off or give me a bootup error saying that a certain file was either missing or corrupt.

Also, it seems that the windows update that I originally blamed, isn't the problem here since the BSODs now happen even if said update is uninstalled.

 

Hi UltimateAntic,

Apologies for the delay.

Are you still in need of help?

 

Yes I am still in need of help.

What I've already tried:
-Reinstall Windows
-Run memtest86 (6 passses, no errors)
-Reseat GPU and power cables.

None of these had any effect.

 

Could you rerun the Memtest86 from a cold start and make sure that you let it run for at least 8 passes. Only then can you rule out faulty memory.

 

UPDATE:

Alright, today I tried the follwing approach:

I disconnected the following hardware in order to see if the PC would behave normally with the minimum required hardware

-GPU
-All storage devices and optical devices except for the boot SSD
-All case fans
-Only 1 RAM stick instead of 2

Results: PC coldbooted fine with no crashes or errors. This indicates that one of the follwing hardware I removed was causing trouble. So I decided to add 1 piece of hardware at a time and test the system

The first hardware I reconnected was the RAM stick (lets call this memory stick #2). I started my PC again and suddenly it started BSOD'ing again at boot. So adding that memory stick made the system behave weird again. So what I did was remove all installed RAM sticks and then only reconnect memory stick #2 again to see if this memory module was defective. The system booted normally and seemed stable at first, but a reboot later, it BSOD'd.

So I reconnected all the hardware back except for memory stick #2 and so far everthing seems stable. I will do a memtest86 on the possible defective memory stick tommorow to see if its defective.

So I think that so far, I can conclude that BSOD's were being caused by either:

-Defective stick
or
-Both RAM sticks not compatible in dual channel mode.

 

That's great. Hope it continues to run well! Let us know how you get on.

 

Make sure you run memtest86+:

===================================================
Follow this tutorial: MemTest86+ - Test RAM - Windows 10 Forums

MemTest86+ is a diagnostic tool designed to test Random Access Memory (RAM) for faults. MemTest86+ will verify that:

• RAM will accept and keep random patterns of data sent to it
• There are no errors when different parts of memory try to interact
• There are no conflicts between memory addresses

Memtest86+ runs from bootable media to isolate the RAM from the system, no other components are taken into account during the test.



Warning MemTest86+ needs to run for at least 8 passes to be anywhere near conclusive, anything less will not give a complete analysis of the RAM.

If you are asked to run MemTest86+ by a Ten Forums member make sure you run the full 8 passes for conclusive results. If you run less than 8 passes you will be asked to run it again.



Note MemTest86+ has been known to discover errors in RAM in later passes than the eighth pass. This is for information only; if you feel there is a definite problem with the RAM and 8 passes have shown no errors feel free to continue for longer.

Running 8 passes of MemTest86+ is a long and drawn out exercise and the more RAM you have the longer it will take. It's recommended to run MemTest86+ just before you go to bed and leave it overnight.

 

So, since one of my RAM modules causes the coldboot BSOD. I decided to start the pc with only the faulty RAM installed and ran memtest on it. I ran the test for 10 passes, but strangely no errors were discovered.

I will run memtest on the other memstick as well later.