Windows 10: Weird behavior at restart, please help analyze error reports.

I hope that this is the right place to post this. I don't believe that I had a BSOD this time (as there seem to be no dump files), but it was an odd and worrying event, and there seem to be some associated error logs (which I have included in this post).

I had a computer (a refurbished HP 6305 Pro) which kept having BSODs. After trying to troubleshoot it (with the help of the people at this forum), I finally gave up and sent it back for a replacement. I have now received the replacement.

I've been working with the replacement, installing all of the programs that I need and otherwise customizing it to fit my needs. Last night, I stayed up late in order to get as much work done on it as possible. As I was installing one particular program (Leawo Blu-ray Player, to be precise), the installer stayed permanently stuck toward the end (during the extraction phase) and never finished. I checked the task manager, and a process called "Windows Modules Installer Worker" was using up about 50% of my CPU and a lot of RAM. I let the computer sit like this for somewhere between half an hour and an hour. Finally, when I realized that it was going to stay stuck, I turned off the computer (Start Menu, Power, Shut Down). I then started the computer back up, ran the Leawo installer as an administrator, and successfully competed the installation.

However, when I looked at the task manager, "Windows Modules Installer Worker" was again still there, and still using a significant amount of system resources. I googled the process, and what I read inclined me to believe that it had nothing to do with the Leawo installation (contrary to what I had previously assumed) and that sometimes the process gets stuck. I read somewhere that sometimes restarting the computer sets it straight.

So I restarted the computer. But instead of restarting quickly, it gave the message "Getting Windows Ready. Don't Turn off Your Computer". (Keep in mind that to the best of my knowledge, Windows had not downloaded any updates that it had not yet installed.) And it stayed like this for an interminable amount of time. Finally, after about 30 to 45 minutes (this was about 3:00 AM), I got tired of waiting and decided to give up and go to bed, leaving the computer as-is. About half an hour later, I got up and checked the computer, to find that it had completed restarting, and was now on the Windows 10 Lock Screen. I am still worried about this, as I don't know whether it actually finished restarting properly, or crashed somewhere along the line and started up afterward.

I checked the update history, and sure enough, no updates had been installed. This makes the "Getting Windows Ready. Don't Turn off Your Computer" message rather worrisome, as it's usually a message that shows up when installing updates. If it wasn't installing updates, then what was it doing? I seem to recall a previous computer (not the one that I sent away and had replaced) giving me a "Getting Windows Ready" message when starting up after a crash. Could this "Getting Windows Ready" message on my new computer have been a sign of Windows trying to fix some sort of damage or corruption that it found on my suystem? And why did it stay on that message screen for so long (possibly over an hour)?

Furthermore, when I checked the Event Viewer, I noted some errors that may be related to this incident. I believe that the first error was from around the time that I turned the computer off after the Leawo installer freeze. It reads thusly:

The second error was from either around the time that the computer finished restarting (I can't pinpoint the exact time this occurred, as I was away from the computer) or the time that I logged in afterward. It read thusly:

There are other error logs as well, but those are the only two that I could spot that seem to possibly be connected to this incident. Here's an attachment of a ZIP file created by the Ten Forums BSOD Log Collection Utility, which should contain all of the relevant error files from the Event Viewer and possibly other relevant information as well:

Attachment 137715

I have a system image backup of my system as it was when I first registered it after receiving the replacement computer. So if there is some sort of damage to my system (either caused by the series of events mentioned here, or a cause of them), I can revert to it. I suppose that I could even perform a Windows 10 in-place upgrade, although that would be a lot of trouble, run the risk of automatically upgrading to the Creator's Upgrade (something that I don't want to do until the bugs have been worked out), and cause me to lose all of my programs.

But I'd rather not have to do any of that unless there truly is cause for me to be concerned. I've already put a lot of work into this computer, and having to start from scratch again would be immensely frustrating (although I'm willing to do it if necessary).

So I'd greatly appreciate it if you could please look at the information in the ZIP file posted above, and tell me whether there's any sign that there is system damage or corruption, or anything that I need to be worried about.

EDIT: After I wrote this post, I ran sfc /scannow, and got the following result:

I found the CBS.log, and uploaded it to Dropbox (as it's slightly too big to upload as an attachment here). Here is the link:

Dropbox - CBS.log

This is starting to look bad.

:)

 

Weird Behavior.

jurgen73 wrote:



ActiveSync does not recognize phone even if windows says is ready to use.



Does this happen all the time?

 

Weird Behavior.

Can anyone explain why these happens?

• ActiveSync does not syncronize the whole outlook email, just a few emails
• ActiveSync does not recognize phone even if windows says is ready to use.

I don't get any error messages or anything on both cases. and I'm using Outlook 2003 with ActiveSync 4.5.

Thanks in advance,

 

Hi, when you received the PC, did it have the Anniversary edition (1607/14393) installed? If so, it's possible that what you saw was it attempting to do the upgrade to the CU.

In which case, you interrupted it part way through that. (Which isn't good).
That's also why you wouldn't see any updates listed.

If that managed to complete, you will have a Windows.old folder (amongst others) on C:
Also check
Windows key + R, winver
to see your build number. (14393 = anniversary edition)

It seems sfc /scannow passed.

You say you don't want to

Are you running Home or Pro? Your specs say Pro.
If you have just upgraded to the CU, you have the option of reverting to the previous version (AU) within 10 days.
With Pro you could choose to 'Defer feature updates' in Settings to delay the upgrade.
However if you have Home, you'd then have to disable Windows updates.

 

I don't think that it had the Anniversary Edition.

Do you mean that I interrupted it part way through the restart, when it said, "Getting Windows Ready. Don't Turn off Your Computer"? If so, I did not. I left it running. When I checked it again, whatever it had done was over and it was on the lock screen.

But I had also checked Windows Update before the restart (when I had noticed the "Windows Modules Installer Worker" in my Task Manager), and it seemed to show that no new updates had been downloaded recently.

However, I just now looked at my update history (after receiving your reply), and found these two items:

Unfortunately, it doesn't tell me what time today that they were installed. However, I assume that it was later today after the whole restart incident, as I seem to recall checking to see whether any new updates had been installed right after it was over (around 3:30 AM), and finding no new updates.

I don't have a Windows.old folder.

It says "Version 1511 (OS Build 10586.916)".

Yes and no. It's more of a "semi-fail". It says that it found and repaired some corrupt files. The fact that there were corrupt files to find in the first place is problematic and worrying.

Did you read the "CBS.log" file? I tried reading it, but don't understand what the information in it means.

I have Pro. However, from what I've heard, an in-place upgrade automatically upgrades to the latest version (currently the Creator's Update). The "Defer Feature Upgrades" option doesn't apply to an in-place upgrade, as it only works for upgrades made through Windows Update itself (not ones from installation media). If this were to happen, then reverting to the previous edition would entail going back to the same (possibly corrupt) installation as before.

 

It says "Version 1511 (OS Build 10586.916)".
- so actually you're using the 'November' build- the one before the anniversary update, or 2 builds before the Creator's Upgrade.

- that's what I was referring to when I suggested you interrupted something installing.

Your CBS.LOG says
Verify and Repair Transaction completed. All files and registry keys listed in this transaction have been successfully repaired- yes, I did read it.

You had a failure typical for 1511 - opencl.dll - which is not a failure.

an in-place upgrade automatically upgrades to the latest version
No, this is a confusion - a conflation- of two different things.

The process of upgrading is the same as an in-place upgrade repair - what is different is the version of the iso used. You have 1511, so an in-place repair is started from a normal boot then running setup.exe from a 1511 iso or boot disk.

An upgrade (e.g. to the CU) would use an iso or boot disk of the latest build.

 

Does this mean that there probably isn't any currently any serious corruption on my system?

 

See my updated post above.

1511 is a very old build. 1607 is preferred to that. You can get iso's for anything, so you need to decide what you want to do.

If you have a stable working system and create (as we strongly recommend you should, routinely) a full disk image, even if you upgrade to the CU and your PC becomes unbootable, you can restore your system from the disk image.

(Macrium Reflect (free) + its boot disk + external storage for disk image sets - e.g. 1Tb or 2Tb disk?)

 

I take it that this means that any and all corruption has been repaired. Please correct me if I am wrong.

What do you mean by saying that is not a failure? Also, do you mean that it's a problem caused by by flaws inherent in 1511 itself, and that upgrading to a newer version of Windows 10 would fix it?

Do you mean that the ISO doesn't cause the latest version to be installed? I thought that it did, because when I ran an in-place upgrade on my last computer, it said that it was downloading updates at some point in the process.

Does this mean that each ISO is "locked" to a particular version of Windows 10, and using it will automatically cause my upgraded installation to be that particular version (such as 1607)?

Does an in-place upgrade to a newer version fix any corruption just as well as an in-place repair using the same version of Windows 10 (such as 1511) would?

Also, in terms of fixing system corruption and other such operating system flaws, does performing an in-place upgrade with the setting to keep user data (user profiles, programs, etc) work just as well, or is it likely to leave corruption behind? The one time that I performed an in-place upgrade on a Windows 10 computer in order to fix system problems (on the last computer that I had before this one), I used the option to not leave anything (and thus had to go through the whole setup process, installing programs, personalizing settings, etc, over again after the upgrade), thinking that this was more thorough and would be more likely to fix any corruption. Was I correct, or is upgrading but keeping user data usually also sufficient to fix any system problems?

I ask because I'd hate to have to go through that again unless it's truly necessary.

Where can I find ISOs for versions of Windows 10 other than the latest? The installation media builder automatically downloads the newest one.

In your experience, what are the pros and cons of the Creator's Update? I've heard that it still causes computers to get all sorts of strange problems and anomalies, due to not yet having all of the bugs worked out. Is this true in your experience? Would you consider performing an in-place upgrade to the Creator's Update (rather than, say, the Anniversary Update) to have more risks than possible benefits, or vice-versa?

True. I'm not so much worried about the computer being rendered instantly unbootable, though, as I could easily fix that with a system image restore. I'm more worried about updating to a new version of Windows, putting more work into customizing it (adding more programs, etc), and then later running into problems that would make me have to revert to a former version and lose the effects of all my work.

I'm very familiar with Macrium Reflect, having used it on a regular basis.

 

This was an MS bug related to an Nvidia file - it lasted for months. For more, search the forum for opencl.dll

A particular iso will install one and only one build of Windows.
Each iso is one build, and there are multiple such iso's for each build. One basic split is between ISOs for 32 bit installations and those for 64 bits. Whether Home or Pro is installed, for example, is determined by you license or key (or what you are/were upgrading from).

This site lists these for download. You have to know exactly what you're doing to get the right one.
Microsoft Windows 10 Anniversary Update ISO 1607 Download • Windows ISO

That specific link will display the Anniversary edition. But the drop-downs allow you to select any build, including the CU.

The media creation tool is intended to make the choice simple. That's what downloads the iso for the latest build.
You appear to be confused between what the media creation tool does and what an iso is.

The media creation tool has two functions: it selects the appropriate iso for your particular PC, and it allows you to download an iso (still latest build) for a different PC by 'bitness' and language.

There are two different aspects to this question - functionality and bugs.
1. Does it add significant useful functionality for the typical user?
Essentially- no.
2. Are there potential problems some users encounter?
Yes. See this forum and read through some of the posts.
3. Are there or have there been some issues all users encounter?
Yes. But I don't think you'd notice any in normal use.

An in-place upgrade repair install always keeps installed programs and most user settings.
It will not fix some registry related problems, and will not fix a corrupt user profile.

I think that was a refresh or reset, not an in-place upgrade repair install. You appear to be confusing two different things.
(See the Tutorial section for how to do each of an in-place upgrade repair install and a reset).
An in-place upgrade repair install requires using an iso of the same base build and language as that installed, starting from having logged in normally.

 

Hello hbenthow,

I've had a look through the log files you posted and here are the few things I spotted:

The BIOS you are running is ver 02.57. There is a new version v02.74 available dated Nov 2016. Please update

There are a lot of windows update failures in the logs - this would explain why you have not seen an update history and also why you see the Windows Modules Installer Worker running a lot of the time. I would run the Windows Update troubleshooter to see if you can get this sorted. Troubleshoot Problems in Windows 10 with Troubleshooters

I don't believe you have any corruption issues or problems (other than the failure to update) to worry about based on your report and your answers to the questions posed by @dalchina

 

I have some more detailed questions, answers, and replies for both of you, but can't post them right now. I hope to be back tomorrow night (Sunday night, Central time). Please forgive the delay.

 

Probably a good way forward would be to
a. Create a disk image
b. update your BIOS
c. manually upgrade Win 10

 

So I take it that it would probably be wisest at this point to upgrade to the Anniversary Update, and wait to install the Creators Update until it's mandatory (by which time most of the bugs should have been removed)?

The method that I used was the exact one starting with step 4 on this page (using a DVD that I had created with the media creation tool):

Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

As much as I hate to have to start all over again (reinstall programs again, re-create my ideal Windows settings, etc), I'm starting to think that I should maybe do the same thing that I did before again this time, to make sure that everything (including the registry) is free of corruption. I don't want even a 0.01% chance of any problems developing.

I'm extremely leery of doing that, as the last computer that I had (also an HP 6305 Pro) had some weird problems after I updated the BIOS to that version. (I had performed the BIOS update in order to attempt to fix a recurring BSOD problem. The BIOS update did not solve the problem.) Whenever my computer would go on uninterruptable power supply power (due to local blackouts) and I would later restart my computer, AMD Catalyst Control Center would not ever start up again (either automatically or manually) until I unplugged the computer for over 30 seconds and plugged it back in. That implies to me that the BIOS update may have messed with how the motherboard communicates with the graphics card in some way.

I don't know for sure whether the problem started after the BIOS update, or I just didn't notice it until then. But as it's still possible that the BIOS update was to blame, I don't wish to risk updating the BIOS on my new computer unless I somehow find out that the BIOS update didn't cause the problem. And I know of no way of finding that out right now.

The BIOS update is locked so that it can't be overwritten by a previous version. So if I were to install it and run into problems, there would be no way of undoing it.

I think that it's probably because I've been turning my computer on and off a lot recently. I'm also starting to think that I might have to update my version of Windows 10, which would maybe fix any updating problems anyway.

A. That's my standard first step.

B. I don't think that this would be prudent at this time. See above.

C. By "manually", do you mean by using an ISO or the media creation tool, or do you mean by using the built-in Windows Update center?


EDIT: I just checked Windows Update, and Windows is automatically downloading version 1607 (without my having done anything to cause it to do so). It's at 57% right now. I'll leave it alone for the time being, in case messing with it would mess anything up, but I don't know what to make of this development (other than that it's frustrating that Windows would do this on its own).

 

Hi, if you are running 1511 now, I'd be struggling to imagine why you would receive 1607, when the current build is the next one- the Creator's Upgrade.

Note: up to 1607, such updates are part of the normal way these are delivered. MS is changing this (perhaps they've finally had enough flak).