Blue Screen of Death During Early Flight

[Deoxys_101]

After the 1.3 update, I've started to get blue screens of death during flight. It occurs most of the time right after launch between 100m and 50km in altitude. I've also had an increase in regular crashes, mainly during loading (such as after you recover a vehicle) or transitioning from the VAB to the launch pad. As for the BSODs though, unfortunately they do not leave crash logs, so I can only provide crash logs for the regular crashes. When I get a BSOD during KSP, everything on my computer screen freezes completely. Sound cuts out from KSP but if I have sound in any other applications (like music or youtube videos) the sound from them will continue to play for about 10 - 20 more seconds before cutting out. After that the screen will just remain stuck for a random period of time (seems to vary between a few seconds and a few minutes) before giving me a BSOD. Sometimes it won't actually give me a BSOD though and will just remain stuck, in which case I have to manually shut down the computer. This has only been happening witih KSP and not any other games. I'll attach what crash logs I have (from regular crashes) along with my DxDiag and current saves (including quicksaves). I hope it's okay that I zipped it since it's a lot of files (most of which being the quicksaves, which is also why the file is large). If there are any other files that might help solve this problem, let me know and I will get them.

https://mega.nz/#!IbZyUaCD!68rqMdj2zqPIwLP1GxhK0tVQoUfGQLtgyYaBXqTBWPo (Uploaded with MEGA because it's the only place that can handle the large file.)

Also, I included the saves because I'm worried that my save game as a whole (as in my main game and all quicksaves with it) might be corrupted enough to be causing problems (like crashes) but not enough for the game to always detect. I've had to restore my save game twice with back ups due to corruptions that the game actually detected (and wouldn't let me in). If this is the case, is there anyway I can fix my save game? Backups are kind of out of the question as I have a feeling they'd be corrupt too. I'd be really disappointing if I had to trash this save game because I'm on career mode and have put a lot of effort into it. It would also likely make me not want to play the game again for fear of the same thing happening.

Extra Notes:

*One time, a few days ago, Steam tagged the game as uninstalled but all the files were still there. Re-installing through Steam had it do no downloads and install almost instantly (because the files were already there).

*I have verified the files through Steam twice and both times it has found one file that was messed up or missing and needed to be replaced (which it said it would do). However, it didn't tell me what these files were.

*I have yet to try re-installing because I want to know what the problem is first in case it's a confliction with something on my computer and/or something that re-installing won't fix and/or will make the problem worse. I will re-install as soon as I know what the problem is and to what extent the damage is. Note that KSP is not installed in my Program Files (x86) but rather in my D: drive because there is a lot more space there.

Any help is much appreciated.

 

 

[diomedea]

Error.log with the crash folders show:

0 MB physical memory [0 MB free].
0 MB paging file [0 MB free].
0 MB user address space [xxx MB free]. (Note: xxx = 153, 163, 164, 183 MB with the different logs)
Write to location 02000000 caused an access violation.

First line shows amount of RAM, total installed and [free]. Second line shows amount of paging file (on disk), total configured and [free]. Third line shows total address space the system allows for the application (virtual space). The fourth line shows what caused the crash: writing to a invalid memory location.

Now, if the OS sees 0 as available RAM, there won't be any possibility to make it work. Not even if the paging file wasn't 0 (though it is). The OS set 0 as address space because it had no space available to manage, KSP had no virtual space and tried to write at the very first location programs know to be where their space normally starts.

This has nothing to do with KSP, there are some serious issues with your system. No application (like KSP is) working at ring 3 can cause a BSOD with modern OS, it is the result of a fault at inner rings. Seeing no RAM (nor a paging file) isn't normal for any OS, and no application can fake that. Clearly, you can't have crash logs for BSOD, it is the OS to be crashing leaving no chance for an application to do anything.

You're saying this happens only with KSP and not with other games. I was considering the cause to be a defective area with the D: partition where KSP is installed, as that may result in crashes only related to KSP; and if the drive is damaged, a defective area may be where system files are held too, springing BSODs and false readings. Can't tell for sure a defective drive being at the root, but remains to me the most probable cause (even considering all the other troubles listed). Unless you have a better explanation for a computer able to boot without RAM...

[Deoxys_101]

29 minutes ago, diomedea said:

Error.log with the crash folders show:

0 MB physical memory [0 MB free].
0 MB paging file [0 MB free].
0 MB user address space [xxx MB free]. (Note: xxx = 153, 163, 164, 183 MB with the different logs)
Write to location 02000000 caused an access violation.

First line shows amount of RAM, total installed and [free]. Second line shows amount of paging file (on disk), total configured and [free]. Third line shows total address space the system allows for the application (virtual space). The fourth line shows what caused the crash: writing to a invalid memory location.

Now, if the OS sees 0 as available RAM, there won't be any possibility to make it work. Not even if the paging file wasn't 0 (though it is). The OS set 0 as address space because it had no space available to manage, KSP had no virtual space and tried to write at the very first location programs know to be where their space normally starts.

This has nothing to do with KSP, there are some serious issues with your system. No application (like KSP is) working at ring 3 can cause a BSOD with modern OS, it is the result of a fault at inner rings. Seeing no RAM (nor a paging file) isn't normal for any OS, and no application can fake that. Clearly, you can't have crash logs for BSOD, it is the OS to be crashing leaving no chance for an application to do anything.

You're saying this happens only with KSP and not with other games. I was considering the cause to be a defective area with the D: partition where KSP is installed, as that may result in crashes only related to KSP; and if the drive is damaged, a defective area may be where system files are held too, springing BSODs and false readings. Can't tell for sure a defective drive being at the root, but remains to me the most probable cause (even considering all the other troubles listed). Unless you have a better explanation for a computer able to boot without RAM...

Okay then... That was a handful. This computer is still very new (not even a year old). If there really is a serious problem with my computer, how do I go about fixing it? Replacing the entire computer is out of the question considering this computer cost about 1k and is still so new. I'm also a broke college student who got this PC as a gift. 

Also, I'm not as 'techy' as you are... Can you maybe try to simplify what you said for me? I don't quite understand the problem as the computer does everything else fine, and KSP is not the only game I play. I also have 705 GB free on the drive that KSP is installed on, so I don't know why it would run out of room. I also can't imagine not having the required specs to run KSP...

[diomedea]

Good your PC is still that new, probably you may get it repaired for free if the warranty hasn't expired yet.

Provided that covers the fault. If really it has a damaged drive, that may come from having slammed hard, a kind of damage not always covered.

But first, you need to verify what the cause is. A damaged drive shows doing a disk check: here all the info needed to perform it in Windows.

In the meantime, mind showing some details about your system? Brand, model, CPU, OS installed, RAM, Drives, Graphics, GPU, Video RAM. Most if not all are available from Start - Control Panel - System. Also, you know how to check the BIOS settings? (there should be a function or ESC  key shown during boot-up for entering those). How to enter advanced system settings, e.g., to set paging file size? (Control Panel - System - Advanced Settings - Advanced -  Performance - Settings - Virtual memory).

Should the disk not be damaged and another cause for those troubles have to be found, such info will be if importance, BIOS and advanced settings included.

It may not be that easy to perform all the steps required to verify or even fix other possible causes, if you have a friend or someone there able to help could be best.

[Deoxys_101]

28 minutes ago, diomedea said:

Good your PC is still that new, probably you may get it repaired for free if the warranty hasn't expired yet.

Provided that covers the fault. If really it has a damaged drive, that may come from having slammed hard, a kind of damage not always covered.

But first, you need to verify what the cause is. A damaged drive shows doing a disk check: here all the info needed to perform it in Windows.

In the meantime, mind showing some details about your system? Brand, model, CPU, OS installed, RAM, Drives, Graphics, GPU, Video RAM. Most if not all are available from Start - Control Panel - System. Also, you know how to check the BIOS settings? (there should be a function or ESC  key shown during boot-up for entering those). How to enter advanced system settings, e.g., to set paging file size? (Control Panel - System - Advanced Settings - Advanced -  Performance - Settings - Virtual memory).

Should the disk not be damaged and another cause for those troubles have to be found, such info will be if importance, BIOS and advanced settings included.

It may not be that easy to perform all the steps required to verify or even fix other possible causes, if you have a friend or someone there able to help could be best.

Did... Did you even look at the DxDiag I provided? All of the information you requested should be in there; the only thing I didn't see right off the bat was my graphics card information, which is a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB. Also I feel like you jumped the gun too quickly. All evidence is pointing towards this being a problem in KSP, especially since this didn't happen until after the 1.3 update. I understand it can be easy to direct the problem away from KSP, especially if you're someone who has to support it, but I really do think we should consider at least a 50% chance that this is KSP related, if not more. You don't seem to understand the concept that this doesn't happen in other games, even other Unity games. Not to be mean but if you continue to direct this as far away from KSP as you can then I will seek help elsewhere.

CHKDSK Results:

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.15063]
(c) 2017 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>CHKDSK /F D:
The type of the file system is NTFS.
Volume label is New Volume.

Stage 1: Examining basic file system structure ...
  324096 file records processed.
File verification completed.
  16 large file records processed.
  0 bad file records processed.

Stage 2: Examining file name linkage ...
  365646 index entries processed.
Index verification completed.
  0 unindexed files scanned.
  0 unindexed files recovered to lost and found.

Stage 3: Examining security descriptors ...
Security descriptor verification completed.
  20775 data files processed.

Windows has scanned the file system and found no problems.
No further action is required.

 976629759 KB total disk space.
 236841496 KB in 302297 files.
     79632 KB in 20777 indexes.
         0 KB in bad sectors.
    419895 KB in use by the system.
     65536 KB occupied by the log file.
 739288736 KB available on disk.

      4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
 244157439 total allocation units on disk.
 184822184 allocation units available on disk.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>
 

[diomedea]

Can you provide an explanation for a system (not KSP) that reports to have 0 RAM available, that allocates 0 MB as virtual space for an application (again, this isn't KSP fault)? And that often crashes with a BSOD (what no application can cause, but is tied to kernel or drivers).

Perhaps another explanation is, KSP is the only application calling a defective driver installed on your system, and that driver is the BSOD cause. Did you update any drivers lately, after installing 1.3?

 

[Deoxys_101]

1 minute ago, diomedea said:

Can you provide an explanation for a system (not KSP) that reports to have 0 RAM available, that allocates 0 MB as virtual space for an application (again, this isn't KSP fault)? And that often crashes with a BSOD (what no application can cause, but is tied to kernel or drivers).

Perhaps another explanation is, KSP is the only application calling a defective driver installed on your system, and that driver is the BSOD cause. Did you update any drivers lately, after installing 1.3?

 

I don't believe that the KSP crash log is 100% correct, especially since the information came from a regular crash, not one that caused a BSOD. And if my system has 0 RAM available and allocates 0 MB, then why can I play other games just fine? Examples: Planet Coaster, The Long Dark, Subnautica, Garry's Mod, etc. All are also installed on my D: drive. I also ran a memory diagnostic and no problems came up. As for drivers, nothing has changed since the 1.3 update to KSP.

[diomedea]

To make this clear: your system can't have 0 RAM. Otherwise it won't boot at all. But the OS shows 0 RAM being available when KSP is concerned, the amount with RAM and other memory is a OS function being invoked, the wrong info isn't from KSP, but from the OS. Indeed that info isn't correct, can't be: but is effectively what the OS is providing and that is causing KSP to crash (when it is KSP crashing, not the BSOD). As for the BSOD, you are welcome to look for help anywhere else you like:  there is no reason you'll get  worse help about that  than on this forum, and I may well not waste my time trying to help with such system failures.

[Deoxys_101]

I would like to update this thread:

So far, the issue seems to have been fixed following a graphics card update. I still sometimes get regular crashes with KSP but they correspond with the common ones that most people get (for those who do get them). I was originally going to wait at least a week for testing but decided to get this down sooner. The problem turned out to be a confliction with KSP's 1.3 update and my graphics card and overall system set up. It wasn't a hardware failure like diomedea insisted on, especially since all the tests ran for any sort of hardware failures came back negative (no problems found). This included a full version of CHKDSK which took several hours to complete. So in short, I do not have a faulty hard-drive, or any faulty hardware. The closest thing to faulty hardware that I could have had was not even my hard-drive, but my graphics adapter (relating to my computer's screen), but again this turned out to be a confliction rather than a fault after testing. So, not to slam diomedea too hard here, the issue was in fact being caused by KSP. This was later also confirmed by Microsoft Support in combination with testing.

[snip]

[Vanamonde]

Please do not make the discussions personal, especially if someone is attempting to offer help. 

[SubsonicDrifter]

I have the same problem with my KSP it occurred after I installed a mod. This leads me to be leave that some files have been corrupted in KSP (BSOD can be software related). I deleted the mod but the BSOD still would rarely appear. Perhaps reinstalling will fix it... only time will tell.