Compaq Presario laptop crashing.

[DonnyBoy36]

My 2 year old Compaq Presario CQ61 laptop running Windows 7 has started to crash , suddenly rebooting itself.
After I log-on , I get the message:- “Windows has recovered from an unexpected shutdown - Windows can check online for a solution to the problem”. When I “Check for solution”, the message clears, no further messages appear, and I am logged in a normal.
Before I initiate the “Check for a solution” option, I initiate the “View problem details” option, which basically gives the following information, with different details each time. Here are the latest details.



Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: BlueScreen
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.768.3
Locale ID: 2057

Additional information about the problem:
BCCode: 1e
BCP1: 0000000000000000
BCP2: 0000000000000000
BCP3: 0000000000000000
BCP4: 0000000000000000
OS Version: 6_1_7601
Service Pack: 1_0
Product: 768_1

Files that help describe the problem:
C:\Windows\Minidump\090612-22339-01.dmp
C:\Users\Don\AppData\Local\Temp\WER-234687-0.sysdata.xml

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I have done anti-virus scans with Avast, which return “No threats”
I would be grateful for any help & guidance in identifying & removing the problem.

[Phage]

I'm sure more technically advanced people will be along shortly, but I find that BSODs in a previously stable system are due to a change in either hardware or software. If you haven't changed any hardware, then I'd suggest that you roll the system back via the windows utility to a time prior to your last series of updates were installed. Just type restore into the Windows ssearch box to bring up the app.

If that doesn't work, I also find this free 'Who Crashed' software very useful in diagnosing BSOD codes.
http://www.resplendence.com/downloads

[OilSheikh]

Could be anything!

Start by uninstalling all drivers and reinstalling latest ones

[DonnyBoy36]

Many thanks for all your inputs.
As some of you suggested, I installed “Who Crashed” which indicated that
There was a problem with :-
athrx.sys (Qualcomm Atheros Extensible Wireless LAN device driver, Qualcomm Atheros Communications, Inc.)
Although I had already selected automatic Windows Updates when I setup this laptop 2 years ago, almost as an afterthought I checked to ensure that all updates had been done. Lo & behold, although I was up to date with all “important updates”, there were 4 “optional” updates available, one of which was an update to this LAN device driver.
I installed all these updates on the 7th, & so far there have been no more crashes.
Lesson learned - check for any “optional” updates that need to be done.
Many thanks you guys. I can always rely on you to keep me running.

[DonnyBoy36]

I guess I spoke too soon.
This time, the laptop refused to boot-up, & I was presented with various Microsoft screens, suggesting, I chkdsk, restore back,etc,which I did, but couldn't get copies of the screens as I wasn't in the system.
Eventually, I did get started up, but something is obviously still wrong.
I give below details from Who Crashed, but it means little to me. I don't know how to get copies of the .dmp files
which I guess can be interpreted by those in the know. Help & Guidance please.
===========================================================
On Wed 12/09/2012 20:39:05 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\091212-19718-01.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: ntoskrnl.exe (nt+0x7F1C0)
Bugcheck code: 0xF4 (0x3, 0xFFFFFA8004AAC060, 0xFFFFFA8004AAC340, 0xFFFFF800031D9510)
Error: CRITICAL_OBJECT_TERMINATION
file path: C:\Windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: NT Kernel & System
Bug check description: This indicates that a process or thread crucial to system operation has unexpectedly exited or been terminated.
This appears to be a typical software driver bug and is not likely to be caused by a hardware problem.
The crash took place in the Windows kernel. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver which cannot be identified at this time.


On Wed 12/09/2012 20:39:05 GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\memory.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: ntkrnlmp.exe (nt!KeBugCheckEx+0x0)
Bugcheck code: 0xF4 (0x3, 0xFFFFFA8004AAC060, 0xFFFFFA8004AAC340, 0xFFFFF800031D9510)
Error: CRITICAL_OBJECT_TERMINATION
Bug check description: This indicates that a process or thread crucial to system operation has unexpectedly exited or been terminated.
This appears to be a typical software driver bug and is not likely to be caused by a hardware problem.
The crash took place in the Windows kernel. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver which cannot be identified at this time.