1 Topic by menathor (edited by menathor 2010-03-05 05:57:34)

  • Registered: 2010-03-05
  • Posts: 7

Topic: Fireface drivers causing Windows 7 x64 to bluescreen

Hi all,

Thought I'd share some info with all of you re: my FF 800 bluescreen problems.

I run Win 7 64bit (not via bootcamp - I have a PC) and the RME drive has been causing bluescreens on a regular basis. I'm running the latest firmware and 2.9992 driver (problem was still occurring with the older driver too). Reinstalling Win7 hasn't helped.

The error that is displayed is IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL or IRQL_GT_ZERO_AT_SYSTEM_SERVICE (kicking myself that I didn't write down exactly which one....). But I do have my crash dump files, and when I analyse them, the error is occurring in audiodg.exe every time.

The reason I'm fairly certain it's the RME drivers is because when I go into Sounds in control panel and disable all the RME ins and outs in Windows, the crashes stop occurring. I'm still able to use the Fireface in applications that use the ASIO driver, but not in those that use that go through the normal windows sound drivers.

For the others who are experiencing these bluescreen errors, have you tried downloading the window debugging tool and analysing the crashdump .dmp files in your c:\windows\minidump directory? Posting the results may help RME get to the pottom of this? If everyone's error has the same cause, it means it's a non-system-specifc driver problem that needs to be fixed.

Here is the analysis of my latest crash dump (they all report the same error). It's a raised IRQ fault - possibly related to switching from ASIO usage to normal windows driver usage (eg. using Cubase, then trying to run something like Media Player). But I'm just guessing.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft (R) Windows Debugger Version 6.11.0001.404 AMD64
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.


Loading Dump File [C:\Windows\Minidump\022510-51870-01.dmp]
Mini Kernel Dump File: Only registers and stack trace are available

Symbol search path is: SRV*c:\Symbols*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols
Executable search path is:
Windows 7 Kernel Version 7600 MP (8 procs) Free x64
Product: WinNt, suite: TerminalServer SingleUserTS
Built by: 7600.16385.amd64fre.win7_rtm.090713-1255
Machine Name:
Kernel base = 0xfffff800`02a68000 PsLoadedModuleList = 0xfffff800`02ca5e50
Debug session time: Thu Feb 25 03:35:55.284 2010 (GMT+11)
System Uptime: 0 days 16:24:08.110
Loading Kernel Symbols
...............................................................
................................................................
...........................................
Loading User Symbols
Loading unloaded module list
............
*******************************************************************************
*                                                                             *
*                        Bugcheck Analysis                                    *
*                                                                             *
*******************************************************************************

Use !analyze -v to get detailed debugging information.

BugCheck 4A, {7759ff2a, 2, 0, fffff88013483ca0}

Probably caused by : ntkrnlmp.exe ( nt!KiSystemServiceExit+245 )

Followup: MachineOwner
---------

3: kd> !analyze -v
*******************************************************************************
*                                                                             *
*                        Bugcheck Analysis                                    *
*                                                                             *
*******************************************************************************

IRQL_GT_ZERO_AT_SYSTEM_SERVICE (4a)
Returning to usermode from a system call at an IRQL > PASSIVE_LEVEL.
Arguments:
Arg1: 000000007759ff2a, Address of system function (system call routine)
Arg2: 0000000000000002, Current IRQL
Arg3: 0000000000000000, 0
Arg4: fffff88013483ca0, 0

Debugging Details:
------------------


PROCESS_NAME:  audiodg.exe

BUGCHECK_STR:  RAISED_IRQL_FAULT

FAULTING_IP:
+0
00000000`7759ff2a ??              ???

CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT:  1

DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID:  VISTA_DRIVER_FAULT

CURRENT_IRQL:  2

LAST_CONTROL_TRANSFER:  from fffff80002ad9469 to fffff80002ad9f00

STACK_TEXT: 
fffff880`13483a68 fffff800`02ad9469 : 00000000`0000004a 00000000`7759ff2a 00000000`00000002 00000000`00000000 : nt!KeBugCheckEx
fffff880`13483a70 fffff800`02ad93a0 : fffffa80`0a56b3e0 00000000`01e1fc58 fffff880`13483bc8 00000000`00000001 : nt!KiBugCheckDispatch+0x69
fffff880`13483bb0 00000000`7759ff2a : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : nt!KiSystemServiceExit+0x245
00000000`01e1fc28 00000000`00000000 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : 0x7759ff2a


STACK_COMMAND:  kb

FOLLOWUP_IP:
nt!KiSystemServiceExit+245
fffff800`02ad93a0 4883ec50        sub     rsp,50h

SYMBOL_STACK_INDEX:  2

SYMBOL_NAME:  nt!KiSystemServiceExit+245

FOLLOWUP_NAME:  MachineOwner

MODULE_NAME: nt

IMAGE_NAME:  ntkrnlmp.exe

DEBUG_FLR_IMAGE_TIMESTAMP:  4a5bc600

FAILURE_BUCKET_ID:  X64_RAISED_IRQL_FAULT_audiodg.exe_nt!KiSystemServiceExit+245

BUCKET_ID:  X64_RAISED_IRQL_FAULT_audiodg.exe_nt!KiSystemServiceExit+245

Followup: MachineOwner
---------

menathor's Website

  • Registered: 2010-04-03
  • Posts: 2

Re: Fireface drivers causing Windows 7 x64 to bluescreen

Try this :Windows 7 seems to include at least three different FireWire drivers. As reported in other forums to make the Fireface (and others) run under W7 you just have to change from the incompatible default driver to the compatible one.

- Go to Device Manager, FireWire Contoller.
- Choose Driver, Update Driver Software
- A list pops up that (on our systems) showed three entries:

OHCI-compliant 1394 Host controller
OHCI-compliant 1394 Host controller (legacy)
OHCI-compliant Texas Instruments 1394-Host controller

- From these three select 'OHCI-compliant 1394 Host controller (legacy)'
- Install the latest FF driver...
__________________
All my best,

3 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 24,837

Re: Fireface drivers causing Windows 7 x64 to bluescreen

The driver does not cause BSODs per se, only in very specific situations. If you just work and during record / playback get such a BSOD then the communication between FF and computer is in trouble. This might be as simple as a defective FireWire cable, or as complicated as a strange problem within the unit. Please try a new cable first.

Next step then: give details about the software you use and at what sample rate.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2010-03-05
  • Posts: 7

Re: Fireface drivers causing Windows 7 x64 to bluescreen

Hi MC, the problem specifically occurs (I think) when switching between programs that use windows sounds and programs that use ASIO (eg. when I switch between Cubase 5 and Windows Media Player or Internet Explorer etc.). Several other users on the forums are also having the exact same issue so I'm pretty confident it's not just my setup. Also, this only happens with the FF. Here is some more info from another thread:

panu wrote:

There are two FF800's in my Asus P6T / i7 / Win7 64 bit system.  I have had same problems as you - same blue screens, especially IRQL_GT_ZERO_AT_SYSTEM_SERVICE, that are somehow FF800 related. Blue screens happen usually after I have closed Cakewalk Sonar (8.5.3) and try to play music with Winamp.

@panu -  This is EXACTLY the same issue I'm having (happens in the same kind of situation too). Could you try a couple of things and let us know the results? Firstly, try going into Control panel - Sound and disabling all FF inputs and outputs from "Playback" and "Recording" tabs (they will disappear from the list). Basically, the idea is to make sure Windows isn't using the FF for anything. To work around getting sound from your windows applications, you could run sound out of the digital or analogue out of your motherboard's onboard soundcard into the inputs of the FF (this is what I'm currently doing). Also, Sonar will still work since disabling the FF ins and outs in Windows Sound will not disable the ASIO driver.

If this works for you as a fix (it did for me) - can you report back and let us know?

Also, it would be great if you could download the Windows 7 Debugging Tool (http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/Devtools/ … fault.mspx) and analyse your crashdump file (it will be the latest .dmp file inside the c:\windows\minidump directory). This will allow you to check whether the problem was with audiodg.exe, as it was with me.

@MC - Is this something that is being looked into at the moment? Also, there is mention of driver v 2.9998 and v 3.011 on the forum but I can only find driver v 2.9992 - could you tell me where I should go for the newer drivers?

@douvanik - thanks for the suggestion, I will try this. Do you know if this specifically fixes BSOD problems? I don't have any other kinds of issues, so if the fix is more for clicks and pops etc. then it probably won't help my situation?

menathor's Website

  • Registered: 2010-02-10
  • Posts: 4

Re: Fireface drivers causing Windows 7 x64 to bluescreen

Having the same problem here too.

Posted on another thread, but with Windows 7 64bit, and an TI chipset expresscard, I was getting bluescreens all over the place whatever I did! Reeverted to the legacy FW driver and seems to have sorted out that issue. However I still get bluescreens when swapping between windows and asio audio. EG, just now I had sonar open with a project open, played music using spotify fine, then as soon as i click to shut Sonar, my machine instantly bluescreens. Seems to do this intermittently, but fairly often. Doesn't do it if windows audio and FF I/O is disabled...

6 Reply by menathor (edited by menathor 2010-06-16 01:38:10)

  • Registered: 2010-03-05
  • Posts: 7

Re: Fireface drivers causing Windows 7 x64 to bluescreen

I don't understand why RME aren't acknowledging this problem, let alone fixing it! it's been going on for a long time now....

MC, as you can see there is clearly a bug with the current FF driver and Win 7 64 bit. It's not just my setup.

menathor's Website

7 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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  • Registered: 2007-04-06
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Re: Fireface drivers causing Windows 7 x64 to bluescreen

We think we fixed the basic problems in the 3.x series driver already. Unfortunately that new driver needs some fixes for use of multiple Firefaces, so won't help you at this time, but soon.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2008-06-26
  • Posts: 150

Re: Fireface drivers causing Windows 7 x64 to bluescreen

The download link for the lastest fireface driver:

https://archiv.rme-audio.de/download/win_fire_3015.zip

/Uwe

  • Registered: 2011-10-28
  • Posts: 1

Re: Fireface drivers causing Windows 7 x64 to bluescreen

I also had problem with Blue sceen error. Now I switch to the "old" driver. There were no "legacy" driver in my setup. But the old driver seems to work. I havent had blue screen since. I use win7 64 bit and an pci firewire card.

  • Registered: 2011-03-16
  • Posts: 15

Re: Fireface drivers causing Windows 7 x64 to bluescreen

Hi!

I discovered this old thread while searching for a fix to a problem I'm currently having, which shares some similarities to the ones mentioned above, only on Windows 10. So I thought I'd share my issue here before eventually creating a new thread.

Story so far:
- Suddenly started getting lots of BSOD on my old computer sometime during spring this year. After the blue screen "information-gather"-thing had reached 100 % it froze in BSOD and had to be shut down manually with the power button.
- Also experiencing BSOD on my new computer immediately after setting it up and installing everything this summer. Only now the info-gather reaches 100 % and windows then performs a restart. Crash log shows Kernel 41 (63) error.
- After reading a bit online I'm starting to suspect that my Fireface 800 or FF 800 driver is causing the problems.
- When the Fireface is on and the FF driver (3.124) is enabled in the Windows sound settings I've noticed I get occational short (miliseconds) audio dropouts/artefacts.
- I'm pretty sure the BSOD occurs every time I exit a program, like my DAW or a game I'm playing. If the FF driver is not enabled (or the FF800 unit is off) I have never got a BSOD. If I turn off my FF 800 while in my DAW and then exit I do not get the BSOD.
- I have also experienced BSODs when I'm in my DAW and at the same time actively use a web browser. The timing of the BSOD in these cases seem more random, but I'm pretty sure it's always after an activity, like f.ex. a mouse click.
- I've tried disabling all other audio drivers in the windows sound settings, and even uninstalling them, and only having the FF driver enabled, but this didn't work.

I use an Exsys EX-16415 PCIe card to connect my Fireface 800 to my ASRock Z370 Killer SLI motherboard (I used another one for my old PC https://www.komplett.no/product/618246#)

Does anybody have any ideas as to what I could try next?

As it looks like changing to an older driver has solved the problem for some, and I believe the problems started around when the current driver was released in May earlier this year, I'm wondering if there is anywhere I can download old drivers for FF 800, like the 3.122 or 3.123, for Windows 10 (I can only find the 3.034 for win 7 on the RME download page, and I'm not sure if I sould try those in win 10).

  • ramses
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  • Registered: 2012-10-14
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Re: Fireface drivers causing Windows 7 x64 to bluescreen

If I remember right from other thread Firewire support isn't that great anymore.

What also happened around April / Mai was the major Win10 upgrade from 1709 to 1804 and if I remember right something changed and I stumbled somewhere over a webpage where you can download the old Windows Firewire driver with the option to change to legacy mode. I could be mistaken, pls check.

Tbh I would slowly migrate to USB.
Firewire becomes more and more a dead horse. As long as it runs it's OK ...

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13

12 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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  • Registered: 2007-04-06
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Re: Fireface drivers causing Windows 7 x64 to bluescreen

https://archiv.rme-audio.de/download/dr … n_3123.zip
https://archiv.rme-audio.de/download/dr … n_3122.zip

Etc.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2011-03-16
  • Posts: 15

Re: Fireface drivers causing Windows 7 x64 to bluescreen

Thanks guys!

I'll try with one of the older drivers and then report back.

  • Registered: 2011-03-16
  • Posts: 15

Re: Fireface drivers causing Windows 7 x64 to bluescreen

After installing v. 3.123 I am no longer experiencing bluescreens, so it seems to have solved it for me, at least so far. I'll report back should this change.

Thanks for the help!

  • Registered: 2019-02-24
  • Posts: 1

Re: Fireface drivers causing Windows 7 x64 to bluescreen

I just wanted to confirm the same behaviour with 3.124 for windows with the same card (Exsys EX-16415) and Fireface 800 with Win10 64bit.

I also confirm that at least for me 3.123 has not resulted in any bluescreens.

Before installation of the Exsys EX-16415 and 3.124 my system was stable. No other hardware changes were made.

Can supply a minidump or any other details if required.

Best Regards from Berlin

L.

  • Registered: 2011-03-16
  • Posts: 15

Re: Fireface drivers causing Windows 7 x64 to bluescreen

Hey!

I'm sorry I haven't reported back sooner. The bluescreens returned after a few days/week, and persisted even though I tried other driver versions.

I even got bluescreens when rendering files in my DAW (Reaper), so being on a deadline and needing a stable rig I purchased a Focusrite Clarett 2pre usb as a backup Audio Interface, hoping for the best. Luckily I have had zero issues after switching to the new Focusrite interface two months ago.

It's a shame to not be able to use my FF800 though, so I hope we can solve this somehow! I don't think I changed anything to legacy mode when I ran the older FF800 drivers, like ramses suggested a few posts ago. I just installed and ran the drivers. Could this have made a difference? And in which case, how/where do I change to legacy mode?

  • tbop
  • tbop
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  • Registered: 2011-12-08
  • Posts: 20

Re: Fireface drivers causing Windows 7 x64 to bluescreen

I'm running on 3.125 with Win10 here and probably it all comes down to the same root causes than you guys. Don't feel like acquiring an FF802 just to solve this problem tho. My FF800 is 6 years old... that ain't so old!

What is the point of having a TI chipset to switch to this legacy driver from Microsoft? Will this have impacts on performance?

Should I take the risk to downgrade to 3.123?

Thank you all.

A dood from Steinberg