The troubleshooter led me to check for an update for my sound card (which seems to be the Creative Sound Blaster Audigy) via Windows Update. Installing this update led to a blue screen error which forced me to restart Windows. Here are its contents:
A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.
The problem seems to be caused by the following file: ha10kx2k.sys
PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
If this is the first time you've seen this Stop error screen, restart your computer. If this screen appears again, follow these steps:
Check to make sure any new hardware or software is properly installed. If this is a new installation, ask your hardware or software manufacturer for any windows updates you might need.
If problems continue, disable or remove any newly installed hardware or software. Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing. If you need to use Safe Mode to remove or disable components, restart your computer, press F8 to select Advanced Startup Options, and then select Safe Mode.
Technical information:
*** STOP: 0x00000050 (0xA5A5A5AC, 0x00000000, 0xF5A77147, 0x00000000)
*** ha10kx2k.sys - Address F5A77147 base at F5A5E000, DateStamp 3e1cd581
Beginning dump of physical memory
Physical memory dump complete.
Contact your system administrator or technical support group for further assistance.
Upon rebooting Windows, I was greeted by an Error Reporting window. Clicking the link at the end of it displayed another window with information that I thought might be potentially helpful. Both windows are shown below:
[external image: Posted Image]
Clicking on a link in the second window for technical information displayed paths to these files:
C:\DOCUME~1\Dan\LOCALS~1\Temp\WER0913.dir00\Mini062409-01.dmp
C:\DOCUME~1\Dan\LOCALS~1\Temp\WER0913.dir00\sysdata.xml
After the error report was sent, I was brought to
http://wer.microsoft.com/responses/Respons…92-ea85c0de1e51.
This experience has led me to realize that I had not been completely thorough in reporting everything that lead up to these issues. Allow me to better describe the events:
After being guided to remove malware in the HJT section of What the Tech forums, I installed Service Pack 3 through Windows Update. I then installed other updates suggested by Windows Update, allowing it to reboot my machine whenever asked. A blue screen error occurred during one of these update sessions. I did not record its contents, but I believe it was similar to the one discussed in the beginning of this post and if memory serves me correctly, then it too was caused by a Creative sound card driver update. I am almost positive that there were hardware-related updates installed. Though I can't confirm that it also produced an error report window after reboot, the behavior definitely feels familiar to me from my time working with this machine in recent weeks. Regardless, I proceeded with the updates and everything seemed to be working well.
Believing my work was finished, I installed and updated security software and cleared the PC for the use of family members. A day or two later, my dad reported that the PC would crash whenever he tried to log in (which you already helped me resolve) and my sister mentioned the lack of sound (a problem experienced on every account). Since I got my MacBook, I've only been using this VAIO occasionally and have only done so extensively to resolve all these problems. Throughout much of this time, I had the speakers turned off and thus can't say exactly when this particular issue was first experienced. I now suspect that it may be the driver update and not Service Pack 3 that may be the root of the issue in this case.
![[external image: Posted Image]](http://img99.imageshack.us/my.php?image=errorreport.png){kind=link}