Hello Bruce,
I understand this must be upsetting. Are you able to boot your computer? If so please update the drivers and run the check disk scan from the command prompt to fix the issue.
Bruce, thank you for providing the log files. I have escalated the case to the senior technicians. They will analyze the log files and get back to you via email soon.
Hello All,
The short description of my problem is that AVG 2017 Free and Windows 7 Professional (both 32 bit and 64 bit versions) no longer work stably together as they had quite nicely until about Oct 1 2017. In particular, I get BSOD (blue screen of death) at seemingly random times involving a320raid.sys.
I’m wondering if anyone else is having this problem, hence the long/detailed post. I’m an IT professional and I’ve spent a LOT of time looking into this trying to blame this on anything other than AVG before posting here, but alas, I’m about 9x% sure this is some new (again, it only started about Oct 1 – I’ve been using AVG and Windows 7 together for years successfully) bad interaction between Windows 7 and AVG Free 2017 that has recently been introduced, and unfortunately it often corrupts the disk in minor or major ways.
More detail: Windows 7 Professional both 32bit and 64 bit versions are affected. Specifically I have two Dell Precision 670 Workstations. I noticed it first on one of them, and I pulled my hair out for several days doing all the normal things: checking hardware (unplug, replug, try completely different/new disks, take out all unnecessary peripherals, checking software (e.g., windows sfc /verifyonly), dell system diagnostics). The a320raid.sys driver is for the AIC-7910 SCSI chip/capability that is on the motherboard. I almost concluded the mobo must be bad, but then had the brilliant idea trying my OTHER Dell Precision 670 system. COMPLETELY different hardware, COMPLETELY different software install – same problem.
Now I keep up with all the latest patches for both Windows and for AVG (weekly), so I figured it might be that a recent MSFT patch introduced some new bug. So I rolled back to a saved system image from 2/23/17 (saved by Acronis Trueimage) and guess what…same problem…same BSOD. Even more paranoid so I went back to a complete new fresh from original install CDs install of Windows 7 professional – same problem. I also tried it on both 32 bit and 64 bit Windows 7 images – same problem. The a320raid.sys driver has not changed in many years. All of this leads me to believe it is AVG that has recently introduced a bug or at least a new interaction with MSFT Windows 7 that does not end well. It’s not just that BSOD is annoying, but a large percentage of the time when it crashes, disk is left in a state needing repair – sometimes minor, sometimes major. Now THAT isn’t good, and again, not the physical disk or scsi driver hardware as I’ve tried several on two completely different systems!
So, after all the above, my question. Assuming I am right, what can I do to help? Is there some detailed AVG logging somewhere that I can turn on to give insight to this? Is there some set of MSFT crash dumps or memory logs that would be helpful for any AVG expert to debug this? Tell me what to send you and I’d give it my best shot, as I love AVG, have it on numerous systems, recommend it to all I come across, use it in my business, have used it for years and would like to keep using and recommending it! For now, however, my confidence has been shaken…
~ Bruce H
Hello Bruce,
I understand this must be upsetting. Are you able to boot your computer? If so please update the drivers and run the check disk scan from the command prompt to fix the issue.
Hello Bhuvaneswari,
Thank you for your suggestion. Updating/reinstall of driver was the first thing I tried and it does not work. The drivers have not changed in many years (2012 is last update), and the problem still exists after having built a clean fully-patched Windows 7 professional image FROM SCRATCH using the install disk and bringing it fully up to date using Windows Update. Yes at this point I have saved clean disk images to return to after BSOD crashes due to a320raid.sys and remember that both my systems run fine whenever AVG is not installed or even when it is disabled.
Let me summarize in a slightly different way:
1. I'm confident this is not a hardware problem as the same BSOD happens on two different machines (both running Win7Pro64bit - also tried Win7Pro32bit). Both machines are rock solid run just fine and pass all diagnostics with AVG not installed, and also with AVG installed but turned OFF. Only when AVG is turned on and allowed to run "for a while" does the BSOD occur. Sometimes "a while" is just a few minutes. Othertimes it will go a few hours. But eventually, BSOD occurs. Does not seem to make a difference if I am using the machine heavily or just letting it sit there doing background tasks…same crash eventually.
2. The BSOD error is always the same "DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" and says
*** STOP: 0xD1 (0xBFD1A088, 0x8,0x1, 0xFFFFF880010F8C0E)
*** a320raid.sys - Address FFFFF880010F8C0E base at FFFFF880010EF000, DateStamp 4b730526
3. Depending on what the machine was doing at the time of the BSOD, the disk may or may not be damaged. Sometimes I run CHKDSK and it is fine. Other times it does minor repair. Other times major repair. But again, I KNOW it is not the disk drive hardware as the SAME THING happens on two completely different machines. I also tried different BRANDS of disks. I always restart my testing with a clean fresh disk image to make sure nothing is corrupted when I start.
So, let me ask again. Is there any other debug info I can provide that might help you/AVG determine why this happens? Are there AVG log files? Detailed debug tracing I can turn on? Other/similar?
If I had to summarize my best theory, it would be that something that AVG has changed recently causes a bad interaction with the a320raid.sys driver. By recently I mean around Oct 1 of this year as before that date all was well and both systems were rock solid stable, scanning fine, secure using AVG.
Question: Is it possible to download an OLDER version of AVG so I can at least get back on my feet using an engine version from 3 or 6 months ago? Scanning the community logs it seems NO is the "official" answer - hope that is not true! Again, I'm trying to help you debug and if Sept release was stable, Oct release not, that could allow us to quickly hone in on the bug.
Also, just tried AVAST antivirus and got the same error. I didn't know that they own AVG now and have apparently combined engines and talents - and unfortunately this BUG. Perhaps that is a clue?
Once again, I am a senior developer and I AM WILLING TO HELP YOU DEBUG THIS! Just tell me what I can do - turn on AVG debugging mode, forward logs, or whatever as I suspect I am not the only user experiencing this problem. Let me know…forward this msg/thread to the DEV team pls? Free and talented labor is ready to help you debug this and get your product back to stability! Hoping it is something recent/easy that was introduced in the last 30-60 days and we can track and NAIL it!
~ Bruce H
Bruce,
It is not possible to download an older version now. To analyze your issue further, I need to submit your concern to our senior technicians along with other diagnostic logs.
I have sent you an email with steps on how to collect and upload the data required for analyzing your issue. Please check your inbox and spam/junk folder as well.
Bruce, thank you for providing the log files. I have escalated the case to the senior technicians. They will analyze the log files and get back to you via email soon.