Thinkpads Forum

My W520 model 42844ZU with an NVIDIA Quadro 1000m has started to get SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION (3b). From my investigations this indicates that an exception happened while executing a routine that transitions from non-privileged code to privileged code. This error has been linked to excessive paged pool usage and may occur due to user-mode graphics drivers crossing over and passing bad data to the kernel code.

This description seems to be spot on with my problem because when I load up memory/paged memory with a few programs like Outlook with a large .pst file and Firefox with lots of open windows and tabs (I have a bad habit of keeping 50 or more tabs open) ... then at some random time the display will scissor and laptop hard fail, sometimes with a SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION (3b) in a minidump but most other times a hard fail without any error recording.

The only solution I've used to date is cold rebooting manually on a 3-5 day cycle and starting fresh loading programs and data into RAM and page files. I haven't found any utility or registry hack to tell me how memory and paging is being used such that I could monitor and avoid the 3b service exception.
Questions 1: does anyone know of such a program or hack or other way than regularly cold booting to avoid the 3b ?? Please don't suggest changing my bad habit of keeping so many firebox tabs open, I'm trying to fix this bad habit.

Outside of these 3b faults my windows 7 ultimate (64bit) is stable... but I've noticed that the NVIDIA 1000m drivers haven't been updated by Lenovo since 2015 v9.18.13.1269 (NVIDIA Graphics Driver) from Lenovo...I'm not thinking that an updated NVIDIA driver might help.
Question 2: 'I've found an updated 2017 notebook 1000m on the NVIDIA website.... has anyone successfully updated their W520 with this driver ??
Version: R375 U9 (377.55) Release Date: 2017.7.24 Operating System: Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8.1 64-bit, Windows 8 64-bit

Any suggestions are helpful, thanks in advance,

If you are still on Internet Explorer, DUMP IT!

Change your web browser to the 32-bit version of Pale Moon.
Then download and install Firemin
Install see here: https://www.rizonesoft.com/how-to-use-firemin/
Your RAM-usage will go down tremendously.

Another option would be: SlimJet, again get the 32-bit version!
Only disadvantage: the tabs are all above the URL-window.

thanks but I use Firefox and hardly ever use Internet Explorer...

Install Firemin on Firefox, it was made for it!

I don't have a W520, but I have a Celsius H710 that utilizes the same graphics chip.

Currently, I am using the latest stable NVIDIA driver release that you stated in your post, and I have not received such an error yet. I suppose that you could try installing the newest driver and see how it goes.

I have one question for you, though. Does the BSoD's error report point to a system driver called nvlddmkm.sys? I heard that this was occasionally the 'origin' of the error.

the minidumps always point to an address in the kernel.. typically
ntoskrnl.exe+939a0

I've installed FIREMIN and testing with FIREFOX and OUTLOOK
thanks again

If I am reading things right, does this mean that the 'Caused By Driver' entry in the mini-dump is pointing to ntoskrnl.exe? Does it look similar to this?

Caused By Driver : ntoskrnl.exe
Caused By Address : ntoskrnl.exe+939a0

I would suggest updating the graphics driver, since it would help to rule out the graphics driver's involvement in this BSoD.

I never get "caused by driver" in the minidump
SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION 0x0000003b 00000000`c0000005 fffff800`032b02c5 fffff880`20c66060 00000000`00000000 ntoskrnl.exe ntoskrnl.exe+939a0

I appreciate your recommendation to update the driver...
so to not corrupt testing ... I've chosen to run FIREMIN first
if that doesn't help then I'll update the driver (I'm still skittish about this update because it doesn't come from Lenovo as their update)

Minidumps are useless for actual debugging of driver-related issues; they never point to the right thing. One would need at least a kernel dump and to open it with WinDbg to get a better idea of the cause, which still might be everything from a buggy driver to a faulty memory controller.

To anyone who followed this thread and made suggestions, thanks
I've been running FIREMIN but I'm not convinced it does anything because the 3b faults continued.
Then I installed the new video driver which is working OK but the 3b faults continued.

Finally I manually increased the size of the page file WHICH seems to have WORKED because the 3b faults have stopped.
BUT I have gotten some 1A memory faults...this has been isolated to Outlook pst file compress followed by suspend resume sequence followed by reopening outlook followed by the 1A fault.... seems like the pst file which has been paged-saved in the page file has faulted
to me this is a windows fault with file paging... for me it happens after suspend-resume cycle
I have no solution for this other than shutdown/cold boot after several days and after pst compresses