Aspire Z1620-UR31P: Kernel_Security_Check_Error; Bad Memory Module?

I am patiently diagnosing Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool and the Event Source results that show a memory "hardware" problem. I've chosen to put this in the place to receive comments and will update myself when the issue is solved. While System Information shows status okay for all Memory Hardware, the Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool indicated a hardware problem:

Indicated a hardware problem.
Per the above the Event Viewer's Event Source results show:

Consistent hardware problem finding.

With this further Event Source detail when double-clicking each indicated "error":

+ System
- Provider
   [ Name] Microsoft-Windows-MemoryDiagnostics-Results
   [ Guid] {5F92BC59-248F-4111-86A9-E393E12C6139}
   EventID 1102
   Version 0
   Level 2
   Task 0
   Opcode 0
   Keywords 0x8000000000000000
- TimeCreated
   [ SystemTime] 2017-03-04T01:38:00.429536200Z
   EventRecordID 6641
   Correlation
- Execution
   [ ProcessID] 3400
   [ ThreadID] 3404
   Channel System
   Computer DESKTOP-U875IA5
- Security
   [ UserID] S-1-5-18
- UserData
- Results
   LaunchType Manual
   CompletionType Fail
   MemorySize 1986
   TestType 10
   TestDuration 335
   TestCount 12
   NumPagesTested 507269
   NumPagesUnTested 1224
   NumBadPages 1
   T1NumBadPages 0
   T2NumBadPages 0
   T3NumBadPages 1
   T4NumBadPages 1
   T5NumBadPages 1
   T6NumBadPages 1
   T7NumBadPages 1
   T8NumBadPages 1
   T9NumBadPages 1
   T10NumBadPages 1
   T11NumBadPages 1
   T12NumBadPages 1
   T13NumBadPages 0
   T14NumBadPages 0
   T15NumBadPages 0
   T16NumBadPages 0

I've long intended to upgrade this base model's memory from 2GB to its maximum 8GB, so I sought details of the DDR3 RAM connfiguration and got this:

Command prompt result: Zero memory??!!

Zero physical memory? Crazy. What the heck is up here? This 2012 computer doesn't run that hard as I split use with my Aspire E1, so it surprises me a module could be bad. But since a February 22 Windows 10 update I've experienced sporadic Blue Screens -- i.e., "Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. ... Kernel_Security_Check_Error." The Kernel Security Check Failure error is usually caused due to Memory or Driver incompatibility issues or corruption of system data. Driver Verifier Manager and System File Checker found no issues. So far the resulting blue screen seems to hit only while adding, moving, or deleting photos, with or without an SD or Flash Drive. So I wonder if the Diagnostic alert could be something memory related such as video card.
I also wonder if the Blue Screen and Diagnotics alert are just more of the many idiosyncrasies experienced from Windows 10 installations, updates, and upgrades. It's tempting but likely false hope to await this month's release of the Windows 10 version currently in beta, the Creators Update, aka version 1703 or "Redstone 2."

Accepted answers

IronFly

ok, continue to monitor your PC and see if it's able to save any dump, if not probably is a bad ram module.

if your system has 2 or more ram modules, you can try to ran with just one and switch them to see which one crash.

All comments

IronFly

Windows 10 is a little more picky on ram side.

can you please download this tool, whocrashed:
http://www.resplendence.com/download/whocrashedSetup.exe

before running it, browse to C:\windows\minidump
delete all files apart the first 2-3 files (newest)
then install whocrashed and run it
click on Analyze
report here the result.

WJB-2

Okay; downloaded 'WhoCrashed' via an Iconia tablet. Will transfer to the Aspire with plan to report results later today. Much thanks.

WJB-2

When I opened the MiniDump folder as instructed by Iron-Fly, there were no files to delete. Which explains the analysis report pasted here. I followed the guidance under "Conclusion" and also confirmed Crash Dumps are enabled, set to "automatic." I guess I'll have to wait for another crash, which itself has become a mystery: No blue screen Kernel Security Check Error in three days running. Before that it was occuring at least once per day.

The 'MiniDump' Folder was Empty.

09-WhoC.jpg

IronFly

ok, continue to monitor your PC and see if it's able to save any dump, if not probably is a bad ram module.

if your system has 2 or more ram modules, you can try to ran with just one and switch them to see which one crash.

WJB-2

Got it. The Z1620 system specifications as shipped for memory slots are two banks with one 2GB module. So if I don't see crash dumps following another crash, I'll buy two 4GB modules and crank this "Z" to its maximum.
The proverbial joke will be on me if the problem turns out to be something else. But that seems unlikely from what you've helped me see so far. So I've marked this as solution with very grateful kudo, and will update when the failure error is eliminated. But for now, "WhoCrashed" is a valuable solution tool to share with the Community and it served as the prime tool for assessing this failure error.
In the interim, do let us know Iron-Fly if you have any thoughts on why this particular blue screen Kernel Security Check Error is so maddeningly sporadic. All the ones I've heard of are crippling or near crippling. Yet in this case I'm at the affected PC's keyboard right now and the only hint of trouble is an alarming micro-second flash of blue screen at startup just before the sign-in screen appears. It's the same shade of blue as the dreaded Blue Screen, aka "Blue Screen of Death" (BSOD), but flashes so instantaneously I can't see if there is writing upon it.

IronFly

the blue screen at startup can be the windows 10 user avatar/login background.

about that random BSOD, ram can create that random thing, one way to test it, is windows memory diagnostic tool, that you already used.

if you want to give it another try. choose the restart option.

WJB-2

Hmmm. Must be the avatar logo/background. Curious that I don't recall noticing it before the BSOD troubles.
So, what the heck ... accessed Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool and chose restart. Same result as screen grabs shared above:
Memory Diagnotics Tool results.
And with the Event Viewer further reporting:

Event Viewer details.

For the benefit of anyone following along:

Error, Memory Diagnostics-Results, Event ID 1202 - As previously noted this issue may occur if some operating system files are missing or if there is issue with the RAM. And again as previously noted I used System File Checker (SFC) Scan with no problems found.
Error, Memory Diagnostics-Results, Event ID 1102 - Means the audit log was cleared.
Error, Service Control Manager, Event ID 7023 - A permissions issue that can be handled in the registry.
Error, Distributed COM, Event ID 10016 - A security permission that can be modified using Windows' Component Services administrative tool.

For the Service Control Manager and Distributed COM errors, I will attend to those if advisable after the apparently defective memory module is replaced.