Keyboard test not running and freezing computer

[TeleEric]

Hello,

I am currently running KEYBOARD TEST V3.0 BUILD: 1002 and it had worked great except for one model. On a Gateway NV52L115u (4gb ram, AMD quad-core processor A8-4500M, 500gb HDD, Win 8 standard OS), the keyboard does not execute. Besides this, when I try to run it, the only thing it does is freeze the computer and does not allow me to power off properly. This is the only model that does this. Similar issues were presented on our previous version of BurnIn test (V5) but when we upgraded to V7 PRO, it solved the problem. Can you please help?

The steps that I already tried to make it work were:
1.Disable antivirus
2.Disable UAC
3.Turn off firewall
4.Run as admin from CMD
5.Run as admin from windows

[David (PassMark)]

We have had this software available for more than 10 years without seeing this issue from anybody, so it must be something very specific to this PC (or something very new).

It should be impossible for an ordinary application to freeze the entire computer. A total freeze is normally an indication of a hardware fault, or device driver bug.

The only thing that KeyboardTest does with is slightly out of the ordinary is load a keyboard filter. I guess it is conceivable that some buggy 3rd party software on the machine doesn't like this and locks up. (e.g. maybe some app that does Hotkeys).

When you run KeyboardTest does the main Window pop up, or do you see nothing at all? I assume there is no error message, and nothing in the Windows event log?

First thing to try would be to turn of the filter. You can do this by starting KeyboardTest with the /f command line flag.

Second thing to try would be to install a clean O/S, with zero 3rd party software.

[TeleEric]

The only thing that I am able to see is Keyboard test logo, after that nothing else happens. I just tried the /f on CMD as well as updating that on the shorcut with the exact same result. This is happening on units with this model that had had the recovery done to them. One thing that I did notice is that when I try to run it, the Hard Drive goes up to 100% on the task manager. From there, it is just frozen

[David (PassMark)]

We will send you a debug build on Monday, or see if we can narrow the problem down.

[Tim (PassMark)]

There is a debug build now available at http://www.passmark.com/ftp/keytest-debug.exe, after installing please run it with the command line /l <debug filename>, eg "c:\Program Files (x86)\KeyboardTest\KeyboardTest.exe" /l c:\temp\debug.txt and send us a copy of the log file.

[TeleEric]

Here it is, I've also made a PSR recording which I just e-mailed to you. As you can see the process starts at 9:45:46 AM and ends at 10:07:54 AM. During this time, you can see that the disk percentage remains at 100%

Created debug file
Creating main dialog
Load keyboard layouts - start
Load keyboard layouts - done
Clear all start
Clear all finish
InitDialog start
Clear all start
Clear all finish
InitDialog finish
Show window
Details check
1..c
Details done
68,75,70,74,87,69,73,82,78,86,78,83,76,69,68,74,70 ,83,76,68,75,70,76,87,69,75,82,74,83,76,68,75,70,8 6,78,88,76,188,67,86,78,76,74,70,83,76,68,75,70,76 ,75,83,76,68,75,70,74,Created debug file
Creating main dialog
Load keyboard layouts - start
Load keyboard layouts - done
Clear all start
Clear all finish
InitDialog start
Clear all start
Clear all finish
InitDialog finish
Show window
Details check
Details done
81,87,69,82,84,89,85,73,79,80,65,83,68,70,71,72,74 ,75,76,186,35,40,34,
36,38,18,32,
144,100,107,
97,99,96,100,

[David (PassMark)]

Thanks for send in the screen shots. However your screen shots don't line up with your description of the problem.

Your initial post said that the problem occurs only on a A8-4500M machine.
The screen shots show you are using a E1-1200 machine.

Your initial post said that the software doesn't execute.
The screen shots show the software executing, without any apparent error.

So the only strange thing I see is that you have high CPU and disk usage. Both at 100% for a period.

But the high CPU usage started even before you launched our software. 4 minutes after you booted the machine the CPU is still pegged at 100%. In my mind this is a result of 2 factors.
1) The machine is under powered. The E1-1200 is a pretty weak CPU.
2) The machine clearly has a lot of crapware installed on it. I am guess a lot of this runs at startup, an this accounts for the 4 min boot times.
3) Or maybe the CPU usage is due to the recording software?

The disk usage was 10 - 20% before starting our software. It did seem to shoot up to 100% when it was launched. But the usage at 100% continued even after you closed our software.

In my mind this makes me think it is some third party software causing the disk activity. (e.g. Norton Internet security). It is hard to blame our software for high disk activity if this activity occurs when the software isn't running.

If you really want to get to the bottom of it, use ProcessMonitor from Microsoft to see what files are being accessed.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896645

[TeleEric]

After I reported this issue a second model also came back with the same error. What I later found out was that after around 15 - 20 mn the software would run but would keep the unit frozen until then. My best guess was that the machine had a weak processor like you mentioned but, as you can see from the snap shoots (steps 20 - 21), the CPU usage is only at a 5% from it's capacity prior of running the SW.

Not only that, we can run BurnIn test PRO V7 with no problem on both of the mentioned models without any issues

On step 31 which is the step that shows the SW to finally launch the Disk usage drops to 0%
Now David, please remember that I have already stated that this has been attempted on units with a clean image and the Antivirus turned off so that has already been discarted.
Let me know if you would like me to give you a call for a better description of the problem
Best regards

[David (PassMark)]

Again,

If you really want to get to the bottom of it, use ProcessMonitor from Microsoft to see what files are being accessed by what process.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896645

[TeleEric]

Hello, We have seen that the issue is with the CPU AMD. All units with AMD freeze while opening the keyboard test. About 15mn later it opens and works normally. No issues with Intel, does this help you identify the problem? Do you have an equipment with AMD to validate?

[Tim (PassMark)]

We haven't been able to reproduce any issues here on AMD systems though we suspect it might be caused by the older (3rd party) key management software being used in KeyBoardTest.

We've made a few changes so could you please download and install this build, http://www.passmark.com/ftp/keytestV3.1005.exe, and let us know if you're still having problems.