BSOD or unexpected restart
A minidump, kernel dump, complete dump or only a stop code and environment details may be available.
WINDOWS DRIVER DEBUGGING
Windows driver BSOD, hang and defect diagnostics
Root-cause analysis from a single crash dump through a reproducible stress test, code fix and regression validation.
Symptoms addressed
Even an intermittent system defect can become verifiable
Hang or lost I/O
A request never completes, a thread waits on a lock, the device stops responding or the system hangs under load.
Memory corruption and rare races
The issue appears only on SMP, under memory pressure, heavy load, Driver Verifier or optimized builds.
Diagnostic tools
Evidence that turns a hypothesis into a finding
- WinDbg, symbols, stacks, trap/frame context, blackbox data and kernel-object analysis
- Kernel, complete and live dumps; data-capture setup in the customer environment
- Driver Verifier, Special Pool, I/O Verification, deadlock detection and fault injection
- WPP/ETW, counters, flight recorder and minimal additional telemetry
- PoolMon, pool tags, IRPs, DPC/ISR, lock state, DMA and object lifetime
- Stress tests, resource-pressure scenarios, multiprocessor execution and regression
Workflow
Diagnostics ends only after the fix is validated
Collect facts
Driver and OS version, exact symbols, dump, configuration, workload and sequence before the failure.
Build hypotheses
The stop code and stack guide the investigation but are not treated as the root cause by themselves.
Amplify the signal
Driver Verifier, Special Pool, tracing or a targeted assertion moves the failure closer to the original violation.
Reproduce
A minimal scenario or automated stress test is created with controlled parameters.
Fix the contract
Correct resource ownership, synchronization order, execution context, request completion or object lifetime.
Prove the result
The same test passes after the change, followed by negative testing and regression of adjacent scenarios.
PROJECT EXAMPLE
What a verifiable result looks like
The anonymized example shows the form of the outcome and validation without exposing a customer or confidential code.
Initial situation
A rare BSOD appeared only on multiprocessor systems after hours of load, with different stop codes between runs.
Work performed
Crash dumps were correlated with object history, a focused Driver Verifier profile was enabled, and a stress test amplified the race window.
Result
A race between I/O completion and context release was proven; ownership and shutdown ordering were corrected.
Validation
Hundreds of repeated cycles without failure, clean Verifier runs, and a dedicated regression test for the race window.
What to provide
Even incomplete evidence is enough for an initial assessment
Dump and code analysis
Likely defect area, confirmed facts, missing evidence and a reproduction plan.
Complete diagnostic cycle
Test setup, reproduction, root cause, fix and repeated validation.
Subsystem stabilization
Several related defects, stronger telemetry, stress suite and CI regression.
The minimum paid engagement is three working days, starting from RUB 200,000 or the equivalent in another currency. After a short introductory call, scope, deliverable, validation method and price are fixed.
Before the project starts
Windows driver debugging FAQ
Is a minidump enough?
Sometimes, especially when the stack and bugcheck parameters are intact. Races, hangs and memory corruption often require a kernel or complete dump and exact symbols.
Can an issue that happens once every few days be debugged?
Yes. Telemetry is strengthened, load is automated and checks are added to move the crash closer to the original contract violation.
What if the failure occurs only at a customer site?
A safe dump and trace collection plan, a diagnostic build with bounded telemetry and a customer-run scenario can be prepared.
How is the fix proven?
The change must pass the same reproducer, Driver Verifier or stress profile, plus regression of adjacent scenarios. Simply waiting for no new crash is not sufficient evidence.
Engagement model
KernelSoft is an independent expert practice
Maxim personally leads architecture, critical implementation, diagnostics and final technical validation. Additional engineers or domain specialists are involved only with the customer’s agreement and with explicit roles and responsibility.
28+years of experience
60+patents
14years at Acronis
2 400+citations
Discuss the project
Send the stop code, dump, driver version and failure conditions
Include the platform, what already exists, where the problem occurs, the target load and the acceptance criterion. This is enough to choose a sensible first stage and validation method.
Target response time: one business dayNext: a short introduction → an NDA if needed → agreement on the first stage.