Wife's Computer Keeps Periodically Rebooting Plus Can't Install HP Print Drivers

Question

OS Version: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, Service Pack 1, 64 bit
Processor: AMD A8-3820 APU with Radeon(tm) HD Graphics, AMD64 Family 18 Model 1 Stepping 0
Processor Count: 4
RAM: 5844 Mb
Graphics Card: AMD Radeon HD 6550D, 256 Mb
Hard Drives: C: Total - 940455 MB, Free - 854668 MB; H: Total - 305234 MB, Free - 177587 MB; I: Total - 7 MB, Free - 0 MB;
Motherboard: Gateway, SX2370
Antivirus: Norton Internet Security, Updated and Enabled
First, please excuse me if I've posted in the wrong forum and hopefully someone will direct me to the right one. I also apologize for the length of this but I've spent the last 5 days dealing with HP support and getting help from TechGuy.org. HP hasn't been
particularly helpful. Through TechGuy.org, we've eliminated the possibility that the problem I'm about to describe is related to a virus or malware.
As this is my wife's computer, I have no idea when this started happening, but at random intervals the computer would sometimes display the message "Windows has encountered a critical problem and will restart automatically in one minute. Please save
your work." Sometimes this error code accompanies the message "Error 1722 RPC Server is unavailable". Other times there is no warning and the system just reboots. At the same time, my wife began having problems with our HP Photosmart C410A printer.
In checking I saw that there was a new driver. When I attempted to install just the basic driver, the installation would stop and indicate that the Windows Firewall must be running. I disabled all of Norton Internet Services setting an tried to activate the
firewall. I would then get this error message: "Windows Firewall can't change some of your settings. Error code 0x800706d9".
HP suggested I uninstall Norton Internet Security, use the HP Driver Uninstall Utility and try a reinstallation using their complete software package while activation the Windows Firewall. I could get the firewall activated nor could I get the drivers installed.
I then removed all the HP software using their installer. However there still seems to be bits "floating" about. I reinstalled NIS.
TechGuy.org suggested that there might be a BIOS issue and there are two updates available. They also suggested I may have to wipe the drive and do a clean reinstallation of Windows 7. That just didn't sound right.
In checking the Event Viewer the following error show up repeatedly at random times, which also correspond, usually, with a reboot. Here is a partial copy of the log:
Log Name:      System
Source:        Microsoft-Windows-HAL
Date:          2/2/2015 6:58:01 AM
Event ID:      12
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      (1)
User:          N/A
Computer:      Johnny5
Description:
The platform firmware has corrupted memory across the previous system power transition.  Please check for updated firmware for your system.
Log Name:      System
Source:        Service Control Manager
Date:          2/2/2015 5:36:27 AM
Event ID:      7034
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      Johnny5
Description:
The Windows Firewall service terminated unexpectedly.  It has done this 3 time(s).
Log Name:      System
Source:        Service Control Manager
Date:          2/2/2015 5:36:27 AM
Event ID:      7034
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      Johnny5
Description:
The Diagnostic Policy Service service terminated unexpectedly.  It has done this 3 time(s).
Log Name:      System
Source:        Service Control Manager
Date:          2/2/2015 5:36:27 AM
Event ID:      7034
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      Johnny5
Description:
The Base Filtering Engine service terminated unexpectedly.  It has done this 3 time(s).
Log Name:      System
Source:        Service Control Manager
Date:          2/2/2015 5:36:22 AM
Event ID:      7032
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      Johnny5
Description:
The Service Control Manager tried to take a corrective action (Restart the service) after the unexpected termination of the Base Filtering Engine service, but this action failed with the following error:
An instance of the service is already running.
Log Name:      Application
Source:        Application Error
Date:          2/2/2015 5:36:22 AM
Event ID:      1000
Task Category: (100)
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      Johnny5
Description:
Faulting application name: svchost.exe_MpsSvc, version: 6.1.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5bc3c1
Faulting module name: ntdll.dll, version: 6.1.7601.18247, time stamp: 0x521eaf24
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x000000000002b20d
Faulting process id: 0x1098
Faulting application start time: 0x01d03eed074c1d96
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\system32\svchost.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll
Report Id: 794ae32f-aae0-11e4-bcc8-f80f4138c1b9
Log Name:      System
Source:        Service Control Manager
Date:          2/2/2015 5:31:17 AM
Event ID:      7023
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      Johnny5
Description:
The HP Network Devices Support service terminated with the following error:
The specified module could not be found.
Log Name:      Microsoft-Windows-Dhcp-Client/Admin
Source:        Microsoft-Windows-Dhcp-Client
Date:          2/2/2015 5:30:47 AM
Event ID:      1001
Task Category: Address Configuration State Event
Level:         Error
Keywords:      
User:          LOCAL SERVICE
Computer:      Johnny5
Description:
Your computer was not assigned an address from the network (by the DHCP Server) for the Network Card with network address 0x74DE2BE23268.  The following error occurred: 0x79. Your computer will continue to try and obtain an address on its own from the
network address (DHCP) server.
Log Name:      System
Source:        Microsoft-Windows-DNS-Client
Date:          2/2/2015 9:33:30 AM
Event ID:      1014
Task Category: None
Level:         Warning
Keywords:      
User:          NETWORK SERVICE
Computer:      Johnny5
Description:
Name resolution for the name wpad.hsd1.ca.comcast.net timed out after none of the configured DNS servers responded.
Any and all help would be greatly appreciated as I am tired of getting the heavy sighs and evil eye from my spouse.
Doc Z

Answer 1

Hi Doc,
Yes you need to do a firmware driver update.
Here is the KB article regarding Event ID 12:
How to troubleshoot Event ID 12 with source Microsoft-Windows-HAL
Follow the user action part.
You may follow the article below to check the update driver:
Update a driver for hardware that isn't working properly
For Event ID 7034, check:
Event ID 7034: Service Terminated
Another thing is please check Windows Update settings, make sure you have Windows stay up-to-date.
Besides, for customer support, please ask in the forum below:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7?tab=Threads
Best regards
Michael Shao
TechNet Community Support