Q:

BSOD (possibly AVG 2012 related?)

Yesterday I experienced a very slow start-up. Today I got a BSOD. I am using Windows 7, x64, on a Toshiba Satellite A660-11M and have not tinkered with the hardware recently (changed HDD a few months ago). Here are the dump and sysdata files from the BSOD.
This is how it all happened:
Yesterday: I turn machine on, loads, boots-up to login-screen. I enter my password, and here comes the slow part. Windows Desktop fades in, but I am unable to do much (screen partially frozen). Then, after 1-2 minutes, everything responds again and I get a pop-up from AVG mentioning an error on its behalf (sorry, forgot exactly what it said).
Toady: I turn machine on, Windows boots-up to login-screen, I enter my password and go make some coffee; and when I come back (assuming it took me a couple of minutes) the "Welcome" loading screen with the little loading symbol is still present. After waiting a while, I realize the machine is not responding and shut it down by force (continuously pressing the on/off button). Then I start the machine again, loads up to login-screen, I enter my password - screen freezes and after a few seconds, BSOD.
On my next attempt (after the BSOD) Windows did manage to boot-up completely. However, once in Desktop, I still experienced a very slow performance. I got the usual "Windows did not shutdown properly" message, from which I saved the .DMP and .SYSDATA files (see above).
As the title connotes, I feel this is related to AVG 2012 Free Edition. Because of the peculiar error message I received yesterday, and because today, after the BSOD, the Windows 7 Action Center flag is showing up in the system tray. It says "AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2012 reports that it is turned off". However, I do see the AVG icon on the system tray.
So this all seems a bit fuzzy to me. I hope the dump and sysdata files allow you to help me. I would really, really appreciate it. Please let me know if I missed any relevant information, and I will add it ASAP. Thank you!
UPDATE 1: I started Windows in Safe Mode with Networking, and the problem seemed solved. Windows booted fine, Desktop loaded fine. No freezes, no unresponsive Windows Explorer. Because of this, I wondered if the issue could be caused by something else than hardware. I ask this because I am not fully certain as to how Safe Mode works, but from what I know, it still uses the same hardware (just not some drivers). So, again, is there a chance this is not HDD (or other hardware) related?
UPDATE 2: As recommended by user Moab, I ran the hard-drive's diagnostics tool provided by the manufacturer. This tool allowed me to run a SMART test first, which is a quicker, smarter, sort-of "preview" test. The result was that "too many problems were found and thus the diagnostics tool has ended". I then ran the full test overnight, which resulted in this.
I am still looking for a solution and would truly, truly appreciate your help!
Thank you!

A:

Dump analysis shows the bsod to be an I/O error of the hard drive, run the hard drive manufacturers diagnostics on the drive just to be sure the drive is not failing. Could be a one time error also.
.
SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED_M (1000007e)
This is a very common bugcheck.  Usually the exception address pinpoints
the driver/function that caused the problem.  Always note this address
as well as the link date of the driver/image that contains this address.
Some common problems are exception code 0x80000003.  This means a hard
coded breakpoint or assertion was hit, but this system was booted
/NODEBUG.  This is not supposed to happen as developers should never have
hardcoded breakpoints in retail code, but ...
If this happens, make sure a debugger gets connected, and the
system is booted /DEBUG.  This will let us see why this breakpoint is
happening.
Arguments:
Arg1: ffffffffc0000006, The exception code that was not handled
Arg2: fffff88000c110e9, The address that the exception occurred at
Arg3: fffff88007a60778, Exception Record Address
Arg4: fffff88007a5ffd0, Context Record Address
Debugging Details:
EXCEPTION_CODE: (NTSTATUS) 0xc0000006 - The instruction at 0x%p referenced memory at 0x%p. The required data was not placed into memory because of an I/O error status of 0x%x.
FAULTING_IP: 
CI!MinCrypK_GetCertAlgId+45
fffff880`00c110e9 66394104        cmp     word ptr [rcx+4],ax
EXCEPTION_RECORD:  fffff88007a60778 -- (.exr 0xfffff88007a60778)
.exr 0xfffff88007a60778
ExceptionAddress: fffff88000c110e9 (CI!MinCrypK_GetCertAlgId+0x0000000000000045)
   ExceptionCode: c0000006 (In-page I/O error)
  ExceptionFlags: 00000000
NumberParameters: 3
   Parameter[0]: 0000000000000000
   Parameter[1]: 00000000021c3804
   Parameter[2]: 00000000c0000185
Inpage operation failed at 00000000021c3804, due to I/O error 00000000c0000185
CONTEXT:  fffff88007a5ffd0 -- (.cxr 0xfffff88007a5ffd0)
.cxr 0xfffff88007a5ffd0
rax=0000000000000200 rbx=0000000000000000 rcx=00000000021c3800
rdx=0000000000001b80 rsi=0000000000000000 rdi=0000000000000000
rip=fffff88000c110e9 rsp=fffff88007a609b0 rbp=0000000000000000
 r8=000007fffffeffff  r9=fffff88007a60aa8 r10=0000000000000000
r11=0000000000000000 r12=fffff8a00000bec0 r13=0000000000000000
r14=0000000000000000 r15=fffff80000b96080
iopl=0         nv up ei pl zr na po nc
cs=0010  ss=0018  ds=002b  es=002b  fs=0053  gs=002b             efl=00010246
CI!MinCrypK_GetCertAlgId+0x45:
fffff88000c110e9 66394104        cmp     word ptr [rcx+4],ax ds:002b:00000000021c3804=????
.cxr
Resetting default scope
CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT:  1
DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID:  VISTA_DRIVER_FAULT
PROCESS_NAME:  System
CURRENT_IRQL:  0
ERROR_CODE: (NTSTATUS) 0xc0000006 - The instruction at 0x%p referenced memory at 0x%p. The required data was not placed into memory because of an I/O error status of 0x%x.
EXCEPTION_PARAMETER1:  0000000000000000
EXCEPTION_PARAMETER2:  00000000021c3804
EXCEPTION_PARAMETER3:  00000000c0000185
IO_ERROR: (NTSTATUS) 0xc0000185 - The I/O device reported an I/O error.
BUGCHECK_STR:  0x7E
EXCEPTION_STR:  0xc0000006_c0000185
FOLLOWUP_IP: 
+45
00000000`021c3804 ??              ???
FOLLOWUP_NAME:  MachineOwner
MODULE_NAME: hardware_disk
IMAGE_NAME:  hardware_disk
DEBUG_FLR_IMAGE_TIMESTAMP:  0
STACK_COMMAND:  kb
FAILURE_BUCKET_ID:  X64_0x7E_IMAGE_hardware_disk
BUCKET_ID:  X64_0x7E_IMAGE_hardware_disk

