BSOD code... (help a newbie out)

[Jetpilot]

Just completed my 1st computer build. Works great, but after a couple hours of gaming I usually get the BSOD. Heres the latest code its thrown:

STOP: 0x0000007E (0xC0000005, 0xF8A664D2, 0xF89957C4, 0xF89954C4)
FSHOOK.SYS-Address F8A664D2 base at F8A66000, Datestamp 3620aad2.

System Specs:
AMD Athlon 2500+
Soyo Dragon Plus KT600
512 MB Kingston PC2700
128MB Geforce 5200
80GB Seagate 7200RPM
7 in 1 card reader
DVD Rom
DVD Burner
generic modem

Steps I've taken so far:
1) Computer crashes and generates same BSOD code multiple times ("Stop" line only)
2) Updated video and audio drivers, crash now generates a different BSOD code (still "Stop" line only)
3) Moved RAM to different slot on MB, Computer seems more stable, new BSOD code now contains 2nd line (drivers maybe ?)

I'm brand new to building a computer. How can I learn what the BSOD codes mean? What is FSHOOK.SYS? Any good reading material for guiding me through this process of troubleshooting a system problem?
Thanks in advance for helping me through the learning process.

 

[Backslash]

Just out of curiosity, what version of Windows are you using?

I think the FSHook.sys file has to do with the File System, such as opening and closing files. Anyways, you may want to try running some programs designed to test system stability. Prime 95 and Memtest86 would be good places to start to test the ram and cpu. Prime95 has a benchmark or torture test mode that's pretty good for testing cpu stability.

 

[Jetpilot]

Running WinXP. Sorry, guess that was kinda an important piece of info I left out. I'll download the tests and try them right now.

 

[Fern]

Welcome to the forum!

Here's an "error code" site that may help too: link

 

[Jetpilot]

Thanks Fern, that site should keep me busy for a very long time. Thats EXACTLY what I was looking for.

 

[danwyand]

7E comes from somethign running in the system thread (ie, a driver) producing an error that neither it nor the system doesnt know how to handle. memory errors can cause pretty much anything, so check the memory first.

otherwise, you might look at any software or drivers you have installed. fshook.sys is not a part of XP as far as i can tell, so it probably comes from a driver or software suite -- id would guess the card reader; as it probably presents the contents of cards in a folder-like view, right? i would guess fshook.sys is a driver to make the cards look like disks to windows. find it, right click on it and look at the properties, and if theres a version tab, see if the company or product name or anything else look familiar (like a brand name or somethign that hints at a piece of hardware).

give it a shot without the card reader. i only guess that because fshook.sys could conceivably go with it, and of the hardware listed id rank that at the top for possibly buggy drivers. my (otherwise perfectly stable) computer BSODs with a trendnet bluetooth usb dongle in it, for apparently no good reason... fortunately, it was only a few bucks and i had no qualms pitching it. microsoft does not currently test and validate drivers for bluetooth; perhaps they dont for card readers as well.

or, i could be completely wrong, at least about everything but testing the memory first 🙂

 

[Jetpilot]

After digging through the link that Fern gave me, I was lead to the "itouch" software that came with my logitech keyboard. I updated that driver and so far the computer has been bulletproof. Been up and running for almost 3 hours now with no problems.

Thanks for ALL of the help guys. Hopefully this has got it solved.