BSOD haunting me

[Fiveohhh]

I had a problem where my computer wouldn't boot(safemode or normally) it would dump me to an irql bsod and loop until I shut it off. I couldn't figure it out and thought maybe the HD was going out(good excuse to get a new one) So I reinstalled on a different HD and everything was working well for a few weeks, but now its doing the same thing again.

It started both times when i left the PC on and came back later the monitor was off and wouldn't turn back on, so I reset it and the bsod appears. This last time it said windows wasn't sutdown....checked for errors reportedly fixed a bunch and than reset and that's when the bsod appeared.

I was going to try reinstalling over the top of it but when I put my xp disk in and hit the button to reinstall("R" I think) it says checking for previous versions, and drops me to the same bsod. I used UBCG4win and can use that fine, but have no clue why it won't boot my windows installation. If any one has any ideas it would be greatly appreciated!

I'm thinking the problem might be partially caused by some memory I recently added and took that stick out, but doesn't get it to boot. A reinstall will probably temporarily fix it, but looking for a more permanent solution, or atleast a way to get the current install to work again.

 

[drag]

try running memtest86 to test the RAM. This is your most likely problem, even though you removed the new stuff, the old stuff could be fizzled. You never know.

you can burn it to a cd or run it off of a floppy. Let it run overnight. If you get a small amount of errors, replace the ram. If you get a VERY large amoung of errors some setting may be wrong or the module isn't seating correctly or something like that.

If you have good ram it will run flawlessly. Even a single or a couple errors are a problem. Inconsistant errors and very large amount of errors point to a settings issue or something like that.. byt consistant small errors point to bad ram. But this is not reliable way to determine the problem. It is only reliable to determine if it's a problem with your RAM. Read their webpage.

Otherwise it could be a power connection that is faulty, or a busted or fried motherboard, bad harddrive, bad ide controller, bad wires and/or connections, dying power supply, etc etc.

 

[Fiveohhh]

Thanks for the quick reply drag. Any idea why the bsod shows up in the same spot when trying to reinstall. Makes me think its reading a file and that file is causing a problem. Going to start memtest on the old stick now and on the new stick(taking the old one out) while at work tomorrow evening.

 

[drag]

I could be that the part of the ram that is damaged is very specific. As the computer boots up it will start using the physical memory starting at lower numbers and begin using higher and higher addresses as it caches more and more stuff. Once it reaches the addresses that are bad, then it crashes.

Since it boots up in a similar manner, and the install disk works pretty much identicaly each time, then it makes sense that it crashes in a fairly consistant manner.

Or it could be that the part of the motherboard taht is messes up is only accessed during a paticular stage, or it doesn't begin using lots of wattage until a certain point. Hard to tell.

 

[Fiveohhh]

Thanks again for the quick reply. Going to try swapping sticks out before i go to work to see if that helps, and gonna try and find another psu and video card to swap out to eliminate those things. That will just leave the MB and cpu. might just try dumping that HD in another computer to see if its a software related thing too... Ohh well thanks again for the info, and i'll post back if i get any results.

 

[Gerbil333]

Are you going to run memtest86?

 

[Fiveohhh]

Originally posted by: Gerbil333
Are you going to run memtest86?

Yeah just started it with the old stick and going to check the new stick later, I'm pretty sure its a software thing(caused by bad hardware)since it crashes in the same spot everytime and was working fine for a few weeks, and than started up again, and I tried swapping memory out. Only times it crashes is when I boot from the HD or when the install cd access' the HD(while checking for prev installations) I can run allo sorts of stuff off the UBCD4Win, including cpu benches and it doesn't hiccup.

 

[Guga]

If I'r you I will test by this priority:

1 - PSU
2 - Mem
3- others

 

[Fiveohhh]

Just checked the memtest run and theres a bunch of errors on test 5. does it output the error log somewhere? Otherwise how do you view it if it fills up the screen..or atleast page up the screen.

 

[Rapidskies]

Look at the capacitors on your motherboard to see if they are domed or leaking. Faulty caps will cause this error.

 

[Phoenix86]

You don't need to see the log, it failed.

You need to start isolating the specific issue, you know you have a "memory" problem, but that could be anywhere in: RAM, mobo, CPU, Power Supply. Chances are, you have bad RAM, but don't assume, test.

If you have more than one stick of RAM, test individualy.
If only one fails, that stick is bad, replace it.
If more than one fails you could have multiple bad sticks (not likely) or one of the other componenets listed is bad. If you get multiple sticks failing, test them on another PC if possible, again, one at a time.

Good luck.