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DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

B

BOLt

Diamond Member
Argh... I've tried formatting, scanning for viruses/spyware/adware/etc., I've tried re-installing drivers, installing older drivers, I've tried not running CPU intensive programs, I've tried clearing the CMOS, loading fail-safe BIOS defaults and still I get this damn error message: "DRIVE_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" or something to that effect. My computer freezes up and a blue screen appears with that error message saying to disable newly installed hardware and/or software or to disable memory caching and shadowing in BIOS. It says if that's the first time it's happened, to just restart.

It happens randomly but I can't keep the computer on for more than 6 hours without it showing this message. I've tried using a new motherboard, a new hard drive, installing Windows on a different hard drive, etc. I don't know what to do! Help!
 
Sadly enough, every time I've run into it it's been a hardware error. It's usually the CPU overheating or bad memory.

See if you can complete 5 passes of Memtest86+
 
Most likely a hardware fail or incompability. I've only had them when o/c to much or faulty memory sticks.
 
Do all the tests as previously mentioned.

In my cases it has only been drivers for ati video cards and/or irq conflicts.
 
I agree that RAM is the likely culprit. Usual cause is page-fault error.

Memtest86 Test#8 seems to be the acid test. Also run Test#5.

Quick way to select a specific Memtest86 Test#:
- Start Memtest86.
- Press key sequence 'C 1 3 Test# Return 0'
- Example, to start multiple passes of Test#8: key sequence 'C 1 3 8 Return 0'

Do whatever it takes for error-free passes of both tests 5 & 8, even if you have to run 2T command rate.

Hope this helps!
 
As others have said, it's either RAM, or you have a PCI card in a slot that it doesn't like.
 
I recently had this for SCSIPORT.SYS.

I updated my motherboard drivers (they were 3 versions old) and it went away.

Now I am getting a delayed write error occasionally on the one scsi card reader.

I haven't had time to play with it, but it's not causing me any data loss.

Å
 
apparently running bitcomet was the culprit. i haven't had that particular error message since i reformatted and stopped using bitcomet.

thanks for all the help, guys. i am going to look more into it and/or try different hardware to see if it is possible at all to run bitcomet.

thanks again!
 
This is usually a driver problem. You can run the MS debugging tools to read the dump information to get to the source of the problem.
 
99.999999999999% it is not your ram, it is not your PSU, it is not overheating, it is not your memory timings or command rate.

IRQ's have little to do with ram. IRQ's are physical lines that your hardware uses to comunicate with the processors. IRQ's or Interupt Request Lines are what your sound card, video card, chipset, etc use to ask the CPU for some attention. This is basic stuff. Your problem lies in a chip on your motherboard or in your PCI slot, it is unable to get information from the CPU and windows is probably unable to communicate with that device.

I suspect you have a non-legacy system that is free of non PnP peripherials? If so then a perticular device is most likely unable to comunicate with the bios during boot, hence it cannot funtion and is hanging your PC. If you have a legacy system with ISA or ISA/PCI combination then check the jumper settings on all of your cards.

Now that I may have cleared this up, do not forget that your motherboard needs IRQ reasources just as much as your Video Card and hard drive do. So if you unplug everything then some chip on the Mainbord should be the most likely culpret.

Also check to see if PCI Bus-Mastering (IRQ Sharing) is enabled with in your bios, turn it on.
 
Originally posted by: Googer
99.999999999999% it is not your ram, it is not your PSU, it is not overheating, it is not your memory timings or command rate.
Click to expand...

pffffffffffffft 😛 Do you actually service systems on a regular basis or do you just google for your answers? I've seen the topic of the error message caused by faulty memory on numerous occasions.

zephyrprime is also right on the money because I have also seen video (in addition to nic) drivers trigger this particular stop error.

BOLt, while we are excited that the stop error has ceased since you quit using bitcomet, it would not hurt to start stress testing your hardware as well.
 
Originally posted by: Googer
No I did not google my answer. Yes I am CompTIA Cetified.
Click to expand...

I was joking around (hence the 😛), and I don't recall asking if you had certs either. 😛
 
Originally posted by: BOLt
Argh... I've tried formatting, scanning for viruses/spyware/adware/etc., I've tried re-installing drivers, installing older drivers, I've tried not running CPU intensive programs, I've tried clearing the CMOS, loading fail-safe BIOS defaults and still I get this damn error message: "DRIVE_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" or something to that effect. My computer freezes up and a blue screen appears with that error message saying to disable newly installed hardware and/or software or to disable memory caching and shadowing in BIOS. It says if that's the first time it's happened, to just restart.

It happens randomly but I can't keep the computer on for more than 6 hours without it showing this message. I've tried using a new motherboard, a new hard drive, installing Windows on a different hard drive, etc. I don't know what to do! Help!
Click to expand...

Send me the minidump files found in c:\windows\minidumps (zip them up and send them; read my .sig) and run MPS Reports (see my .sig) and send me the resulting computername.cab file, and I'll see if I can tell you what the issue is.
 
Module[ 30] [C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\CMAUDIO.SYS]
Company Name: C-Media Inc
File Description: C-Media Audio WDM Driver
Product Version: (5.12:1.639)
File Version: (5.12:1.639)
File Size (bytes): 379726
File Date: Tue Jul 16 12:58:12 2002
Module TimeDateStamp = 0x3d338bc1 - Mon Jul 15 22:58:09 2002
Module Checksum = 0x0006cb29
Module SizeOfImage = 0x0005cb00
Module Pointer to PDB =

Fix the driver shown above, either by disabling motherboard audio (to see if the problem goes away) or get the latest driver from CM, and that should resolve your problem.

Let us know.

(Someone from excite mailed me and gave me the cab file and the dump file; I assumed - perhaps incorrectly - that was the OP... let us know....)

 
Originally posted by: John
Originally posted by: Googer
99.999999999999% it is not your ram, it is not your PSU, it is not overheating, it is not your memory timings or command rate.
Click to expand...

pffffffffffffft 😛 Do you actually service systems on a regular basis or do you just google for your answers? I've seen the topic of the error message caused by faulty memory on numerous occasions.

zephyrprime is also right on the money because I have also seen video (in addition to nic) drivers trigger this particular stop error.

BOLt, while we are excited that the stop error has ceased since you quit using bitcomet, it would not hurt to start stress testing your hardware as well.
Click to expand...

I agree with John. I fix computers for a living and 9/10 times when I see this blue screen it has to do with a hardware failure. Even if it says IRQ_LESS_THAN whatever it still has to do with hardware 9/10 times.
 
Hardware failure. This is the BSOD I always get when overclocking the RAM too high or trying to run timings too tight.
 
If the OP will send me his dump files, I'll tell him where the issue is.

The two of you are guessing.

Someone from @excite.com did send me his dumps as a result of this thread; the cause of his dumps is that audio driver. With a few minutes in the Microsoft debugger and some of those dump files, one can tell why a machine crashes.

Again, it would be wise for the OP to send me the dumpfiles generated when this happens. Typically I can immediately tell what caused this.

And I promise I won't guess - I will just tell you what the debugger says.
 
Thank you very much for your help, dclive. I was me who sent you the dump files. I will try to re-load and update the audio drivers. I will post the results. Thanks again.
 
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