Help with WinXP BSOD (safe mode works though)

[brianblair]

I made a few hardware changes to my system due to the old CPU fan burning out. Now I am getting the dreaded BSOD.

System is as follows:
A7V333 rev. 1.01
512MB Corsair XMS2700 memory
Geforce Ti4600
2-120GB HD in RAID Mirror
1-200GB HD for data & archives
DVD-ROM
CDR/RW
ZIP250
Firewire Card
NIC
SB Audigy



Basically, I replaced the CPU, took out the internal modem, and replaced the floppy drive with a mitsumi 7in1 Combo floppy & card reader drive.

I can boot up windows in Safe Mode, but when I try to boot normally, right after I log in, the mouse & keyboard lock up and then I get the following BSOD message:

=================================================
A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

If this is the first time you've seen this Stop error screen, restart your computer. If this screen appears again, follow these steps:

Check to make sure any hardware or software is properly installed. If this is a new installation, ask your hardware or software manufacturer for any windows updates you might need.

If problems continue, disable or remove and newly installed hardware or software. Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing. If you need to use Safe mode to remove or disable components, restart your computer, press F8 to select advanced Startup options, and then select Safe Mode.

Technical Information:

*** STOP: 0x000000D1 (0x0000000C, 0x00000005, 0x00000001, 0xF86823EA)

*** fasttrak.sys - Address F86823EA base at F867000, DateStamp 3bfd8553

Beginning dump of physical memory
Physical Dump complete

==========================================================

The fasttrak.sys driver is for the onboard RAID...but it has never been a problem before.

I am almost to the point where I am going to reinstall the system, but I don't really want to do that.


I was posting in the CPU/Processors forum, but now that the processor seems to be working, I am bringing my problem over here in the hope that I can get some help.

Here is that particular thread with a little more background.

So if anyone can offer me some suggestions on what I should try before reinstalling, I would greatly appreciate it.

-Brian Blair

 

[johnjkr1]

Driver IRQL errors tend to be driver related, have you tried the system without the card reader? that would by my first step. If its still dead, try a restore of xp using system restore. If that doesn't work or is not available, try a repair (not the recovery console one, the other one).

 

[Mavtech]

I had the same exact problem on my laptop in Win2K. It ended up being the wireless NIC driver. As soon as I removed it, it boot fine into Windows.

 

[PCTweaker5]

I have this problem ever since I installed my 5950 ultra. Could it just be the drivers which are the newest ones?

 

[brianblair]

I have unplugged the card reader, uninstalled it, even went so far as to disable the USB in the BIOS (as it just attaches to the USB header on the motherboard). I still am getting the IRQL error for the fasttrack.sys driver. Last night I was able to run in normal windows for at last a half hour before the computer locked up. One thing I did notice is that the computer locks up when I do anything disk intensive...i.e., updating software, copying/moving files. I don't have problems in Safe mode...but running in Safe mode is obviously impractical.

So I wonder if the problem is with the fasttrack.sys driver (I am using the most recent), or with something that is conflicting with it. Heck, maybe I should just buy a new motherboard without RAID and go from there!

Would the memory dump tell me anything or give an idea of where the conflict is?

Originally posted by: johnjkr1
Driver IRQL errors tend to be driver related, have you tried the system without the card reader? that would by my first step. If its still dead, try a restore of xp using system restore. If that doesn't work or is not available, try a repair (not the recovery console one, the other one).

How does one do a repair as I have never had to do that. I will try that, then I may just have to reinstall (which I can forsee is going to cause me many headaches trying to get some software reinstalled :disgust:

 

[johnjkr1]

repair.....boot to the xp cd.....first screen says R for recovery console, enter to install windows....press enter to install windows...then it will find your install and ask if you want to repair it.....give it a try.

 

[brianblair]

Thanks....I guess I would have noticed that when I went to reinstall windows (unless I wiped the drive first.) I will try that tonight (I pray that it works because my wife is sick of not having a computer that she can print from.

 

[brianblair]

Originally posted by: johnjkr1
repair.....boot to the xp cd.....first screen says R for recovery console, enter to install windows....press enter to install windows...then it will find your install and ask if you want to repair it.....give it a try.

When I tried this, the computer kept hanging when it was trying to copy the drivers.cab file. I know it is not the install CD, because I tried two different originals. I am really thinking that the RAID controller is causing some problems now. Now I can't even get the computer to boot into Safe mode.

I suppose the only other thing i could try would be to pull one of the RAIDed drives off the Promise controller and put it on the normal controller and see if I can get Windows repaired that way.

Otherwise, I may just replace the motherboard as I am tired of fooling with this thing.

Anyone know of a good motherboard to get that would support the following:

Athlon XP 2500+ (Barton core)
1 GB Corsair XMS2700 memory
2 IDE Optical Drives
1 IDE ZIP Drive
3 IDE Hard Drives

I don't need to have RAID, and I could eliminate one of the hard drives. I could even eliminate the ZIP drive and use my external firewire ZIP when I need it.

-Brian

 

[altonb1]

How does one do a repair as I have never had to do that. I will try that, then I may just have to reinstall (which I can forsee is going to cause me many headaches trying to get some software reinstalled :disgust:

Don't you have all of the original CDs/disks from the software you bought? reinstall should be a cinch!

Seriously, though, you mentiond a few messages after this that you may just buy a new motherboard. I don't thinki swapping a Mobo will fix the problem, though. when you started the repair and it hung on the cab file, was this mid-way through setup? or just when pre-copying files in order to begin setup? if setup was in mid-stream, then your original windows install is screwed.

In any case, try this an see if it helps:

Boot the CD again. when you get the option to run setup or repair, select REPAIR (note: I'm doing this from memory, so you may need to try some other options to get to the option I'm talking about. but, i think this is close)

Specificall, you are looking for the Windows recovery console (not the Automatic System recover, because that prompts you for a floppy disk).

Once you select the console option, you will be prompted for the Windows install you want to use. You should only have 1, so type the number as prompted and then you will go to a command prompt. type CHKDSK. Run it several times until it stops finding errors. Once the erros are gone, restart and try to boot again. if this works, great. if not, try to run the repair option for setup again as outlined in the previous message.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

one other thing you might try is from the safe mode command prompt run a chkdsk /r and fixboot afterward.

 

[brianblair]

Originally posted by: altonb1

How does one do a repair as I have never had to do that. I will try that, then I may just have to reinstall (which I can forsee is going to cause me many headaches trying to get some software reinstalled :disgust:

Don't you have all of the original CDs/disks from the software you bought? reinstall should be a cinch!

Yeah I do...and I know it will be a cinch....except for all the product activations I will have to go through :frown:

Seriously, though, you mentiond a few messages after this that you may just buy a new motherboard. I don't thinki swapping a Mobo will fix the problem, though. when you started the repair and it hung on the cab file, was this mid-way through setup? or just when pre-copying files in order to begin setup? if setup was in mid-stream, then your original windows install is screwed.

In any case, try this an see if it helps:

Boot the CD again. when you get the option to run setup or repair, select REPAIR (note: I'm doing this from memory, so you may need to try some other options to get to the option I'm talking about. but, i think this is close)

Specificall, you are looking for the Windows recovery console (not the Automatic System recover, because that prompts you for a floppy disk).

Once you select the console option, you will be prompted for the Windows install you want to use. You should only have 1, so type the number as prompted and then you will go to a command prompt. type CHKDSK. Run it several times until it stops finding errors. Once the erros are gone, restart and try to boot again. if this works, great. if not, try to run the repair option for setup again as outlined in the previous message.

I have tried this....the install stopped on the precopying process three times...then it stopped on the GUI screen after reboot at least a half a dozen times at varying stages of completion....I have tried the repair option and tried running chkdsk....it hangs at varying degrees of completion.

My gut feeling is that there is a problem with the Promise Controller. I can access one of the hard drives if I plug it into the standard IDE channel. The problem with that is that I have 6 IDE devices in the system and if the Promise channels are hosed, then I can only use four of those devices.

The motherboard is supposed to have a 3 year warranty, so I cam going to pursue getting it replaced that way. However, in the meantime, I am going to buy a new mobo...because at this point spending another $100-150 is not a big deal if it lets me get my system up and running. If I can get the A7V333 replaced, I'll just throw it in an extra case and and set it up as a file server for my home network.



As far as new motherboards, I am considering either an ABIT NF7-S or their new AN7. I have read enough threads in the last day to know that plenty of people will tell me to go with the proven NF7-S. I don't plan on overclocking (which is where it seems the problems are with the AN7) so I am leaning towards the AN7.

Thanks to everyone that helped with this problem

-Brian