Oh Microsoft is so helpful on Stop 0x50 blue screen

[JEDI]

Link

CAUSE
These errors may be caused by one or more of the following:

? Hardware failure (memory, processor, or motherboard).
? Anti-virus software that is running on your computer.
? Drivers installed by third-party software.

RESOLUTION
To resolve these behaviors, perform one or more of the following:

? Replace the faulty hardware. You may be able to determine the faulty hardware by running diagnostics provided by the manufacturer. Please contact the hardware manufacturer for more information.
? Disable any anti-virus software that is running on your computer. If the STOP errors no longer occur, contact the anti-virus software manufacturer about a possible upgrade.
? Disable any third-party drivers that may be running. If the STOP errors no longer occur, contact the third-party manufacturer about a possible upgrade.

:disgust: :|

edit:
k7s5a, duron 850mhz, 512megs ram, WinXP SP2

Blue screen said "page fault in nonpaged area" and Stop 0x50 error. The page fault meant memory, but microsoft's help said it could be ram, L2 cache, or video ram.

 

[daniel1113]

What do you expect them to say? Seriously.

 

[Phoenix86]

...and what do you want us to do about it with no information about the setup?

 

[gsellis]

Originally posted by: Phoenix86
...and what do you want us to do about it with no information about the setup?

QFT

FWIW, if you got a 50, it probably is hardware. Same thing with an 0A. Usually are bad hardware.

 

[JEDI]

k7s5a, duron 850mhz, 512megs ram, WinXP SP2

Blue screen said "page fault in nonpaged area" and Stop 0x50 error.

The page fault meant memory, but microsoft's help said it could be ram, L2 cache, or video ram.

memtest said my ram passes.

How do i test video card ram or L2 cache?

or do you think it's something else that's causing my blue screen?

 

[Phoenix86]

Originally posted by: JEDI
k7s5a

ECS, eww. Not a good brand at all...

Was this rig up and running previously? Are these parts you "threw together"? New (re)install?

It's not likely the video card, I have never seen this error on a video card actually. You don't actually test the RAM on the video card, you swap it with a known working part.

It's most likely RAM or mobo with CPU and HDD being an outside possibility. You tested the RAM OK (several passed with memtest, right?), so I'd test the HDD (easy to check) next. Use the manufactuer's "fitness" test or whatever they call it. They will have some specific software for their drives.

Reset the BIOS to default, don't want bad BIOS settings looking like a bad board.

That'll leave the mobo and CPU left, with the mobo being the most likely loser in the group. My $ is on a bad mobo.

 

[gsellis]

And pull any cards you can out. Disable the LAN in BIOS as well as modem if it was there.

 

[AsianriceX]

Quick check, look at the capacitors on the motherboard. If any are bulging (top is rounded instead of flat), leaking, or just plain looking bad your caps may be at fault. I know motherboards around that year (2000-2001) had a huge influx of bad parts.

My Gigabyte GA-7DXR kicked the bucket this past summer due to bad caps. Windows kept crapping out with blue screens about page faults. At first I thought it was the memory until I noticed the bad caps and simply put that machine to rest. Upgraded to an AMD X2

 

[rmrf]

Originally posted by: AsianriceX
Quick check, look at the capacitors on the motherboard. If any are bulging (top is rounded instead of flat), leaking, or just plain looking bad your caps may be at fault. I know motherboards around that year (2000-2001) had a huge influx of bad parts.

My Gigabyte GA-7DXR kicked the bucket this past summer due to bad caps. Windows kept crapping out with blue screens about page faults. At first I thought it was the memory until I noticed the bad caps and simply put that machine to rest. Upgraded to an AMD X2

I JUST upgraded my parents machine because of bad capacitors. Started throwing the occasional blue screen, then would run slowly, and lockup/kickout of games, and at the bitter end, would only boot halfway through the "windows xp" splash screen before getting into a nasty reboot cycle.

I would say that if you are running a non USB2.0 board, the chances of your capacitors going bad are very good, and you should back up your data and prepare to install windows on at least a new board, if not an upgraded setup.