What is causing Windows to get corrupted over and over!?

[Epsil0n00]

I am working with an older Compaq Presario 7118. A couple weeks ago some essential DLL files got somehow corrupted and I had to reinstall Windows. I figured that it was a game that I had installed or something software based that caused the corruption. I tried a system restore, but because it was not a registry problem that didn't help. I tried replacing the corrupted DLLs from the Windows CD, but it finally got to one DLL that couldn't be repaired.

A couple days later Windows got corrupted and everytime I logged in Explorer crashed. I used Windows System File Checker to resolve the issue.

About a week after that the Explorer crashing problem happened again... again I used SFC to fix the problem.

Yesterday, Windows blue screened and crashed only to inform me that the exact same DLL files are corrupted. Okay, now I am getting pissed and starting to wonder what the hell keeps messing things up in the same way over and over...

I just got done testing the HDD three times (WD 60GB) and it is fine. Are there other hardware problems that could be causing this issue? Could bad RAM or a faulty proc cause DLL corruption? Maybe a bad controller chipset on the mobo?

By the way, not that it will likely matter but, the DLL that has been corrupted is "msvcrt.dll"... after it has been replaced Windows complains about a bunch of other DLLs that I can't remember right now...

What do you all think?
Thanks!
Epsil0n

 

[hclarkjr]

sounds like a hard drive problem to me, maybe memory also. try running memory tester.

 

[FlyingPenguin]

HOW did you test the drive? You should download the manufacturer's diagnostic and run a full test.

If the drive passes that then the next culprit is memory. Run MEMTEXT86+ all night (at least 12 hours).

If that passes then I'd look at the PSU next. Might be bad caps in the PSU. Check voltages if you have a digital multimeter - 12, 5 and 3.3 volt rails at the mobo PSU connector should be within 5% of rated voltage. Easiest thing to do is swap out the PSU and see if it behaves.

 

[Markbnj]

msvcrt.dll is the Microsoft C runtime DLL. It is installed with a lot of software that is written in either C or C++ using Microsoft tools. Not sure if that helps, but it is freely distributable, and you ought to be able to find a clean version on the net.

 

[nodak8]

I had something similar to this happen to me last year. Believe it or not, the problem was the IDE cable. When that was replaced, I had no more Windows corruption problems.

 

[n0cmonkey]

RAM
hard drive cable
PSU
heat

 

[Kaieye]

leaky capacitors?

 

[FlyingPenguin]

Ya, I should have mentioned the HDD cable. Real common to get a bit of corrosion on one of the pins. Disconnect and reconnect all your HDD cables, or replace them to play safe.

 

[Maximilian]

If your re-installing windows using the compaq recovery cd or equivilent then you should maybe give compaq a call. They hide a lot of little tests/features on those cd's that you would never get into unless they told you how. I did this with an Advent 3618, turned out to be a faulty hard drive.