BSOD: Win XP issue (big cry for help) - Page 2

porphy · 01-21-09, 04:28 PM

I had a similar problem a year ago. Turned out to be a bad mem stick. Couldn't you try to do a windows repair with the installation cd? Try this as it replaces essential files that might be corrupted by now with all the BSOD going on. It's a long shot, but maybe worth a try before you acctually reinstall XP?

cheers Porphy

CaptainHaplo · 01-21-09, 07:58 PM

Ok - IRQ is old school stuff - it means interrupt request. Originally (back in the dos days) you would have a piece of equipment that would use an IRQ address and a DMA range. (DMA being Direct Memory Access) Its old school because it goes back to how things interact direct with hardware. It was usually dealt with in regards to things like sound cards.

Nowadays almost all the hardware access stuff is handled by HAL - or the Hardware Access Layer (and not the sentient insane computer).

This helps only so much - as windows doesnt give you a really good way to see IRQ settings except thru the MMC, and thats not going to really show us the problem. For some reason, the picture doesnt display anymore on your thread, though if I recall the msg was IRQ not less than or equal (or something similiar).

Its important that you noted it happens when you browse files - but seems to run fine in safe mode.

SAFE MODE USES THE SAME MEMORY AS NORMAL WINDOWS - so this is a big pointer away from it being a ram issue. If it was memory - you would see the same issue in safe mode.

You didn't say anything about adding new hardware - so we can rule it out being a hardware install issue. Again - since it works in safe mode - failing hardware would fail regardless of the OS mode. You mentioned overheating concerns - but is your box going to overheat browsing files in normal windows and not do so in safe mode? No - so we can toss that idea.

That leads us to ask the question of what is different between safe mode and normal windows operation. The biggest answer - DRIVERS!

It may or may not be SP3. I would suggest the following steps:

Roll back drivers for most major components.

You mentioned having a RAID array/controller - make sure you go to the manufacturer's website and get a driver for it and install it. Since your having this issue with drive access - check with the mb manufacturer and install their driver - SP3 or another windows update may have overwritten the working driver. Even without a raid array, make sure your HDD controller has a driver that was made for it - and not a default microsoft one.

Same with your video and audio cards - update the drivers from the manufacturers.

Also check to see if your mb uses something like a via bridge - if so - install the latest via 4n1 driver. Bridge driver errors can cause some weird stuff man.

Doublecheck the network driver, and any other peripherals you have - and don't forget stuff like printers and scanners - they can make wonky stuff happen as well.

Do this and then let us know if you still see the funkyness. My bet is the Raid Array Driver got "updated" either by SP3 or by a windows update.

conus00 · 01-25-09, 02:04 PM

This is getting ridiculous. When I try reinstall RAID driver from my factory CD the system says that "there is no matching hardware installed on my computer" even though the RAID array is clearly visible in Device Manager with current driver. Also the BSOD now comes about every 5 mins regardless what I do which makes my computer completely useless. I have a bad feeling that something major hapenned to the system and I am running out of options but reformat and reinstall.

That SUCKS!!!

CaptainHaplo · 01-25-09, 02:27 PM

Well there is good news and bad news Conus. The problem is pretty clear to be the Raid array. If the driver wont install - its possible that windows installed a wrong driver for it on an update and now it "sees" it but as the wrong type. Check what you can and make sure what the device manager says you have is really correct. Though the original cd driver should have worked.

The good news is you found the issue. The bad news - a reformat may not fix it. It is looking and acting more like the raid controller itself is going on the blink.

EDIT - Go into your BIOS and make sure nothing got changed that could cause IRQ conflicts at the HW level! If something got "reserved" in Bios and Win is trying to use it - that would cause this as well! *Sorry - just thought of this*

conus00 · 01-26-09, 06:34 PM

Well just decided I've had enough of this crap and took the plunge. Just finished installing a fresh copy of XPs on my C: partition.
So far installed just SP2 and staying away from SP3 for now.
Now on to installing my tons of applications. Damn.

McBeck · 01-28-09, 03:03 AM

I would agree that the RAID could be the problem.

Your problem is that you have random symptoms, so its hard to pinpoint.

The fact that it happens during disk operations support the RAID theory, but it could also be a fault on the disk itself.

Have you run a checkdisk?

kiwi_2005 · 01-28-09, 11:48 PM

Have you tried changing your RAM. That IRQ notless message is always a ram problem for me, even switching the ram over to different slots fixed it one time.

goldorak · 02-02-09, 06:11 PM

The irq_less... is a generic error message that points either to a hardware or software fault. If the original poster didn't change software configuration and bsods started appearing out of the blue, the culprit at 99% is of hardware origin.
The most probable causes are ram sticks gone bad, some times even the video card can get you bsod, and finally the motherboard could be dying.
To diagnostic put everything at default, forget about overclocking. Then do a memtest on the ram (not 1-2 hours, try running it over the night) and check back.
Visually inspect the motherboard for blown capacitators (sometimes low quality caps leak and you have to rma the motherboard).
For the videocard, clean the fan it has plenty of dust, high temperature could be one of the causes of the pc going bsod.

FIREWALL · 02-02-09, 06:43 PM

I reformat every Spring. Just consider it a part of Spring Cleaning.

goldorak · 02-02-09, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIREWALL

I reformat every Spring. Just consider it a part of Spring Cleaning.

you're doing something wrong.
My computer has been running strong for over 3 years straight and I can't remember the last time it blue screened (possibily a faulty driver from a terratec sound card).
Xp sp 3 here and all is good.

FIREWALL · 02-02-09, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldorak

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIREWALL

I reformat every Spring. Just consider it a part of Spring Cleaning.

you're doing something wrong.
My computer has been running strong for over 3 years straight and I can't remember the last time it blue screened (possibily a faulty driver from a terratec sound card).
Xp sp 3 here and all is good.

I've never had a blue screen or crash that I didn't cause myself..

I do it cause I'm lazy and want to get all the crap out.

Aktungbby · 05-01-16, 03:36 PM

do it right!

They should open a bar called the BSoD at TGiF

Onkel Neal · 05-01-16, 06:01 PM

This thread has expired.

01-21-09, 04:28 PM	#16
porphy Commodore Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Sweden Posts: 603 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	I had a similar problem a year ago. Turned out to be a bad mem stick. Couldn't you try to do a windows repair with the installation cd? Try this as it replaces essential files that might be corrupted by now with all the BSOD going on. It's a long shot, but maybe worth a try before you acctually reinstall XP? cheers Porphy __________________ "The only remedy for madness is the innocence of facts." O. Mirbeu "A paranoid is simply someone in possession of all the facts." W. B.

01-21-09, 07:58 PM	#17
CaptainHaplo Silent Hunter Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 4,404 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	Ok - IRQ is old school stuff - it means interrupt request. Originally (back in the dos days) you would have a piece of equipment that would use an IRQ address and a DMA range. (DMA being Direct Memory Access) Its old school because it goes back to how things interact direct with hardware. It was usually dealt with in regards to things like sound cards. Nowadays almost all the hardware access stuff is handled by HAL - or the Hardware Access Layer (and not the sentient insane computer). This helps only so much - as windows doesnt give you a really good way to see IRQ settings except thru the MMC, and thats not going to really show us the problem. For some reason, the picture doesnt display anymore on your thread, though if I recall the msg was IRQ not less than or equal (or something similiar). Its important that you noted it happens when you browse files - but seems to run fine in safe mode. SAFE MODE USES THE SAME MEMORY AS NORMAL WINDOWS - so this is a big pointer away from it being a ram issue. If it was memory - you would see the same issue in safe mode. You didn't say anything about adding new hardware - so we can rule it out being a hardware install issue. Again - since it works in safe mode - failing hardware would fail regardless of the OS mode. You mentioned overheating concerns - but is your box going to overheat browsing files in normal windows and not do so in safe mode? No - so we can toss that idea. That leads us to ask the question of what is different between safe mode and normal windows operation. The biggest answer - DRIVERS! It may or may not be SP3. I would suggest the following steps: Roll back drivers for most major components. You mentioned having a RAID array/controller - make sure you go to the manufacturer's website and get a driver for it and install it. Since your having this issue with drive access - check with the mb manufacturer and install their driver - SP3 or another windows update may have overwritten the working driver. Even without a raid array, make sure your HDD controller has a driver that was made for it - and not a default microsoft one. Same with your video and audio cards - update the drivers from the manufacturers. Also check to see if your mb uses something like a via bridge - if so - install the latest via 4n1 driver. Bridge driver errors can cause some weird stuff man. Doublecheck the network driver, and any other peripherals you have - and don't forget stuff like printers and scanners - they can make wonky stuff happen as well. Do this and then let us know if you still see the funkyness. My bet is the Raid Array Driver got "updated" either by SP3 or by a windows update. __________________ Good Hunting! Captain Haplo

01-25-09, 02:04 PM	#18
conus00 Grey Wolf Join Date: May 2008 Location: DB85 Posts: 804 Downloads: 166 Uploads: 0	This is getting ridiculous. When I try reinstall RAID driver from my factory CD the system says that "there is no matching hardware installed on my computer" even though the RAID array is clearly visible in Device Manager with current driver. Also the BSOD now comes about every 5 mins regardless what I do which makes my computer completely useless. I have a bad feeling that something major hapenned to the system and I am running out of options but reformat and reinstall. That SUCKS!!! __________________

01-25-09, 02:27 PM	#19
CaptainHaplo Silent Hunter Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 4,404 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	Well there is good news and bad news Conus. The problem is pretty clear to be the Raid array. If the driver wont install - its possible that windows installed a wrong driver for it on an update and now it "sees" it but as the wrong type. Check what you can and make sure what the device manager says you have is really correct. Though the original cd driver should have worked. The good news is you found the issue. The bad news - a reformat may not fix it. It is looking and acting more like the raid controller itself is going on the blink. EDIT - Go into your BIOS and make sure nothing got changed that could cause IRQ conflicts at the HW level! If something got "reserved" in Bios and Win is trying to use it - that would cause this as well! Sorry - just thought of this __________________ Good Hunting! Captain Haplo

01-26-09, 06:34 PM	#20
conus00 Grey Wolf Join Date: May 2008 Location: DB85 Posts: 804 Downloads: 166 Uploads: 0	Well just decided I've had enough of this crap and took the plunge. Just finished installing a fresh copy of XPs on my C: partition. So far installed just SP2 and staying away from SP3 for now. Now on to installing my tons of applications. Damn. __________________

01-28-09, 03:03 AM	#21
McBeck Admiral Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Denmark Posts: 2,023 Downloads: 15 Uploads: 0	I would agree that the RAID could be the problem. Your problem is that you have random symptoms, so its hard to pinpoint. The fact that it happens during disk operations support the RAID theory, but it could also be a fault on the disk itself. Have you run a checkdisk? __________________ "I like subcommanders...they dont have time for bull**!" Proud member of the Subsim army of zombies Becks website

01-28-09, 11:48 PM	#22
kiwi_2005 Eternal Patrol Join Date: May 2004 Location: Aeoteroa Posts: 7,382 Downloads: 223 Uploads: 1	Have you tried changing your RAM. That IRQ notless message is always a ram problem for me, even switching the ram over to different slots fixed it one time. __________________ RIP kiwi_2005 Those who can't laugh at themselves leave the job to others.

02-02-09, 06:11 PM	#23
goldorak Admiral Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,320 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	The irq_less... is a generic error message that points either to a hardware or software fault. If the original poster didn't change software configuration and bsods started appearing out of the blue, the culprit at 99% is of hardware origin. The most probable causes are ram sticks gone bad, some times even the video card can get you bsod, and finally the motherboard could be dying. To diagnostic put everything at default, forget about overclocking. Then do a memtest on the ram (not 1-2 hours, try running it over the night) and check back. Visually inspect the motherboard for blown capacitators (sometimes low quality caps leak and you have to rma the motherboard). For the videocard, clean the fan it has plenty of dust, high temperature could be one of the causes of the pc going bsod.

02-02-09, 06:43 PM	#24
FIREWALL Eternal Patrol Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: CATALINA IS. SO . CAL USA Posts: 10,108 Downloads: 511 Uploads: 0	I reformat every Spring. Just consider it a part of Spring Cleaning. __________________ RIP FIREWALL I Play GWX. Silent Hunter Who ???

05-01-16, 03:36 PM	#27
Aktungbby Gefallen Engel U-666 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: On a tilted, overheated, overpopulated spinning mudball on Collision course with Andromeda Galaxy Posts: 27,871 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	Welcome aboard! do it right! They should open a bar called the BSoD at TGiF __________________ "Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness; and I'm not too sure about the Universe"

05-01-16, 06:01 PM	#28
Onkel Neal Born to Run Silent Join Date: Jan 1997 Location: Cougar Trap, Texas Posts: 21,289 Downloads: 534 Uploads: 224	This thread has expired.