[Wol]

A newbie so please be gentle!

These last few weeks I have been getting a blue screen STOP: message on boot - not every time but more often than not. (I do reboot every so often as my confuser seems to clog up after a day or two).

The STOP: is followed always by 0X0000008E then five bracketted hex numbers, the third of which is often different. Typical third numbers are 0XF7FD4B90 and 0XF8B64B90.

If I reboot while pressing F8 and select the "Normal Windows Start" option it continues to boot OK and runs normally except that there have been one or two odd things happen such as no window having the input focus and system freezes once or twice.

Would this indicate perhaps memory failures in the POST test? If so, would reseating the 2 x 256MB RAMs help? Is there any aerosol or something like that which can be used to enhance the contacts if this is the problem? I am not too keen on delving into the thing since it's still got the HP seal on it!

HP Pavilion, P4 3.2GHz, 512 Mb RAM Windoze XP Home

Thanks in advance.

[Advertisements]

A stop error usually also has some text in capital letters after the first error code (eg INVALID_KERNEL_HANDLE), which helps in identifying the problem. The error code does seem, however, to point to a RAM issue.

If, as you seem to indicate, the PC is still under warranty, you should make full use of it rather than messing with it yourself.

[pip22]

A stop error usually also has some text in capital letters after the first error code (eg INVALID_KERNEL_HANDLE), which helps in identifying the problem. The error code does seem, however, to point to a RAM issue.

If, as you seem to indicate, the PC is still under warranty, you should make full use of it rather than messing with it yourself.

[Wol]

Thanks - but it's a couple of years old now and out of warranty (now, where have I seen *that* before <g>)

I do think it looks like RAM fault - do you know a way of initiating a RAM test? Apart from rebooting?

Edited by Wol, 26 November 2006 - 02:21 AM.

[guyonphone]

does the stop error ever say DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL?

if you want to check your ram, microsoft made a wonderful tool you can boot from cd. microsoft memory diagnostic will tell you if your ram is good or bad.

http://oca.microsoft.../en/windiag.asp

[Wol]

does the stop error ever say DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL?

if you want to check your ram, microsoft made a wonderful tool you can boot from cd. microsoft memory diagnostic will tell you if your ram is good or bad.

http://oca.microsoft.../en/windiag.asp

Many thanks for that link: I've downloaded and will try the diagnostic when I have a few minutes.

No, the STOP message didn't say that - it's happened often enough though that I just reboot straight into Windoze without noting the message, just making a note of the hex numbers for reference!

[Wol]

No joy!

I downloaded the program but am clueless as to how to use it!

It says to make a bootable CD of it and boot using it. However, to make a bootable CD it also says I must download the resource kit - which I did - and run that. But there are no hints as to how to use it!

So - back to square one.....

[Wol]

Anyone? How do I make a bootable CD to run this memory test program?

TIA

[-OCM770-]

If you decided to create a bootable CD then it saves the file as a .iso, in that case you need special software like Burn4Free. If you want to use a floppy just insert the floppy and hit create disk.


-OCM770-

[-OCM770-]

Or you can download memtest from the geekstogo download section, that program also does a very good job.


-OCM770-

[Wol]

Or you can download memtest from the geekstogo download section, that program also does a very good job.


-OCM770-

Thanks I downloaded it but when I run the download it gives an error message "The feature you are trying to use is a network resource that is unavailable" and another window opens asking for a path to "RNENU.msi" !