[hoggle2000]

Background
Was using my PC last night and left it alone to pop out - the monitor powered down into power saving mode and in the last three weeks sometimes the monitor doesn't turn back on when a key is pressed or mouse is moved. I found a workaround in turning the monitor power off and on again and this seemed to trigger it to power on (I say this only because it may indicate a problem!)

Anyway, I accidentally logged off rather than shut down and when I returned it seemed to have crashed on the logon screen. Then the BSOD - I didn't note the error sadly but I did notice a file beginning ati*** (perhaps ativg2 or something like that) This made me think perhaps my Radeon graphics card is buggered - might explain the problems with the monitor?

Anyway, restarting the computer produced this screen which didn't look good:


I attempted safe mode which produced this screen:


Finally, I tried to use my Win XP disc to repair the correupted file as it was requesting - it didn't seem tio want to boot from the CD so I changed the boot settings and finally got the recovery console running:


However, after selecting "1" and pressing enter I got another BSOD:


So what the prognosis guys? I read the BSOD thread and the IRQ NOT EQUAL error but was wondering whether any extra info I provided would lead any budding Sherlock Holmes out there to the problem.

For the record, the last peice of hardware I installed was a Logitech cordless mouse and keyboard which I installed about a month ago. Even then, last night I removed them and used an old PS2 keyboard and it made no difference. Removing the graphics card is more tricky since I would have nothing to plug my monitor into! May have to get my oold GeForce 440X back from my parents and try that.

Any thoughts? All help greatly appreciated!

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An outside chance

Items in blue which are underlined are clickable to give more information about the process

Start the System Restore Utility at a command prompt

1. Restart your computer, and keep tapping F8 during the initial start-up until you get options, select Safe Mode with a Command Prompt then press enter. (If F8 shows boot devices, use F5 instead).

2. Log on to your computer with an administrator account or with an account that has administrator credentials.

3. Type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER:

%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe

4. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to restore your computer to an earlier state.

Look for the most recent system checkpoint created before the errors to restore from

For additional information about the Safe mode with a command prompt, click 315222 to see a description of the Safe Mode Boot Options in Windows XP

The book version, (complicated).

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

Simplest way, though not the quickest

You can use this guide to repair XP

Possibly, you will need to press the power button and keep tapping the delete key, (possibly F2) until the PC enters set up. Change the boot order to CD ROM Drive then hard drive, press F10 then press enter, load the XP CD then type Y then press enter, as it reboots, look for press any key to load from CD, press enter

You will need your XP product key to complete this

The XP Product Key is a 25 character alpha numerical code, which does not include the sequence OEM

If you have audio / video files which are subject to DRM you should check with the provider for known issues with performing an XP repair install

Click this to view the XP Repair Install Guide

Windows XP repair feature won't delete your data, installed programs, personal information, or settings. It just repairs the operating system

The XP repair install will look and run as a normal install, however, you must not see a request to format the drive

After running XP Repair you will need to install all Windows Updates

Microsoft Update

[Retired Tech]

An outside chance

Items in blue which are underlined are clickable to give more information about the process

Start the System Restore Utility at a command prompt

1. Restart your computer, and keep tapping F8 during the initial start-up until you get options, select Safe Mode with a Command Prompt then press enter. (If F8 shows boot devices, use F5 instead).

2. Log on to your computer with an administrator account or with an account that has administrator credentials.

3. Type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER:

%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe

4. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to restore your computer to an earlier state.

Look for the most recent system checkpoint created before the errors to restore from

For additional information about the Safe mode with a command prompt, click 315222 to see a description of the Safe Mode Boot Options in Windows XP

The book version, (complicated).

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

Simplest way, though not the quickest

You can use this guide to repair XP

Possibly, you will need to press the power button and keep tapping the delete key, (possibly F2) until the PC enters set up. Change the boot order to CD ROM Drive then hard drive, press F10 then press enter, load the XP CD then type Y then press enter, as it reboots, look for press any key to load from CD, press enter

You will need your XP product key to complete this

The XP Product Key is a 25 character alpha numerical code, which does not include the sequence OEM

If you have audio / video files which are subject to DRM you should check with the provider for known issues with performing an XP repair install

Click this to view the XP Repair Install Guide

Windows XP repair feature won't delete your data, installed programs, personal information, or settings. It just repairs the operating system

The XP repair install will look and run as a normal install, however, you must not see a request to format the drive

After running XP Repair you will need to install all Windows Updates

Microsoft Update

[hoggle2000]

Thanks for your help Keith!

I'm pretty sure that I tried safe mode with command prompt and that led to the same result as ordinary safe (see the second of my pictures) but I shall try again to make sure.

I have printed your all your info and info at the links and shall try this out tonight! Fingers crossed!

[Retired Tech]

Hope it goes well

[hoggle2000]

Thanks Keith but sadly, I remembered correctly Trying safe mode with command prompt produced the second picture - saying a file was missing or corrupt.

Pretty annoying since I have no options if it won't let me change anything other than in the BIOS screen.

I am having my old GeForce card sent to me so I can try that out. Am I correct that such an error is normally (or likely to be) caused by a hardware failure? The only other likely culprits at the moment are the monitor (due to its recent behaviour) or hard drive (always a possibility).

Im trying to review my options which at the moment seem to be as follows (unless peeps have more solutions for me to try ):

1: Replace graphics card
2: Replace hard drive (urgh) - suppose I could stick the old one on the ribbon and recover some data
3: Replace PC (well, its an option!)

Any thoughts?

[Retired Tech]

The missing file now depends on either of the other two options in post 2

Once you get the file replaced you can look at the hardware

[hoggle2000]

Thanks for the help Keith - could you clarify what the other two options are?

I read the Microsoft article but this solution fails when I choose my OS (see pics 3 and 4)

Did you mean the paragraph starting in orange/brown about entering the BIOS/set up screen? I have already made the CD the initial boot device so I assume when the CD starts up and I get the option of repairing Windows, I press Y instead? Is this a Windows reinstallation?

Thanks for the help and sorry about all the questions - just want to make sure!

[Retired Tech]

If using the XP Repair install, after pressing enter to load from the CD

Press enter at screen one

Press F8 at screen two

Press R at screen three

This repairs the OS

It runs as a normal install, but make sure there is nothing about formatting, there shouldn't be but keep an eye for it

The inconvenience of a repair install is that all windows updates need to be re-installed, though it is more straightforward than the book version, (KB 307545)

[hoggle2000]

Thanks very much - I hadn't appreciated the difference between the repair install and just pressing 'r' on the first screen!

I shall attempt tonight!

[hoggle2000]

Sadly, using the Repair Console I got the same BSOD after pressing F8

I swapped my graphics card over and attempted normal boot, etc and the Repair Console. This time I got to the next screen after pressing F8 and it presented me with 2 options - a space of 79 GB or an unpartitioned space of 8MB or something. Then BSOD after selecting main volume. I tried again but BSOD came up after a few seconds even without selecting a volume.

Sigh. So what's left? I unplugged power from one of the DVD drives and I suppose I should start stripping it down to a minimum - taking out USB cards, network cards, CD drives, floppy, etc but am I now at the buy new hard drive stage or are there any tricks left?

Edited by hoggle2000, 22 August 2007 - 02:07 AM.

[Retired Tech]

You should see an operating system to repair, not volumes, that is more for format options

Do you have data you need on the drive

Do you have another PC you could install your hard drive as a slave drive to


Click this for a guide to using Memtest


Click this to download Memtest


Run it overnight if possible

[hoggle2000]

Sadly, I don't have another desktop PC easily available but I would like to recover data from the drive.

If I were to purchase a new hard drive and install Windows I guess I may be able to do as you say with the old one as a slave and recover my data. (so long as it isn't another piece of hardware which is causing the problem!)

Until then I can't think how Id be able to run Memtest

[Retired Tech]

If you make the CDR version, it will run before loading Windows

This is a return to post 1 - image 3 and may run

Boot the PC using the XP CD and look for a prompt to 'Press any key to boot from CD' (some systems may not ask).

Press any key on the keyboard and Windows Setup will launch

After a few minutes you will be presented with the following choices:

To setup Windows® XP now. press Enter

To Repair a Windows® XP installation using Recovery Console, press R

To quit setup without installing XP, press F3

Press R to repair the Windows® XP installation

The next screen will ask you which Windows® installation you would like to log on to. Normally the following will be listed:

1: C:\WINDOWS

Press 1 and then Enter to continue.

You may now be asked for the Administrator password. If you know this type it and press Enter. If you don't know the Administrators password it may be blank. Just press Enter

At the command prompt type:

chkdsk /r

Press Enter

Chkdsk will now check the hard drive for errors, and will attempt to repair any it finds.

This process may take a while, but when finished will go back to the same command prompt as before.

Turn off and restart the computer.

[hoggle2000]

Ok, so to clarify:

I need to try and make a CD of Memtest using the ISO. I make sure the BIOS has CD as 1st bootable device and then run Memtest.

Im not quite sure where the Recovery Console fits in though since I tried this and after selecting "1" got the BSOD? (pics 3 and 4).

[Retired Tech]

Yes, then you have a bootable CD which runs before anything else