[corona7w]

I'm trying to reinstall windows on my computer from scratch with the manufacturer disc. However, at the blue screen after agreeing to the Terms of Use. A blue error screen pops up, stating
A problem has been detected and windows is forced to shut down to prevent damage to your computer
IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
and then the usual two paragraphs
Technical information:
STOP: 0x0000000A (0xC5C9B008, 0x00000002, 0x00000001, 0x8081DE5A)
A second try ended up with
Technical information:
STOP: 0x00000001 (0x84000000, 0x00000002, 0x00000001, 0xF7A4DA4E)
PCIIDEX.SYS - Address F7A4DA4E base at F7A4D000. DateStamp 4117b4c
My computer has been acting really weird recently, such as a lot of times when a software requires the computer to restart, a blue screen would flash by once, followed by the black screen with the options: safe mode, safe mode with networking, ... last known good configuration,...
Once the blue screen stayed, so I was able to record down what it said. Beside the normal two paragraphs stating restart and hardware software stuff, there was:
Technical information:
STOP: 0x0000007E (0xC0000005, 0x808F06D7, 0xF7B580B8, 0xF7B57DB4)
I did read the thread at the top of the forum regarding a list of BSOD codes, but the solution provided isn't very conclusive.
I just want to start fresh on my computer, please help.

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It looks like a hardware problem. Start with:

1: Memory test. From my list of links below use Microsoft Memory diagnostic tool. Follow the instructions and create a bootable CD. Boot with the CD in place and let the program run for some 30 minutes. Please report if there are any errors recorded.

2: Complete scan of the hard disk. Look at the manufacturer's name on the disk and download it's diagnostic program. Create a bootable cd and run a complete scan (not quick) of the hard disk. Please report the results. If you want us to help you with a link write down the the manufacturer's name.

3: If the two tests passed without problems then take the hard disk out and connect it as slave to another computer. Open My Computer, right-click the icon of the faulty drive and choose to format (I assume that you backed-up your valuable data). When finished formatting take the disk back to the first computer and try re-installation of XP.

4: If still no good then try try to replace the power supply unit. If possible, dismantle a psu from a good computer and install temporarily in the other computer. Try xp installation.

If still no good then there is a good chance that the motherboard or cpu or both are faulty.

Edited by The Skeptic, 09 March 2008 - 12:36 PM.

[The Skeptic]

It looks like a hardware problem. Start with:

1: Memory test. From my list of links below use Microsoft Memory diagnostic tool. Follow the instructions and create a bootable CD. Boot with the CD in place and let the program run for some 30 minutes. Please report if there are any errors recorded.

2: Complete scan of the hard disk. Look at the manufacturer's name on the disk and download it's diagnostic program. Create a bootable cd and run a complete scan (not quick) of the hard disk. Please report the results. If you want us to help you with a link write down the the manufacturer's name.

3: If the two tests passed without problems then take the hard disk out and connect it as slave to another computer. Open My Computer, right-click the icon of the faulty drive and choose to format (I assume that you backed-up your valuable data). When finished formatting take the disk back to the first computer and try re-installation of XP.

4: If still no good then try try to replace the power supply unit. If possible, dismantle a psu from a good computer and install temporarily in the other computer. Try xp installation.

If still no good then there is a good chance that the motherboard or cpu or both are faulty.

Edited by The Skeptic, 09 March 2008 - 12:36 PM.

[corona7w]

Can I use DBAN to wipe the hard drive clean and then insert the OS disc to start the Windows XP installation? Will that work?

[The Skeptic]

I am not sure that DBAN formats the disk. It wipes it alright but that's different from formatting. We want to format.

If you find it difficult to move the disk to another computer you may use a DOS diskette or CD. Boot with the diskette and at the prompt type FDISK and press enter. Follow the instructions to delete the old drives and then create new drives. Reboot the computer and run FORMAT C: command. This will format the disk to FAT 32.

I am sorry if this looks too complicated but I have seen a number of cases (including my son's computer) that only external formatting of the hard disk enabled windows installation.

[123Runner]

Dban will security wipe the drive. It will not format it. This is a good place to start to wipe the partitionsa nd MBR.

Go to BOOTDISK.com to get a dos boot disk and then do the fdisk from there.