[Ann B]

Rorschach suspects my pciide.sys got deleted by accident.

Edited by Ann B, 22 November 2009 - 10:40 AM.

[Advertisements]

Hello Ann B.... Welcome to GeeksToGo,

I'm sorry to hear about your issue. We will try to help you resolve this as soon as possible.
Please understand we are all volunteers and we are not here all the time. Sometimes it may be a extended amount of time to get back to you. If it has been more then 3 days please shoot me a PM and I will try to get back to you quickly then. CBarnard asked me to take a look at your issue so here we go. Please do the following instructions and let em know what the results are.


If you have more than one RAM module installed, try starting computer with one RAM stick at a time.

NOTE Keep in mind, the manual check listed above is always superior to the software check, listed below. DO NOT proceed with memtest, if you can go with option A

B. If you have only one RAM stick installed...
...run memtest...

1. Download - Pre-Compiled Bootable ISO (.zip)
2. Unzip downloaded memtest86+-2.11.iso.zip file.
3. Inside, you'll find memtest86+-2.11.iso file.
4. Download, and install ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/
5. Insert blank CD into your CD drive.
6. Open ImgBurn, and click on Write image file to disc
7. Click on Browse for a file... icon:



8. Locate memtest86+-2.11.iso file, and click Open button.
9. Click on ImgBurn green arrow to start burning bootable memtest86 CD:



10. Once the CD is created, boot from it, and memtest will automatically start to run.

The running program will look something like this depending on the size and number of ram modules installed:




It's recommended to run 5-6 passes. Each pass contains very same 8 tests.

This will show the progress of the test. It can take a while. Be patient, or leave it running overnight.



The following image is the test results area:



The most important item here is the “errors” line. If you see ANY errors, even one, most likely, you have bad RAM.

[rshaffer61]

Hello Ann B.... Welcome to GeeksToGo,

I'm sorry to hear about your issue. We will try to help you resolve this as soon as possible.
Please understand we are all volunteers and we are not here all the time. Sometimes it may be a extended amount of time to get back to you. If it has been more then 3 days please shoot me a PM and I will try to get back to you quickly then. CBarnard asked me to take a look at your issue so here we go. Please do the following instructions and let em know what the results are.


If you have more than one RAM module installed, try starting computer with one RAM stick at a time.

NOTE Keep in mind, the manual check listed above is always superior to the software check, listed below. DO NOT proceed with memtest, if you can go with option A

B. If you have only one RAM stick installed...
...run memtest...

1. Download - Pre-Compiled Bootable ISO (.zip)
2. Unzip downloaded memtest86+-2.11.iso.zip file.
3. Inside, you'll find memtest86+-2.11.iso file.
4. Download, and install ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/
5. Insert blank CD into your CD drive.
6. Open ImgBurn, and click on Write image file to disc
7. Click on Browse for a file... icon:



8. Locate memtest86+-2.11.iso file, and click Open button.
9. Click on ImgBurn green arrow to start burning bootable memtest86 CD:



10. Once the CD is created, boot from it, and memtest will automatically start to run.

The running program will look something like this depending on the size and number of ram modules installed:




It's recommended to run 5-6 passes. Each pass contains very same 8 tests.

This will show the progress of the test. It can take a while. Be patient, or leave it running overnight.



The following image is the test results area:



The most important item here is the “errors” line. If you see ANY errors, even one, most likely, you have bad RAM.

[Ann B]

I'm really sorry, but this is way beyond my experience or expertize. I am a 77 year old granny and cannot decipher all of this. But I appreciate your time and interest. I think you all do a great service here.

Thanks again, Ann

[rshaffer61]

Let me know and we can do this one step at a time. I am willing to take as much time as you need to get your system corrected. The issue you are having can be caused by faulty memory and this test will check the system memory.
I understand it is alot of information to take in but this is why we do everything in steps. Not everyone is a geek but hopefully we can not only help you but teach you some things in the process.

[Ann B]

I really wouldn't know where tobegin. I have no idea about ram sticks, nor how to start my computer one ram stick at a time. All I know is that is has a blue screen saying that Windows has been shut down and to check for viruses and other things. To me the computer is unusable as it is so how can I do any of those things?. I'm on my husband's computer now which isn't a good thing to begin with; I really don't want to mees his up too by doing things unfamiliar to me. I'm not sure of his CD capabilities and he is even less of a tech than I am.

[rshaffer61]

Skip the one stick at a time test and go to part B step 1
Download the program and then download the other program to make the bootable cd.
Once that is done then we will continue. The programs will not hurt your husbands system as they are not made to do anything but what the instructions say. The memtest86 is just that. It will test the memory without having to boot the system into windows. It runs completely from the cd that you will create.
These tests are the same test that a shop will do but here you don't get charged the high diagnostics fee's associated with a shop.
I have helped countless people just like you with a very limited knowledge of the technical side of a system. I will explain, explain and explain for you and if you don't understand I will post step by step instructions for everything i ask you to do. We are here to help and most of the people we help are nervous when we start but as we proceed they start to see this is not as hard as they thought. It is simply being able to do one step at a time.
We use a lot of different programs to accomplish getting to a resolution and I have spent weeks helping people so not to worry. I am careful what I ask of you and if there is something I cannot answer I have dozens of Techs to call upon to assist us.

[Ann B]

I'm sorry for the delay. It's just bad timing for me right now with the holiday upcoming and upwards of 13 people coming to my house.
My grandson, Jeff, has taken over for me because my hard drive was completly corrupted. He can load up a new one for me and install it. Cbarnard knows about this and can talk to jeff on Facebook if he wants to.

But I thank you for all of your time and help and, believe me, I will probably be back! I will recommend you to my friends too. do do a great service for us.

Thanks again, Ann

Edited by Ann B, 25 November 2009 - 10:19 PM.

[rshaffer61]

Ann B you are very welcome and if your grandson needs any help he is more then welcome to post and we will assist.
If the hard drive is functional there can still be a way to save the data if needed by using a Linux Live cd
I will be more then happy to post the instructions if he would like to try this.
I wish there was more we could do but I am glad you have replied with the current status of the issue.
Good luck and we will continue to monitor this topic for you. Please let us know how everything turns out.

[Ann B]

Thanks so much..but Jeff has Linus and everything he needs at home to do this. He is quite adept at it and is in the business. He had not heard of Geeks to Go..only geek Squad..and was interested in how you operate as volunteers. I just thought maybe I could learn something and I think I did, but just not enough to handle this.

Ann B.

[rshaffer61]

Not a problem and I'm glad to hear you are in great hands.
Stop by and look around and if he would like to he is more then welcome to stop in.