[huskyTdubbs]

Not sure if this is the right place for this question but I figured this might be a hardware problem. I completed a new build about a week ago, and everything was up and running great as part of my home theater set up. But when I was recently streaming some video the computer rebooted on its own. It worked for a little while and then rebooted again. Now it will boot and only make it as far as the windows 7 log in screen. After trying to log in it automatically reboots. I have gotten into various diagnostic/start up repair screens that have given me the following information:

The Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool stated that "Hardware problems were detected to identify and repair these problems you will need to contact the system manufacturer"

Windows Startup Repair gave some other responses that I have included pictures of.




Is this a memory problem, and what do I need to do to fix it? I am at a complete loss!

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Windows Memory Diagnostic tool has identified a problem with your RAM (memory). Do you have multiple sticks installed? If so, take all sticks out and leave only 1 stick in the appropriate DIMM 1. Consult the motherboard manual for which slot is the first slot. Usually it is located closest to the CPU. Now try to boot the computer. Problem solved? If not, then try another stick of memory. This is simple trial and error and will identify the bad memory. When the computer boots normally, you have found the good stick and identified the bad stick, See?

If I didn't know any better, the symptoms you describe almost sound like the hard drive is having problems or is bad. If the above test does not work, we'll test the hard drive. Let me know how it goes.

[Ferrari]

Windows Memory Diagnostic tool has identified a problem with your RAM (memory). Do you have multiple sticks installed? If so, take all sticks out and leave only 1 stick in the appropriate DIMM 1. Consult the motherboard manual for which slot is the first slot. Usually it is located closest to the CPU. Now try to boot the computer. Problem solved? If not, then try another stick of memory. This is simple trial and error and will identify the bad memory. When the computer boots normally, you have found the good stick and identified the bad stick, See?

If I didn't know any better, the symptoms you describe almost sound like the hard drive is having problems or is bad. If the above test does not work, we'll test the hard drive. Let me know how it goes.

[huskyTdubbs]

I tried taking out both sticks of memory and putting them in the first slot one at a time, and I still can't get it to work. Although, a few new things did happen. When I tried the first stick Windows started to load the login screen and quickly went to a blue fatal system error screen. It said something about the windows subsystem process terminating unexpectedly and the system being shut down, and had some numbers I didn't have time to catch. When I tried the second stick it went into windows startup repair, and was unable to repair. The problem details were as follows:

Problem Event Name: StartupRepairOffline
Problem Signature 1: 6.17600.16385
Problem Signature 2: 6.17600.16385
Problem Signature 3: unknown
Problem Signature 4: 21200921
Problem Signature 5: AutoFailover
Problem Signature 6: 2
Problem Signature 7: Oxa
OS Version: 6.17600.2.0.0.256.1
Locale ID: 1033

Then I put them both back in and when booting it did something it hadn't done before. It took me to a black screen that said:

Checking filesystem on drive C: the type is NTFS one of your disks needs to be checked for consistency
It then ran CHKDSK before trying to load windows, it then rebooted on its own multiple times.

[Ferrari]

It then ran CHKDSK before trying to load windows, it then rebooted on its own multiple times.

It seems the hard drive is the problem which is what I first suspected but I disregarded it. Since a chkdsk fixed the problem, it's possible the hard drive is failing. I would make sure you have all of your important or sentimental data backed up. And then just see how things go.

So I'm reading you correct, you say the machine is booting fine now right? Let me know...

[huskyTdubbs]

Sorry, what I meant was that with both sticks of memory in it now begins to boot, starts to load windows and then turns off and boots again continuously. But every once in a while it will either make it to the windows loading screen and then automatically run startup repair, or it will make it all the way to the windows login screen, but once I try to login it gives a system error message and restarts again. As far as data, there is really nothing on the hard drive that I am at all concerned about keeping.

[Ferrari]

Try testing your hard drive...

How to test your hard drive:

• Go HERE
• In part 2, click the link for your brand of
  hard drive, (i.e. Western Digital, Seagate, etc.)
• Depending on the brand, you will create bootable floppy disk, or bootable CD.
• If the download is an .iso file type, I recommend
  using BurnCDCC to burn the .iso file to a CD.
• Once BurnCDCC is installed, open the program, browse to
  the .iso file, and open it to the program.
• Click start/burn, you will be prompted to insert your CD, Click OK.
• Once burned, set the BIOS boot priority to CD ROM first, Hard Drive second
• Insert CD, and save and exit the BIOS usually by pressing F10
• Follow onscreen instructions to perform an Extended Test

Please Note: Toshiba does not offer a hard drive diagnostic utility, you are out of luck.

Let me know how it goes.

I'm still trying to keep in mind that Windows Memory Diagnotic found problems, maybe both sticks are bad? Rare, but possible. If you had any extra good memory that would help confirm.

[huskyTdubbs]

I ran the extended hard drive test, and it didn't find any problems with the drive. The only other memory I have is from a build I did about six years ago, I think they're some sort of DDR400... the age of those sticks leads me to believe that I won't be able to try them in this new build that uses DDR3, is this assumption correct? Before I rush out to buy more new memory is there any chance that using the disk with the hard drive diagnostic tools on it to write zeros to the drive and then reinstalling windows might work?

[Ferrari]

DDR400... the age of those sticks leads me to believe that I won't be able to try them in this new build that uses DDR3, is this assumption correct?

Yeah, they won't work.

Before I rush out to buy more new memory is there any chance that using the disk with the hard drive diagnostic tools on it to write zeros to the drive and then reinstalling windows might work?

Honestly, if it were me, I'd buy some new memory and see if that works. Check their return policy to see if you can return it if it doesn't work.

There are some other things we can do, but I feel like since you have already been giving errors by Windows Memory Diagnostic tool, that is the problem. Usually just one error means bad memory. What has confused me is that usually both sticks don't go at the same time... that's the only thing making me think there could be another issue or multiple issues, see?

Try some new memory and we'll see where can go from there.

EDIT: And to answer your question, I don't think a reinstall will work. You can try a full repair if you wish, but a startup repair didn't work right? A full repair will let you keep your data and the existing programs intact. Here is a guide... http://howtocleanins.....ll/#Windows 7

Edited by Ferrari, 14 April 2010 - 04:03 PM.

[huskyTdubbs]

I bought some new memory, and I still had the same problem... the computer would begin to boot up, then it would go to a blue screen indicating that windows had shut down due to a hardware error. So I tried running windows startup repair, but again it couldn't fix the problem. It gave me the following error message

Then I ran windows memory diagnostic again and it didn't find any problems this time.
The weird thing is that after running the memory diagnostic windows loaded without any problems.
So now it appears to work, but I'm confused about why it wouldn't work when I first put the new sticks of RAM in. Why did simply running windows memory diagnostic make it work? And should I expect it to continue working or is there likely something else wrong still?

Also, hoping that I might be able to return the new (overpriced) memory that I bought I tried the old memory... the problems returned. So the old memory definitely seems to be bad. Could it be because the memory is 1.65V and the mobo/processor appear to be set up to handle no more than 1.5V?

Anyways, I put the new memory back in and windows was initially unable to start, but after running startup repair it loaded without any problems.

So I guess my main question at this point is was it just the memory, or is there possibly something else still wrong with the system that will cause it crash again later?

[Ferrari]

So I guess my main question at this point is was it just the memory, or is there possibly something else still wrong with the system that will cause it crash again later?

Honestly, I don't know. I laugh because it doesn't make any sense the the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool corrected the problem. It simply runs diagnostics, it doesn't repair anything. Which leads me to believe that the startup repair worked this time, just didn't boot the first time (for some reason???).

I think a chkdsk /r is in order. Something seem to be screwy with the hard drive. Not necessarily meaning it is going bad, but for some reason windows just isn't booting right. I think if the problem continues, a full repair would then be in order. I already linked you to that.

Try running chkdsk /r

• Click Start (in Vista or in 7, Windows Orb)
• Click on Run... (or Search)
• Type or copy and paste chkdsk /r
• Notice the space between the k and /
• Click OK
• You will be prompted that it cannot run, and
  asked if you'd like it to run at startup, Enter
  Y for Yes
• Press Enter
• Restart Your Computer

Chkdsk will run, the percentage of completion will even appear to go backwards at times and this process make take several hours to a couple days to complete. Once it has finished, your computer will restart.

sfc /scannow wouldn't hurt either...

Run the System File Checker Tool

• Click Windows Orb
• Click Run... or Type in Search sfc /scannow
• Notice the space between the c and /
• SFC.exe will now scan all protected system files and will
  replace incorrect versions with correct Microsoft versions.

How are things?

[huskyTdubbs]

I ran chkdsk overnight, since it took quite a while to go through the 1.5tb hdd. Woke up in the morning and it had restarted without any problems. Then I ran sfc /scannow and it didn't find any integrity violations. Everything seems to be working now, but I'm still a little concerned that the new memory didn't fix the problems right away.

[Ferrari]

Well, whatever we did seemed to fix the problem.

Keep me updated if the problem continues.

[huskyTdubbs]

Ok, so I went to turn the computer on the other day and the problem returned... while windows was loading I got a blue screen describing a hardware problem and a fatal systems error that caused windows to shut down. After rebooting it a couple of times I was able to run windows repair, which fixed the problem by restoring the system to an earlier point. Then when I went to turn it off it downloaded a number of windows 7 security updates. After turning it back on the updates were installed and the problem resurfaced... windows will start to load and then go to a blue screen describing a hardware problem and a fatal system error that caused windows to shut down. I really don't know what to do... memory seems good, hard drive seems good, what else might it be?

[AzzaAaron]

Dude it will most likely be faulty ram.

Run a memtest http://www.memtest.org/ you need to download it and burn it into the disc which makes it bootable, then insert the disk into the drive and boot from the cd/dvd, run memtest, it's pretty straight foward, I suggest running it overnight as it can go on for a long time, when you get up in the morning, post how many errors you have, since you said this is a new build, you are looking at 0 ERRORS. Anymore than 0 can cause problems 10-20 will not effect it as bad, but over time it will get worse, anymore than 20 is bad and your ram will need to be replaced.

Don't worry I feel you, I had BSOD'S all the time and couldn't even install Windows 7 due to faulty ram, ran a memtest for 13 hours and had over 2100 errors, so threw out the new ram, and bought a new pair, all worked fine.

So just do that and post your results (E.G: If you had 100 errors, tell us you had 100 errors, don't post pictures.)

[huskyTdubbs]

I'll try the test, but what are the odds that this RAM is bad too? This is the second pair of never before used brand new sticks that I've tried in the machine.