[Anon_Spartan47]

Hello, tech experts. I've recently had a bad bout of BSOD's so I tried to learn the cause on my own. It's apparently the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL style popular in Vistas, which is what my laptop is.

BSODs have been a problem as long as I've had it but they were relatively uncommon, usually thanks to me playing videogames throughout the night and the computer overheating. I think this time it's due to a video game. I bought Dead Rising 2 off Steam and I've had nothing but problems. It BSOD's during gameplay, and during gameplay the sound doesn't work and gets choppy. Perhaps it's a sound driver problem? The only problem is that it might BSOD during normal use too, so I can't be sure if the game is the only reason. My amateur sleuthing skills deduce that ntoskrnl.exe is to blame, but I've seen other forum threads where this poor file is wrongly blamed because of happenstance so I'm not clear.

My computer is a DELL XPS M1730, CPU 2.8GH, NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GT. The BSOD report is attached.



As a side note, I'm thinking about ditching Vista and going with Windows 7. Would this issue be cleared with windows 7?

I'm also fond of system restoring. If I system restored to way earlier, and tried playing Dead Rising 2 then, would that be worth it?

Thanks in advance for your help, gentlemen. I hope I've been helpful.

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Anon_Spartan47

How much Ram do you have fitted.

As a side note, I'm thinking about ditching Vista and going with Windows 7. Would this issue be cleared with windows 7?

Possibly if it is a software issue but definitely not if the issue is hardware related.

I'm also fond of system restoring. If I system restored to way earlier, and tried playing Dead Rising 2 then, would that be worth it?

Please create a new restore point and then try a restore point that is before you played the Steam game/Dead Rising 2 for the first time.

Thanks in advance for your help, gentlemen.

Please remember that there are also ladies among the GTG ranks

[phillpower2]

Anon_Spartan47

How much Ram do you have fitted.

As a side note, I'm thinking about ditching Vista and going with Windows 7. Would this issue be cleared with windows 7?

Possibly if it is a software issue but definitely not if the issue is hardware related.

I'm also fond of system restoring. If I system restored to way earlier, and tried playing Dead Rising 2 then, would that be worth it?

Please create a new restore point and then try a restore point that is before you played the Steam game/Dead Rising 2 for the first time.

Thanks in advance for your help, gentlemen.

Please remember that there are also ladies among the GTG ranks

[Anon_Spartan47]

Ah, but of course. Thank you, fine and courteous ladies and gentlemen.

I'll try the system restore at some point today, maybe when I plan to go out and do something productive.

[phillpower2]

Ah, but of course. Thank you, fine and courteous ladies and gentlemen.

I'll try the system restore at some point today, maybe when I plan to go out and do something productive.

Good luck and let us know how it goes please.

[Anon_Spartan47]

Things were going well but recently it was BSOD'ing outside of games and even during trivial activities such as word processor or internet browsing. So I went to System Restore to the 12th...and it BSOD'd as I was just about to finish it. Luckily it hadn't started and I did manage to System Restore it without problem. But then just after finishing the restore it BSOD'd. I don't know what's causing it. Now Dead Rising 2 is uninstalled so it can't be that. I don't know what might be the problem.

Going to try that Windows 7 upgrade soon.

[phillpower2]

Can you post a Speccy url for us, please seeHere