00a irql not less or equal daily BSOD

[daedric]

Hi all,
I have a nearly 2 year old cpu that I bought online customized. Since about march 20th, I have been getting 1 bsod about 3 or 4 times a day. it is 00a irql_not_less_or_equal. Any help on what is causing it would be much appreciated. I have uploaded my 5 most recent mini dumps but I cant view them. (mostly why I cant find the problem) also they were uploaded using jzip, hopefully you all can see them.
Thanks in advance for your help

 

[daedric]

also, it happens when i run any adobe program (mostly adobe flash player. will crash and then usually get a bsod) i tried updating my graphics drivers, tried uninstalling adobe/ reinstall and did my mother board drivers. bsod will happen if computer is left idle for too long. not in sleep mode, just left on the windows screen not doing anything.

 

[Mark56]

All the minidumps are code A which is typically due to a bad driver but only name windows drivers. Two of the dumps state memory corruption so start with this guide to check your memory.

Power off the PC and remove the mains connection, always touch the metal of the case with your hands to avoid any static electricity from causing component damage. (On laptops ALWAYS remove the battery before removing or replacing memory modules). Remove all your memory modules. Clean the contacts with a soft rubber (up and down not from end to end) then insert just one module and reboot to test for any change in performance. Repeat this for every module one at a time and run for at least 24 hours (or until an error occurs) with memory intensive programs, playing games or a video. Obviously if you only have one module this cannot be done, but you should still remove and clean the module and reseat it and test.

If you only have one stick download this to test it. http://www.memtest.org/

You need to scroll down the page until you see the three blue screenshots. Just below is the list of downloads for Memtest86+ V4.10. Click on Download - Pre-Compiled Bootable ISO (.zip)and save to your desktop, When the download is complete right click the file and select Extract Here and burn the image to a CD. In windows 7 right click the extracted file, select Open With, then select Windows Disc Image Burning Tool then follow the prompts. For all other versions of windows (if you do not have an ISO burner) download this free software. http://www.isoimageburner.com/

Boot the PC into the Bios setup and set the CD/DVD drive to 1st in the boot sequence. Insert the disk in the drive then reboot and the disc will load into dos. Leave the test to run through at least 8 cycles.

The memtest will not be 100% accurate but should easily detect any major faults.

 

[daedric]

alright, i will try just one stick of ram (i have 2x 2gb's)
but one more question, i have 4 ram slots, 1-2 (green meaning they are ddr2) and 3-4 (pink meaning they are ddr2 also) only ram sticks plugged into 2 and 4 show up in my bios.. any tips/links to get the bios to recognize all my slots?

 

[Mark56]

OK, lets see how the RAM testing goes.

In answer to the RAM slot problem you would need to check in the motherboad manual, the use of the different slots varies from one board to another.

 

[daedric]

so either stick in ram slot 2 of 4 gave no bsod's. couldnt force them either. however either stick in ram slot 4 gives a windows could not start and error code 0xc0000428 error. 2nd stick let me access windows while first stick wouldnt let me do anything. any suggestions?

 

[Mark56]

As I said in my last post you need to check the motherboard manual to find out how to use the slots correctly. Although from your last sentence, 2nd stick let me access windows while first stick wouldnt let me do anything. it sounds as if one stick is faulty, you haven't said which slot this was in.

 

[daedric]

sorry, it was in slot 4. slot 2 worked perfectly, but when i put either one in slot 4 i got the error messages.

 

[Mark56]

As I have already said twice, you need to check the mobo manual before you can conclude anything from your testing.

So this applies to slot four?

2nd stick let me access windows while first stick wouldn't let me do anything.

But now you have said

but when i put either one in slot 4 i got the error messages

You have contradicted yourself. So what is actually going on, does slot four work with both sticks or not?

Give me the make and model of your mobo and I'll try to sort out this confusion with the slots.

 

[daedric]

p7n sli 750i by msi.
the mobo manual doesnt state anything, just says DIMM slots on channel A are marked green, DIMM slots on channel B are marked in Orange.
Also, it says "Important! To enable successful system boot up, always insert the memory into DIMM1" It does not state what DIMM1 is, however, anywhere in the mobo manual. I assumed DIMM1 was slot 1 (Green slot, on channel A) but system would not boot with either stick.

And what i mean is in slot 4 (orange, channel B) either stick gives me that error message 0xc0000428, however, with the second stick, it automatically did a windows repair and let me access windows. Windows repair failed with the first stick, therefore i couldnt access windows. Does that make more sense?
And i apologize for being a bit confusing.

 

[Mark56]

The manual shows the numbering of the slots on the Mainboard Layout diagram 1-4. Slot 1 is the nearest to the CPU. The manual is very misleading as it states that the memory should first go into slot one, but in the layout picture it shows a configuration using 2 & 4. That comes across as a contradiction as the statement to use slot one first would suggest you should use slot 1 if you are only using one stick or slots 1 and 3 if you are using two sticks, unless you use all four slots. I have seen better manuals, lol.

If the manual is to be taken at its word it will not function very well if you use just one stick in any other slot than 1. Therefore, slot 1 should be used to test each stick individually.

 

[daedric]

alright, so i tried each stick in slot 1 and both failed to do anything. I put in an older stick of ram and it started up. so i suspect my sticks of ram are bad? my bad ram sticks are kingston model khx8500d2k2/4g which handle speeds up to 1033 mhz or something near that speed

also, i just bought 2 x 2gb sticks of 800mhz pny ddr2, pc2-6400 is the model and max speed is 800mhz. i put those in DIMM slots 1 and it didnt start up either. my mobo says it handles 800 mhz max. any explanation for this? I did try my new sticks in slots 2 and 4 and it gave me a message saying "warning!!! previous overclocking attempt has failed! ect."
i thought since those previous sticks seem bad, new ones would work perfectly lol that failed

 

[Mark56]

I think you may have found the problem as it does sound as if your kingston sticks are faulty. This would seem strange though for both sticks to have failed, a rare coincidence. The new sticks you bought are rated at 2V and your motherboard requires 1.8V Ram so that may explain why the new sticks don't work. You need to be quite selective when buying RAM sticks.

You should also check under the power settings in your Bios to make sure the voltage for the RAM is set to 1.8V.

As that old stick works it does now seem very likely this is all down to RAM failure and the rest of your system is OK. You just need to get the correct sticks for the mobo.

In the mobo manual there is a link to check the compatability of memory, but would you believe it, the link goes to the mobo site and displays a message saying page not found.

If you register the board on that site you might get some response from them to find out where the compatability details have gone.

Buying new sticks the same as that old one that worked should be fine, just make sure they are 1.8V.

 

[daedric]

of course the site is down.. nothing comes easy it seems haha
but i will buy the same sticks of ram from kingston because they worked before, and why not keep the same thing.
it will take a few days to get the ram in but I do appreciate your help so far.
im glad the packaging on the new ram doesnt state the voltage on it -_- lol
once i get the new correct ram, i will let you know the results.
thanks again for everything if this works!

 

[daedric]

I appreciate all your help mark!
So i got my new sticks of ram and put in slots 1 and 3 like you said, and it started right up. Would you know why it only sees 2 gb? i do have 2 x 2gb in my mobo right now

 

[Mark56]

OK, as the motherboard instructions are so clear and well explained, lol, try them in 2 and 4.

Not showing one of the sticks would suggest a fault on the mobo but maybe slots 2 & 4 will work OK.

 

[daedric]

Alright, so i tried them in slots 2 and 4 and it sees all my memory. In the past 72 hours, i've had 1 bsod, still 00a irql not... ect.
i dont know exactly why it happened, but i did an update and hopefully its ok.
i appreciate your help. hopefully nothing else arises

 

[Mark56]

I'll keep my fingers firmly crossed. But, one BSOD is likely to lead to another.

Please list your security software, Anti Virus, Spyware, Firewall, etc.

Please send in the dump file so I can analyse it.

Did you check the voltage setting for your RAM it will be under Power settings, or similar, in the Bios.

Having investigated your problem a little deeper I would suggest you do the following:

The ntoskrnl.exe file, (named in all the minidumps) amongst other things, runs memory management so there is a slim change this file is damaged.

Click on Start and type cmd into the search box, then right click on cmd in the pop up window and select "Run As Administrator".
At the Command Prompt type:

sfc /scannow (including the gap) then hit the Enter key.

This will check all your system files for errors. Watch the progress and see if it finds any problems, you may be asked to insert the Windows 7 disc.

That .exe file is named in a lot of dump files and is usually ignored, on this occassion it would be a good idea to check it is actually ok.

 

[daedric]

Alright, so first off, my security/anti virus is AVG (free) and then whatever comes with windows (windows defender, windows firewall, ect)
dump file is attached.
after the cmd, sfc /scannow no errors were found.
how should I check the ntoskrnl.exe file to see if it is ok?

 

[daedric]

oh and voltage under bios is *memory voltage* 1.90V which i believe is the voltage for my ram? i never have changed it, that is how it has been set since i recieved my computer customized from a company

 

[Mark56]

OK, that latest dump file is bug check error code 50 which points at the memory.

What I would suggest now is running driver verifier as part of a process of elimination. Follow this guide:

If this turns up nothing then the next thing I would do is a Repair install. You have to insert the Win7 disc when you are at the dektop and follow the prompts untill you get the choice to run the repair, it is named Upgrade install. This will leave all your files and software untouched while completely replacing the OS installation.

After that, if the BSOD's continue you could run Prime95 to stress test the CPU and memory.

http://files.extremeoverclocking.com/file.php?f=103

For windows XP - Click on Start and then Run. Type verifier into the box and hit the Enter key.
For Vista and Windows 7 - Click on Start and type verifier into the search box then click on verifier in the list that pops up.

Driver Verifier Manager will open.

Select the first choice "Create Standard Settings" and click on the "Next" button.

Now select "Automatically select all drivers installed on this computer" and click on the "Finish" button.

A box will appear asking you to restart the PC for the changes to take effect. Click on "OK" and reboot the PC.

To stop Auto reboot so you can read the error message do this for Windows XP:
Click the Start button, right-click My Computer, click Properties, click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
Under System Failure, uncheck the "Automatically restart" check box.

And do this in Windows 7 and Vista:
Click Start, select 'Control Panel' select 'System' in the left pane select 'Advanced System Settings' in the box select the 'Advanced' tab then under 'Startup and Recovery' select 'Settings.' In the box under 'System Failure' uncheck 'Automatically Restart'.

If the PC reboots normally then there is no problem with any of the drivers. If you get a blue screen straight away it will name the faulty driver. If you are absolutely certain that the named driver is OK then make a note of it.

You will then have to go back into the Verifier and instead of selecting all drivers select "Select drivers from a list". Click on "Next" and the list of drivers will appear. Select them all apart from the one you know to be OK. Click on "Finish" and reboot.

Once you have identified the faulty driver or confirmed that there are none go back to the first page of the Driver Verifier Manager and select "Delete Existing Settings" and click on "Finish"

 

[daedric]

alright, so i did the quote you posted using verifier. It came up with a bsod, stop 0xc4. then i followed those steps, located the problem (my AVG anti virus caused the errors) uninstalled it, and then re-ran the verifier, no bsod. problem solved? well that problem atleast? lol any recomendations on anti virus now? free would be nice

 

[Mark56]

Well done. I use Avira free version and have found it does a pretty good job. I also use the free version of Malwarebytes which can only be used for running scans, that should find the vast majority of infections which Avira might miss. No anti virus is 100%.

http://www.avira.com/en/avira-free-antivirus

http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes_free

 

[daedric]

Alright, so im trying to do a reinstall of windows from the disk i have, because i get random bsod's that mean nothing, however, i get an error that says "internet explorer has stopped working" but when i make it go away, another keeps popping up. and i cant reinstall explorer 9 because it says "a more recent version of explorer is already installed on your computer" and if i unistall it, lots of things stop working? any suggestions?

 

[Mark56]

If you uninstall IE9 it should revert to IE8. What stops working when you do that?

I can't quite understand how you are getting an Internet Explorer error when doing a reinstall.

Are you booting from the disc to do a clean install or are you trying to do a Repair/Upgrade install by inserting the disk while at the desktop?

Have you tried running Prime95, I recently found a link for the instructions: http://www.playtool.com/pages/prime95/prime95.html