Frequent BSODs on Windows XP

[Sarmad]

My Windows XP system has been blue-screening over the last couple of weeks and I'm hoping someone can please advise me on what culprit is causing this. The error messages given vary from time to time. Sometimes it blue screens straight after the system starts up, sometimes after a few minutes. Under safe mode, the system holds up for a lot longer before giving up with an unexpected BSoD.

I have attached a batch of recent MiniDumps, in hope that someone can please analyse them for me.

With the last four crashes, the error messages were as follows (I also give which mode I booted the system under):

1. In Safe Mode:
IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
Stop: 0x000000a

2. Normal mode:
DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
Stop: 0x000000d1

3. Normal mode:
page_fault_in_non_paged_area

4. Safe mode:
page_fault_in_non_paged_area


Thanks in advance. If anymore information or tests or additional dumps are required, please let me know.

Regards,

S.

 

[Route44]

Do you have Daemon Tools installed?

 

[Sarmad]

I do have it installed, for mounting ISO images into a virtual DVD drive. Could that have suddenly become the problem, as I've used it for years without any issues?

 

[Route44]

The driver d347bus.sys was cited in one of your dumps as the cause of your issues. However, other dumps simply stated hardware.

We have seen quite a few people have issues with Daemon Tools. Try this: Completely uninstall the software and/or update and tell us if you gain stability.

 

[Sarmad]

Thanks, Route44. I'll uninstall Daemon tools and report back if it's made my system more stable.

Are there any clues to the hardware issues meantioned in the dumps, ie any particular component contributing to the faults?

 

[Route44]

No, no clues as to what hardware it might be. Let's see what uninstalling Daemon Tools does first and we will take it from there.

Meanwhile if you get anymore Blue Screens attach the new minidumps in your next post.

Also, run a security scan for diagnostic purposes.

 

[Sarmad]

Hi Route44,

Unfortunately, uninstallng Daemon Tools didn't gain stability of the computer. As before, crashes are giving different blue screen error messages. I've attached the latest dumps. The latest incident was when the computer was booting in normal mode and crashed with the following message:

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

STOP: 0x000000D1 (0x00000000, 0x00000006, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)


Thanks.

 

[Route44]

atapi.sys was cited over and over again in your minidumps. This is an IDE/ATAPI Port Driver or Standard IDE/ESDI Hard Disk Controller belongs to the software Standard IDE/ESDI Hard Disk Controller within your Microsoft Windows OS.

Issues can occur because a) either you are infected or there is a hardware issue. Specifically hardware came up again and your CD-ROM was cited. How old is your CD-ROM drive?

 

[Sarmad]

Thank you very much Route44. My CD/DVD device is a NEC Optiarc 7173A which I purchased in November 2007. Three and a half years ago. Hopefully, if there's some fault in this device, then this is the cause of the BSoD's I keep getting. When I get home tonight, I'll disconnect it and see if this stops the system crashes.

Regards,

Sarmad.

 

[Route44]

CD-ROM drives (as well as any optical drive) have on average a 3 to 5 year lifetime span depending on how heavily used they are.

However, it depends on their usage. I have two that are 5 years old and still going strong. On the other hand I hand one go out on me after a year with very little usage at all.

 

[Sarmad]

Hi Route44,

I've disconnected my CD/DVD writer but the problem persists. I've attached three dumps from the latest crashes that occurred, with the device removed. All BSoD's gave the message DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. The first two BSoD's gave: STOP: 0x000000D1 (0x00000000, 0x00000006, 0x00000000, 0x00000000). The third gave: STOP: 0x000000D1 (0x01CC0E86, 0x00000006, 0x00000000, 0x01CC0E86).

Regards,

Sarmad.

 

[Trillionsin]

Open your computer up and look at your capacitors. If there are any blown, this could be causing random system instability.

Please note that I did not read any other posts in this thread, I apologize.
Here is an example, the one on the left is definitly blown.. the one on the right looks slightly bulging, which is also bad and will blow in a short amount of time.

I notice that you didnt note your computer hardware... or age (computer's age).. this could be helpful.

Edit: I have now skimmed over all posts in this thread and would highly recommend checking your capacitors.

 

[Route44]

The dumps that contain CPU_CALL_ERROR are the ones we need to pay most attention to at this time.

As I was researching I came upon a poster called peter diva who used to post here quite a bit a few years ago and this is his answer to someone else having the same issue. peter diva is very knowlegeable Quote: The most times I've seen this error resolved was by replacing the motherboard. I've also seen it caused by a faulty PSU. You'll get quite a few hits if you google CPU_CALL_ERROR... Can get your hands on another PSU to try?

You may want to also run memtest on your RAM because one of the 0xD1 errors simply cited hardware and these errors can be caused by faulty RAM.

 

[Trillionsin]

You may want to also run memtest on your RAM because one of the 0xD1 errors simply cited hardware and these errors can be caused by faulty RAM.

Just trying to help here... I did indeed run into this a couple times.. everything pointed at hardware and expecially memory errors... memtest did not successfully pass, but I tried many different sticks of memory and nothing ever passed... I got so fed up with this PC that I was just sitting there looking inside the case of the PC, kind of in a daze... then BAM I saw the blown capacitors. I literally replaced JUST the capacitors, (not the whole motherboard) and it's still running to this day with the same memory that was in the PC.

My point is, memtest still did not pass and a lot of error codes will falsely point at the memory.

Swapping the motherboard will indeed correct this, if this is the case.

 

[Sarmad]

I ran MemTest and this returned showed no errors in my RAM.

No sign of any blown capacitors.

I suspected a failing PSU as the fan monitor for the PSU was showing a drastically dropped speed of around 600 RPM. So I changed it, but this didn't stop the BSoD's. Maybe the new PSU is also faulty, so is there any way of checking this other than putting it into another PC?

Thanks.

 

[Trillionsin]

I ran MemTest and this returned showed no errors in my RAM.

No sign of any blown capacitors.

I suspected a failing PSU as the fan monitor for the PSU was showing a drastically dropped speed of around 600 RPM. So I changed it, but this didn't stop the BSoD's. Maybe the new PSU is also faulty, so is there any way of checking this other than putting it into another PC?

Thanks.

If you cross the green signal wire on the 20 pin or 24 pin connector with a ground wire (black) then you can test the individual power leads with a voltage meter. (let me know if this is confusing, I can explain better)

You can find a voltage meter at hardware and some computer stores for relatively cheap, and they always come in handy.

Do you have another PC to test the power supply with?