I just recently installed Windows XP because I would either get the message box "Windows has just encountered a serious error" or I would get a reboot out of nowhere. After installing, I encountered more errors than before with the added bonus of reconfiguring all my exe files. I still get the message box and the occasional reboot, but now within ten minutes of using ANY programs, I get a familiar blue screen


DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
STOP: 0X0000001 (0X1000804D, 0X0000000, 0X00000000, 0X1000804D)


I also checked the last few errors in event viewer. I have no idea what this crap means


Event Type: Error
Event Source: System Error
Event Category: (102)
Event ID: 1003
Date: 8/24/2007
Time: 10:45:31 PM
User: N/A
Computer: ROB
Description:
Error code 1000007f, parameter1 00000008, parameter2 80042000, parameter3 00000000, parameter4 00000000.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 53 79 73 74 65 6d 20 45 System E
0008: 72 72 6f 72 20 20 45 72 rror Er
0010: 72 6f 72 20 63 6f 64 65 ror code
0018: 20 31 30 30 30 30 30 37 1000007
0020: 66 20 20 50 61 72 61 6d f Param
0028: 65 74 65 72 73 20 30 30 eters 00
0030: 30 30 30 30 30 38 2c 20 000008,
0038: 38 30 30 34 32 30 30 30 80042000
0040: 2c 20 30 30 30 30 30 30 , 000000
0048: 30 30 2c 20 30 30 30 30 00, 0000
0050: 30 30 30 30 0000


Event Type: Error
Event Source: System Error
Event Category: (102)
Event ID: 1003
Date: 8/24/2007
Time: 10:45:35 PM
User: N/A
Computer: ROB
Description:
Error code 10000050, parameter1 b96fc775, parameter2 00000001, parameter3 82f16270, parameter4 00000000.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 53 79 73 74 65 6d 20 45 System E
0008: 72 72 6f 72 20 20 45 72 rror Er
0010: 72 6f 72 20 63 6f 64 65 ror code
0018: 20 31 30 30 30 30 30 35 1000005
0020: 30 20 20 50 61 72 61 6d 0 Param
0028: 65 74 65 72 73 20 62 39 eters b9
0030: 36 66 63 37 37 35 2c 20 6fc775,
0038: 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 31 00000001
0040: 2c 20 38 32 66 31 36 32 , 82f162
0048: 37 30 2c 20 30 30 30 30 70, 0000
0050: 30 30 30 30 0000


Event Type: Error
Event Source: System Error
Event Category: (102)
Event ID: 1003
Date: 8/24/2007
Time: 10:47:57 PM
User: N/A
Computer: ROB
Description:
Error code 10000050, parameter1 fffff004, parameter2 00000000, parameter3 8056bcc3, parameter4 00000000.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 53 79 73 74 65 6d 20 45 System E
0008: 72 72 6f 72 20 20 45 72 rror Er
0010: 72 6f 72 20 63 6f 64 65 ror code
0018: 20 31 30 30 30 30 30 35 1000005
0020: 30 20 20 50 61 72 61 6d 0 Param
0028: 65 74 65 72 73 20 66 66 eters ff
0030: 66 66 66 30 30 34 2c 20 fff004,
0038: 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 00000000
0040: 2c 20 38 30 35 36 62 63 , 8056bc
0048: 63 33 2c 20 30 30 30 30 c3, 0000
0050: 30 30 30 30 0000

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Service Control Manager
Event Category: None
Event ID: 7009
Date: 8/24/2007
Time: 10:58:18 PM
User: N/A
Computer: ROB
Description:
Timeout (30000 milliseconds) waiting for the Symantec Event Manager service to connect.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.


I've only encountered this today and my computer is pretty useless so I'm using a spare laptop. Other hardware I can remember AMD Athlon +1800, 786mb ram, 160gb Western Digital + 6gb generic drives

Any insight would be appreciated

This history suggests that you had a hardware problem before you installed XP.
First thing is check the RAM - use just one module to start with and see if this clears the error.