Irql_not_less_or_equal (Blue screen error)

[ligonier]

I have gotten a number of blue screens over the last few weeks. The info on the blue screen says the following: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, and then the bottom of the blue screen says the following: STOP: 0X0000000A (0XFF1701F0, 0X00000002, 0X00000000, 0X804D9B64).

Can someone please help me in discovering what the problem might be?

Thanks.

 

[Route44]

Okay, that error is usually due to a hardware issue. Please tell us your suystem specs, i.e., cpu, motherboard, how much RAM, video and audio (whether onboard or not) your OS, the age of your system and when these BSODs occur.

 

[ligonier]

Thanks for replying! I have a Fujitsu Lifebook which is around 5 years old. The following is the info I get when right clicking on "my computer," and then clicking on "properties": Intel Pentium M processor 1600 MHz, 221 MHz, 504 MB of RAM. It comes with Windows XP (Service Pack 3).

I began getting these blue screens around three weeks ago. They tend to come in pairs. In other words, I get a blue screen, then restart the computer, and within ten minutes I have another blue screen. It then might take 3 or 4 days for it to do it again, but when the blue screen comes back, I restart, and then within a couple of minutes I get another blue screen--and then 3 or 4 days later, the same thing happens again.

I hope this information helps. If there is anything else I need to post in order to help solve the problem,please let me know.

Thanks a lot for your help.

 

[Route44]

Okay, try the following diagnostic steps and get back to us with your results.

A. Run memtest on your RAM:

1. Go to www.memtest.org and download the latest ISO version. It is free and perfectly safe.

2. Burn to a CD.

3. Place CD in your drive and reboot with CD in drive. The test will take over.

4. Let it run for a LONG time. The rule is a minimum of 7 Passes. There are 8 individual tests per Pass. Many people will start this test before going to bed and check it the next day.

5. If you have errors you have corrupted memory and it needs to be replaced.

6. Also, with errors you need to run this test per stick of RAM. Take out one and run the test. Then take that one out and put the other in and run the test.


B. Run a full harddrive diagnostics by utilizing a free harddrive utility from your harddrive manufacturer. I am not sure if Fujitsu does this but you can use Seagate's Sea Tool HD diagnostic utility and it will work. I used it on old Toshiba Tecra S! laptop that has a Fijitsu HD and it worked fine. Make sure you run the Long DST test.

 

[ligonier]

I hate to say it, but my CD drive is not working on this computer. In order to run the memtest does it have to be from the CD drive? I have another computer in the house on which I can burn a CD, but I would have to buy an external CD drive and plug it into my USB port. Do you think this would work? If there is another way that would save me the money of buying an external CD drive, that would very helpful; otherwise, I will 'bite the bullet' and go buy the external drive.

I also have a SanDisk Ultra II slot in the computer. Could I run a mem test from this slot, if I were to download the memtest program to it?

 

[Route44]

Do you have a floppy drive? It has been awhile since I visited memtest website myself and I know they have both ISO and floppy versions, but I don't know about running from a flash. No, the Sandisk won't run it.

Before spending the money for an external harddrive keep in mind CD/DVD drives are really inexpensive. Get a new drive from NewEgg.com.

 

[ligonier]

Well, I did buy an external DVD/CD drive; however, I can't get the memtest disc to boot from it. I burned the disc on my other computer (I hope I burned the correct program, for their were a number to choose from). I then went into the BIOS of this laptop in order to change the sequence of boot devices, placing the CD drive as the first place to boot from--but Windows just started up in its normal fashion. Do you have any suggestions? Could it be that I downloaded the wrong program--I believe it was the 3.4 version under the ISO choices. It was a zipped program, and after I unzipped it, it was only 1,079 KB's.

If you can suggest something, I would appreciate it.

 

[Route44]

Believe it or not this is a small file so don't worry about the size. If your CD drive is not working on your laptop then it matters not the sequence you put the drive in. But you are correct, the CD Drive needs to be first bootable; a floppy as first bootable -- depending on what form you use.