Repeat BSODs, computer shuts self down (Vista OS)

[Olypmus]

Okay, I am in completely over my head with this one. I've googled this but I can't make any sense of anything that it's told me, so if anyone could help explain how to fix my computer, bearing in mind I'm pretty illiterate when it comes to computers, I would be really, really grateful. Also, I realise I've probably been doing all the wrong things to try and deal with the problem and that I've probably made everything ten times worse, so please don't think I'm an awful computer abuser, I have no idea why I did some of the stuff I did when I was trying to get it working again, I just am really desperate to get my desktop back.

Every time I log onto my desktop it freezes then gives me a blue screen, sometimes saying that there has been a paged fault in a nonpaged area. The computer is a couple of years old and pretty rusty, I haven't ever installed antivius onto it, I'm trying to now but I can't start it other than in safe mode and it isn't letting me install anything onto it.

It's also just restarted for no apparent reason upon startup while I was waiting for the BSOD so I could type out the details. I always pull the plug when it goes to the BSOD, so I don't think it's ever actually recorded a crash dump.

This is on the BSOD, I thought it was a virus because of the fact there is no protection on the computer but I am starting to realise it's a genuine problem.

A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.

Then the instructions, which I have no idea how to follow -

Check to be sure you have adequate disk space. If a driver is identified in the stop message, disable the driver or check with the manufacturer for driver updates. Try changing video adapters.

Check with your hardware vendor for any BIOS updates. Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing. If you need to use safe mode to remove or disable components, restart your computer, press F8 to select advanced startup options, and then select safe mode.

Technical information :

*** STOP : 0x00000008E (0xc0000005, 0x824BF749, 0xA1B8FB9C, 0x00000000)

I have no idea what most of that means - I tried starting it in safe more, IE opened about twenty times but I think that's to do with a virus. I followed the instructions on the MS website, but then I realise that it was for XP. What it said to do I'll paste here, I can't yet post links.

1. Start Windows in Safe mode. To do so:
Restart the computer, and then press F8 while the computer starts.
On the Windows Advanced Options Menu that appears, use the ARROW keys to select Safe Mode, and then press ENTER.
Use the ARROW keys to select the operating system to start, and then press ENTER to start Windows XP in Safe mode.
2. In the message that states that Windows is running in Safe mode, click Yes.
3. Click Start, click Run, type msinfo32 in the Open box, and then click OK.
4. Under System Summary, expand Components, and then click Display.
5. In the right pane, note the information that corresponds to the INF File item, for example, Nv4.inf, Oem0.inf, or Atim128.inf.
6. Quit the System Information utility.
7. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
8. Click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.
9. Expand Display adapters, right-click the display adapter, and then click Uninstall.
10. Click OK.
11. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
12. In the Command Prompt window, type the following commands, and then press ENTER after each line:
ren %systemroot%\inf\INF file name from Step 5.inf *inf.old
ren %systemroot%\inf\INF file name from Step 5.pnf *pnf.old
13. Close all open windows, and then restart the computer in the typical manner.
14. Log on to Windows by using an account that has administrative privileges, and then wait for Windows to detect new hardware.
15. When the Found New Hardware Wizard starts, click Cancel.

I got to step 12, but the command prompt kept saying that the file wasn't found and I checked back and realised that it said XP, not vista, so now all I've done is mucked up the display as well as everything else, but I can't reinstall it so everything is being displayed massively. If anyone could also tell me how to re-install the drivers for my screen as well as what the BSOD means and how to fix it, I'd be most grateful as well.

I'm really, really sorry if I'm coming off ignorant, but it's because I am. I don't know what drivers are or what BIOS is or anything. I really, really tried to fix this myself, but all I've done is make an even bigger mess out of things. I haven't just given up straight away, but this is driving me crazy and I really need my desktop back.

edit; Just started in safe mode, according to the device manager the driver for the screen is still installed and up to date, but when starting in normal mode the screen is displaying weirdly and and not as it normally does. It also says that it can't display the status of the screen while in safe mode - does this just mean that it will go huge again if I boot it normally?

 

[Archean]

Hi Olympus,

You probably have change 'resolution' of your desktop, we will deal with it later.

0x8E errors are caused by memory issues, driver problems, or other hardware, so it can take time, patience and effort to track down the actual problem.

Just to see whether there are any minidumps are available, go to C:\windows\minidump, and if you find any files there please zip them (using winzip or 7zip, both are freely available on net) and attach the file with your next post.

Please ensure that your PC is free of dust.

To change resolution:

1. Right click on any empty space at your desktop, and then scroll down to select Properties
2. In the appearing applet, you will find Display in the lower left corner, click on it
3. It will take you to screen text related settings, however, you need to click on Adjust Resolution in the upper right corner
4. In the appearing window, you should see your monitor's name, and below it the resolution, windows should list the maximum resolution your monitors supports in that list,
5. select it, and click on OK

Lastly, we all start from being novice, so there is really nothing to be worried about in it, as long as your willing to learn and try, you are okay. Goodluck and please do keep us posted. Regards

 

[Olypmus]

Archean,

I typed in the minidump loaction to the adress bar of windows explorer and ie, and both times it gave a popup saying "Windows could not find "c:\windows\minidump". Please check the spelling and try again." I am running the computer in safe mode, I can't load it in the normal mode at all.

I damp dusted my computer - there was a bit of dust on the fan at the back, so that's all clean now.

I clicked on the desktop but all there was was personalisation. I clicked that and went through some menus for display options etc, but from what I can gather it doesn't make a difference in safe mode to the display. I changed the settings around a bit anyway, I guess I'll see if I get back to running normally if it made a difference or not.

 

[Archean]

To configure your system for recording minidumps, please have a look at this Microsoft Article, it is reasonably easy so I hope you can follow instructions without much issues, just select 'kernel memory dumps' when you do the configuration.

For changing resolution, here is an brief step by step guide.

Also, please have a look at your event viewer logs, as they may give us clues to what actually is happening, you can find these in, Control panel, Administrative Tools, then double click on Event Viewer, and go through system logs.

 

[Olypmus]

The settings were already in place to record it as a kernel memory dump when I went and checked.

I checked the event log, and I got it to load up all of the errors that were recorded. There were a whole bunch of different errors listed, so I went with what you said about it probably being a problem with the drivers and found the ones relating to drivers. -

Source - Service Control Manager Eventlog Provider : The following boot-start or system-start driver(s) failed to load : mfehidk, spldr, StarOpen, Sanarpv6

This one is repeated six today, as well as throughout the pas week, sometimes without mfehidk, and the times all correspond to when I tried to log on to my desktop. There's some with more drivers listed -

Source - Service Control Manager Eventlog Provider : The following boot-start of system-start driver(s) failed to load : AFD, DfsC, mfehidk, NetBIOS, netbt, nsiproxy, PSched, RasAcd, rdbss, Smb, spldr, StarOpen, Tcpip, tdx, Wanarpv6

This one happened last tuesday twice, then last wednesday, then once today, and the more recent ones are the ones with only three drivers rather than four listed. I'm thinking this is probably it.



There are also a few that read something like this :

The [this part differs] service depends on the [also varies - redirected buggering sub system, SMB miniredirector wrapper and engine, TCP/IP protocol driver] service which failed to start because of the following error :

And then the error is always either "The Dependency Service or group failed to start" or "A device attatched to the system is not functioning""

I think it is probably the other one, but if it isn't could it be this?

 

[Archean]

Please use VEW, and attach the generated output with your next post, for instructions please look here.