07-27-2010, 06:32 PM
Welcome to my thread on how to avoid blue screens, what they are, what they do, how to look at 'em.
Some of the information in here is going to be off of my head, or off of minimal research, while other information might
come directly from websites, credits will be given
Some of the information in here is going to be off of my head, or off of minimal research, while other information might
come directly from websites, credits will be given
What is BSOD?
Blue screen of death (BSOD) is when your computer detects a harmful software/hardware error and automatically shuts down
to prevent damage.
What are the codes displayed and can I read them?
The error codes that you are shown when (if) the BSOD occurs on your computer, are not random collections of code;
in fact they mean something. The error codes give you important clues / facts about the problem you actually have.
The BSOD is split into five different sections; three of them are more important to finding a solution.
The top section holds the eror code and parameters. This should look like a bunch of random number groups.
The middle section shows all of the drivers that were running when your computer crashed. A lot of BSOD cases are caused
by driver problems, so keep record of what drivers you install and what they are being used for. At the bottom of the
screen is the memory modules that were on the memory stack when your computer crashed.
The following describes different error codes; and was originally written by Justine K. Brown (Source
Code:
Understanding Stop 0xA. One of the most common BSOD errors is STOP 0x0000000A. This message, also known as Stop 0xA,
indicates that a kernel (the main part of an operating system that handles the most basic but most important tasks,
such as managing the computer's resources, starting programs, and keeping time; the kernel remains in memory after the operating system loads) mode process
attempted to access a portion of memory in an IRQ (interrupt request line) that was too high.
Head to Microsoft's Knowledge Base to help crack those BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death) error codes.
IRQs are communications routes within a computer that are reserved for carrying interrupt signals which tell the CPU (central processing unit)
to halt its current task and await further instructions. Different computer components, such as modems, keyboards, mice, sound cards, and other devices,
each have a special IRQ set aside for them to use. These IRQs are prioritized according to the importance of each device, so the most important interrupt requests
are handled first. A low IRQ number means an important device will be able to override other devices. A kernel mode process can only access other processes that
have an IRQ lesser than or equal to its own.
The most common cause of this error is a corrupt pointer (a variable used by a program to refer to a block of memory) that references an
incorrect location in memory. If the variable has a bad value in it, a STOP 0x0000000A message will occur.
Hardware or software problems can cause the Stop 0xA message. The easiest way to diagnose the problem, therefore, is to recall whether or not you've recently added any new hardware or drivers. If so, go back and remove the hardware and driver. If that doesn't solve the problem, try updating all of your drivers if possible.
If you'd rather determine the exact cause of the Stop 0xA rather than remove anything from your system, you'll have to examine the message more thoroughly.
You can determine which process or driver tried to access memory it shouldn't have by looking at the parameters displayed on the BSOD. As an example;
Microsoft uses the following Stop message:
STOP 0x0000000A(0xWWWWWWWW, 0xXXXXXXXX, 0xYYYYYYYY, 0xZZZZZZZZ)
IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
** Address 0xZZZZZZZZ has base at <address>- <driver>
The four parameters inside the parentheses have the following meaning:
•0xWWWWWWWW: Memory address that was referenced improperly
•0xXXXXXXXX: IRQ that was required to access the memory
•0xYYYYYYYY: Type of access: 0=Read, 1=Write
•0xZZZZZZZZ: Address of the instruction that attempted to reference the memory at 0xWWWWWWWW
If the last parameter falls within the address range of one of the drivers loaded on your system, you will know which device driver was running
when the memory access occurred. This driver is often identified in the third line of the STOP screen: **Address 0xZZZZZZZZ has base at <address>- <driver name>.
If <driver name> is a specific driver, search in the Microsoft Knowledge Base on the keyword 0x0000000A and the driver name for suggestions for solving this problem.
Other Common Errors. In all, there are 15 processor errors that can cause a BSOD. You can identify which one you have by looking at the code that immediately follows
the words Fatal Exception. According to Microsoft, some of the most common errors include general protection faults, divide faults, and page faults.
General Protection Fault (13 OD). This occurs when anything happens that is not covered by any of the other processor exceptions. The exception indicates that the
program has been corrupted in memory.
Divide Fault (00). You'll see this if a program tried to divide a value by zero or if the results of the operation do not fit in the destination operand.
For example, the program was expecting a positive number and got a negative number instead.
Page Fault (14 OE). This occurs when you are running low on memory. A page fault allows the operating system to recover small code segments from
temporary storage on your hard drive that were put there when memory resources started getting low. This error usually occurs whenever an application goes
looking for a piece of itself in RAM (random-access memory) and cannot find it. The operating system will attempt to retrieve the missing page of code from your
hard drive. If it is unsuccessful in doing so, you get the BSOD.
[hr]
0x0000001E KMODE_EXCEPTION _NOT_HANDLED. This is a common error that can be caused by outdated drivers and hardware problems.
Usually, the second parameter will point to the driver or function that caused the problem.
Always note this address as well as the link date of the driver that contains this address.
[hr]
0x00000051 REGISTRY_ERROR. In this case, something has gone wrong with the Registry
(a database that contains informa tion about user preferences and system con figuration in Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT.
It could indicate the Registry received an input/output error while attempting to read one of its files as a result of a hardware problem or file system corruption.
[hr]
0x00000077 KERNEL_STACK_ INPAGE_ERROR. A bad memory block in a paging file or a disk controller error causes this error message.
If the error is a result of a paging error, AUTOCHK will attempt to find the bad block the next time you boot up your system.
[hr]
0x0000007B INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_ DEVICE. Here, your system is unable to access the boot device.
Often, this indicates a disk controller configuration problem or an error in accessing the hard drive. It also may indicate that a virus has infected the boot sector.
[hr]
0xC000009C and 0xC000016A. Both of these codes indicate a bad memory block on the hard drive.
[hr]
0xC0000185. This code indicates that two devices are attempting to use the same IRQ,
that there has been improper termination of a SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) device, or that there is bad SCSI cabling.
[hr]
0x0000007F UNEXPECTED_ KERNEL_MODE_TRAP. This message may indicate a RAM problem, a BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) problem,
or corrupted file system drivers. Make sure your RAM modules are of the same speed and type.
[hr]
0x00000080 NMI_HARDWARE_FAILURE. When you see this message, a hardware error has occurred. Using nonparity memory in a parity-based system,
mixing parity and nonparity memory, or bad RAM modules can cause this problem.
[hr]
0x0000000A IRQL_NOT_ LESS_OR_EQUAL. A bad driver usually causes this error.
Contact the manufacturer of the device that is causing the problem or visit its Web site for an updated or correct driver.Had trouble staying on track with the above?
Common Causes of Blue Screen of Death
- Software errors during Windows operation. Software or device drivers installed in your computer
may have errors or problems which cause a stop error, either constantly or under certain conditions.
- Hardware errors during Windows operation.
If a hardware device malfunctions or is removed during the operation of Windows,
or if your hardware does not fully support the operations that XP expects it to support, a
hardware stop error will occur. Outdated BIOS information on older computers might also be an issue.
- Installation errors.
The Windows XP installation process is the most sensitive time for hardware and disk errors.
If there is a problem with your computer's hardware configuration or the media you are using to install XP,
a stop error will likely occur.
- Startup errors. Corrupted system files,
hardware and driver errors can all cause Windows XP to halt with a stop message without correctly booting into Windows.
An error of this sort will almost always require troubleshooting before Windows can be loaded correctly.
- Intermittent errors. The most irritating type of stop message, these crop up consistently but apparently randomly.
The most likely culprits for this include: defective system memory, an overheating processor,
dead or dyinging hard drive or faulty software and device drivers.
^^^ Source
I'm new to BSOD too, so I am teaching myself by posting this. Another cause of BSOD that I don't believe... was in this, is more than one anti virus
running at the same time. This corrupts your system, and can cause this to happen. I used to use Avast! and I used ZoneAlarm with it and about a day later I got
BSOD a few times, same thing happened with Comodo, so I recommend Avira because it has a firewall built into it; unlike Avast! Free.
You may have different opinions on AV, which is why there are different threads for that.
Wanna prevent BSOD?
- There is usually a problem between the keyboard and the chair, this is very hard to fix, and is the cause of many BSOD.The problem in the chair can help this. Buy good quality components and run the inbuilt maintenance tools defrag chkdsk. Use CCleaner to remove the crap. And most important keep the darn thing clean .. open the box and blow out the dust place a laptop on a clean flat surface not the bed ... etc no magic pudding I am afraid
Another problem in the "chair" DO not run any reg cleaners, fixers they do not work. There are 56 million lines of code in Vista and many people around the world put it together, to say you have a program that will optimize Vista and that works is an oxymoron.
If you have Vista ultimate enterprise or Business then "complete PC backup" is very effective for getting your system back. A small investment in Acronis makes this possible for all versions
^ Supplied by jenae on http://www.techsupportforum.com/microsof...-bsod.html
- Memory failure is a problem as well; there are memory testers that can scan your computer to make sure that everything is running correctly on RAM, if it isn't you should fix this.
- Power supply as well; make sure the hardware on your computer isn't taking up the power supply causing lag and system errors like BSOD.
- Always make common restore points on your System Restore; for things like this, even though it can be solved easier.
- I found 'This' page helpful, so go check it out if you'd like.
This is a lengthy thread, and I'm sorry. But if you want to learn about it, then you'd better read it. Don't have to read all of it.
If proper credits weren't given please tell me and I will add them in. If you have any suggestions for me to add in, also tell me this. - There is usually a problem between the keyboard and the chair, this is very hard to fix, and is the cause of many BSOD.The problem in the chair can help this. Buy good quality components and run the inbuilt maintenance tools defrag chkdsk. Use CCleaner to remove the crap. And most important keep the darn thing clean .. open the box and blow out the dust place a laptop on a clean flat surface not the bed ... etc no magic pudding I am afraid
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